The bell rings, my classroom door flies open, and Tony comes hurtling through. “Can we write today, Mrs. Bradley? Please, PLEASE tell me we’re gonna write today!” He glances at the whiteboard, sees “writing” on the agenda, and throws his hands up in celebration. “YES!”
In three decades of teaching, I had never seen 8th graders this eager to write. Of course, there had always been enthusiastic young writers out there, but even they didn’t beg me (loudly) for writing time. But this student, a self-professed not-a-writer, had jumped into the boldest, bravest, most terrifying assignment I had ever given… And he discovered he loved to write.
What was that magic assignment, you ask? Of course, it was National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo.
So I was devastated to hear of the collapse of the beloved NaNoWriMo organization. How will teachers shepherd their students through the challenge without the helpful Young Writers Program? Where will their students find guidance and inspiration? What will our young novelists do with all the stories swirling around their creative minds?
Never fear, dear teachers, NaNo 2.0 is here! And we bring you the Young Novelist Challenge, which includes resources for teachers, librarians, and anyone else looking to take young writers on this very daring, rollercoaster-thrilling, novel writing adventure. If you used the Young Writers Program materials in the past, you’ll recognize the materials, tweaked just a bit and given a fresh, new look.
Jump on over to our Young Novelist Challenge page for free curriculum for all grade levels (yes, K-12!) and free workbooks for your students (both online and PDFs for you to print). Coming soon we’ll have milestone badges and winner certificates, plus pep talks to inspire you and your students.
Still not sure about challenging your students to write a novel? I hear you! It’s a big ask (and a little scary)!
That’s why I put together my own NaNoTeacher site, filled with tips and strategies that I learned and developed over the eight years that my students wrote novels. I’ve included mini-lessons and activities created by me and other NaNoWriMo teachers to support you and your students through the Young Novelist Challenge and well beyond.
We’re so excited for your students to hop aboard the NaNo train, and we’re here to support you through the journey. If you’d like to receive updates and pep talks in your inbox, join our mailing list. Check back often as we continue to add resources to our site.
We wish you happy noveling to the music of students begging to write!