What Reviewers Say

Reviewers overwhelmingly praise One Year Adventure Novel (OYAN) for its ability to transform high school English from a chore into a passion project. Led by Daniel Schwabauer, the video lessons are frequently described as captivating and professionally produced. Cathy Duffy and users on The Homeschool Mom highlight the program's unique ability to teach deep story structure and character development rather than just grammar. However, a consistent trade-off noted across forums like Well-Trained Mind and Reddit is that OYAN is strictly a creative writing course; it does not teach academic essay writing, research papers, or formal grammar, meaning most families must supplement it to meet full high school English requirements. Some users also noted that the 'adventure' focus might not appeal to every student's preferred genre, though the principles apply broadly.

How It Works

A student typically completes three lessons per week, each starting with a 15-minute video lesson where instructor Daniel Schwabauer explains a concept like 'the inciting incident' or 'character flaws.' After the video, the student works in their workbook to apply that concept to their own story and writes the corresponding section of their novel in a word processor. The parent primarily acts as a mentor and editor, meeting with the student once a week to listen to read-alouds of their new chapters and offer feedback on the story's progression. Because the program focuses on writing a single novel over the school year, the kitchen table usually features a mix of a laptop for the videos, the 'Map' brainstorming book, and the student's growing manuscript.

Switching to This?

The publisher does not offer a formal placement test, as the program is designed for any student in grades 8–12 who is ready for a significant creative challenge. Most families follow the community rule of thumb to start with 'Cover Story' in middle school before moving to One Year Adventure Novel in high school, though a motivated 8th grader can jump straight into this program. Families should avoid starting mid-year because the curriculum follows a strict linear path from the initial idea to the final chapter, making it difficult to skip the foundational planning lessons. If you are switching from a traditional textbook, expect to set aside your usual grammar and essay drills, as this curriculum focuses entirely on narrative structure and the 'craft' of storytelling.

Curriculum Details

Price

$199 - $249

Initial curriculum license is typically $199. Renewal licenses for additional students in the same household are $25.

Grades

8 - 12

Available As

Digital Print Video Workbook

Coverage

Single subject

Subjects

Writing Reading/Language Arts

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Pacing

Flexible

Parent Time

5-15 min/day

Parent Involvement

None

Student Independence

Fully independent

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Academic Level

Above grade level

Worldview

Christian

Teach Multiple Ages

Yes

Engaging for Reluctant Learners

Yes

Videos

Reviews We Consulted

Updated: March 2026

How This Compares

Compared to the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), which uses structured checklists to teach academic essays, OYAN focuses entirely on the 'Hero's Journey' narrative structure, making it a better fit for creative spirits than for those needing help with research papers. When weighed against its middle school counterpart, Cover Story, OYAN is much more rigorous, requiring the student to sustain a single plot over 12 chapters rather than writing various short magazine-style pieces. Parents choosing between OYAN and Brave Writer will find that OYAN provides a much more specific, video-led roadmap, whereas Brave Writer relies on a more flexible, lifestyle-based approach to writing. Against a comprehensive program like Essentials in Writing, OYAN is a specialized elective; it lacks the grammar and formal composition instruction found in standard English courses, meaning families often pair it with a separate workbook for those skills. Finally, compared to a general creative writing prompt book, OYAN is far more technical, teaching the 'why' behind story physics so students understand how to keep a reader's attention rather than just 'writing for fun.'

Getting Started