Each year, the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenges participants to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days.
Genoa Middle School embraced the challenge with students from all three grade levels as well as those attending the Westerville Virtual Academy. In November, students wrote more than 613,811 words in 30 days, launching more than 140 novels.
Media specialist Deanna McDaniel said students experienced authentic learning while crafting their stories. They wrote by hand, on computers, on devices. They received pep talks from well-known young adult authors who participate in NaNoWriMo every year.
They continued writing on the Young Writers Program’s virtual classroom, where they could connect with other student writers and their teachers. The program, which is part of NaNoWriMo, allows students and teachers to set their own goal instead of 50,000 words.
Some students finished their novels, but most got a good start and plan to continue their work on them outside of the writing challenge.
Teachers Tracy Jados, Shannon McCreary, Jessica Meginnis, Pooja Shah and Emily Minney hosted the challenge with their classes this year.