Skip to main content

NaNoWriMo

Before I became a teacher, I interviewed for a job as a long term sub in a private school. I got the job, but then wasn't needed. It did give me a clue as what teaching high english was... but that's another story.

Somehow during this interview/discussion we started talking about how all English teachers really want to write the "Great American Novel". I've always wondered if ALL English teachers want to write... but I certainly do. The thing that stops me and probably most, is the time commitment. With everything I have to do, I could not figure out how to get more time to write. And that was pre-baby!

But I think I may have figured it out... If I get up at 5am and write until 6, I might be able to get something finally on paper. So I'm gonna try to do NaNoWriMo. Last year I was all about the murder mystery, but I was creeping myself out and got too busy. This year, I'm going to try fantasy - definitely royalty, someone in distress and possibly a giant spider who tells the future. I'm still working on the outline. And who knows? I may actually get to 50,000 words!

Mostly what I'm hoping will happen is that I'll be able to create a writing habit for myself.

Comments

Jennifer said…
I tried NaNoWriMo last year too... got about 5000 words in, then got busy moving into our new house. I'm going to try this year and my basic goal is like yours: create a writing habit. Even if no one else ever reads what I've written!
5:35 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“They Don’t Get It”

I hear that a lot these days. It used to be mostly from various teens trying to negotiate the drama unfolding in their lives as they wandered into that no-man’s land between adult and child. These days it’s from adults trying to navigate the education scene these days. So many people talking and no one listening. The other day I was reading a post by a blogger I’ve been following for several years. Before there was such a thing as “blogging.” We all know spring is IEP review season. This blogger wrote about his daughter’s. Among the various elements, there was the discussion about the state assessment tests. She did not pass. There was discussion about what this means… and why said student needed to pass this test. Would she be taking a modified test? While reading, all I could think about was what would happen to that child as she entered middle school and high school. A history of not passing the assessment test vs. teachers who will now be evaluated on how many students pass t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Summer Notes

Books to Read: New Kelly Gallagher   Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions  by Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana  Notes for Art: Group Project for the First Day Expectations from group project exit question
Post a Comment
Read more

The Cruelest Month

I know T.S. Eliot favored April as the most cruel, but we teachers know that May is… even more so these days. Most importantly, it is the final testing month. National ‘assessments, state ‘assessments’, district ‘assessments’, school ‘assessments’… on and on. It’s impossible to actually get anything done. Toss in graduation activities, planning for the upcoming year and the 2011 bonus, lay-offs and transfers, and you have to wonder if it wouldn’t be better to save money by simply shutting down school entirely except for a few test proctors. Meanwhile, there seems an air of hopelessness permeating the education world. Plans to lay-off thousands are coming to fruition. Schools are being closed, despite protests. Charters are increasing where they can whether they should not. Unions have lost a lot ground and teachers are trying to decide if it’s even worth it any more to continue talking about education . ( not that I blame anyone for that, we all have lives to live ) For myself, I...
Post a Comment
Read more