5 REASONS TO PARTICIPATE IN CAMP NANOWRIMO

Camp NaNoWriMo is in TWENTY DAYS! (and my birthday is in eight! totally not related to the topic but still important. Or... not. Ahem. *cough*) Twenty days isn't a lot of time -- especially if you're me and haven't even started plotting yet -- but it's enough time to prepare. (...I hope. xD)

I'm pretty sure most of you've heard of NaNoWriMo -- the challenge to write 50,000 words in a month. Camp NaNo is similar, but I might actually prefer it to the official NaNo due to the reason below. I love the hype of NaNo and the massive community, but Camp has always been so special. It takes place twice a year in April and July. (and if you ask me, which you didn't, but I'm telling you anyway, those are much better times than November.)

Also, guys... this is my SIXTH TIME participating in Camp NaNoWriMo. (Um, what?) And guess what? I'll be writing my sixth novel! I'm a bundle of squeals and excitement and nerves. I'm hoping I'll be able to find a solid plot for this novel... but I can already tell that this novel is going to be troublesome. Brainstorming has been tough. :P

Enough of me rambling. It's so much more fun to do crazy writing activities with frens, so here's why you should join me in the Camp NaNo insanity.

Let's face it: Editing isn't fun. (for most people -- there are a couple of you mutant writers out there. I don't understand you, but you're great anyways. Weird... but great. xD) Another fact: editing is necessary. (Unfortunately -- until a new breed of mutant writers are born with perfection in their veins.)

I usually spend one of the the Camp NaNos editing, and the motivation is JUST WHAT I NEED. It is sometimes looked down upon to be editing a novel for the official NaNoWriMo, but it's very much encouraged for Camp! This could be your sign to finally pick up that red pen and start editing.

Also, this year Camp NaNo is letting you choose a word, line, page, or hour count goal. If tracking time or pages works better, you can now do that without some weird minute to word count conversion.

OKAY, so maybe this isn't a perk for everyone. But I've never been a fan of camp, so this is the best case scenario for me! xD No mosquitoes, creepy crawlers, or sunburn... I'll get to write with air conditioning (or heat depending on how cold April is...), and I can retire to the comfort of my own bed when its finally time to rest.

(I mean... assuming that I'll actually sleep. maybe I'll just write all night and guzzle caffeine instead. MWAHAHA there's no stopping the writing beast.)

(Now that I think about it... going to a camp for Camp NaNo would be pretty epic. I could settle for a nice beach or mountainside resort. xD)

This is one of my favorite things about Camp NaNo -- the flexibility is amazing. Instead of doing the standard 50,000 words, you could be an overachiever and write 75,000! Or 200,000! Or 50,001! Or 49,999! The possibilities are endless! xD

Really, though. This is an extremely helpful perk. There's no shame with setting a goal of 10,000 -- that turns out to be a little more than 300 words a day. Tiny goals are manageable and not as intimidating. 10,000 words will still cut a nice chunk out of your WIP!

Plus, if you meet your goal early or decide that it's too much, Camp NaNo lets you change your goal until the 20th of the month. Then you're locked in and doomed with your choice. xD

Now this is my FAVORITE part about Camp NaNoWriMo. Cabins are made up of thirteen writers. They're sorted into a virtual message board cabin -- you have the choice of entering a cabin with strangers (possible new writer friends!) or friends. There's nothing quite like NaNo stress to bond you together as cabinmates. xD

NaNo always combines the cabin's word counts into a team goal, which is where it gets fun. My cabin becomes really competitive with making our goals and it's great. :P

And unlike normal summer camps, since the cabin is virtual, you won't be kept up with giggles or snores! xP (instead your characters will bother you into the long hours of the night, demanding that you keep them alive and stop torturing them. And when you finally do kill them, the echoes of their ghostly sobs will haunt your dreams forever and ever and ever!) (yay)

Finding time and finding motivation are two very difficult parts about writing. Though Camp NaNoWriMo won't magically give you extra time (I wish *cries*), there is an overflow of motivation. Thousands of other writers will be joining you on this crazy journey, so maybe this is the boost of determination you need to make the most out of the time you've been given.

Camp NaNo also starts on a Saturday, which means staying up late writing (or plotting, which is what I'll probably be doing :P) on Friday night and SLEEPING IN THE NEXT MORNING! I am ridiculously excited with how well this works out.

Don't forget to take advantage of word sprints and word wars! Shoot me a message -- I'm definitely willing for the extra motivation, and I'm sure any other writer would appreciate the nudge to being productive.

<3,
katie grace

are you doing camp nano?

what's your word goal?