April Camp NaNo Winner!

Today is the last day of April Camp NaNo and I am all edited out right now. In my last blog post, I mentioned that my initial goal was 30,000 words/30 hours and I surpassed that very quickly. So, I decided to change my goal to 40,000 words/40 hours. It didn’t take me long to hit that so I increased it again to 50,000 words/50 hours. I managed to pass that before the halfway point (April 15) so I had to change my goal to 60,000 words/60 hours and then finally 70,000 words/70 hours. I left it there and ended up with 77,000 words/77 hours!

I was an editing machine!

My intention was to continue the prequel during Camp but somehow that never happened. All my time was spent editing and I just got to look at my other manuscript a few days ago. I guess writing that will be part of May’s project.

Anyway, how did the rest of you do with your Camp NaNo experience this month? Did you reach your goal and win? If so, CONGRATULATIONS!! Did life get in the way and prevent you from reaching your goal? If so, don’t worry! There will probably be another Camp NaNo in July and the good news is… you get 31 days of writing instead of 30! And believe me, that extra day really matters!  :)

Until next time ~

Halfway Through Camp

Spring is officially here but the weather does not agree… so far we have had cold days, icy days, warm days, snowy days and rainy days. I thought March was in like a lion and out like a lamb but the lion is still roaring...

Anyway, it’s halfway through April and halfway through Camp NaNo. I am quite pleased to announce that I have surpassed my “editing” goal of 30K and have already hit approximately 55 hours of editing time or 55K words.

I even participated in the Camp NaNo Writing Marathon on April 12. I managed to buckle down and edit for 8.5 hours. I edited 100 pages (and rewrote some stuff, too). Instead of taking a snooze day on Sunday, I got my butt in gear and finished editing the last 170 pages of my novel! WOW!!

My second round of edits is now officially done! 

Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! 

I just formatted the mess of pages and I am now ready to send the whole shebang off to the Beta readers. Aren’t they so lucky?  Wait until they see how many pages this behemoth has. Hahaha…

So, I’m taking a small break today and tomorrow I will continue working on the prequel. I don’t think I have much more to write – maybe 100 pages or so but I figured that I should probably read it over so that I can plan the ending. I know, I know… I’m a Pantser but I’ve Pantsed most of the novel so far so a little planning wouldn’t be too bad. Right?

How are you monthly goals coming along? Are you still on track?

Until next time ~

It’s time for…. CAMP NANOWRIMO 2014!

I will be participating in Camp this year and I have a real goal: this April, I will finish my second round of edits for my NaNoWriMo 2012 Novel and hope to get it out to my Beta readers very soon.

I can’t believe how close I am to finishing my novel!

And I cannot believe how long it is! Right now, it sits at approximately 500 pages. Phew! I didn’t know I had so much to say!  :)

Here is my plan:

1. Finish second round of edits

2. Send it out to Beta readers

3. Finish writing the prequel

4. Edit the prequel

5. Start writing the sequel

I think that I will accomplish 1, 2 and 3 during this month. Well, definitely 1 and 2 will be done and I will definitely continue working on the prequel.

But I am really glad that this is happening during Camp NaNo. I love watching my word count (or “edit count”) go up each day and it is a big motivator to keep going. My word count goal will start at 30,000. I think that's a good number. The great thing about Camp is that I can always adjust my writing/editing goal anytime I want throughout the month.

Are any of you participating in Camp this month? Good luck if you are!

Until next time ~

Camp NaNoWriMo Results

CAMP NaNoWriMo
RESULTS
April and July

Holy Guacamole!

I have been neglecting my blog this summer!

Well, I must give you all an update on my Camp NaNoWriMo challenge. I originally set my goal for 50,000 words and I tried my best to reach that goal. But, somehow I didn’t think I could make it so I reset my goal (the best part about Camo NaNo is that you can set your own goal and change it throughout the month) to 40,000 words.

I actually surpassed that goal and ended the April Camp with 45,631 words. Woo hoo!

Then, I decided to try for the July Camp NaNo. I wasn’t sure how many words I needed to write so I decided on a low number: 10,000 words. Since it was the summer and school went really, really late this year (we got out of school almost at the very end of June), I didn’t want to work that hard. I ended up with 15,408 words (over my goal again!).

So, now it’s August and I’m taking a writing break so I can enjoy the warm sunshine on my face as I leisurely walk around outside, smelling the fragrant flowers wafting through the air. I just love the lazy days of summer.    :)

How about you? Do you take writing breaks during the summer or a certain time during the year?

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Until next time ~   

Surviving the Wild(er)ness

CAMP NaNoWriMo
SURVIVAL KIT

Here it is… the eve of Camp NaNoWriMo. Tomorrow starts the frantic thirty day writing frenzy and I can honestly say that I am not ready for camp.

So, to get me in the mood, I put together a little survival kit for myself to help me get through the next thirty days with my sanity intact. I am willing to share my treats so come along and join the party with me!

What would writing be like without a brand new journal to write down all of my plot ideas? The first item in my Survival Kit is this gorgeous lined journal with fun pictures of Venice on a lime green cover. There is also a matching lime green pen that (fortunately) writes in black ink - lime green ink might be too hard on my eyes after a while. I do love the stretchy band that goes around the journal to keep it closed but it could also pose as a bookmark in a pinch.

Since I don’t drink coffee, the next item in my Survival Kit is a mug with plenty of hot chocolate to give me that caffeine kick. Who doesn’t love a good cup of chocolate? Of course, if I’m on the go and need a chocolate boost, I’ve got my trusty ceramic cup with lid. Earth Day is celebrated in April and it’s a perfect way to stop into those cafès and say “Fill ‘er up,” without contributing to the overflowing dumps. I can do my part to help the environment by reusing my mug and reducing my waste while writing my NaNo book.

And speaking of chocolate, I have to have lots of it during Camp! Reese’s Peanut Butter cups are my absolute favorite and I just love chocolate with nuts (I’m a bit nutty myself so this is quite appropriate!). 

Also, those late writing nights might require some popcorn and I’m a sucker for Smartfood’s cheese covered version. I definitely do not think that one bag will be enough!

We all need some pizza at Camp but looking at all those calories above, I think I’ll go for the Goldfish version. The great part is that I can pack my pizza up in little bags for that spicy pick-me-up when I’m not writing at home. No need to worry about reheating pizza slices and getting tomato sauce all over my clothes.

Trail mix is such a wonderful staple that it has to be added to my Survival Kit. The medley of peanuts, chocolate, pretzels, dried cranberries, raisins and anything else salty and sweet is a great snack idea when fuel is running low and ideas are hard to come by.

Camp would definitely not be complete without S’mores! It’s a staple for those late night writing sessions around the crackling fire while staring up at the stars and working out dialogue, actions, emotions or just plotting the next scene. I can already taste the gooey marshmallows as they melt between the chocolate and graham crackers.

But all that outdoor air might make me a little bit cold, so my Survival Kit will certainly need a warm blanket to stave off the chill. I can wrap it around me while I write, write, write. I can’t let tiny goose bumps stop me from reaching 50K words!

I also have to have my much-needed computer to continue working on my NaNo novel. It contains all of my NaNo book versions, access to the internet and the Camp NaNoWriMo website. While notebooks, journals and pens are important for note taking, I find that typing my stories work much better for me. My hands don’t cramp up as much and my fingers can keep up a little faster with my brain. Typing my story is also the easiest way to upload my words onto the NaNo website to document my daily word count and my final word count on April 30.

But, as electronics are so important to people nowadays, we have to find a way to keep our words in the unfortunate or unlikely event that our electronics might fail us. My Survival Kit must include a flash drive so I have another way to save my precious words. I’ve read way too many blogs where writers share that they had lost chapters or even entire novels when their computers conked out. I love the motto: Always be prepared. Always back up your novel! You need to prepare for the worst.

My last item in my Survival Kit is more of a symbol – an important symbol that reminds me of what I am doing and why. If life gets hectic or crazy during the month of April, I don’t want to fall too far behind or give up on my 50K word goal. This 2012 NaNoWriMo Winner shirt is a reminder of what I can do. I was able to accomplish my writing goal during the month of November on my first try. If I have any doubts in the next thirty days, I just have to take out my Winner shirt and remember that I CAN DO THIS! I have the power within me and I won’t let anything stop me from or derail me from accomplishing my goal.

So I ask you: What is in your Camp NaNoWriMo or Writing Survival Kit? What helps you to push forward? What do you need to accomplish your writing goals?

Until next time ~

Going to Camp…

Camp NaNoWriMo that is!

I can’t believe that March is almost over already! I know that February already zipped on by but March usually just drags on while people pray for the winter thaw so they can whip out their new shoes and ditch their winter coats.

I, on the other hand, am still trying to hang onto March.

You see, on April 1, I will be starting another crazy month of writing. I will be participating in Camp NaNoWriMo – the virtual writing camp for National Novel Writer’s Month (no, this is not an April Fool’s Day joke). I will be committing myself (mentally and physically) to write another 50,000 words from April 1-30.

“Are you crazy?!” people asked me.

“Oh, most definitely,” I responded, with a gleam in my eye.

This is my first time writing for Camp NaNo and I’m a little nervous about writing 50K words in April. While I really enjoyed the challenge in November, I haven’t been writing at lightning speed since November 30 so I have forgotten what it was like to write on a 2,000 word a day schedule.

I might change my goal if I find myself slipping a little bit. That’s the beauty of Camp NaNo. You have the freedom to rebel and write whatever you want and set your own word goal during the thirty day period.

I originally intended on having my 2012 NaNo book finished by March 31 so that I could continue writing my first book during Camp NaNo.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that is going to happen in the next few days so now I have to change my plan.

I decided that during the first half of April, I will finish my 2012 NaNo book during Camp NaNo. When that is done, I will work on my first book. I’m definitely not crazy enough to write both books at the same time! I think that would be sheer torture!  J

I’ve actually made some progress with my NaNo book. I’m over 70,000 words in and I’m hoping that Draft 1 will only need about 20,000 more words to finish the story. Then, I can dedicate 30,000 words to my first book.

They say that Camp NaNoWriMo an idyllic writers retreat, smack-dab in the middle of your crazy life. We’ll see about that!   J

Until next time ~