National Novel Writing Month has arrived!

For me that means trying to finish a first draft of my novel, Half-Truths, that I started two years ago. I'm trying to crank out close to 2,000 words a day and not stopping to research or edit. That is hard for someone like me who wants to get the facts right the first time around!

It also means that the Young Writers Program at NaNoWriMo just put up an article I wrote entitled,  Mine Your Life. Who knew when I participated two years ago that I would be one of their "Writer's Block" authors this year? Not me!

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Reading & Writing Resources

Along the way I have discovered a variety of resources that can help you in your classroom or in your own writing.  Here are a few. Let me know if they help you as instructors and writers.

For teachers and homeschool educators:

• If you look above this blog heading, you'll see that I just created a new page, "Teaching the Story." If you click on it you'll not only find book reviews, but also several reproducibles from the CD that are now available on-line.
• The Maupin House blog is full of useful information and resources for teachers and homeschool parents. Several Maupin House authors and editors blog about subjects that interest them and you will receive input from a variety of professionals.
• Not sure about what book to recommend to your child? You can search my blog under "books for boys," "books for girls," "books for boys and girls," or "historical fiction." Or you can check out GoodReads and read other people's  book reviews.
• I blogged about Literacyhead before. It's worth repeating--this is a tremendous resource.
• National Novel Writing Month has a program geared specifically towards young writers. I'll be one of the featured "pep talkers" in November.

For writers:

• The Center for Writing Excellence is a part of the Institute for Instructional Excellence. The Center offers classes on Creating a Character Sketch and Developing Realistic Dialogue, a bi-monthly fiction contest (I'm one of the judges!) and writing services. Janie Sullivan, the director, has a very instructional blog.
• I have subscribed to Writer's Digest for years and it continues to educate and challenge me.
• Write2Ignite is a group that provides Christians writers with training, encouragement, and networking.  They organize an annual conference (I am teaching the teen track), have an ongoing blog, and lively weekly chats on Monday night.
• If you want to write for children, the most important organization to join is SCBWI. The NC and SC region is very active and I'd encourage you to visit the local website.
• One of the best ways to improve yourself as a writer is to get involved in a local critique group. For a great book on the subject, check out Becky Levine's The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide.
• National Novel Writing Month starts in a few weeks. If you have always wanted to write a novel, now is the time to get started!

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