My Camp NaNoWriMo 2018 Plans

I don’t know how it’s almost April. But it is. And that means many writers start thinking about Camp NaNoWriMo. I’m no exception.

I don’t have everything worked out, but I do know that as of right now, I’m going to handwrite a memoir. How exciting, huh?

I’ve never felt like I had any right to write one. I welcome the challenge though. Bring it on.

Why handwrite? Because I love handwriting more than typing. It’s also easier to write in a notebook when I’m on the bus than to whip out a laptop.

Also, my eyes don’t like staring at screens for long periods of time.

I’m not planning to outline because when do I ever? Never.

I don’t outline articles, essays, or novels. Funny story that isn’t that funny because I’m not hilarious: the one novel I semi-outlined is still unfinished.

I don’t keep track of how many words I write every day. I’m lazy.

I’m not aiming to write 50,000 words in April or 1,667 words a day. I just want to write something. Hopefully, I’ll have some words to work with once it’s all said and done.

That’s all I have. Regardless of what you’re writing or how much you manage to write, I hope you have a great Camp NaNoWriMo. It’s hard work. But it’s fun if you have the right attitude, which I’m sure you do..

Even though I love writing, I don’t want to abandon this blog in April. Finding a balance won’t be easy. What is?

As always, happy writing. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. Write whatever you please.

How To Prepare For Camp NaNoWriMo

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Clean your space.

In a perfect world, everything would be in its place. But we live in an imperfect world, so before April rolls around, try to tidy your desk.

Make necessary purchases.

It doesn’t hurt to make a shopping trip beforehand. Get what you need in advance, so that you aren’t making too many trips during the month ahead.

Build good habits.

And break bad ones. Stop procrastinating.

Find a routine.

Or adjust your current one accordingly. No one said it would be easy.

Prep some meals.

This is adulting at its finest. Or just basic survival.

Get ahead.

In whatever you can. If you’re a blogger, write blog posts now and schedule them for the future.

Prewrite.

It’s not easy going from writing 166 words a day to 1667 words. Trust me on this.

Schedule writing days.

If you know you’re going to be exceptionally busy one weekend because your friend is getting married, it wouldn’t be a good idea to make your novel the biggest priority those days. But if you’re planning to chill on Friday night, maybe you’ll reach your word count and then some.

Have fun.

Allow yourself to go out and enjoy your last few days of freedom.

Happy planning!

Getting Back On Track

I feel behind in everything. But I’m trying to catch up. At the very least, I want to get back on track.

I challenged myself to write a lot last month during NaNoWriMo. But during that time, I let blogging fall to the wayside.

I’m reminded that more often than not, starting is the toughest part. But once I start, I tend to get into the work flow. Then before I know it, half an hour has gone by and I’ve made more progress than I expected to.

I don’t know how I survived National Novel Writing Month. Better yet, I’m feeling better with each passing day.

I’m making progress slowly but surely, which is something to be proud of.

I have a ton of work I want to submit out into the world. I’ve been working on a bunch of different projects, which I hope to share with everyone soon.

I don’t like feeling rushed, so I’m working hard to prevent that by not procrastinating as much.

I’m not sure how to describe my work in progress. A friend of mine asked the other day. I could only muster up that it’s based on real life. The story might be one of the most personal projects I’ve ever attempted to undertake.

Despite some of the setbacks I’ve faced, I think I’m on page to accomplish what I want this month.

If I get back on track, you’ll know about it. If I don’t and my life is still a mess, you’ll know as well.

A Late NaNoWriMo Confession

I have a confession to make. I didn’t write as much as I would’ve liked one day during NaNoWriMo.

To be fair a headache came on and I tried to push through. But I felt horrible. I gave in before I could fill up all the pages I aimed to complete. Because I am who I am, I tried to make up for it. I wanted to compensate.

Then again, I didn’t want to push myself too far to the point where my brain and body broke down on me even more.

A health scare, minor or major, is a reminder that I only have one head and one heart. I have one life. As much as I strive to get a ton of work done every day, there will always be more work than living days.

I’m aware NaNoWriMo is supposed to be a challenge. But I know my limits. And I refuse to risk my well being or ignore warning signs. I hope you don’t either.

I’m all for pushing yourself. But don’t push yourself to the point of pain.

Obviously, I love writing for many reasons. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I plan to write as long as possible. Less productive days aren’t the end of the world.

Despite everything that happened in November, I had fun.

To be honest, I didn’t leave the house much in past NaNos. But life’s too short to stay at home all the time. Besides, I need to live a little if I’m going to have anything worth writing about.

In recent years, my focus in November has shifted away from reaching 50,000 words to writing but also living throughout the month.

Writing is difficult enough as is. But if you aren’t feeling fine, putting words on the page turns into a great feat. Look after yourself, always. Don’t you dare feel guilty for putting your needs first.

A Life Update You Didn’t Ask For

As I’m prone to do, I’ve been thinking a lot. Which is how this post of thoughts came to be.

I think I like the idea of making changes to this blog more than I like making change.

Obviously, my brain obsesses over blogging when I’m swamped with schoolwork. But maybe over the holidays, I’ll tinker with things.

Somehow, NaNo is in full swing. To be quite honest, I’m not trying to reach 50,000 words or any kind of a word count for that matter. Right now it’s enough to write every day even if the words are terrible.

I’m writing prose. I hope to start a novel and see the story through until the end. So far so good.

In a perfect world, I’d make writing my first priority. But I don’t live in a perfect world. It’s still a priority, just not my first or only.

My reasoning is when I’m eighty years old I won’t be able to dance to the extent I can now. I doubt my body will respond well to doing cartwheels then. Though I like to believe I’ll still be able to write when I’m an old lady.

For that reason, I’m trying to dance as much and as well as I can at this age.

Dance isn’t something I bring up much on this blog. I wonder if I should. There are definitely parallels I can draw between dancing and writing, blogging.

On another note, I’m quite pleased with my reading. Not so with my reviewing. I’m horribly behind in editing and posting book reviews.

I realize I’m better at keeping up with fictional novels than I am with non-fiction. Still, I try to read some non-fiction on the subway ride home, even though I don’t say so on Goodreads. I’m just more casual with my non-fiction reading.

Overall, I’m doing the best I can. That’s what matters to me.

I debated not bringing up school, but since I’m a full-time student, I figured I will. Despite all the assignments due this month and next, I’m managing. I haven’t failed anything. I like to believe I won’t.

If you’ve read this far, kudos to you. I hope you’re doing well. Wishing you the very best life has to offer. Take care. I want to see you around here.

 

My Plans For November And NaNoWriMo

I’ve been thinking more and more about what I’m going to do in November, specifically during National Novel Writing Month, short for NaNoWriMo.

For obvious reasons, NaNo is one of my favourite times of the year. But November 2017 promises to be a busy month.

As for what I’m going to work on, I want to write a novel. Or at least write a story of some sort. I wrote both prose and poetry in October. During November I plan to stick to the former.

Honestly, it’s been a while since I started a novel and stuck with it. So I hope I can change that this month.

I have some ideas I hope to explore further.

Fortunately, I have the second week off from school. Unfortunately, I’ve gotten into a good routine of writing on the commute. In fact, writing at home with so many distractions has presented a greater challenge.

Regardless, all I ask of myself is that I do my best.

Life happens. The unexpected occurs. But I’ll manage as best as I can.

That being said, I’ve enjoyed writing in the morning during my commutes sometimes more than late at night. So maybe it’s time I make some changes to my routine.

Earlier in the day my mind is clearer than it is at night. Then again, at night, I’m tired so I’m not as critical.

I don’t want to mess with my writing schedule too much. Still, I’m adjusting accordingly to whatever the world throws at me on any given day.

Changing is tough though. But the pay off tends to be worth the work.

There’s still plenty of time for me to figure things out. And I have a feeling I will.

Of course, I’m curious to know your plans or lack thereof for November, especially if you’re partaking in NaNoWriMo.

10 Tips For Surviving Camp NaNoWriMo

It’s upon us. That time of the year where the most ambitious of writers try to write a lot of words in a short amount of time.

Here’s to your survival during Camp NaNoWriMo. May you come out of July with a terrible first draft.

1. Do not research. You could have researched before. You can always do so after. It doesn’t matter. Your priority during Camp should be writing as many words as you can. Not researching how to bury a body. 
2. Do save your work everywhere. Make multiple copies and drafts of your novel, so you can sleep easier at night.
3. Do not procrastinate. Easier said than done. It helps a lot. Writing 1,667 words in 24 hours is much easier than writing 50,000 words in 1 day. 
4. Do sit in your chair and pound keys. Try to stay seated until you hit a goal you’ve set for yourself.
5. Do not read everything in sight. You can pick up that awesome book once you’ve hit your word count for each day.
6. Do tell people you’re busy writing a bestseller. They’ll hold you accountable. They might even ask to read it.
7. Do not edit. Don’t do it.
8. Do reward yourself handsomely. Exercise. Sleep well. Eat good food. But treat myself. 
9. Do not waste your precious writing time. It’s precious. Cherish it. 
10. Do have fun. Make writing fun again.

See you in August. Feel free to wave your manuscript in the air and scream your victory at the top of a mountain.

I Bite In April

Camp NaNoWriMo is so close.

I can’t believe it. 

Where did the time go? How in the world is March nearly over?

I want a three month refund on 2017. On second thought, I don’t.

These last few weeks have been stressful, especially the past couple of days.

I’ve been moody and breaking out and not fun to be around. So I’m hoping Camp NaNo will change all that. Is thirty days of pure happiness, clear complexion, and genuine friendliness too much to ask for? Probably. If anything April might make me more emotional and increase acne production. Worse, I’ll probably feel the need to bite everyone who comes near.