Lifelong Learning for School Librarians: National Novel Writing Month

Friday, November 2, 2012

National Novel Writing Month

We had two students approach us about sponsoring a "write in" for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). We had advertised the event last year using posters around the library, but had no takers. These two students remembered the event and that it was in November and approached us.

Cheryl and I set up a NaNoWriMo writing area:

GHS Library

We also set up a display for the window for recruiting more participants.

We have had three meetings (9 students writing just to write, no grades) with students and spoke to 8 classes about participating. NaNoWriMo.org offers a library kit ($10.00 shipping) and a forum for Media Specialists.

On day one (Nov. 1) we had six students visit the library to write (combined writing over 8000 words) and a freshmen studies teacher (along with 94 freshmen) implement a classroom project based on NaNoWriMo. He will be back on November 2^nd with 88 more freshmen.

Often Cheryl and I feel that our students are consuming so much information, but not creating as much. NaNoWriMo provides an outlet for students to create any novel they want. If you want more information check out www.nanowrimo.org there is also a Young Writers Program (www.ywp.nanowrimo.org) that teachers can set up an online classroom to follow progress of students.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/about/hownanoworks

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/about/whatisnano

I will leave you, future novelist and novel facilitators, with two quotes from the founder of NaNoWriMo:

“There's a book in you that only you can write.”

“A novel rough draft is like bread dough; you need to beat the crap out of it for it to rise.”