November is National Novel Writing Month, which is an internet based effort to encourage and support writers in completing a 50000 word novel. The project has been an annual event since 1999 with billions of words written.
NaNoWriMo has adapted its program to create a powerful web tool and curriculum for students and teachers to join the movement.
You will find a wealth of resources and tools available through NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program. The website allows teachers to create a virtual classroom which allows them to hold class discussions, monitor students’ novel progress, read and edit students’ novels, and set whole class challenges.
Each student gets a dashboard where they can track their progress, get updates on their average words per day and what their adjusted daily targets are based on their output. NaNoWriMo’s platform also offers badges which are displayed on the dashboard and can be viewed by classmates. The platform also allows students to read each others novels and provide encouragement.
My favorite feature though is the Dare Machine, which is designed to help writers in those moments when they are needing a little inspiration. Dare Machine does this by providing a small writing challenge such as “Trick your main character into believing something is true that isn’t” or “Lead a character into a dark forest to find something they need.”
BITS AND PIECES 