Tag Archives: Camp NaNoWriMo

A Camp NaNo Lesson: “Showing Up” For Your Writing

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Untitled“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” – Woody Allen

Gather ‘round, Camp WriMos, and sit by the fire. Have you checked in to your cabin yet? Kept up with your word count? Whether you have or haven’t—or aren’t partaking in Camp NaNoWriMo at all this month—it’s time to face a solid writing fact. Woody Allen says it best, above, but I’ll word it another way: if you want your writing to go somewhere, you need to show up at your destination first. Then, it’ll follow you.

What do I mean by this? Simply that, if you have a goal in mind for your writing (such as getting a novel published or being recognized for your short fiction), you need to think and act as if you have already achieved that goal. This can be done in a number of ways, and all are heavily encouraged: showing up to your writing space every day at the same time, creating a professional brand or image for yourself and your writing, developing a pitch for your novel before even writing it, etc. In fact, there have been a number of discussions on the idea that action precedes emotion and motivation, such as the study that proved forcing a smile actually helps relieve stress. Simply, acting professional will eventually make you feel professional and give you the spark you need to do the work.

This applies not only to writing but to any goals you may have. However, it’s the cardinal rule of writing: if you want to be a writer, you must first write. And that’s what NaNoWriMo and its smaller cousin challenges are about.

Now that we’re halfway through the month, you’re expected to be tired. Frustrated. Whether your word count goal was 10,000 words or 100,000, chances are, the task now seems more daunting than it did on July 1st. It’s a case of those nasty mid-month boogie monsters we talked about last Camp NaNoWriMo, but you aren’t going to let them snatch your plot bunnies this time, are you?

The number one roadblock most people face at this point in the challenge is that their story isn’t working out the way they expected. Either a plot is taking a turn for the worse, or a character is running totally off the outline, or the words simply aren’t coming. That’s okay. It happens, and that’s why this is called a challenge. But the important thing to remember is to show up every day anyway, ready to carve out the next part of your story. Even if you only get a fraction of your daily word count done and don’t manage to hit your ultimate goal for the month, you’ll have walked away with something even more valuable than a fancy badge or certificate: you’ll have taught yourself perseverance.

That’s the real goal of NaNoWriMo. Not to silence your inner editor, not to force out a mess of a story—although those are two big parts of it. It’s to teach you the habits that will ultimately make you a successful writer, because they’re the habits already successful writers have already formed. Even NaNoWriMo’s worst critics admit that, all contempt for the practice of speed writing aside, the challenge teaches its participants the most important lesson in writing: to show up, without fail, even when nothing seems to be happening. Because eventually, something will.

Have you found NaNoWriMo to be helpful in forming good writing habits? Have you discovered that simply showing up is often enough to get the juices flowing? Let us know; we’re always interested in hearing everyone’s creative processes!

Harnessing the Power of Camp NaNoWriMo

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I’m starting this post off with an apology.  To my fellow word sprinters and writers: I’m sorry I’ve been so absent over the last month! If you haven’t noticed my radio silence, it’s because Faye and Cristina have done some a wonderful job of keeping the site and word sprints running while I’ve been MIA.

Now, I have a hundred excuses as to why I haven’t written a Sprint Shack post or hosted any word sprints in the last few weeks, but none of them are really good enough. When you love writing, you shouldn’t let anything get in the way. So I wanted to return to Sprint Shack with a short post about the power of Camp NaNoWriMo and getting yourself back into the writing game.

Over the last month, I’ve managed to barely keep myself on track with the short fiction posts for my personal site and meet my Write Chain goal each day.

But because of all the other things that were happening in my life, I began to resent the fact that I was sitting down every day to write. I had a million and three things to do – I couldn’t afford to be sitting around for an hour each day, writing a bunch of fiction.

So my writing suffered. My heart wasn’t in it, and I could see that my stories were forced, my writing unimaginative. I missed loving to write. I wanted to look forward to that hour of writing like I used to. But I didn’t know how. And the more mediocre my writing became, the more unmotivated I was to write, and the more my writing suffered. It was a vicious circle.

When the end of June rolled around and I began to see tweets about Camp NaNoWriMo, I wondered if I should even bother signing up. But after some contemplation, I realized that if I gave up on Camp NaNo, I may as well give up on my writing.

So I set my word count goal low and spent the first week of Camp NaNo putting off actually starting my new novel.

After 7 days of no progress with my Camp NaNo project, things were looking bleak.

But then I logged into my NaNo account and checked out all the messages left in my cabin’s chat section.

These people were so excited. They were writing and loving it! They were complaining about blocks and joking about ways to get over them. They were supporting one another and giving updates on milestones that they’d reached with their projects.

It was infectious! I couldn’t help but want to join in. And so I did – I began writing. And not out of a sense of obligation, but from a place of curiosity. I wanted to see what I could do. Even if it ended up being horrible, I wanted to write the story that had been taking up space in my head for weeks.

Since then, I haven’t been able to stop. I’ve been writing like crazy and loving it.

I realize that what I was missing was the camaraderie. I’d used the excuse of being too busy and then sequestered myself off from the freedom of word sprints and encouragement that comes from interacting with the wonderful community of writers that I used to be so involved in.

All I needed was to realize that I wasn’t alone. Everyone feels this way about their writing at times. Everyone thinks they’re no good and that they don’t have time to spend writing below-par stories. Yes, writing is inherently a solitary pursuit. But it doesn’t mean we have to go it alone.

I’m feeding off this positive energy of other writers during Camp NaNo and using it to fuel my own writing.

If you’re in a writing rut, I recommend jumping into Camp NaNo or joining in on some of our Twitter word sprints. Let go of the excuses and enjoy writing again.

~

Are you guys participating in Camp NaNo this month? Tell me why you’re NaNo-ing in the comments below!

“Silencing” vs. “Shelving” Your Inner Editor

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It’s that time of year again—the time when NaNoWriMo addicts set a goal, cozy up to our cabin mates, and block out the real world for the warmth of our figurative campfires. I’m talking, of course, about Camp NaNoWriMo—July edition!

Camp NaNoWriMo takes place twice per year and this is our second time around for 2014. So in the spirit of this frantic, exciting time, we’re going to address an idea that’s synonymous with NaNoWriMo: silencing your inner editor.

The point of NaNoWriMo is to quiet that little voice—the one that insists you fix that error, whether it be as small as a typo or as large and gaping as a major plot hole—before continuing on to the rest of your story. It’s a practice that’s helped many a writer muscle through the tangles of a first draft, despite the crippling desire to spend an entire month on page one alone. It helps a story form its barest foundation, to be bricked and mortared and painted later on in the process. However, there’s a problem that many critics of NaNoWriMo point to with this practice: silencing your inner editor can be a dangerous habit to get into.

For this reason, it’s best to think of this challenge as a time to shelve, rather than silence, that voice. Should you routinely silence your inner editor—which, it’s important to note, is different from the trash-talking bully we all possess that insists with zero supporting evidence that our work is garbage—you may get into the bad habit of not listening to it at any point. And since the inner editor is typically alerting you to a problem that does need to be addressed, whether in draft one or sixteen, this could be a damaging habit to get into.

Here are some instances in which shelving, rather than silencing, your inner editor can help you work your way through your first draft—without slowing you down:

1) You’re writing along when you realize your story could benefit from an extra transitional scene in between your last and your current. Silencing your inner editor by ignoring the instinct could cause you to miss a potential improvement to your story or forget about it altogether. Shelving it by making an immediate note in the document, to be addressed in revisions, will allow you to continue with your current flow without risking any omissions on your part later.

2) A major plot hole appears! You have two choices: silence your inner editor by shrugging it off and expecting to remember it later, or shelve it by making a note somewhere you know you won’t miss it—or directly into the text itself—and correcting your current flow to compensate.

3) Similarly, your characters seem to be out of character, and your inner editor perks up. You can silence it by continuing their character arcs as they are, or shelve it by starting to correct the issue in your current writing—not by going back and fixing what was already there. For example, if John and Jane were previously in a rocky relationship and the scene you’re writing seems to completely dismiss that, make note of that as soon as you notice the discrepancy and start introducing an element of tension that makes more sense given their situation. If the tension seems to spring out of nowhere upon a future read, you’ll have your note there to remind you why and point out what needs to be fixed.

Have you ever noticed a difference between silencing and shelving your inner editor? The former can create a bad habit of dismissing the savvy writer in us, while the latter gives us room to complete our stories while learning how to prioritize our tasks. There are exceptions to every rule, of course: you may find that some mistakes need immediate fixing, and that others are best left alone until revision time. Either way, always remember the difference between your inner editor and your inner bully, and learn how to tune into their voices accordingly!

Do You Know Your Creative Cycle?

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When you sit down to write, could you be unwittingly sabotaging your efforts? If you force yourself to write during a naturally sluggish part of the day, you could very well be.

Humans don’t run on full power constantly throughout the day. We have periods of energy highs and lows, and that applies to creativity as well. If certain points of the day are more conducive to writing, then pinpointing exactly when they are can make for much more productive writing sessions. How can we do that? Through tracking our creative cycle.

But first of all, why should we keep tabs on our creative ups and downs? Shouldn’t we just pick a time for writing and stick to it? Well, ask yourself this: would you rather struggle to write 200 words in the afternoon, because that’s when you’ve arbitrarily decided you’ll write, or speed on through to 1000 by writing on a morning, first thing after you wake up, when you’re still half in the dream world and feeling particularly creative? I know which one I’d rather do.

Everyone has periods when their energy and creativity are high during the day, just as they have periods of lows. Finding when you’re most energetic and creative and dedicating that time to writing could be just what you need to boost your progress on your WIP, make writing easier and produce better quality work. But how do you find out when this magical time is?

You may already have an idea of when you’re most creative and energetic, but we often have several points in the day when this is particularly the case. If you don’t know when they are for you, it’s worth trying out this method and pinpointing them all.

What will you need to do this? A notepad that you can keep on you all day and a pen.

Track Your Day

Draw up a chart or a table with 24 rows, one for each hour. When you do something that day, write it down in your chart. What time did you wake up? What did you eat for breakfast and when? Lunch? Dinner? And so on. Beside each activity you log, note your energy level after doing it. Did you feel more energised because of it or less?

Once you’ve done this for a few days, you’ll start to get a picture of when your natural energy highs and lows are, as well as the kind of things you do that boost and reduce your energy levels (e.g. after a walk, you may feel more active and creative, while after eating a dessert, you might feel sluggish). Your periods of energy ‘highs’ are prime spots for writing time.

Vary Your Day

Alongside this, try varying your writing time. If you always write on a night, try waking up an hour earlier than usual and write then. Write during your lunch break or after you get home from work/school or on a night, if you don’t usually. Keep track of your energy and creativity levels in your notebook, along with how you felt while writing. Did the words come easily? Did you feel more creative? It may well be that the words flow more easily at a time you had never considered before.

Now that you have an idea of when you feel most energised and creative, set aside that time for writing and build it into your daily routine. Alongside the natural energy high you get at that time, the act of writing then each day will promote focus, discipline and further creativity. There’ll be no stopping you.

~

When are your creative high points?

Track Your Word Count for Writing Success

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Skye's Word Count

My word count chart for the past year. Check out the end of this post for a downloadable chart of your own!

When you think of NaNoWriMo, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it’s the word count. And after that? The daily goals.

During NaNoWriMo, we obsess over our word counts. Did our daily word haul put us above the Line of Doom? How many words until we meet our daily target? How much more do we have to write to win?

With all this focus on word counts and tracking them, you would think that continuing to track your word count after NaNoWriMo would be pretty common. Not necessarily so.

In the lull that so often follows the NaNoWriMo rush, we forget about the advantages of tracking our daily progress. We associate word counts with the month-long rush to write as much as possible. But there are several advantages to keeping tabs on how much you write each day that have nothing to do with NaNoWriMo. Here’s exactly why you should track your word count over the course of days, months—even years…

Motivation

If you know you wrote 400 words yesterday and 680 the day before, you’re more likely to want to write today as well, to keep that streak going and prevent those lonely 0s from creeping in. You want to fill that chart with lots of numbers and see your overall word count rise, just as you do during NaNoWriMo.

Your daily target doesn’t have to be as high as during NaNo—it might be to write anything, it might be to write 500 words or it might be to write 1000. Whatever is comfortable for you.

Accountability

Tracking your word count keeps you accountable. It’s so easy to brush off not writing for one, two, three or more days in a row if you don’t keep track of your writing sessions. Before you know it, a week’s gone by and you haven’t written a word.

If you have a spreadsheet with your daily word counts on, it’s obvious when you haven’t written and you’re more likely to hold yourself accountable for not writing.

Habit Formation

Because you’re keeping tabs on your word counts, you’re more likely to write regularly, to see those spreadsheet cells fill with numbers, and because you’re writing regularly, you’re forming good habits. Not only do good writing habits mean you get lots written, they also make writing easier. When you’re practised at sitting down to write, the words come more easily, you get into the flow of writing faster, and you know your story all the better.

Pride in Yourself

Each day you fill in your chart with more numbers and see how much you’ve achieved, it feels good. Knowing exactly how much you’ve written gives you a more concrete sense of progress, motivates you and fills you with pride. Because it feels great, you want to continue writing, and so the cycle goes on.

Over to You

So, are you interested in tracking your daily word count? If so, here’s a gift from the Sprint Shack ladies: your very own word count spreadsheet. Download a copy for yourself (click ‘File’ >> ‘Download as’ >> ‘Microsoft Excel’ for a copy) and keep tabs on how much you write over the rest of 2014!

~

Do you know how much you’ve written so far in 2014?

Write What You Want; How I Won (But Really Lost) Camp NaNoWriMo

Posted in Co-Founder Confessions, NaNoWriMo, Writer Advice by

I lost at Camp NaNo this year, guys.

Well, technically, I “won.” I have my word count validated and the winner’s goodies secured. And in all fairness to myself, I did write the 20,000 words I marked down as my goal (after a slight adjustment to my word goal that I felt was necessary to keep my morale going). But it’s not like my past NaNo victories because I don’t feel like I won.

It’s not like last November when I reached that final word of the month and did a triumphant air-punch, then popped open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. This month I hit my goal, validated the word count on Camp NaNo’s site, and then shrugged and continued on with my day.

How I Did Camp NaNo This Month

It’s not that I’ve become disenchanted with NaNoWriMo’s quantity-over-quality approach to writing. I still think that participating in the various NaNo events is the single most wonderful thing I do for my writing.

But this month was not a typical month in the life of Taylor. This month was challenging – and while I thrive on challenges, I find that my writing suffers while I’m focusing on other areas of my life that are in flux.

So instead of sitting down at the computer each day and opening up my Camp NaNo project with the enthusiasm of a child who wakes at 6am on Christmas morning, I met my writing with a sense of disdain and self-loathing. I’d churn out a thousand words just to be done with my project for the day so I could tend to other areas of my life.

And after a week of writing, I realized that I didn’t even want to be working on my Camp NaNo project. I had a million other stories in my head that I would have rather started writing. But I’d already committed myself to the project and decided to just push through to my 20k words.

What that resulted in was a bunch of limp prose and poorly formed plots.

Essentially, I feel like I wrote a bunch of crap just to “win.”

When I look at what I produced this month, I’m in no way proud of it. This isn’t even a story I look at and say: “It needs a lot of work, but with some intense editing and revision, it’ll be good.” No, this is something I look at and say: “I can do absolutely nothing with this.”

How I Should Have Done Camp NaNo This Month

Looking back on this month, I’m tempted to say that I shouldn’t have even done Camp NaNo at all. That I should have focused exclusively on the other areas of my life that needed tending to. But I’m of the belief that a disciplined writer sits down and writes every day, even when they don’t feel inspired to do so. Even when producing each word is as painful as pulling teeth.

But I’m also of the belief that when you’re inspired and truly interested in your writing, the quality of your work skyrockets.

I guess what it comes down to is this: there are times when you need to push through with a piece and times when you need to let it sit and bake a bit more.

Thinking about it, I probably should have stopped partway through Camp NaNo and focused on other stories that I was more inspired by rather than focusing on this one for the sake of winning.

Sure, I can get the “Camp NaNo 2014 Winner” badge and cash in on some of their other goodies now, but at what cost? I spent hours this month writing something I hated and that I doubt I’ll ever come back to.

Technically, I won Camp Nano. But I feel like I lost it.

What I Learned From Camp NaNo This Month

While it’s important to stick with projects when they get difficult, you have to be in touch with your inner writer and gauge what the best use of your time is. If I had switched gears part way through Camp NaNo, I may not have come out of it a “winner,” but I probably would have come away with a piece of writing I was proud of and wanted to continue working with.

So my writing advice today boils down to this: while goals are important, don’t let them run or ruin your writing. Write what you want to write. Write something because it you love it. Write something because it makes you want to get out of bed early and stay up late to get more words down. Write for yourself, not for the “win,” and you’ll come out ahead.

~

How was your Camp NaNo experience this month? Did you win? Lose? Not even participate? Most importantly, what did you learn? Tell us in the comments below!

Be a Healthy Writer

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Be a Healthy Writer: Learn how to perfect your posture and ease your eye strain at www.sprintshack.wordpress.com.Let’s face it: writing isn’t the healthiest of hobbies or professions.

While spending hours and hours on our computers may be good for our word-loving souls, it certainly isn’t good for our bodies. Back strain, wrist strain, eye strain—the list of ailments writers suffer goes on and on. When faced with all these maladies, we can find ourselves presented with a heart-breaking dilemma: do we continue to write and bear the pain it causes, or do we cut back on doing what we love and give our bodies a break?

Don’t grin and bear it or throw your computer out of the window just yet. Yes, you’re a writer, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer for your art. The first step to becoming a happy writer is becoming a physically healthy one.

Perfecting Your Posture

At the root of many back, neck and wrist strain problems is posture. How we sit at the computer or while scribbling away in a notebook can affect our bodies in ways we don’t even realise, especially if we’re doing it for hours on end. Find out the kind of damage sitting for long stretches can do to your body in this Pin.

What can we do to stop these health hazards before they cause us any more damage? Correcting our posture at the computer is one way. Contrary to popular belief, however, good posture isn’t just about sitting up straight. Follow these steps to make those long writing stints don’t make your body suffer for your story’s sake.

  1. Adjust your chair height. Make sure your seat is high enough that you can reach your keyboard while keeping your wrists and arms straight, parallel with the floor. The angle between your upper and lower arms should be 90 degrees (an L-shape) and your keyboard should be positioned so that you don’t have to reach forward to type.
  2. Keep those feet flat. To maintain healthy posture at the computer, your feet should be flat on the floor or on a footrest, not tucked under the chair or crossed (I’m guilty of this, but it’s something I’m trying to correct!).
  3. Position your computer screen. Your eyes should be at the same level as the top of your computer screen, which means you may have to prop it up on something (we’re writers—we have books aplenty for this task). If you have a laptop, lining up your screen with your eyes and your keyboard with your wrists may not be an option, as the two are attached. If possible, try getting a separate keyboard and mouse, so that your screen can sit at a different height to the keyboard.
  4. Take regular breaks. Ideally, for every thirty minutes you’re at the computer, take a thirty minute break—perfect for a wordscrim or word sprinting challenge. If the muse demands your attention for longer stretches, make sure you give it and your body a rest at least once an hour. Spend some time away from the computer, get some exercise (a short walk or yoga routine can do wonders for your physical, mental and creative well-being). Then come back feeling refreshed and ready to write.

Because it’s often easier to implement these steps when you’ve seen what they look like, here’s a handy YouTube video showing the correct way to sit at a desk and on an armchair:

For the laptop version, see here.

Easing Eye Strain

Aside from back, neck and wrist strain, which can be attributed to posture, eye strain can also plague writers. Staring at the screen for too long, inadequate lighting or a glare on the screen can all trouble your eyes. Try out these steps and save your eyes some strain in the short- and long-term.

  1. Adjust your lighting. Bright light from the sun or indoor lighting can hurt your eyes, so reduce the brightness by blocking out some of the sunniness (e.g. with curtains or blinds) or turning down the lighting.
  2. Reduce screen glare. Reflections caused by bright lights or shiny surfaces are another cause of eye strain. If possible, position your computer so that it’s away from the source of the glare and adjust the brightness and contrast of the screen until it’s less of a problem.
  3. Take regular breaks. As with posture-related strains, alleviate eye strain through taking frequent breaks from the computer. Rest your eyes for 15 minutes between word sprints, do a spot of exercise or get yourself a drink of water—anything as long as it’s away from the computer.

Another way to ease the strain on your eyes is to use f.lux. This application mellows out the harsh blue glow of your screen, which has several benefits for computer-users. For example, not only can the glare caused by your computer screen strain your eyes, it can keep you up longer at night too. And what’s one thing writers tend to be guilty of? Staying up late into the night, writing. When we try to switch off, we can’t, and when we finally nod off, our sleep may be disturbed. A good night’s sleep is very important to a writer, so help to protect it by neutralising that blue glow!

~

Want more information on correcting your posture or easing the strain on your eyes? Check out these resources for further details!

~

Writer Question: What about writing causes you the most health problems?

Lower Your Expectations to Up Your Word Count

Posted in NaNoWriMo, Writer Advice by

We’re halfway through the month of April! That means only 11 more days until Camp NaNoWriMo is over. For some of you, that’s a good thing. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. You’re on track (or maybe even ahead) of where you need to be in order to hit your word count goal on time. For others – like me – the idea of having less than two weeks to pull out a win induces panic attacks and feelings of self-loathing.

It’s the latter I’m addressing in today’s blog post – those who have, for one reason or another, fallen behind in your Camp NaNo writings.

I don’t know the exact stats for how many Camp NaNo participants actually reach their word count goals each camp session, but I do know that the majority of WriMo’s don’t win. And for the first time in nearly 2 years of straight NaNo wins, I’m beginning to feel that I might be one of the majority this time. One of those who fall short of their goal.

I have excuses, but do they really matter? Ultimately, my life was unexpectedly turned on its ear and I lost nearly two weeks of valuable NaNo-ing time at the beginning of April. But if those of us that are lagging want to emerge from Camp NaNo victorious, we can’t focus on what’s happened, but what we can still make happen.

I’ve noticed that, at this point, there’s a common trend amongst those of us who are falling behind: we’re intimidated. You’ve gotten so far off track that the modest 25k you set as your goal at the beginning of the month is now insurmountable, considering you’ve only written 3k words so far.

So what to do about this? Avoid working on your WIP because it scares you? No! The answer is – and hear me out on this one – to lower your expectations by lowering your word count goal.

Before you all jump down my throat on this, let me explain. I hardly ever advocate lowering your expectations. It’s important to keep your standards high in all areas of your life. BUT, sometimes in rare instances, it’s okay to lower your expectations. Just a bit. And I believe that Camp NaNo is one of those times.

Think about it this way: what is the purpose of Camp NaNo? To write. That’s it. GETTING THE WORDS OUT! That’s what being a WriMo entails. What Camp NaNo is not about is choking. It’s not about falling behind, then looking at how many words you have left to write, and running away with your tail between your legs.

So, even though I might call it borderline-cheating, I think that it can be beneficial to go into your Camp NaNo novel settings and change your word count goal for the month. Now, I’m not saying to go in and make it only 1k words so, BAM, you’ve already won. I’m saying to go lower it by 5k. Or to calculate how much you think you can write in the next 11 days and then set that as your goal.

But when you do go to change your word count, be wary of a few things:

– Be careful not to make this a habit. Do not plan on doing this every single time you participate in Camp Nano because you’ll never truly push yourself if you always have a safety net.

– Don’t perpetually lower your goal. Don’t go back in and keep whittling at your goal until it’s next to nothing.

– Once you do lower your goal you better make every effort to actually complete it. Don’t make more excuses. The cool thing about Camp NaNo is you CAN change your word count. But it doesn’t mean you should do it continually.

I’d also like to note that I don’t want to cheapen the victories of those that stuck by their initial word count goals and are on track to reaching them by the end of the month. You all deserve a huge round of applause. But the point of NaNo is to write, and if you are intimidated by your goal and unable to write because of it, then adjust your expectations. Writing a few thousand more words to reach your new goal is better than writing no words at all in fear of not reaching your old goal. If lowering your word count goal will get you to write more, then do it.

And remember the most important thing to do during Camp NaNo: enjoy it. Win or lose, have fun with your writing. Life is short and we write because we must. Because we love it. Because we don’t know how to not. Push yourself to reach your goals, but don’t lose sight of why you write in the first place – for the fun of it.

~

Where do you stand on changing your Camp NaNo goals mid-month? Let us know in the comments below!

Battling the Mid-Month Boogie Monsters

Posted in NaNoWriMo, Writer Advice by

midmonthIt never fails. Whether you’re participating in NaNoWriMo or Camp NaNo or simply your own timed writing challenge, the middle is always the hardest part. If this is your first Camp NaNoWriMo, you may have heard the campfire stories of mid-month boogie monsters that capture your plot bunnies, steal your enthusiasm, and sneak up on you just when you thought things were going well. They’re frustrating but, believe us, they can be beaten!

It’s common to feel discouraged when you’re halfway through these challenges; the excitement of a new project has worn off in the past 15 days, yet the end is still another 15 away. Suddenly, you find yourself feeling more lost than anything. That’s okay, and that’s normal! Maybe your story isn’t going as well as you’d hoped, or maybe it’s going great—so great that you’ve run with it and written yourself into uncharted territory. Whatever your reasons are, you likely aren’t feeling as confident about this as you did on April 1st. But I’m here to tell you to toss another log in that fire and scare those shadows away.

There are several ways to get yourself back on track and finish strong. Try these methods out and see if they work for you!

  1. Just push through it. This is the tough love approach and I know it isn’t easy. Take it from me—we’re halfway through and I’ve only written a few hundred words! But sometimes all your writing needs is a little teeth-gritting determination. When those monsters of the night threaten to scare away your inspiration, scare them right back by holding your ground! Some ways this has worked for me include fleshing out whatever scene I’m on—even if it’s totally unnecessary to do so—or skipping to another part of the story that I’m eager to write. Both methods get the words flowing and keep you from cowering behind that blinking cursor.
  2. Attend the virtual Camp NaNoWriMo Write-In tomorrow. Hosted on the NaNoWriMo YouTube account, virtual write-ins provide an opportunity to grab some inspiration, motivation, and support without leaving your writing cave—or tent! The next one is tomorrow at 11am PDT, so translate that to your time zone and join in!
  3. Schedule your own write-in! I’ve spoken before about the benefit of write-ins and, while organized write-ins are more common during November, there’s always an opportunity to host your own. Start a #SprintParty on Twitter, host one on a YouTube channel, or simply invite some writing buddies out for a few competitive sprints over coffee! If you’re anything like us, your hunger for word count glory will override that mid-month writer’s block under pressure, and you’ll soon find yourself writing away toward your word count goal.
  4. Reach out on Twitter/cabin mates. I have a confession: I almost quit two thirds of the way through NaNoWriMo this year. I was hitting that block somewhere in the third week and was falling behind, and I wanted to give myself permission to quit if I didn’t think winning was feasible. Thankfully, my friends weren’t going to let that happen! Taylor and Faye gave me some really great pep talks and even rallied what seemed like half of Twitter to shout all kinds of encouraging (and playfully threatening!) things at me. If you need similar motivation, simply announcing your struggles via a popular hashtag (like #CampNaNoWriMo or #AmWriting)  is guaranteed to earn you a few encouraging words.
  5. Start from zero. Of course, I don’t mean start your project from scratch! But as I said in my post on starting from zero, sometimes it can be helpful to take a step back, take stock, and reorganize your project. This is especially helpful if you’re written yourself into a road block: instead of trying to push through it if it doesn’t seem to be giving, map out your story on a sheet of paper and figure out where you’ve been, where you’re stuck, and where you have to go. Even if you aren’t the outlining type, simply reminding yourself of your ultimate goal with that particular story can be incredibly helpful!

How do you power through that rough midpoint? Everyone has a different process, from NaNoNewbies to seasoned wordsmiths. Let us know how you battle those mid-month boogie monsters in the comments below!

Sprint Watch! Where to Word Sprint this Camp NaNoWriMo

Posted in NaNoWriMo, Sprint Watch! by

The halfway point of Camp NaNoWriMo approaches! Whether you’re on track, storming ahead or playing catch-up, there’s one thing that can give your word count a super-boost. Yep, you guessed it: the word sprint. There are so many of them going down this month that you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Here’s a recap of the various word sprinting events scheduled on Twitter this Camp NaNoWriMo. Some are planned, others spontaneous. Some are long, some are short. Some are recurring, while others are one-offs. Take your pick, write up a storm and, most importantly, enjoy yourself!

PLANNED SPRINTS

These events have been planned in advance, with their start and stop times predetermined. Some are one-off events, just for Camp, and others happen all year round. See if any take your fancy and let us know if you’re going to take part!

Camp NaNoWriMo and the #NaNoThon

What: Prepare yourself for an epic 8-hour writing marathon, courtesy of NaNoWriMo. Those word counts don’t stand a chance.

Where: Follow the #NaNoThon hashtag on Twitter for word sprint start and stop times and to report your word counts!

When: Saturday, April 12, from:

United Kingdom: 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
US East Coast: 12 noon to 8 p.m.
US West Coast: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sprint Shack and the #TalesAndTea Party

What: You are cordially invited to our weekly word party, where we drink cup upon cup of delicious beverages (tea, coffee, the purest water from an enchanted spring—take your pick), eat scrumptious treats, and write many, many words. Sprints last for 20 minutes, with 10 minute breaks in between.

Where: Hosted by @TheSprintShack, you can follow the word sprint start and stop times and report your word counts using the #TalesAndTea hashtag.

When: Saturdays, all year round, from:

United Kingdom: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
US East Coast: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
US West Coast: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Friday Night Writes and #WriteClub

What: Every week, the doors to #WriteClub open, the writers of the world flood in, and the words flow out. Sprints last for 30 minutes, with 10 minute breaks in between, and run for a whopping (almost) 24 hours!

Where: Stay up-to-date with all the #WriteClub action using this hashtag and follow the host, @FriNightWrites, for sprint start and stop times.

When: Fridays, all year round, from:

United Kingdom: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
US East Coast: 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
US West Coast: 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Remember: you don’t have to take part in the full length of the word sprinting events (e.g. if you join in #WriteClub, you don’t have to write for nearly 24 hours). Dip in and out as time and life allows!

SPONTANEOUS SPRINTS

These sprints are often spur of the moment, unplanned events. The start and stop times are announced by the host a short while in advance, so keep an eye out for them by searching for ongoing sprints using the popular sprinting hashtags listed on the Sprinting Resources page and following the frequent sprint-meisters listed below.

@TheSprintShack
@NaNoWordSprints
@GetWordies
@NaNoPals

For more word sprinters, check out the Notable Sprinters page, and let us know if you spot any other frequent sprint hosts or events on Twitter! We’d love to add them to our list.

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Will you be taking part in any of these events, or hosting your own this Camp NaNoWriMo?