Camp NaNo
Okay, here goes. This is the post in which I allow you to make fun of me. And not only that, I’ll even give you a reason: I’ve signed up for Camp NaNoWriMo, after having miserably failed NaNo in November at a meager 5000 words.
You have no idea what I’m going on about? Well. NaNoWriMo is the somewhat mystic-sounding (really. imagine the vowels drawn out really long, resounding from the steep walls of a rocky valley high up in the mountains… ) short form of National Novel Writing Month, an initiative originally started as a way to get more people writing, which has snowballed into a very popular global online community. So each November, this great event takes place, in which thousands of people around the world try to write a novel of (at least) 50,000 words in one month. Which I took part in last year, and, as mentioned above, gave up at 5000 words.
Since this event is so popular, they have started to introduce the summer camp version of the original November NaNo some years ago, Camp NaNoWriMo. And that’s what I have signed up for. And the reason why I feel slightly ridiculous? The question that’s running through my mind of ‘why the blazes do you imagine you can do it now when you failed miserably before?’.
The answer that I give myself is the following: this time, I’m planning. I’ve never planned a story full out before. I might have planned the characters, and the beginning and, very vaguely, the end. But never the different steps that take the characters from the beginning to the end, with all the obstacles, dangers, tests, wrong turnings and so on in between. But this time, I am. I’ve spent much of the last two weeks doing extensive outlines and brainstorming ideas and developing backgrounds and am now putting down the actual steps that my heroine has to go through to reach the end I have in mind for her.
Phew…. It’s a lot of work, and actually, it’s also a lot of fun, which I never expected. It also takes A LOT of concentration. Even though I’m not nearly done, I’m starting to look forward to writing out my sketches and outlines in full and giving voice to the characters. It’ll start on June 1st and yes, I’ll share some of my experiences here.
This time, I won’t give up. I owe it to myself to see it through. It’s a matter of personal honour. 🙂
Posted on May 22, 2012, in day-to-day and tagged Camp NaNo, goal, NaNoWriMo, writing. Bookmark the permalink. 11 Comments.
cresting the words 
Good luck! I feel it should be easier to win Camp NaNoWriMo, especially since it takes place during the summer instead of November, a.k.a. one of the busiest months of the year.
Thank you! Are you participating as well?
I think November is only ‘the busiest month of the year’ for US Americans, so I’m not sure that excuse is valid for me. But I will definitely have more leisure in June than I had last November, so I’m hoping that this time I’ll make it. I also like the cabin system and I hope if I end up with cool cabin mates that’ll really help.
I’m not really sure! I do have some novels to finish/start writing, so maybe I’ll take advantage of it. Depends on how much work/time I have during June and August.
Go on, you can do it, focus on finishing and you will! Best regards.
Thank you, as always, for your support! 🙂
Good luck! I’m Fiery_Sapphire on there, if you want to be cabin buddies. It’s a whole lot of fun! And I too find it easier to finish in the summer than in November.
Hehe… It looks like you are as excited as I’m starting to feel. I’ll try and request you! Are you planning to blog about camp?
Yeah, I will post updates about my camp experience here and there.
Looking forward to reading them! I found myself in a cabin today, but not with you. 😦
Aw. 😦 I haven’t even checked, so I wonder who I’m with? But that’s okay because we can keep in touch on here. 🙂
Glad you’re taking this challenge, especially after having not completed it other times. I’m doing the same thing! I tried in both 2010 and 2011, and couldn’t make it through the November sessions.
I found out early on that I didn’t do adequate planning, and that I’m not much of a pantser. I still have a lot more planning to do for June. 🙂
Good luck, and I hope we make it into the same cabin!