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November is National Novel Writing Month and the non-profit NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program website provides some great free online resources to support and encourage your young writer.
When you arrive at the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program website, review the information and links on the home page to familiarize yourself with the content and tools of the program. Use the upper menu to learn about NaNoWriMo, how the program works and check out the available resources for writer and educators. Some of the resources for writers include:
Novelist Workbooks – These age-appropriate downloadable PDF books help your student brainstorm to create characters, design settings, and plan out plots for their novels.
Pep Talks – Aspiring young writers can receive encouragement with downloadable letters from well-know authors. Archived PDF letters are stored on a Google Drive so that when you select the link, the page will open to where you can select the letter of choice to download or read online. You can also download and print "illustrated pep talk quotes" to keep the inspiration going.
NaNoWriMo Videos – Take a look at the NaNoWriMo YouTube video channel with almost 400 videos filled with writing tips and how tos.
NaNoWriMo Blog – Get tips, tricks, and inspiration from the posts on this blog. Use the search box at the top of the page or explore the Archive for exactly what you need.
And more.
In addition to the tools for the writer, educator resources also include lesson plans and a getting started guide.
To use the online writing tools, sign up for a free account. You can sign up as an educator account and add your students to your class via a code. Your virtual classroom will allow you to monitor and edit your student's novels and create your own challenges apart from the ones NaNoWriMo features. And the best part is your account is valid forever.
Whether you have a young novelist in your home or even a reluctant writer, the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program may be just the tool you have been looking for to encourage and motivate your child to create their own literary masterpiece.
