November is National Novel Writing Month, according to the website NaNoWriMo.org. Not only can parents benefit from taking the time to write a novel in a month’s time, but there is also a program for kids as well.

How it Works:
Sign-up with NaNoWriMo for free on their website. Kids must sign-up under the Young Writer’s Program. Teenagers are free to choose whether they want to remain in the Young Writer’s Program, or try for the more advanced challenge of being in the adult group. Either way, there is no cost at any time for participants of the program.

Locate the word count for your age group. Adults are set at 50,000 words automatically, but children are given word counts based on their age/grade level. My daughter is currently in 7th grade, which suggests an average word count of 3,000. The advanced word count recommended for her grade is 5,000, and she is likely to hit it.

Start writing. There is no magic solution to finishing a novel in one month, other than to just write. Although I see edits that need to be made to my daughter’s novel, I won’t let her fix them just yet. The important thing is that she gets her story on paper. There will be time for editing later. Sometimes it’s the constant stopping and starting that keeps a writer from finishing a novel.

Copy and past your completed novel into the NaNoWriMo system. In order to receive credit for completing a novel in one month, your novel must meet the set word count and be entered into the system by midnight on November 30th.

Children’s Bonus:
Any child who signed up with the Young Writer’s Program that completed a novel that meets the set word count will receive one free copy of their novel in print. Children can even create a cover illustration for their novel, and upload it into the NaNoWriMo system. As a home schooling mom, I appreciate this added incentive.