DIY Homeschooler

Carole Thaxton, co-author of KONOS Curriculum, has discovered an excellent way to encourage our children to write! The purpose of Learn to Write the Novel Way in a nutshell: to inspire students to write!

Table of Contents

• How to Use the Book
• Complete Language Arts Course
• Our Experience

Intelligent students are not excited about grammar drills UNLESS they see their meaning within the whole. In other words, the ingredients are not what make writing so exciting…. Imagine your child writing a novel, a good novel, a novel that has appeal, a novel that is written correctly, a novel that is publishable. This is for more motivating than writing a series of papers, which are later tucked in a file or thrown in the trash. Learn to Write the Novel Way inspires students.

Carole Thaxton, Learn to Write the Novel Way

The objectives of this over 200-page book are extensive, and bold: “By the end of this course, your student will have written an entire novel with excellent style, vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics. All of these skills will transfer to his next writing project. Look also for the smile when he presents a finished piece of work that he knows is stellar.”

Practically, by going though the process of writing his own novel, the student learns to practice and apply:

• Grammar and spelling objectives such as subject-verb agreement, parallelism, correct use of pronouns, verbs and modifiers, spelling rules, punctuation rules.
• Composition objectives such as:
  • Sequencing.
  • Paragraph division.
  • Word choice.
  • Active and passive voices.
  • Sentence and word variety.
  • Using plot devices such as flashbacks and foreshadowing.
• Publishing objectives such as book reviews, the parts of a book, publishing terms, and presentation.

How to Use the Book

The course is divided into 13 steps which cover writing, revising, editing and publishing. These steps are then arranged into two options — the slow approach taking one year, or the fast approach taking one semester. (We always recommend letting the student go at their own pace — however long that takes — providing they are consistently moving forward.)

The parent takes the role of mentor, and works along with the student to “instruct, oversee the practices, and enjoy together the finished writing assignment each week.” There is a separate Teacher’s Guide that contains answers to practice exercises and tests, and also helpful suggestions for becoming your child’s editor.

Complete Language Arts Course

Learn to Write the Novel Way can be considered a complete language arts course.  Any areas in which the student is weak can be supplemented. Resources are recommended in the bibliography. An English handbook is always nice to have on hand.

Excellent writing is far more than just grammatically correct writing…. What else makes good writing?

An appealing story – Imaginative setting –  Interesting characters – Consistent person, voice, and tense – Cohesive theme – Plausible sequence – Vivid language – Strong, precise wording – Captivating action – Honorable purpose

Learn to Write the Novel Way focuses on these qualities from the outset. After these characteristics are mastered, mechanical correctness is emphasized for refinement.

Carole Thaxton, Learn to Write the Novel Way

Our Experience

We had great success with one child who worked through the entire program.

Points that stood out:

• Focus on character development. Things that would have not have occurred before using the book.
• Focus on plot development.
• What to do when stuck.
• Revising section mostly included mechanics, but also had helpful suggestions on making the writing stronger.
• Step-by-step guide that can be used over and over again as a template when writing.

If you are time-pressed or in need of someone to mentor you in becoming a good editor for your students, you will appreciate this writing curriculum. The focus is on breaking down the writing process into easily manageable steps. The results are a finished novel and covering all of the language arts skills.

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Additional Resources

Learn to Write, Write!: A DIY Writer’s Companion
Ready to get started writing? Learn to Write: Write! is your guide to discovering and practicing the art of writing. Cover the basics, such as finding something to write and overcoming fears, to more advanced topics like revising your work and cultivating your voice and style. The book gets out of the way as great writers and their writing encourage you to apply their ideas to your own writing. Put pencil to paper and stretch your abilities as you learn by doing. Learn more.