Our family’s desire to create has always been strong; we are lovers of the arts. This year, a new creativity has been sparked. It’s in the realm of writing. During our last schoolyear, Erica discovered a new language arts curriculum called Bravewriter. It’s empowered her to help the family learn creative writing. It’s been a slow process because there are so many elements to learn; but we are enjoying this new venture. Using Bravewriter coincides with some other writing related activities happening in the Senecal household. Last May, Erica woke from a dream and began jotting some details. At the time, she thought she was being silly; but a friend told her that Stephenie Meyer did the same and the Twilight series was born. Feeling encouraged, she began scribbling notes with pad and paper. The story, tentatively titled “Broken,” has morphed into something unexpected. It’s a contemporary fiction novel about a man on a journey to restoration after his wife of twenty-one years leaves him. (More details in a later post, or hopefully, on Erica’s own website… still under construction.) Anyway, shortly after scribbling those notes, she discovered and downloaded yWriter (a free writing software), which has been a huge help in keeping the details of
the scenes and chapters organized. Now, Anthony has also downloaded yWriter onto his laptop while he creates completely different stories. He’s been writing a young adult short story, a mystery/thriller. Even our little Lizzie has contracted the writing bug. She’s been telling Erica stories, then asking that they be written on paper. Considering Hannah’s interests lie more in arts and crafts than reading and writing, we are excited that she’s just beginning to catch the fever. Creating this website has helped. NaNoWriMo is, too. (Unfortunately, as much as Brian would love to join in the fun, his attention has been focused on finishing his degree and growing his business (more on that in another post).
On to NaNoWriMo!!! National Novel Writer’s Month: November 1-30, 2011. As soon as Erica learned about it, she committed herself, despite the fear of failing to create a 50,000 word novel in one month’s time. (Since this novel is actually a rewrite and continuation of “Broken,” Erica is actually a NaNo Rebel.) Shortly thereafter, Anthony and Hannah were drafted, although their word goals are MUCH less, of course. If you’re a young person interested in learning more, check out this website for you: Young Writer’s Program. It’s our first year, so we are taking it slow and not making too many demands. No words can be written before 11/1/11, although we are allowed to plan (also called “Plotting” in the world of writing). And once the frenzy begins, the focus is on creativity and imagination, not editing. That will come in December. Focus on fun; get the job done!
We’d like to use this part of our website to send out updates on our stories. Once NaNoWriMo officially begins, we will embed word counters here, so y’all can follow our progress. We may also copy and paste snippets of our novels as our words fill the screen (or in Hannah’s case, the notebook). Thanks for embarking on this new journey with us! We can’t wait to read your thoughts… and if you’ve been inspired to join NaNoWriMo, please let us know so we can add you as Writing Buddies on the official website.