NaNoWriMo should not be the end of your writing journey! There are so many other writing events, programs, publications, and websites out there. This is only a small sampling of them. If you'd like to recommend another link, please contact us.
NaNoWriMo-Style Events
Writing Programs
Places to Submit Work
Writing Websites
NaNoWriMo-Style Events
PlotWriMo – Plot Writing Month (December). Goal: Refine the plot arc of your first draft.
WriYe – (Year-Round). Goal: Set a word-count goal for the year and work toward it between January 1 and December 31.
JanNoWriMo – Goal: Write either 50K or your own word-count goal in January.
FAWM – February Album Writing Month (February). Goal: Write 14 original songs in a month.
Script Frenzy – NaNoWriMo's sister challenge (April). Goal: Write a 100-page screenplay or stage play in April.
April Fool's – (April). Goal: Set a word-count goal for yourself and fulfill it by the end of the month.
AugNoWriMo – August Novel Writing Month (August). Goal: Write a novel in one month.
SeptNoWriMo – September Novel Writing Month (September). Goal: Set a word-count goal and edit, write, or edit and write throughout the month of September!
GothNoWriMo – Gothic Novel Writing Month (October). Goal: Write a gothic novel in October.
NaPlWriMo – National Playwriting Month (November). Goal: Write a play in one month.
750 Words – (Year-Round). Goal: write 750 words a day. Includes month-long challenges.
NaBloPoMo – National Blog Posting Month (Year-Round). Goal: Post every day for a month.
SciFiWriMo – Science Fiction Writing Month (Year-Round). Goal: choose a target word count and reach it in a month, writing sci-fi or fantasy.
24 Hour Comics Day – (Changes annually, lasts 24 hours). Goal: Draw a 24-page comic in one 24-hour period.
48 Hour Film Project – (Varies; operates via tours around the USA, lasts 48 hours). Goal: Create a short film in 48 hours.
Writing Programs
Arizona
Phoenix: Arizona State Young Writers Program – The ASU Young Writers Program's mission is to maximize educational opportunities for Arizona students through the development and implementation of programs that support the K–12 community. YWP's focus is to provide arts-based opportunities for Arizona students in grades 4–12 to experience writing as a powerful means of self-discovery and expression.
California
Los Angeles: 826 LA – 826 writing centers are innovative tutoring, writing, and publishing programs based in seven cities around the USA. Their focus is cultivating the writing skills of students ages 6–18 and keeping them motivated via tutoring, class field trips, writing workshops, and in-school programs. There are two centers in Los Angeles. We suggest visiting the center located in Echo Park to browse the selves of thttp://ywp.nanowrimo.org/node/656473/editheir world renowned Time Travel Mart.
San Francisco/East Bay: Take My Word For It – This is a one-of-a-kind creative writing program taught in after school, in-school and community settings. We encourage kids to find their writer’s voice through an innovative curriculum that explores a million different ways to put words together.
San Francisco: 826 Valencia – This is the original 826 writing center. Stop by any time and visit their Pirate Supply Store. Seriously, this is the best Pirate Supply Store in the Bay Area. Hands down.
Youth Speaks – Youth Speaks empowers the next generation of leaders, self-defined artists, and visionary activists through written and oral literacies. They challenge youth to find, develop, publicly present, and apply their voices as creators of social change.
San Diego: Eco Expression Eco Writing for Youth – Eco Expressions is a nature-writing program for youth. Students learn to respect all life and develop critical thinking and self-reflection.
Sacramento: Capitol City Young Writers – A national non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring young writers up to and including high school. Our goal is to educate today's youth on the art and craft of writing, so as to encourage their own love of writing. Students are exposed to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, memoir, screenplay, broadcast radio, songwriting, and many other forms of creative writing.
Illinois
Chicago: 826 Chicago – Like all the other 826 locations, this is an innovative tutoring and writing center whose focus is cultivating the writing skills of students ages 6–18 and keeping them motivated via tutoring, class field trips, writing workshops, and in-school programs. Come visit their Boring Store. 826 Chicago and the Boring Store offer secret agent supplies in a most secretive way. The Boring Store is open everyday from 12–6.
Teen Writers and Artists Project – The TWAP is an Illinois-based non-profit that supplies a resource for writers and artists ages 14–18 to obtain training and support in their craft.
Young Chicago Authors – Young Chicago Authors encourages self-expression and literacy through creative writing, performance, and publication. YCA provides student-centered, artist-led workshops free to youth ages 13–19 in schools and communities.
Massachusetts
Boston: 826 Boston – This is an innovative tutoring, writing, and publishing center whose focus is cultivating the writing skills of students ages 6–18 and keeping them motivated via tutoring, class field trips, writing workshops, and in-school programs. Come by and check out their Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute.
Grub Street – Grub Street is a non-profit creative writing center dedicated to supporting and connecting writers in the community. The Young Adult Writers Program offers free one-day workshops every month to students ages 13-18, as well as a Teen Writing Fellowship in the summer for high school students who are accepted through an application process.
Michigan
Ann Arbor: 826 Michigan – Like all 826 centers, this is an innovative tutoring, writing, and publishing nonprofit whose focus is cultivating the writing skills of students ages 6–18 and keeping them motivated via tutoring, class field trips, writing workshops, and in-school programs. The center doubles as the Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair. This is a factory showroom and one-stop shop for robots, cyborgs, and clockwork mechanisms of all shapes and sizes.
Minnesota
Minneapolis: The Loft Literary Center Youth Programs – The Loft Literary Center offers a wide range of programs for young readers and writers. From exciting summer workshops for children, to cutting-edge spoken word events for older teens, to special programs for young people in need, the Loft has something for everyone.
New York
New York City: 826 NYC – Like all 826 centers, this is an innovative tutoring, writing, and publishing nonprofit whose focus is cultivating the writing skills of students ages 6–18 and keeping them motivated via tutoring, class field trips, writing workshops, and in-school programs. 826 NYC is also the home of the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. where you will find everything you need to become a modern-day superhero.
The Urban Word – Urban Word NYC exists to ensure that New York City youth have a safe, supportive, dynamic and challenging community in which to discover their powerful voices—through written and spoken word—and use them to express their views, strengthen self-esteem, and engage them in opportunities that address the sociopolitical issues that affect them.
Ohio
Columbus: The Thurber House – Thurber House is dedicated to promoting the literary arts by presenting quality literary programming, increasing the awareness of literature as a significant art form, promoting excellence in writing, and providing support for literary artists.
Oregon:
Portland: Young Willamette Writers – This is a place where students from 5th through 10th grades who love to write can share their work with their peers, help each other grow as writers, and meet and learn from writing experts.
Utah
Orem: Writers Cubed Teen Boot Camp – The Writers Cubed Mission is three fold: To become better writers through collaborative practice and study, to encourage perseverance by combating self-doubt, and to validate members and other writers by helping them realize and achieve their full writing potential.
Washington
Seattle: 826 Seattle – Like all 826 centers, this is an innovative tutoring, writing, and publishing nonprofit whose focus is cultivating the writing skills of students ages 6–18 and keeping them motivated via tutoring, class field trips, writing workshops, and in-school programs. Stop by for writerly advice and to buy space travel supplies in the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. store.
Richard Hugo House – Hugo House believes you're never too young to be a writer. Through their writing classes for youth they encourage and inspire independent, young writers ages 8-14 in a safe and positive atmosphere.
Wisconsin
Milwaukee: Urban Youth Literary Arts Program – Woodland Pattern's Urban Youth Literary Arts Program is comprised of three main parts: after-school classes, in-class workshops, and summer poetry camps.
Wyoming
Story. Young Writers Camp – Young Writers Camp isn't just for people who already love to write. It's for any high school-age student who wants to explore his or her creativity in a truly unique setting, and to meet other kindred spirits. For one week, we eat together, live together, and write together in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. The relationships that we form at camp last an entire lifetime—including our relationship with ourselves.
Places to Submit Work
Journals and Magazines
826 Quarterly – "Between two and seventeen times a year, we publish student writing in The 826 Quarterly, a literary journal written entirely by young people. Most of the material for The 826 Quarterly comes from our workshops and After-school Tutoring program, but we also take at-large submissions."
The Blue Pencil – "The Blue Pencil Online is edited and produced by the students in the Writing & Publishing Program at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, in Natick, Massachusetts. The magazine seeks to publish the best of literary work in English by young writers (12–18) around the world."
Cicada – "Cicada is a lively literary magazine for young people ages 14 and up. Teens interested in seeing their work in print can check out the 'Call for Creative Endeavors' and view other submissions needs for the magazine."
Polyphony H.S. – "Polyphony H.S. is an international student-run literary magazine for high school writers. Our title is a combination of the Greek term meaning many voices, and the abbreviation for High School."
Teen Ink – "Welcome to Teen Ink, a national teen magazine, book series, and website devoted entirely to teenage writing, art, photos, and forums. Teen Ink magazine offers some of the most thoughtful and creative work generated by teens and has the largest distribution of any publication of its kind."
Teen Voices – "If you’re a girl between the ages of 13 and 19, you can submit your writing and artwork for publication in Teen Voices! All of our writers are teen women just like you who send in their stories, poems, essays, letters, reviews and art work."
Young Adult Review Network – "YARN is an award-winning literary journal that publishes outstanding original short fiction, poetry, and essays for young-adult readers. We seek to discover new teen writers and publish them alongside established writers of the YA genre."
Contests
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Deadline: Varies by region; generally ranges from December 15, 2011 through January 15, 2012
Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Fee: Free
Prize: Students who win at the regional level are celebrated at local ceremonies and have their work showcased in exhibitions, publications and at public readings. National Medalists are celebrated at a prestigious Carnegie Hall ceremony and have their work showcased in reputable galleries in New York City.
Details: To register, students must first create a profile at artandwriting.org/Registration. Click here to see what information you need to register.
The Writing Conference, Inc Contest
Deadline: January 8, 2012
Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Fee: Free
Prize: First-place winners in each category receive a plaque; second- and third-place winners receive certificates. All are given an invitation to have their writing published in The Writers' Slate, an online journal published by The Writing Conference, Inc.
Details: Writing submitted must be relevant to the topic selected for each category.
Kids Are Authors Contest
Deadline: March 15, 2012
Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction
Fee: Free
Prize: Winning books will be published by Scholastic and distributed throughout the country.
Details: Kids Are Authors is an annual competition open to Grades K–8 and is designed to encourage students to use their reading, writing, and artistic skills to create their own books. Under the guidance of a project coordinator, children work in teams of three or more students to write and illustrate their own book.
Fire Escape Writing Contests
Deadline: June 1, 2012
Categories: Fiction, Poetry
Fee: Free
Prize: Winning poems and stories will be published on the Fire Escape. Winner in each category: $50
Details: Submit an original, unpublished poem or piece of prose (fiction or non-fiction) that reflects some of the joys and struggles of growing up between two cultures in America. You must be an immigrant or internationally adopted teen (or a teen with one immigrant parent) currently living in the United States or Canada.
Figment Contests
Deadline: Ongoing
Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Fee: Free
Prize: Varies
Details: Figment is a community where you can share your writing, connect with other readers, and discover new stories and authors.
Teen Ink Contests
Deadline: Ongoing
Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Fee: Free
Prize: Your work published in Teen Ink, copies of the magazine, and Teen Ink merchandise.
Details: Teen Ink is a national teen magazine, book series, and website devoted entirely to teenage writing and art. They have no staff writers or artists; they depend completely on submissions from teenagers nationwide for their content.
Writing Websites
Figment – "Figment is a community where you can share your writing, connect with other readers, and discover new stories and authors. Whatever you're into, from sonnets to mysteries, from sci-fi stories to cell phone novels, you can find it all here."
Teen Ink – "Welcome to Teen Ink, a national teen magazine, book series, and website devoted entirely to teenage writing, art, photos, and forums. Teen Ink magazine offers some of the most thoughtful and creative work generated by teens and has the largest distribution of any publication of its kind."
Three Things Poetry – "Three Things Poetry is an online audience for teen poets. Middle and high school writers can submit poems (even first drafts!) to get peer feedback, and give feedback to other writers in return. The site also offers a blog where poets can find out about lit mags, contests, camps, and other writing opportunities."
WattPad – "Wattpad is a revolutionary way for readers to discover and participate in the creation of new stories. From the beginning, Wattpad has been an open platform allowing readers and writers to exchange stories freely online and through mobile devices."
