NaNoWriMo Stats

The following NaNoWrio statistics came from this website:  http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/mediakit.  Read and be amazed...

Founded by: Freelance writer Chris Baty and 20 other overcaffeinated yahoos in 1999.

Now run by: The Office of Letters and Light, an august 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Oakland.

How NaNoWriMo got from there to here: It’s a funny story, actually.

Annual participant/winner totals 1999: 21 participants and six winners

2000: 140 participants and 29 winners

2001: 5000 participants and more than 700 winners

2002: 13,500 participants and around 2,100 winners

2003: 25,500 participants and about 3,500 winners

2004: 42,000 participants and just shy of 6,000 winners

2005: 59,000 participants and 9,769 winners

2006: 79,813 participants and 12,948 winners

2007: 101,510 participants and 15,333 winners

2008: 119,301participants and 21,683 winners

2009: 167,150 participants and 32,178 winners

2010: 200,500 participants and 37, 500 winners

Number of official NaNoWriMo chapters around the world: Over 500

Number of K-12 schools who participated in 2005: Over 100

Number of K-12 schools who participated in 2006: Over 300

Number of K-12 schools who participated in 2007: 366

Number of K-12 schools who participated in 2008: 600

Number of K-12 schools who participated in 2009: 1,295

Number of K-12 schools who participated in 2010: 1,800

Number of NaNoWriMo manuscripts that have been sold to publishing houses: Many (details below)

Number of words officially logged during the 2004 event: 428,164,975

Number of words officially logged during the 2005 event: 714,227,354

Number of words officially logged during the 2006 event: 982,564,701

Number of words officially logged during the 2007 event: 1,187,931,929

Number of words officially logged during the 2008 event: 1,643,343,993

Number of words officially logged during the 2009 event: 2,427,190,537

Number of words officially logged during the 2010 event: 2,872,682,109

Join My Blog

Hello, students (and non-students, as well)!  You are welcome to join my blog and become a part of our NaNoWriMo support group!  Your school email account does not seem to work with Blogspot, so you will need to create another personal account (ask your parents first!)  I suggest you create an account at http://www.mail.yahoo.com/.  Next, join this blog by clicking the icon "Join This Blog" (on the left pane of this website) and enter your information. 

2.5 days and counting 'til NaNoWriMo kick-off!

Ready...
Set...

It's All in a Name

I think one of the most difficult tasks when writing a novel is determining the names of your characters.  I've been mulling over the names and each time I think I've made a decision, someone reads my list and says "Ewww.  That name reminds me of my friend's cousin's neighbor's brother who is a real jerk!" 

It's difficult to find a name that does not have some type of association attached, whether favorable or not.  Names have meanings, and your character's nature is reflected in the meaning.  Would you name a gentle, artist-type "Thor" or tough football player "Pansy"?

I remember when the author Kaza Kingsley visited our school  a few years ago.  She is the author of the popular series Eric Rex.  She explained how she solves the problem of naming her characters.  "Create them," she said, by combining the first half of one name with the last half of another. 

Here are a few examples:

Maxwell + Johnson = Maxson or Johnwell

Sarah + Jennifer = Sarfer or Jeniah

Noah + Abigail = Nogail or Abiah

If you don't like this idea, and prefer traditional naming systems, check out this link...

Baby Name Explorer

Novel Writing Club

I'm speechless tonight as I reflect on the number of writers in our school.  Our Novel Writing Club met in my classroom for its weekly meeting and every seat, including my teacher's desk and the carpet, was taken.  Imagine if the entire group had been in attendance?  We would have spilled into the hallway!

Don't misunderstand - I am definitely not complaining.  It's amazing for me to contemplate how many of our students love to write.  I guess we've all been bitten by the same bug!

I am proud of each of you that you desire to express the stories that bubble just beneath your surfaces.  I can see it in your eyes, feel the excitement in the tones of your voices.  You are excited about the act of writing, and are willing to participate in NaNoWriMo, not because it's an assignment, but because you want to do it.  Love to do it.  Crave to do it.  Can't wait to start to do it.  You've embraced the endeavor of creating something new where there was nothing before.  I share that excitement with you and totally understand the joy you are anticipating as the NaNoWriMo kick-off approaches.

You are adventurers.  You are fearless.  You believe in your abilities and are willing to take enormous risks by putting your inner-most thoughts onto paper for the world to see, accept or reject.  But as writers, it's all about the journey, isn't it?  It's the moments we spend creating worlds within the thoughts of our minds.  Worlds that are currently voids of nothingness but, come November 1st, will take shape, with ridges and contours, fluidity and substance, as we deem appropriate.  As we choose.  With all due respect, we will play "Creator" for a moment in time.  We will control the destinies of our characters.  We will shape dreams and either coax them to fruition or decimate them at the feet of our trembling protagonists.  We will possess the power to bless or destroy.  The humble writers in us will experience, during this month, sincere moments of creative enlightenment. 

Six days (if you live in Australia)...seven if you live in the Grand Canyon state.

We Are Writers

So - you've decided to take the plunge and write a novel!  Congratulations!  For me, this creative endeavor has become an annual highlight of the school year.  I love to write, but beyond that, I love the camaraderie we share as we sit side by side, typing furiously on our laptops, creating unique, secretive worlds of conflict, strategy and emotion.  This common experience bonds us together for one delicious, creative slice of time - the month of November - when we live and breathe our stories, determining the fates of our characters, revelling in the pure joy and untethered fervor of writing.  I don't see myself as your teacher during this month.  You are not students.  There is no age difference, no roles to play, no rules to follow.  We are writers. 

It's a time to indulge your creative selves.  Are you getting ready to take the plunge together?

Nine days and counting...

Ten Days And Counting...

Things to consider...

How much time can you commit to NaNoWriMo 2011?  How many words can you commit to writing?  It's exciting to say "I'm going to write 50,000 words in one month", and it's very possible because this is our club's third year doing just that.  But you must consider your age and grade level.  I'd rather you start with a lower word count and surprise yourself if you write more than feel like you've "failed" because you set your goal too high.  We've lost all of our ninth-graders to high school this year, and now we're blessed with fourth-graders who want to write with us but are very young.  Please remember that your priority must always be school.  Grades come first.  Talk to your parents and discuss this endeavor.  Determine what works best for you.  We're thrilled you're joining us!

I've created a NaNoWriMo bulletin board outside my classroom in the hallway.  Stop by, add your name to the list and write your projected word count.   

NaNoWriMo begins November 1st!  Join us for our kick-off party and be prepared to start writing!  You can come to my classroom before school, during lunch (1st or 2nd) and after school until 5:00p every school day during November.  Join us when you are able.  Write at home if you can't write with us. 

Ten days...

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Thanks to all of the new (and returning) members who attend our Novel Writing Club meeting today!  We created usernames and pwds to access the ywp.nanowrimo.org website and created buddy lists.  We're gearing up and getting ready for November 1st!

Mark your calendar for our next meeting on Tuesday, October 25th.

Thirteen more days and counting down...

Article about our club