I love the idea of working alongside other writers across the globe racing to finish a project. My schedule doesn’t always love it, though. This year the stars aligned and I’m using Camp Nano to go full Nano. I’ll be writing (or attempting to) write the first draft of book 5 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga. In this book Lee Knight’s brother Blake will be finding his true-mate who will love not only him, but his precious little boy Baby Duke too. I’ve been over the moon about writing this book since Blake sashayed into my mine as Lee’s younger brother! Camp Nano is the perfect time to bring Blake’s story to life.
Writing a book in a month can seem like an impossible endeavor, but every year writers across the world do just that! Whether you’re looking to write a novel or finish a current project here are 3 tips that help me kick butt during Camp Nano!
1.Clear Your Calendar
Depending on your writing speed and the length of your project you’ll need plenty of time to devote to your book baby! I’m not saying to neglect your life or miss an important occasion, appointment, or doctor’s visit. Just be sure to let everyone know what you’re doing and that you won’t be as available as usual this month. Move any appointments that can wait. Use the extra time you’ve cleared on your schedule to dedicate to your writing.
Bonus Tip: Count up the days you can’t write (Like Dewey’s 24 hour read-a-thon on April 6) and you can make up those words in your plan.
2. Plot and Plan Before Camp Starts
Panters everywhere are rolling their eyes at me. I know it! I see you!
In all seriousness, plotting ahead will save you so much time. Nano is about writing. If you plot your story ahead of time you’ll have more time than to write. Maybe it’s just a bullet point list of the 10 major scenes of your novel, but it will save you time and up your chances of success.
3. Choose Your Tracking Method
The official website offers some limited tracking tools, but I prefer a tracker I can see at a glance. Write Track is my go to tracker. I only discovered this hidden gem last year, but I’m in love. I use this tracker not only for Nanowrimo and Camp Nano, but also for meeting personal deadlines I set for my novel writing. The best part about Write Track is there’s no shaming if you miss your word goal for a day. The program just adjusts how many words you need to write in the future to meet your goal! It’s like a cheerleader who’s always around!
Good luck with Camp Nano! I can’t wait to get started.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out the newest book in the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga, Healer’s Oath, check it out now to stay up to date!
Maggie Hemlock Books 