Anyone attempting Camp NaNoWriMo this month? ^ ^

[PrincessStarlily]

Hey, fellow writers!

So, I'm one of those gals who's had this novel stuck in her head for three and a half years, and never finished the second chapter. All of that is changing this month, however...

I don't know if you've ever heard of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), but it's basically an annual online challenge to write that novel/memoir/other long story you've been hankering to get down in just one month! A real task, if you ask me...but definitely rewarding if you make it.

NaNo occurs every November, but they also have a "Camp" program two other times during the year for those who can't do their standard month. I'm doing this July, and boy, is it an adventure!

Unfortunately I'm pretty behind on my word count right now (Nov has the fixed goal of 50k words, but Camp allows a flexible wc goal--right now I'm at 40k, but that may change)...my family and I were on vacation this past weekend and I only wrote 150 words in 5 days.

BUT--everything's gonna change these next two weeks! This is the first time I've ever attempted NaNo, Camp or otherwise, and I am determined to make it to the finish!

Anyone out there who's joining me this month, or who has done NaNoWriMo in the past? Come on in and share your experiences!

And if you're not a NaNo-er (I know it's not a word) but still a budding novelist--how's your writing life now? Are you too busy to put some words to a page, or feel pretty good about your developing story?

So, this is my excitement for the summer. Hope everyone's enjoying the heat (or moderate warmth, if you live in a more forgiving place than southern Arizona)!

God bless,
Starlily

[HelloGoodbye]

If I knew about this sooner I so would have done it!  I need something to get me motivated to write more.  I've been thinking about doing the November one if I have time.  I'm not sure if I will though due to college.

I'm in a wee bit of a slump because a story that was initially so easy for me to write just decided to get tricky.  The thing wrote itself practically, and I was like "Heck yeah!  We'll have a novel in no time!" and now I'm just like "...".  I think I want to restart it and switch to first person from third person.  One of the supporting characters is giving me fits, which is why stuff just got tricky.  I know what I want her to be like, and what she needs to be like for the plot to make sense, but she is so hard to write!  And she is such an important character!  My main character is pretty much nailed down, thank goodness.  I just need to get several secondary characters in line then I should be alright.  I thought the secondary characters were the easy ones! 

I'm still excited about my story though, because I really love the characters and once I sort them out I really think it could be something I can be proud of.  I love writing short stories, so this is my first serious foray into something longer.

[kaoskat]

Best of luck!

[QueenStarglow]

I'm revising my last one so I won't be able to participate this month. Maybe I can do my own camp for August for the next book!

[Katika]

There are quite a few of us NaNoers lurking in the Arena   I've participated in the official NaNoWriMo in November every year since 2007 and started trying Camp last summer.  Unfortunately, I can't seem able to make any other month quite as "sacred" as November and usually putter out around 15k of determined writing for Camp.  Summer also gets pretty busy for me, and I don't want to find myself using the excuse of writing for myself as a reason to not spend quality time with my animals

I started April's Camp this year in the last ten days because a story wrote itself in my mind in about 15 minutes on my drive home from town.  I churned out a BUNCH of it but then one of my dogs got very, very sick and my attention, time and energy all went straight to her.  I'd have tried the current Camp, but my husband just got back from 14 months worth of a far-away training and a deployment, and I think that catching up with him and seeing/doing everything we've been missing while he's still on leave was a little more important

Best of luck on your Camp!  I know you can do it!  Writing your novel is important, because you're the ONLY one who can write what is in your mind!  I also like to tell myself that my novel is *someone's* favorite story, so it's always, always worth it!!

[PrincessStarlily]

@HelloGoodbye: Don't you just hate it when characters give you trouble? I'm starting to get the feeling that a few of mine are kind of flat...but hey, it's a first draft! When editing time swings around, lots of fixes will be made. It's awesome to hear that you're excited about your story and love your characters! I feel the same way about mine...it's been three and a half years, and these buggers are stuck in my head for eternity.
Keep writing! There's nothing more rewarding than putting some words to a page--however awful they may seem at first. I'm a stickler for details, so this month I've really had to shut away my inner editor!

@kaoskat: Thank you!

@StarglowMLP: Sounds like a plan! Good luck.

@Katika: That's wonderful! Attempting to write a novel every November is a huge achievement! I know how life can get in the way of projects, and a lot of the time it takes more precedence over your "fun" things. It sounds like you're a determined writer, though, and I hope you have an uninterrupted November this year to crank out that new idea! And thank you for the encouragement--it means a lot.

[melodys_angel]

I knew about NaNoWriMo (and had planned about participating for...over 5 years now>>), but not the camp.

Unfortunetely im a bit too busy to  'cheat' and start it this month   Goodluck though!

[Jadis4742]

I'm doing Camp, but between the Fair and being sick I'm still at 0 of 25,000 words.

The sad thing, being a NaNo veteran, I KNOW I can churn that out in five days so I end up being a horrible procrastinator. But I've really set August aside for writing, since I'll be at DragonCon during Labor Day weekend to do writing workshops with published authors.

I just have to get over this head cold/sinus infection, it's hard to think when I can't breathe!

[PrincessStarlily]

I hope you get better soon, Jadis! I was sick for a while this month and writing was no fun when my brain was all fuzzy.

Ohmygosh I'm so. Stinking. Close. After lots of internal deliberation I've lowered my word count goal down to a reasonable 35k.

Only 3,000 more words. I have a little more time tonight and just a few hours tomorrow after what will probably be yet another long day at marching band camp.

I'm so terrible at procrastinating. Go ahead, pelt me with fakies. I deserve it.

I will seriously kick myself if I don't make this. I am too close to fail now!

*works till midnight then crashes on keyboard*

[Nightbow]

I frequent the forums as Jolton, but I mostly lurk. I actually haven't participated in any NaNo, but I find the forums inspirational. I'm trying to write a novel but I'm still planning it ... since about a year. Sigh.

[NoDivision]

Unfortunately, I can't seem able to make any other month quite as "sacred" as November

Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way! Something about November just really suits me for a marathon writing challenge. I've always loved fall so that helps. The cooler weather is especially conducive to curling up at a coffee shop for hours and writing. Pumpkin spice lattes go hand in hand with NaNo for me, haha.

[PrincessStarlily]

Unfortunately, I can't seem able to make any other month quite as "sacred" as November

Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way! Something about November just really suits me for a marathon writing challenge. I've always loved fall so that helps. The cooler weather is especially conducive to curling up at a coffee shop for hours and writing. Pumpkin spice lattes go hand in hand with NaNo for me, haha.

Haha I love fall, too! The only trouble for me is school. Being a student, November clashes too much with all my other work to make the normal NaNo possible for me. Maybe in a few years...

[NoDivision]

Yup, it helps being out of school. I tried NaNo once while I was an undergrad and it didn't go so well. So for undergrad and then grad school it was just a no-go. I finally got to give it another go in 2013 and am excited to try again this year!

[PrincessStarlily]

Yup, it helps being out of school. I tried NaNo once while I was an undergrad and it didn't go so well. So for undergrad and then grad school it was just a no-go. I finally got to give it another go in 2013 and am excited to try again this year!

Glad to hear you're doing it again this year, ND! I wish you well!

In other news...in case none of you got a glimpse at my new signature...

I MADE IT!

35k words in 31 days. Not bad, if I do say so myself. I didn't reach the end of my novel, which is okay--that means it'll end up a little longer. 35k words really isn't a lot in the world of novels.

To those of you who attempted Camp this month--how did you do? If you didn't reach your word count goal, how far did you get? Are you satisfied with the amount you wrote?

I think even just attempting NaNo, Camp or otherwise, is a truly admirable endeavor. In the end, it's not the amount of words that matters, but their quality! Just spending a little time to get that idea down on paper is a great achievement.

Blessings,
Starlily