Howdy! Welcome back! July is in full swing, and though it's already nine days into Camp Nanowrimo, I want to use today's blog to offer some tips and tricks for getting through Nano, sticking to your project, and not being scared of writing many thousand words in a month.
I made a similar post back in April –– you can read that here –– but consider this more of a toolkit than a bunch of advice thrown at you. Let's go!
As you embark upon your camping trip, here's some basics you should bring with you:
Your writing tools of choice, of course! Notebook and pen, laptop with a thousand drafts, a million sticky notes, a crumpled napkin -- you know, whatever you choose to write on. Get your supplies in order and let's open a brand-new page!
Your brain! And all of its accompanying braincells. Rev those babies into full gear for a whole month of writing new words, but don't forget to let the braincells rest! They need to refresh, too. Walks, showers, and sleep tend to get the brain back into the idea-creating mood.
Your imagination and anything that fills those creative wells! Bring your favorite book, a craft book to guide you, a carefully curated playlist, some art that makes you think of your WIP, and even a friend who will listen patiently while you talk out a plot hole that makes no sense to them but gives you an epiphany. Trust me, those patient friends are very helpful.
Something comfy to sit on while you tap out those words! Can't have you sitting on the cold, hard ground in your little tent while you write a whole novel. But for reals, having a cozy space devoted to writing (and only writing) helps with getting your brain into the word-making mood. Decorate it with things that remind you of your WIP and/or the stories you love!
A timer! Setting a timer for 15 or 20 minutes at a time and focusing solely on writing for that duration helps you avoid procrastinating and perfectionism. It also kinda forces you to focus, and personally I need that little brain trick. You'll be surprised how much you can get done in just 15 minutes if you get really into it! This is also a great way to set aside time to write every day, because it's not an hours-long commitment and you might even get a few hundred words down in your first 15 min sprint.
Your friends! No, really, writer buddies are the best, and having friends to encourage/help you along the way makes such a difference. Convince a friend to try Camp Nano with you, and then you can both
sufferwrite a bunch of words together!Your wildest dreams! And by that I mean, start with a goal. What do you want to accomplish by the end of the month? A full draft? Half a draft? A detailed outline? A few complete short stories? Since Camp Nano lets you set your own word count goal (instead of defaulting to 50k like November Nano), you can do as little or as much as you want this month. Figure out what you want to see from your project, and then make it happen! And don't forget: life is wack, and goals can change. No shame in reducing your word count goal a week in if it's not working out!
And of course, your project. Bring that book or story of your dreams. You're going to become very well-acquainted this month. Bring a project that you love and believe in, whether that be just an idea scribbled on a sticky note or a half-done draft you started months ago. This is a month for getting words on the page, even if they're not pretty, so grab something you simply can't wait to write, and let's dive in!
As for me, I'm splitting this month into two projects. Since July 1 and until Monday, I've been devoting my time to a new short story that is inspired by Alice in Wonderland and the myth of Hades and Persephone. It's a contemporary fantasy with a very snarky MC and a goddess who's kind of a mess. It's been so fun to write, and I'm almost done with a second draft! I plan to finish that up today, and then I have to cut it down a lot more, bc it's still over 7k and I need it at like 5500 words max if I plan to submit it anywhere (which I do). Listen, I know. I'm a disaster. Short things are not my thing. But I'm tryin'!!
The next part of the month will be devoted to revising my Demons book, THE DEMON MAGE, and preparing it to throw into the query trenches again at the end of the summer. I am so excited to jump into this book again; it's one of my favorites I've ever written, and I can't wait to see where I take it this time. My most recent draft of it sits at 98k, and I want to get it under 90k. We'll... see how that goes lol. The last time I revised it, it gained 10k extra words and I still don't know where those all came from, so... let's hope I don't end up with 108k by the end of August lmao.
So that's my July! I'm also finally FINALLY out of the reading slump that has plagued me since March, so I have high hopes for reading a ton of books and catching up on my TBR this summer. I'm currently diving into Percy Jackson for the first time (I know, I'm way behind), and LOVING it so far, so that's going to occupy my life for a bit. I've got some other ongoing books too, and looking forward to finishing those and slowly but surely paring down that TBR.
I hope these Camp Nano tips were helpful! Just remember that it's supposed to be fun; don't stress yourself out! If you get stuck, step away and go back to your inspirations for your project -- the stuff that made you want to write it in the first place. Don't lose sight of why you love the stuff you write :)
Good luck to all you campers, and I'll see you next week for another indie author interview post!! Happy writing!
Don't forget that you can grab my debut fantasy novel, The Oracle Stone, in ebook or paperback from various retailers! Find it on Amazon here, and other stores here. I'd also love an add on Goodreads, and a rating & review if you read and enjoyed it!!
And also don't forget that the hardcover Barnes & Noble editions go on sale August 1! They're up for pre-order now, which you can find right here.
Thanks for reading!!
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Wonderful article! I enjoyed reading it. 😁
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