The goal of this class is to write a complete novel (short story) or screenplay. We will cover plotting, characterization, setting, conflict, dialogue, writing, and editing. This class is held three times during the year to correspond with the three National Novel Writing Month events in November, April, and July.

A list of common core requirements can be provided on request. 

**Screenwriters can also you use the NaNoWriMo challenge to complete a first draft of their screenplay. A few items will be slightly different as far as writing style and formatting, but the planning is very similar to planning a novel. Screenwriting techniques will be included in the lessons when there are screenwriters in the section. ** 

Week One - Covering the principles of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). How to let your creativity flow and turn off your inner editor. Understand what a novel or screenplay  actually is. Discuss and share a novel or screenplay of their choice with the class. Make an account and register your story idea on NaNoWriMo's Young Writer's Program website. Decide how many words you plan to write in the 30 days. 

Week Two - We'll cover what makes a good novel and what makes a bad novel. The class will have a discussion about books they've read and whether they considered the books to be successful (good) or unsuccessful (bad). We'll go over main characters and how to make them living breathing people. The students will begin to craft and create their characters. 

Week Three - We'll go over supporting characters and how to make them living breathing people. The students will continue to craft and create their characters. We'll cover creating conflict in their stories. What are the elements of a story? The student will learn what elements to put in a story to keep the action moving forward. The students will start working on the storyline of their own books. 

Week Four - We'll go over plotting a book/screenplay including set-up, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and the resolution. The students will start working on the plot of their own books/screenplays and decide on the conclusions of their story and create an emotionally satisfying end. 

Week Five - Start writing on the 1st of the month! We'll cover how to begin your novel. What are the best places to start your story? The students will create several beginnings for their stories. Settings to help to set the stage of their stories. The students will work on the settings of their stories. 

Week Six -  We'll go over the difference between real life conversations and dialogue in a novel/screenplay. How do they develop the characters and events through dialogue? We'll cover the use of dialogue tags and conventions (character cues for screenplays). Students will interview their characters to get to know them better. Any left over time will be spent doing writing sprints and brainstorming. 

Week Seven - We'll talk about using senses to add more details into your story. We're gonna talk about adding details, details, details to create a richer experience. A writing exercise to focus on sensory perception. How to increase your word count with sensory details. We'll talk about sub-plots and whether their story needs them. Any left over time will be spent doing writing sprints and brainstorming. 

Week Eight - Other tips and tricks to reach the student's word count goal especially if they feel they have reached "the end" but still have several hundred or thousand words to write. Any left over time will be spent doing writing sprints and brainstorming. 

Week Nine - We'll go over basic ground rules on how to provide constructive criticism. Each student will workshop the first five pages of their novel/screenplay. Students will also pair up to workshop additional pages with each other. We'll talk about how to use constructive criticism and editing your own work. Students will learn how to use proofreading marks. We'll cover sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. 

Week Ten - Students will discuss publishing their work. They will learn about traditional publishing and independent publishing. Looking for markets that publish children/teen work. Publishing excerpts and the entire story. How to write a submission letter. 

The weekly topics might be adjusted based off student's questions. 

If the class has already started and you want your child to be guided through NaNoWriMo, they can enroll late in this class as long as the month of NaNo hasn't started. If the Enroll button is no longer present, please message me for a special link to enroll your child in late. If you're learner wishes to do NaNo, but doesn't want a full instructional class, I do have a class that meets during the month of NaNo that is less structured.
Creative Writing: Write Your NaNoWriMo Novel and Screenplay Club - https://outschool.com/classes/creative-writing-write-your-nanowrimo-novel-club-L4UGK5ay