My DD11 signed up enthusiastically and set her goal at 20,000 words!
We went to a kick off event here last weekend. The regional coordinators (or whatever they are called) Jon and Kelly were great. They welcomed her and her sister to the event and were really enthusiastic about kids participating. They even made them a special goodie bag.
Here's the message that was in the survival pack, for a little inspiration.
Hark, intrepid Nano explorer! You shal embark upon a journey of delight and discovery. Use the contents of this bag wisely, and you may come out a noveling superhero.
Plot Ninja: Steals his way into your novel when needed. Planted firmly on your shoulder with his menacing glare, he will motivate your wordcount. (little plastic ninja figure)
Marbles: Because you have clearly lost yours. (glass marbles)
Writer's Block: Friend or Foe? With your writer's block in tangible form you may choose to: burn it, bury it, drown it, mock it, threaten compteting novelists or ignore it as it sits in the corner and crys. (small wooden block)
Candy: Essential dietary supplement. Nano-approved. Caffeine not included. (Tootsie Roll)
Unfortunately, the NaNoWriMo website has had some problems. Their server crashed a couple of weeks ago and their web hosting company took a hit a couple of days ago. So if you have trouble getting on their website (
www.nanowrimo.org) try, try again...later.
By the way, I have 650 words today, so far...