Transitioning from the high-speed, deadline-driven mayhem of NaNoWriMo back into the real world can be a little difficult. Undone homework is piled up all around you, your family and friends are confused at your presence, and you suddenly have to measure achievement in something other than your increasing word count.
To get the writerly ball rolling again after your energy recharges, we've created this page and added the December and Beyond forums to the site. Both are dedicated to life after NaNo.
We also want to invite you to join us in April for Script Frenzy, where we write a script in a month. Bonus: You can use your NaNo username and password to log in to the Script Frenzy site. Things will be pretty mellow in Frenzyland until March 1, when we'll launch a month of prep before our scriptwriting adventures begin.
And if that's not enough to feed your literary hunger, there are also heaps of events run by other people to keep you busy all year. We don't run any of these events, but as far as we know, all of them are free and open to everyone. If you know of any other sites or events we should be posting here, drop us a line! Below you will find these events, advice on the revision process from published authors, writing contests and magazines to submit your writing to, and info about youth writing centers in your area!
NaNoWriMo-style Events Coming Up on the Horizon
NaNoFiMo.org - National Novel Finishing Month (December). Goal: 30,000 words.
JaNoWriMo - January Novel Writing Month (January). Goal: 50,000 words, or whatever goal you set.
FAWM - February Album Writing Month (February). Goal: Write 14 original songs in a month.
NaNoEdMo - National Novel Editing Month (March). Goal: Commit to 50 hours of novel editing in a month.
JulNoWriMo - July Novel Writing Month (July). Goal: 50,000 words for a new or unfinished manuscript.
24 Hour Comics Day - (Changes annually, lasts 24 hours). Goal: Draw a 24-page comic in one 24-hour period.
April Fool's - (April). Goal: Set a word-count goal for yourself and reach it by the end of the month.
NaPlWriMo - National Playwriting Month (November). Goal: Write a play in one month.
NaNoMangO - The artist's alternative to NaNoWriMo (November). Goal: Draw 30 pages of sequential art in one month.
NaNoPubYe - National Novel Publishing Year (Year-Round). Goal: Get that NaNoWriMo novel ready for publication!
Revision Advice
We asked some of our pep talkers for revision advice, and we got some great responses. Check them out!
Hunting for Brilliance
By Laurel Snyder
As far as I’m concerned, the best part of writing is finding out all the things I didn’t know I knew.
You know what I mean, don’t you? Those moments when you’re like, “Did I write that? Wow!”
As hard as it can be, revision is the stage where you get to go and hunt down all those little bits of brilliance that are peeking out at you. So treat this next step as a scavenger hunt, and have fun!
The best trick I know is to pretend that someone else wrote my book, and go looking for the best moments in that person’s rough draft. You’ll find minor characters that could, with some development, spawn hilarious subplots. You'll find moments of accidental poetry, places where a misspelling points you to the fact that you secretly wanted to say something else entirely.
You just need to try really hard not to be too attached. Remember that your job is to write the book that wants to be written, the best book you can make from the messy soup on the page before you. Not the book you sat down to write.
Good luck!
Read all about Laurel on our pep talkers page.
So You've Written a Novel! Now What?
By Hilari Bell
First, celebrate! You've accomplished something amazing, something most people never do.
Second, take a long break. At least two months (preferably three) where you:
1. Don't rewrite your novel.
2. Don't reread your novel.
3. Don't even think about your novel (if possible).
There are two reasons for this. You've earned this break. But more importantly, you need time to gain some emotional distance from the story, so that when you go back to it, you can see what you actually wrote instead of what you think you wrote. Believe me, those can be two very different things.
(Four months off wouldn't hurt.)
When you get to the point where you can read your novel as if someone else had written it, you'll qualify for sainthood, so that's not likely. But you should eventually reach the point where you can see the flaws in your writing, and not just the wonderful story that sprang from your heart. And that paves the way for . . .
Third, revise!
Read more about Hilari Bell on our pep talkers page.
Taking Out the Unnecessary
By Suzanne Fisher Staples
When you’ve finished a first draft of a novel you’ve accomplished something amazing: you’ve created a whole world! It’s an amazing, magical process, and at this point it’s a good idea to take some time off. You’ve been living with the story pretty intensively, and you have to get objective.
Taking time off gives you perspective. It helps you see where you have left out things the reader needs to know. And all the clunky phrases that show unnecessary action, like the character going to the store to buy chewing gum, when it isn’t really important to the story.
One of the best pieces of advice my editor, Frances Foster, ever gave me came at this stage of the process. She suggested I go through the manuscript one time with no other agenda than to remove everything that wasn’t essential to the story. I was really nervous—I was pretty attached to all those words I’d written. It took me two days to comb through the story, and when I was finished I had taken out thirty pages—mostly dialogue that wasn’t necessary, descriptions that were duplicated—just unnecessary stuff.
This improved my manuscript immensely. It was clearer, the sentences felt leaner and crisper, and I’d learned to respect my readers.
Their time is valuable!
Read all about Suzanne on our pep talkers page.
Some Thoughts on Publishing Before You Submit
Publication is a great goal, no doubt! But be warned that there are quite a few people and companies who make their living taking advantage of inexperienced novelists. If you're setting out to find an agent or publisher for your NaNo-novel, please read about some of the traps that you might fall into along the way. Amber the Librarian has laid out a handy reference guide on the Amber's Virtual Library page: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/1072366. Make sure you also check out all the other really cool stuff on that page, especially the part about young authors just like you who've been published!
Places to Submit
After you revise your novels, it’s time to take the next step and submit. It is scary—we know—but you will feel so good after you send out your stories. And you'll be surprised at the great responses you'll get from magazines and contests. When you do, make sure to let us know by emailing us your success stories! And don’t get discouraged if you don’t win every contest right off the bat. You may receive your fair share of rejection. Look at each rejection letter you get as another step closer to getting published. It means that you are actually doing something to get there! Below you will find a list of contests and magazines you should all submit to.
Journals and Magazines
Teen Ink—Teen Ink is a national magazine, book series, and website devoted entirely to teenage writing and art. Its content is derived exclusively from submissions by teens nationwide.
TWAP Journal—This journal is a collection of the work the teens in the Teen Writers and Artists Project, an Illinois-based non-profit organization for writers and artists aged 14 to 18.
Stone Soup—Stone Soup is made up entirely of the creative work of children ages 8 to 13, including stories, poems, book reviews, and artwork. It is published six times a year.
Cobblestone & Cricket—Cobblestone & Cricket has a magazine and book for blossoming young authors of any age.
Contests
The Young Voices Foundation Rewrite Contest
Deadline: May 4, 2009
Categories: Fiction, Revision
Fee: Free
Prize: First Prize $75.00, Second Prize $50.00, Third Prize $25.00.
Details: YA authors Dr. Sacra Nicholas, Nancy Hendrix, and Barbara Fite wrote Through a Looking Glass Darkly in 1990, and they need your help now in rewriting the book for the modern young adult.
Teen Ink Contests
Deadline: Ongoing
Categories: Poetry, Fiction
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.
Next Step Shout Out Writing Contest for Teens
Deadline: Ongoing
Categories: Poetry, Fiction
Fee: Free
Prize: One $100 winner will be chosen per issue and will be published in The Next Step Magazine.
Details: Register with the website and post your story. Check out this page for contest guidelines.
Kids Are Authors Contest
Deadline: March 15, 2010
Categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction
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.
The Writing Conference, Inc Contest.
Deadline: January 8, 2010
Categories: Poetry, Fiction, Exposition
Fee: Free
Prize: Each of the winners in each school level will receive a plaque commemorating the award. In addition, these winners will have their writing published in The Writers' Slate magazine and will be guests at the evening Celebration of Writing Reception.
Details: Writing submitted must be relevant to the topic selected for each category, so make sure you read about the topics on their website before you send in your writing.
Get Involved
We have found a ton of writing centers and programs for kids all around the U.S. and beyond. If you see one in your area on this list, pay them a visit. These centers are great places to learn more about the craft of writing, meet other writers, and to actually write! We will keep adding to this list as we hear of new places through out the year.
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.
District of Columbia
Capitol Letters Writing Center—Capitol Letters Writing Center believes that within every student lives a brilliant writer, and they support and challenge those writers through workshops, tutoring, and student publications.
California
Los Angeles: 826LA—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 their world renowned Time Travel Mart.
San Francisco: 826 Valencia—This is the original 826 writing center. Stop by anytime 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—is 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: 826CHI—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. 826CHI 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 age 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 age 13-18, as well as a Teen Writing Fellowship in the summer for high school students who are accepted through an application process.
Pittsfield: Word Street—Word Street is a drop-in tutoring center and literary arts center located in Pittsfield, MA. They aim to provide a supplemental educational environment that encourages creativity and enhances the reading and writing skills of kids in the Pittsfield and Berkshire areas.
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: 826NYC—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. 826NYC 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™ (UW) 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.
Cincinnati: Teen Writers' Salon at InkTank—The Teen Writers' Salon series is for all those aspiring teen writers to be able to share their work, give and receive feedback, helping each other to polish their writing skills.
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.
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—Huge 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 eight to fourteen 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.
Canada
Young Writers' Club—The Young Writers' Club provides its members with writing challenges, a variety of resources, and online feedback for grades 5 and up. Members in the North Vancouver area can also participate in monthly workshops.
Thanks, authors, and happy NaNo off-season! If you have any suggestions on ways we could improve the event for 2009 (or really loved something we did this year and want to let us know about it), drop us a note in the Site and Message Board Feedback area of the forums.
