For those of you who don't know what Camp NaNoWriMo is, it's a writing event which happens twice a year, in April and July. During these months, the writing community comes together to work on their writing goals. NaNoWriMo, an event which happens in November, has the goal of writing 50,000 words in a month but the two camps are more flexible. They allow for individuals to define their own writing goals, whether that be to write 50,000 words, edit a manuscript, or work on their project for an hour a day. This will be my third Camp Nano and during my first two I came up with a couple tips and tricks which might help others--and I failed the second camp so I know how to avoid failure too. Here are three things you should do to make your July Camp productive and two things you shouldn't do. Do: Find writing friends to keep you accountable Accountability is key whenever you're trying to achieve a new goal or a goal which is bigger than your average monthly goals. Plus, because Camp NaNo is a community event, it can be easier to find writing friends. July, April, and November are three of the best months to make writing friends. Some of the many ways you can make writer friends are: -creating a writing instagram and connecting with like-minded individuals in DMs and comments -joining a Facebook group for Camp NaNo -starting a Youtube channel or commenting on writing vlogs to share your journey and support the journeys of others -start a writing Twitter and connect with like-minded individuals there -join a discord group, like the one my friends and I created for Camp NaNo Writing friends are amazing, not only because it allows you to hold yourself accountable for your goals, but also because it can help you create a long-term support system and make lifelong friends!! Don't: Create wishy-washy goals In the April Camp, my goals were too big and a little wishy washy. I kept changing up what my main goal was throughout the month and I struggled to get as much done as I would have liked. When you create writing goals, make sure they're clear and you have a good idea of what you're working towards. Do: Have SMART goals you can track To avoid wishy-washy goals, you can create SMART goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Write down your Camp NaNo goal than ask yourself:
A SMART goal would be to write 40,000 words by July 31st on the novel I'm currently working on. A not SMART goal would be to write words across multiple projects and a free write journal with no deadline or way to measure progress. See the difference? Don't: Try to take on too much Speaking of last April, I had two goals for Camp Nano. One was a wishy-washy goal to edit my YA contemporary while the other was to write 50,000 words on a project I hadn't even started yet. Because of everything going on in the world, I thought I would have more time, forgetting all the boring responsibilities were staying around and not realizing how 2020 would affect my mood. I epically failed because I had bitten off WAY more than I could accomplish in one month--plus my first goal, to edit my YA contemporary--wasn't a measurable goal I could easily achieve. Make sure you're being realistic with your time and how much writing/editing you can actually get done during Camp. Do: Have fun as well as be productive While the main goal of a Camp is to get a lot done on your WIP, you should also try to have some fun. Meet new writer friends. Participate in Instagram challenges. Record some vlogs or write some blog posts to reflect on your journey. At the end of the day, writing and events like Camp are supposed to be fun--so remember that as you hustle towards your goal!!
1 Comment
7/24/2020 04:32:15 pm
This is a great list! I wish I had read this blog post before camp started. I created a "wishy-washy goal" and I changed my goal several times. Thankfully I learned from that and I will set a SMARTer goal next time.
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AuthorI'm Angela Anne, a Young Adult contemporary writer committed to helping you achieve your writing goals + giving you writing inspiration. ArchivesCategories
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