Contest #5: NaNoWriMo

Contest:  National Novel Writing Month

Genre:  Novel

Theme:  Anything you want - YES!!

Prize:  a new novel written by you, stickers, buttons, certificates, candy, party in December, increased writing fluency, self-esteem boost, rollicking good time

Publication:  need not be shared, unless the author wants to

Odds of winning:  EVERY SINGLE STUDENT CAN WIN - isn't that the BEST?!
For more information:  http://ywp.nanowrimo.org

 

 This is the writing contest that started it all.  NaNoWriMo.  I have published a couple of articles about last year's experience doing NaNoWriMo with students, so I won't rehash it all here.  Essentially it is a personal challenge to write a novel in thirty days.  I wanted to start recording this year's process and I'll begin with this year's goal: to go BIGGER and BETTER than last year.  I intend to do it in these ways:

1.  EVERY single English Language Learner in my program will write a novel this year.  Last year I only required intermediate and advanced students.  This year, everyone, including the Newbies (what I affectionately call students who have been in the United States for less than one year).  These students are non-speakers of English, and thus, (technically) non-writers.  Don't worry, we have lots of support in place: volunteer tutors, scaffolded worksheets, sugar-laden candy, and proof that it can be done - (thanks to last year's newbies who wrote novels even though I didn't think they could).

2.  More adult participation - last year we had four adults in our building writing novels, this year we are up to about six.  I have another week to convince some more to get on board.

3.  Reading a novel before NaNoWriMo.  Last year I decided to do NaNoWriMo two weeks before November, so there wasn't time to read a novel together before we did it.  Most students had read novels before, but not all of them had.  This year we read "Summer on Wheels" by Gary Soto.  It took a lot longer than I would have liked and we had to barrel through it without many of the assignments I would typically do.  It was a great choice, though, for several reasons.  It's funny, it's realistic, it's got GREAT characters, and it incorporates a LOT of Spanish (and a little French, which my one French speaker really enjoyed).  It has been a great reference as we've started planning our own novels.

4.  Last year's two biggest complaints were: writer's cramp, and counting words, so I booked the library's computer lab for the month of November.  Students can type, handwrite, or a combination of both.  This gives options and options are always good.  I also received a classroom donation of a handful of flashdrives in case students need to move their novel from home to school.

5.  Two more teachers are participating, one at Bryant (mi hermana, Adrianna Jorgensen) and my esteemed colleague, Suzan Lake at East High School.  Last year I shared ideas and pitfalls with teachers on the NaNoWriMo educator forums, but it will be more fun to collaborate with real-live teachers.

6.  Bigger and better December party.  Not sure what this is going to look like this year, but I've promised the NaNo-experienced 8th graders that they could help plan the party.  I'm considering an evening parent night?  Not sure.  We'll have to see . . . 

More posts to come as our pursuit for the 30 day novel begins in just EIGHT days . . .