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DIY Writer + NaNoWriMo YWP

Organized by Nic.

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When:

Repeats every week until Tue Dec 02 2014 .
Tuesday, October 28, 2014 - 1:00pm - 3:30pm

Where:

Lindamood-Bell Learning Center

Location

3300 Edinborough Way, Suite 206
Edina, MN 55435
United States
44° 52' 32.2104" N, 93° 20' 5.532" W
See map: Google Maps

Who: NaNoWriMo is for all ages, including parents. Parents are encouraged to participate with their children. Parents who do not wish to participate are asked to remain in the building or to arrange for another adult in the building to assume responsibility for their children for the duration of the program.
Parents are asked to use their best judgement as to whether or not their non-participating children will be disruptive to the program.

How much:
Cost for Child/Student: $0.00
Cost for Adult/Educator: $0.00

Please register by: Tuesday, October 21, 2014 (All day)

Description

See also: Minnesota Library Access Center (MLAC) Cavern Tour on the University of Minnesota West Bank Campus (Minneapolis), Tue, Dec 9, 1:30pm–2:30pm.>

See also: Illustrating your NaNoWriMo Novel and other stories at Rumriver Art Center (Anoka), Fri, Dec 19, 1pm–2:30pm.

See also: Hardcover Post-Bound Portfolio Journal with Hand Made Pulp Painted Cover at Minnesota Center for Book Arts (Minneapolis), Tue, Feb 10 and 17, 1pm–3pm.

Meeting space is generously provided by Lindamood-Bell Learning Center, located inside Edinborough Corporate Center, which is connected to Edinborough Park, home to Adventure Peak, one of the largest indoor play structures in the country. We will be meeting in the 3rd floor training room of the Edinborough Corporate Center.

November 18 meeting will be in the Helen Young Room at Southdale Library!
7001 York Ave S, Edina, MN 55435

NaNoWriMo

Want to write a novel in November?

Join other writers for support, encouragement and advice for NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program plus earn a DIY Skill Patch!

We will have one novel development workshop in October and then weekly novel writing support sessions throughout November. We will be using NaNoWriMo's YWP middle school lesson plans as a general guide for the gatherings.

We will meet on Tuesday afternoons, from 1pm to 3:30pm:
Tue, Oct 28, 1pm–3:30pm: Creating Awesome Characters
Tue, Nov 4, 1pm–3:30pm: Beginnings plus How to Keep Writing During November!
Tue, Nov 11, 1pm–3:30pm: Details, Details, Details
Tue, Nov 18, 1pm–3:30pm: Sub-Plotting at Southdale Library
Tue, Nov 25, 1pm–3:30pm: Character Interviews on NaNo-TV
Tue, Dec 2, 1pm–3:30pm: Thank Goodness It's Over Party

You start writing on Saturday, November 1 and finish by midnight, Sunday, November 30.

DIY

 DIY Skill: Writer

  DIY Challenge 1: Describe a Character
  DIY Challenge 3: Write a Short Story *
  DIY Challenge 3: Enter a Writing Contest: NaNoWriMo's YWP

 

* Wait! What? Short story!? I thought it was National Novel Writing Month?
Indeed it is, but let's not quibble over terms! Oh, you want to quibble? Well, then, while novels can vary tremendously in length, a work of fiction under 7,500 words is generally classed as a short story. If you write up to 17,500 words, you can call it a novelette. If you get up to 40,000 words, it's a novella. If you get beyond that, it's a novel. I did not name these things. You will be entering NaNoWriMo and you will be tackling the DIY Writer Skill Challenge Write a Short Story and you will be doing both of these things with the same story. (Yes, this is legal.)

For the purposes of NaNoWriMo, a novel is "a lengthy work of fiction." You decide whether what you're writing falls under the heading of "novel." If you believe you're writing a novel, we believe you're writing a novel, too. You can even co-author a novel with a friend (or friends). While NaNoWriMo defines the minimum length for adults to be 50,000 words, kids set their own goals. You can use the Word-Count Goal Calculator to generate a personal goal or check out the grade-based guidelines at Setting a Word-Count Goal.

The deadline for setting or changing your word-count goal is 11:59 PM (local time) on Mon, Nov 24, 2014, before winning starts!

  • Your word-count goal for NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program is completely unique to you. You should take into account your writing experience, your schedule (how much time you’ll realistically be able to spend writing), and your enthusiasm for the event.
  • To set your own personal word-count goal, log into your account at ywp.nanowrimo.org, then click on "My NaNoWriMo" in the top menu bar and then on "Edit Novel Info" in the sidebar menu and then fill in the field "Word Count Goal" with your goal and click "Submit".
  • At ywp.nanowrimo.org/wordcount you’ll find three recommended goals for each grade level: low, middle, or high. For example, the three goals for a 7th grade student are 2000, 3000 or 5000 words. You can choose one of the recommended goals or set your own. It’s all up to you!
  • If you're not sure of your target, try the Word-Count Goal Calculator at ywp.nanowrimo.org/wordcount/goal
  • You should make your goal high enough to be challenging but not so high as to be impossible to reach.
  • Keep in mind that a word-count goal is a lower threshold, not an upper limit.
  • The default goal for NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program is 30,000 words, which falls within the recommended ranges for most 11th and 12th grade students, so be sure to update it.
  • If you handwrite your novel, you can use a random text generator to re-create your word count, then paste that into the Word Count Validator to validate your novel and win.

Parents are also invited to participate in NaNoWriMo.

Meeting length will depend on the number of participants but won't exceed 2½ hours.

The group size will be limited to a maximum of 10 children.

At each gathering, we'll spend 30 to 60 minutes on a group activity and then each writer will have 5 to 10 minutes to tell about and seek advice on his or her story.

Participants should come to each November meeting prepared to share. They can read a sample of their writing and ask for feedback and suggestions, or they can just outline a problem they've encountered and ask for help solving it.

If my dates, times or plans don't work for you, you are encouraged to set up additional support groups!

The focus is on story creation. There is to be no correction of grammar, punctuation, or spelling. For one month, you get to lock away your inner editor, let your imagination take over, and just create!

Because the focus is on story creation, if your child struggles with handwriting or typing, dictation is a perfectly acceptable method of getting the story down on paper — provided that transcribers also commit to locking away their own inner editors for the month of November and faithfully record the story as it is told.

Ground Rules for discussion:

  1. Respect each other and the types of writing done
  2. Don't criticize each other destructively
  3. Try not to interrupt each other when speaking in a group setting
  4. Try to be positive and encouraging at all times
  5. Do your best to make the group a safe environment to explore the craft of writing

Check out the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program at ywp.nanowrimo.org

I recommend that you download a PDF workbook and work through those pages during the month of October. These workbooks were created to spark your imagination and guide you in your noveling journey. The activities inside will help you create characters, build settings, and hatch plots, plus keep you motivated throughout the month. And, all PDFs are customizable so you can type and save your ideas!

However, if the workbook puts off your child, making storytelling seem like work, please just drop it and instead get right to the novel writing on Sat, Nov 1. Your child will likely see the value of the exercises for next year by the end of this November. This year is can be a time to learn how a bit of preparation can make it easier to write and complete a story.

You win NaNoWriMo by writing to your word-count goal by midnight on Sun, Nov 30 and by validating your word count online before that deadline. Just paste the full text of your novel in the Word Count Validator. When your word counts meets your goal, you win (provided it's Nov 25 or later — you can't win before then, no matter how much you've written). Order a Winner T-shirt and celebrate.

Every year, there are many, many winners. There are no "Best Novel" or "Quickest-Written Novel" awards given out. All writers who validate their word count online and reach their goal by midnight on Sun, Nov 30 receive an official "Winner" web badge and certificate, the opportunity to order NaNoWriMo Winner merchandise, and bragging rights for the rest of their lives.

Some of the skills NaNoWriMo builds:

  • Creativity: Creating characters, situations, dialogue, and even whole planets from scratch helps you think, but it also teaches you how to apply their fanciful ideas to a full project.
  • Confidence: When creating so much text in such a short period of time, you'll realize just how much you can accomplish when you put your mind to it. NaNoWriMo leaves young writers asking themselves, "What's next?"
  • Time Management: NaNoWriMo teaches students how to tackle a huge project by breaking it down into manageable bites!
  • Fluency: Writing so much in so little time boosts proficiency in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and will help you approach future writing assignments with ease and confidence. (We won't be focusing on grammar, punctuation, and/or spelling at our meetings, but you'll have a lengthy document to proofread and edit at the end of the month.)

Participants should register at ywp.nanowrimo.org as a "Young Writer" in order to track word count and "win" on Sun, Nov 30. While you can reach your word count goal without registering, you can't officially "win" without validating your word count goal online.

Participants should also join also this group's virtual classroom.

You may want to make use of the Lesson Plans found at ywp.nanowrimo.org/lesson-plans. We will be using the outline of Lesson Plan 4 at our October meeting, and portions of Lessons 11, Lesson 12, Lesson 13, and Lesson 14 during November.

Overall goals of the NaNoWriMo's YWP lesson plans

  • Write narratives that engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view, and purposefully organize a sequence of events or experiences.
  • Write narratives to develop narrative elements (for example, setting, conflict, complex characters) with relevant and specific sensory details
  • Produce writing in which the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
  • Write routinely over extended time frames (with time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (in a single sitting or over a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
  • With some guidance and support from peers and adults, strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach after rethinking how well questions of purpose have been addressed

Oct 28: Creating Awesome Characters

  • Analyze characters and their thoughts, words, and actions in a novel.
  • Practice teamwork in creating a novel in a group.
  • Develop complex major and minor characters for your group's novel.
  • Begin developing complex major and minor characters for your own novel.

Workshop resources:

Nov 4: Beginnings plus How to Keep Writing During November!

  • Understand and identify the four places where a story can begin and how each influences the development of plot in a story.
  • Begin the extended-writing phase of your noveling project by creating an appropriate beginning for your own novel.

Workshop resources:

Nov 11: Details, Details, Details

  • Reflect on your sensory experiences.
  • Choose words and phrases, including similes and metaphors, that convey sensory details and develop the plots and characters of your novel.
  • Continue the extended-writing phase of your noveling project by adding details to your work.

Workshop resources:

Nov 18: Sub-Plotting
at Southdale Library

  • Continue the extended-writing phase of your noveling project by establishing and developing multiple subplots to your novel.
  • Develop and add complex, minor, or supporting characters to your novel.

Workshop resources:

Nov 25: Character Interviews on NaNo-TV

  • Try a new approach to strengthening your writing through peer collaboration.
  • Develop major and minor characters by "stepping into your characters' shoes."

Workshop resources:

Dec 2: Thank Goodness It's Over Party

  • Five-Minute Readings.
  • Certificates for both participants and winners.
  • Yearbook signing!
  • Thank you card for Lindamood-Bell.
  • Prizes.
  • Fun.
  • Adventure Peak!
    • Lindamood-Bell has generously provided free admission for all our young authors!
    • Please remember that socks must be worn in Adventure Peak.

Take Advantage of NaNoWriMo’s Online Resources!

  1. Regular pep talks from well-known YA authors will inspire even the most burned-out novelists.
  2. Utilize our Virtual Classroom, which is set up to help us communicate and easily forge noveling connections.
  3. Start exciting discussions in our own dedicated online Forum.
    • Parents can ask to be added to the virtual classroom as an Educator and then use NaNoMail to send messages to the whole group.
  4. Take advantage of the full Writer Community by browsing the site with a parent to discover how big the NaNoWriMo's YWP writing world really is, and in turn, how cool it is to be a part of it.
  5. The Dare Machine is a block that appears on the homepage of NaNoWriMo's YWP website and features different writing prompts called Dares. The machine will "dare" you to add new characters, plot twists, and more to their novels. Dares are a super-fun way to get novel out of a rut and back into action.

Sponsor offers!

Check out the sponsors for NaNoWriMo's YWP:

Check out the sponsor offers for all NaNoWriMo participants:

  • BookBaby is offering a free copy of The End. Now what?!
  • Bibliocrunch is offering a free copy of A Self-Publishing Guide for NaNoWriMo Writers: You’re Done! Now What?
  • Kobo is offering a free copy of Bryan Cohen’s 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts, Volume 2.
  • StoryBundle is offering the NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Bundle which is 6 to 15 books for $5 to $15

DIY

DIY

DIY is a global community of creative kids who are passionate about learning new skills and meeting others that share our passion. DIY offers an alternative to traditional scouting that is kid-driven with fewer rules and fewer expenses — in fact, participation can be entirely free. There are no dues to a national organization and no uniforms to buy. You can buy embroidered skill patches ($4 each), but you can also just earn digital badges for no cost.

Destination DIY podcast about DIY Club
New York Times Bits bog about DIY Club

 

Payment information

  1. Please plan to send your payment the same day that you register.
     
    The organizer will expect to receive your payment within 3 days of your date of registration — or by the payment deadline above, whichever comes first.
     
  2. Immediately after you register, you will be emailed payment instructions from admin(at)homeschoolrecess(dot)com.
     
    Make sure your email filters recognize this address as a legitimate sender. If you don't receive this email, please check your spam, junk or bulk mail folder. Contact the organizer if you are unable to find it; if you receive no response to your email, please call the organizer.
     
    You are not officially registered until the organizer receives your payment.
     
  3. When the organizer records your payment, you will be emailed a payment receipt from admin(at)homeschoolrecess(dot)com.
     
    If you've sent your payment and haven't received a payment confirmation, please contact the organizer by email or phone.
     
  4. If the organizer doesn't receive payment within 3 days of your date of registration or by the payment deadline, whichever comes first, the organizer may remove your family from the registration list.
     
    You will be notified with an email from admin(at)homeschoolrecess(dot)com should this unfortunate event occur.
     
    If you are unable to send payment immediately, please contact the organizer to make other arrangements. This protects the organizer from non-payment due to payment instructions blocked by overly aggressive spam protection.
     
  5. If you need to cancel your registration, please do so via an email request to the organizer.
     
    Non-payment is not an acceptable way to cancel your registration. If you wish to cancel, please be respectful of the volunteer organizer's time and send an email request.
     
    If you fail to send a cancellation request by the cancellation deadline, you will remain responsible for reimbursing the organizer for the cost of your family's participation.
     
  6. To help the organizer identify you in the registration database, please include your username and field trip number along with any requests. This information can be found in your payment instructions email message and on the registration form on this page.

 

Cancellation information

Cancellation deadline: Tue, Oct 21, 2014 (All day)

TO CANCEL BEFORE THE DEADLINE: 
(1) Please let the organizer know as soon as possible via email. 

TO CANCEL AFTER THE DEADLINE: 
(1) Please let the organizer know as soon as possible via email. 
 
TO CANCEL ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT: 
(1) It is not cool to just not show up. Please let the organizer know if you are unable to attend — via email, text message or voice mail.

 

Additional information

Please arrive by:

Please plan to arrive about 15 minutes early in order to have plenty of time to find parking, check in with the organizer, visit the bathrooms and otherwise be prepared for our program to start on time. Please plan to be early to avoid being late due to inadequate maps, confusing road signs, road construction, heavy traffic, parking difficulties, inclement weather or uncooperative children.

Where to meet:

Please head up to the Training Room on the 3rd floor when you arrive. (If the room is locked, you may inquire in the office of Lindamood-Bell.)

Food policy:

Food and beverages are permitted in the meeting room. Lindamood-Bell will provide light snacks.

Alternate plans:

In case of inclement weather, please let the organizer know as soon as possible if your attendance will be affected.

Parking information:

Free parking is available in the lots on site.

Directions:

Lindamood-Bell Learning Center is located at 3300 Edinborough Way #206, Edina, MN 55435, inside Edinborough Corporate Center, which is connected to Edinborough Park, home to Adventure Peak, one of the largest indoor play structures in the country.

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