Our favorite month- NaNoWriMo is almost here!

If you mention to most kids that they're going to spend an entire month writing, you'll probably hear groans echoing loudly. But if you tell them they're going to write a novel, with dares, a support group, prizes and if they're very diligent, they'll even get to publish it, you'll get a different look. Maybe one of curiosity, or one of skepticism, but not the groans.

This will be our fourth year doing NaNoWriMo and I encourage (read cajole and harass) all of our friends, homeschooled or not, to give it a try. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is the perfect answer to the early winter homeschool slump. Log on, sign up and take the challenge and get to work!

Here's how it works- adults sign up at http://nanowrimo.org/  and kids sign up at http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/ . Adults have an automatic set word goal of 50,000 but the kids get to set their own word goals. A kid's word goal should be based loosely on their grade level and enthusiasm for writing. I've seen kindergartners take on 200 words with pictures on each page and 8th graders take on 30,000 words. It really depends on your child.

If you're lucky like we are or brave enough to take it on your own, start a writing group with your charter homeschool or local friends. Writer's block is always more easily cured when you have tea, cookies and friends to discuss your story. We usually meet the last week in October to sign our no editing pledge, once a week in November and then once the first week in December for prizes and sharing snippets of our stories.

There are important rules about NaNoWriMo and even more important rules when homeschooling with NaNo.

1) NO editing in November. None. Zero. Mom, put down your pen and go write your own novel. There is NO editing, changing, manipulating, addressing spelling or any other sort of critique that you might feel compelled to offer. That's what December is for.

2) Get the words on the page. There are no rules about what to write, how to write it or what it should be about. So avoid the temptation to guide the novel into something you believe more appropriate. If the boy wants a fart cannon, and he's willing to write 10,000 words about it- let it be.

3) You have to write too! Ok, this isn't an official NaNo rule, but it is important for homeschoolers. Don't use your daily writing time on Facebook, to do laundry or check the mail. Writing time is to be protected and everyone writes. Period. You'll gain a new appreciation for how hard it actually is to get those words on the paper! Maybe you'll even want to introduce a fart cannon.