NaNoWriMo: Sign up to write a novel, it's FREE!

A few months ago I was introduced to NaNoWriMo through this post written by Janet over at Homeschooler Cafe.  NaNaWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and the post written by Janet directs to The Young Writers Program.  After some research I decided to sign up (for free, always a bonus) to write a novel in the month of November.  Writing is to commence on November 1st, which is really really close.  I thought I would share this with my readers on both my blogs.  I figured readers of my Tots and Me blog would be interested in this for their children (or for themselves).  Here is their description of the program:

National Novel Writing Month happens every November!

It is a fun, seat-of-your-pants novel writing event where the challenge is to write an entire novel in just 30 days. That means participants begin writing November 1 and must finish by midnight, November 30. The word-count goal for our adult program is 50,000 words, but our Young Writers Program allows participants who are 17 years old and younger to set reasonable, yet challenging, word-count goals.

The thing that matters most in NaNoWriMo is output. Our high-velocity approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: you will be writing a lot of strange stuff, and some of it will be just plain bad. But that's a good thing! For 30 days, you get to lock that inner editor in the basement, let your imagination take over, and just create!

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants of all ages are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel.

In 2009, 167,000 adults participated through our main site, and 35,000 young writers participated through our Young Writers Program.

So, to recap:

What: To meet your word-count goal and write a novel from scratch in one month’s time. You will be able to enter your chosen word-count goal in your profile starting October 1.

Who: You!

You should sign up on the Young Writers Program site if you are:

• 17 years old or younger participating on your own.
• In a K-12 teacher-led class that is participating in NaNoWriMo.
• An educator facilitating NaNoWriMo in your classroom.

If you are 13 or older, you can sign up on the main site at www.nanowrimo.org. Just know that you will have to write 50,000 words since the adult site doesn’t allow you to set your own word-count goal.

Why: The reasons are endless! To write freely without having to stress over spelling and grammar. To be able to talk about how cool your novel is any chance you get. To be able to make fun of real novelists who take far longer than 30 days to write their books...

When: You can sign up whenever you’d like to add your name to the roster of budding young authors and participate in the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach your word-count goal by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the celebration begins.

Still confused? Just visit the How NaNoWriMo Works for Young Writers page! If you are an educator, visit the How NaNoWriMo Works for Educators page.

See you in November!

Children from Kindergarten through 12th grade can sign up for the Young Writers program.  My husband and I signed up for the adult program which you can access here.

So, needless to say, I will probably not be posting as detailed posts each week for our homeschooling.  Pictures take way too long to upload on my computer so there will be a minimum.  I do not foresee this affecting our lessons as I will be writing my novel while the children are sleeping.  I am really excited about seeing where my imagination will lead me.  I wish my girls were old enough to participate.  

Would love to know that there are other bloggy families out there who will be participating.  Hope to hear from you.