Camp NaNoWriMo

Did you ever wish that NaNoWriMo was held at some time other than November, when you’re trying to get ready for the holidays?

Well, give Camp NaNoWriMo a try! There will be two sessions this year. The first one starts on April 1st and the other one starts July 1st.  Not sure if I can do April, but I’m definitely thinking of July…

From their website:

What is Camp NaNoWriMo?

 

Based on November’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Camp NaNoWriMo provides the online support, tracking tools, and hard deadline to help you write the rough draft of your novel in a month… other than November!

What: Writing a novel from scratch in one month’s time.

Who: You! (And about 20,000 other novelists around the world.) Let’s write some perhaps-awful, but definitely lengthy, prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era’s most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties.

When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster. Writing begins at 12:00 AM on April 1, and again on July 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach your word-count goal by 11:59 PM on the last day of the month. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

To join, go to campnanowrimo.org

After you sign up, post your Username so we can connect with each other as friends on the CampNaNo site. If you’ve participated in the regular NaNoWriMo, your user name is the same.

Camp NaNoWriMo

I just this morning found out about Camp NaNoWriMo in June. I tried to participate last year, but their website was not working right and eventually I gave up. But this year, it looks great. My mild-mannered alter-ego is going to participate.

Don’t know what Camp NaNoWriMo is? It’s a version of the regular NaNoWriMo (held in November), but held in June and again in August. It works better for students, teachers, and anyone who has more free time in the summer months than in November.

From their website:

At Camp NaNoWriMo you’ll get the support, encouragement, and resources you need to write a novel in a month. When you create an account, you’ll be able to:

  • plan your novel
  • track your noveling progress
  • create a cabin full of likeminded writers
  • receive online encouragement from staff, fellow campers, friends, and family

So, who’s with me? Post your NaNo user name so we can connect.

Friday Funny: NaNo Style


Question: Three people were sitting at the library with their laptops.

The first was typing away furiously the screen filling with words, many of them with red, squiggly lines underneath them.

The second glared at a mostly blank screen with bloodshot eyes.

The third typed a few words, then got up and browsed the shelves for a long time before returning and typing a few more words.

Which one is the true Nano participant?

Answer: All of them.

Friday Funny: NaNo Style (plus something serious)


“Knock, Knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Write.”

“Write who?”

“Write.”

“Uhm, yeah. You already said that. Write who?”

“Write.”

“Whatever.”

“Exactly, write whatever.”

~John Waverly

And speaking of NaNo. Do you need a little extra support to get you going? Visit WriteChat.net.

What is WriteChat? “WriteChat is just a chat room for writers to…write. And chat. And share. And be pushed and spanked and whipped into accountability. It is for all genres and subgenres and subsubsubgenres.”

Run by Elizabeth Beeton (aka Moriah Jovan), they feature 20 minute timed writing sprints, where you share your word count and a snippet of your work (if you want). According to Beeton, “It’s been packed for NaNo. A couple of NYT bestsellers come in every day to get their word count in. We make sure the people are over 18 and make sure sensibilities are respected as to content and conversation. There are a bunch of specialty rooms and people can create their own rooms on the fly.”

I’m going to be checking this out as I am—once again—sorely behind in my NaNo Word Count.

Friday Funny: NaNo Style


A Nanowrimo participant and her daughter were out trick or treating. A man opened the door and said to the little girl, “What are you supposed to be?”

“A ballerina,” she said as she twirled in a circle. He dropped a piece of candy in her bag.

“And what are you supposed to be?” he asked the older woman who was wearing vampire teeth, had quotes pinned to her shirt, and was carrying a dictionary.

“I’m the Word Count,” the woman said with a thick, fake accent.

“Aren’t you a little old to be trick or treating?”

“Probably, but I’m going to need all the chocolate I can get.”

More NaNoWriMo Tips


Here are a few more links to NaNoWriMo Tips.

Just don’t get so involved in reading about tips that you forget to prepare yourself for the WRITING EVENT OF THE YEAR!

Found other tips that you think are awesome? Put a link to the site in the comments.

NaNoWriMo: Plot and Conflict by Danyelle Ferguson

The count down is on. One week left before your sprint to 50K begins. Are you ready?

If you’re like me, then the answer is, well, not quite.

You see, I’ve been going through my story files and it’s taken forever to narrow the choices down to THE ONE. But now that I have THE ONE, I’m looking at it and all I have is a blurb about the main character and a couple of scene ideas. Which means I’m so not ready for NaNoWriMo.

What to do? What to do?

The answer: PLOT & CONFLICT

To succeed at NaNoWriMo, you need to have at least a general outline of the book’s plot. Just to know where the story is going. This outline is not set in stone. In fact, it will probably take some twists and turns you weren’t expecting as you write and get to know your characters better. But believe me, that general outline is a life saver when you’re getting ready for a word sprint, but you aren’t sure where the next scene needs to lead you.

I did some Googling and found some excellent resources to develop plots for NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo Prep: Plot Development and Profile Worksheets, Visualizing Collage and More by Iconclastic Writer

  • This blog post has AWESOME worksheets you can download for free. Isn’t free such a happy word?

Tools to Help You Plot Your NaNoWriMo Novel by Jennifer Blanchard @ Procrastinating Writers

  • On this blog post, you’ll find a bunch of different plotting techniques, including using index cards & the fabulous Larry Brooks Story Structure series.

Now, on to conflict – the wonderful device that drives your story. This is when you call up your writers group and host a brainstorming session. Write down gobs of conflict ideas – both internal and external. Josi Kilpack once said (and I’m totally paraphrasing & adding some of my own words – but it’s her concept) that you need to put your character up in a tree. You start off by throwing rocks at him, then even bigger rocks, until you bring in a catapult and launch boulders at the poor sucker. Bring in the soldiers and shoot arrows at the dude. And just when you think he might surrender – set the tree on fire!

Conflict, Conflict, Conflict.

That is what you need to keep your story moving, flowing, and interesting. And if you need some inspiration, check out this sweet little puppy.

Now, I need to get moving on my plot outline and call some friends to set up a brainstorming session. How’s your plotting going? Are you ready?


Danyelle Ferguson is the author of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel: How to Bring People with Special Needs Closer to Christ. She’s also a public speaker to churches and disability groups, freelance editor and book reviewer. She lives in Kansas with her hubby and four angels-in-training. For more information, you can check out her blog (www.QueenOfTheClan.com) or her website (www.DanyelleFerguson.com).

Let’s Go NaNo!


I decided to turn this into a NaNo week—all week long.

Why? Because as I’ve said a bazillion and a half times over the past 5 years, if you want to be a writer, you have to write! And NaNo is a great way to do it.

Have you signed up yet? No? Well, let’s do it together.

  1. Go here: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

  2. Click the Sign Up link & enter your information.
  3. Under My NaNoWriMo, click on each of the links. Set up your account, author and novel info. Set your region, so you can get info on live events near you.
  4. Then go here: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/webbadges and get yourself a web badge. Put it on your blog, website, facebook page or wherever you have an online presence. (See? Mine is already on my sidebar.)
  5. Hopefully, they’ll have the Writing Buddies page live soon. When it’s ready, go find your friends. (Leave your NaNo name in the comments trail so we can all be friends.)
  6. Then spend this week getting ready. (Read these posts by Danyelle Ferguson)

NaNoWriMo: What’s Your Goal? by Danyelle Ferguson

[Stepping up the NaNoWriMo posts because it starts in a week! Sign up HERE.]

I love National Novel Writing Month. It’s a great way to kick your tush into gear and challenge yourself. The traditional goal of NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

But what if you already know life isn’t going to cooperate so you can achieve it. Does that mean you should just ditch the challenge all together?

No way!

Set a goal that works for YOU.

If something major is happening that will require the majority of your time and attention, then adjust your word count goal. Maybe it will be to hit 25K. Setting a goal and putting a word counter on your computer desktop, blog or website, will motivate you to take 30 minutes to get out a couple hundred words. If you do that four times a day, you could average 800-1,000 words a day. Multiply that by 30 and you’ve reached your goal! If that still sounds like too much, then adjust the word count.

If you don’t set a goal, then you may put your writing aside for the whole month. Give yourself the opportunity to take on the challenge.

What if you just finished another manuscript and don’t have another one plotted out yet?

Well, you have two options: 1. You’ve got about 10 days to do some plotting and brainstorming, then just jump in and see where it leads you, or 2. You can set your goal to edit, rather than write. That’s perfectly fine.

The important thing about National Novel Writing Month is to be working on your novel. Whatever stage your in, set a goal to give you a kick in the pants.

So, what’s your goal for NaNoWriMo?


Danyelle Ferguson is the author of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel: How to Bring People with Special Needs Closer to Christ. She’s also a public speaker to churches and disability groups, freelance editor and book reviewer. She lives in Kansas with her hubby and four angels-in-training. For more information, you can check out her blog (www.QueenOfTheClan.com) or her website (www.DanyelleFerguson.com).

Prepping Your Family for NaNoWriMo by Danyelle Ferguson

I consulted with my hubby, John (aka John Waverly), before writing this post. You see, last year he was the one who picked up the slack and took care of our family while I wrote like mad. He had some very good points that NaNoWriMo participants and their families should consider before November 1st hits.

Be Realistic

If you already schedule 4-5 hours a day for your writing, then you can probably stop reading this post right now. But if you’re like the majority of writers out there, your writing time is probably more sporadic. Achieving your NaNoWriMo goal of 50K in 30 days takes a commitment equivalent to adding a part-time job into your schedule.

Think about it: If you write an average of 500 words an hour, then it will take 100 hours to hit 50K. But wait! We need to add in time for writers block, brainstorming, and, if you attend any write-ins, potty breaks and socializing. Let’s say that’s about another 20 hours of time. So now we’re at 120 hours to achieve your NaNoWriMo goal. Which equals a 4 hour time commitment every day. Now me, I don’t write on Sundays. I leave that day for church and family, which is especially important when I’m cramming so much writing time in the rest of the week. I try to write about 6 hours a day during NaNoWriMo.

Reprioritize Your Schedule

If you already work a full-time job – and face it, we all do no matter whether it’s inside or outside the home – then you, personally, need to be willing to give up a lot during those 30 days.

  • No TV
  • No books
  • Cut back on the gym
  • Take the month off from volunteering at kids’ schools
  • Postpone any Girls or Guys Night Outs
  • No movies (yes, this includes the next Twilight movie. Trust me, it will still be playing two weeks after the release)

You’ll find a good chunk of writing time just by doing this. But it’s still going to take more. And any free time you do have, should definitely be spent with your family and helping around the house.

Get Your Family on Board

During the writing challenge, you’ll spend a lot less time with your family. The further you get into the month, the more tired, frustrated, and emotional your spouse will get. Trust me, I know. My hubby is THE most supportive writer’s spouse I have ever met. Last year, I started out November by hosting a writers retreat out-of-state. I was gone for a week. Then the rest of the month, I went to write-ins 3 times a week and had online write-ins the other nights – not to mention the writing I did during the day. I slacked on laundry, have a very dim recollection of helping clean, and it was a happy day if I remembered to put in a meal in the crock pot. By the time the 20th hit, he was totally read for November to be over. Here’s how we survived without getting a divorce. =)

Before NaNoWriMo kicks-off, sit down with your spouse to go over both of your schedules together. Keep in mind that you don’t get to take over the schedule just cause it’s NaNoWriMo. Your spouse has commitments, too, and needs support as well. My hubby is the Cub Scout Master for our church. Each month he plans a pack meeting, hosts a committee meeting, and has a district meeting to attend. I made sure to be home to take care of the munchkins so he could fulfill those important commitments.

Both of you need to come prepared with lists of activities. For you, that will be regional write ins you want to attend, work schedules, and commitments you can’t cancel. You’ll need a list of activities for your kids and your spouse, too. Now figure out how you can juggle home and family responsibilities in a way that’s agreeable for you and your spouse. Be sure to plan time for family time and work out a meal schedule. Our family budgeted extra money to eat out. Each week, we planned two crock pot meals, ate out twice, had two left-overs/whatever nights, and made pancakes each Sunday for dinner. We tried to make things as simple as possible to keep stress levels down.

If you have older kids, get them in on the meeting too.They are much better with schedule changes when they’ve been in on the decision making and are more willing to help out with extra chores. Usually. If the moon and the stars all align just right . . . or if you provide the right incentives. Which brings me to the best part . . .

Set Goals & Rewards

No one wants to mess up their happy routine, but they’ll grin and bear it for someone they love . . . especially if you create rewards that include your spouse and kids.

Pull together a family meeting and together set rewards for when you hit certain word count goals. For example, when you hit 10K host a root beer float party. Might I also suggest that when you hit the halfway point (25K), that you let you kids have a movie & popcorn night while you take your spouse out on a celebratory date night. Both of you take a break – no talking about writing or schedules, just a night of fun and laughter. And of course, there’s the big pay off when you hit 50K. Plan something that your family loves, but doesn’t get to do very often. Maybe it’s a night at the movies, a new family Wii game, or taking a weekend vacation. Make NaNoWriMo as fun for your family as possible.

The Most Important Things

Communication is key. Talk often with your spouse and munchkins. Express your appreciation for their support. If someone is stressed out or upset, be willing to set aside your writing for a few minutes and let them vent. Give them hugs. When things are settled again, get back to work. Nothing is more important than your family, but your family can accomplish anything when they work together.


Danyelle Ferguson is the author of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel: How to Bring People with Special Needs Closer to Christ. She’s also a public speaker to churches and disability groups, freelance editor and book reviewer. She lives in Kansas with her hubby and four angels-in-training. For more information, you can check out her blog (www.QueenOfTheClan.com) or her website (www.DanyelleFerguson.com).

NaNoWriMo: It’s Time to Step Up and Accept the Challenge by Danyelle Ferguson


It’s that time of the year when the air is crisp, roads are lined with a gorgeous flaming foliage, and writers worldwide prepare to be thrust into the hellish adrenaline rush of National Novel Writing Month, affectionately referred to as NaNoWriMo.

30 days of scraping every single spare moment to reach the NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words.

What? You think this doesn’t sound like that big of a deal? Did you miss my reference to hell?

My friends, we’re talking about a brand spanking new manuscript. A novel the writer has done nothing more than (hopefully) plotted out. When November 1st hits, writers everywhere glue their fingers to the keyboard and create the very first sentence that will lead them on a journey to fill over 100 typed pages. 100 pages! When was the last time you heard a student complain because he had to write a 10 page report in three weeks? They are wimps compared to the awesomeness of NaNoWriMo competitors.

But . . . but. . . . but . . .

No excuses! You CAN do this! And over the next few weeks, I’m going to blog about HOW you can reach, conquer, and surpass the NaNoWriMo 50K goal. Now, repeat after me:

I AM A WRITER!

MY SPEEDY FINGERS CAN CREATE NOVEL WRITING MAGIC!

I WILL ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE!

Now get your mouse over here and click on this link to sign up for NaNoWriMo!

There are a few important things you need to do while you’re on the NaNoWriMo site:

  1. TIME ZONE: Under the tab “My NaNoWriMo”, go to “Edit User Settings”. It’s very important that you set your Time Zone. If you don’t set it correctly, it can totally backfire on you. Especially if you’re in the final hour of NaNoWriMo and finally hit your 50K goal, then go to verify your win on the official website . . . and you realize you put in your time zone wrong and your account is closed. I know people who’ve had this happen and it’s major, major suckage. So do it now, do it right, and then you can do the Happy Happy Dance and claim all your fabulous prizes at the end of the month.
  2. YOUR REGION: “Set My Home Region”. Here you can choose the region closest to you and join. There are a couple of reasons to do this. It’s fun to see how many writers are in your area. You can also track how many words your area has written compared to other areas. The best part is your region sets up Write Ins. These are locations where the region captains have talked with businesses, libraries, etc to set up times for NaNoWriMo participants to come together. There’s quiet writing time, a bit of socializing and – my favorite part – writing sprints! Last year, my goal was to attend two Write Ins each week – and they were totally worth it!
  3. NOTIFICATIONS: Under the tab “My NaNoWriMo”, go to “Set My Notifications”. The automatic settings have you unsubscribed to all notifications. I recommend that you subscribe to the Prep Talks, NaNo Videos, and your region emails.

There are some fun things you can do while on your NaNoWriMo account, too. You can fill out your author info, give a blurb about your book, and connect with other Writing Buddies. Towards the end of October, check out the Fun Stuff tab. There you’ll find updated badges to post on your blog or website, a word count widget, and other great stuff.

Update from NaNoWriMo website:

Drumroll please…. On October 7 at 10 AM Pacific, we are merging the user databases of the old and new websites in preparation for Monday’s launch. (Ten Ten! Fist pump!)

That is a fancy way of saying that if you update your profile, novel info, or user settings after 10 AM Pacific on Friday, your changes won’t show up when the site launches on Monday.

So, if you haven’t signed up for NaNoWriMo yet, wait until Monday morning. Be sure to put it on your phone’s calendar, sticky note attached to your monitor, or whatever works best for you to remember to get it done! =)

GO NANOWRIMO 2011!

Danyelle Ferguson is the author of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel: How to Bring People with Special Needs Closer to Christ. She’s also a public speaker to churches and disability groups, freelance editor and book reviewer. She lives in Kansas with her hubby and four angels-in-training. For more information, you can check out her blog (www.QueenOfTheClan.com) or her website (www.DanyelleFerguson.com).

November Is For Nano


NaNoWriMo starts next month and I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE every single writer or writer-wanna-be to participate on some level.

What is NaNoWriMo?National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000 word, (approximately 175 page) novel by 11:59:59, November 30.” (Read more)

Every year, I sign up to do NaNo. Every year, I fail to reach the 50,000 word count. So why do I keep doing it?

Because every year, I get a little further along in one of my WIPs. And I write more words in the month of November than in any other month of the year.

This year, I decided I needed to plan ahead. I’m starting now to prepare for next month’s writing blitz. Every Friday during October, I’ll be posting info and guest posts on how to prepare for NaNo, as well as short personal experiences and testimonials from my blog readers. If you have a NaNo story or tip you’d like to share, send me an e-mail.

In the meantime, here are some links to check out:

Official NaNoWriMo site: The place to sign up.

The Official NaNoWroMo 2010 Preparation List: An awesome in-depth, step-by-step list of things to do to be prepared for November 1st!