This post is to help give tips and preparation for the upcoming Camp NaNoWriMo.
Back in April, I was completely unaware that Camp NaNoWriMo was going on then (it was June and August last year!). Actually, that's okay; April was not a good month for it. The only problem was that I didn't write any get-ready post for that month.
But I know that in just over a week begins the July session of Camp NaNoWriMo 2013, and I'm participating. And getting you ready for it.
Preparation:
Get your plot written as much as you need to. I'm not a huge and fancy plotter, but I still write down plots. If you don't make a good plot, you don't make a good book.
Set a decent word-count goal as well; Camp NaNoWriMo allows for the setting of your own word count goal now unlike previous years. If you're up for a good challenge, do 50,000 words like the original Camp NaNoWriMo (and the adult NaNoWriMo in general). I'm doing 50,000 words. However, don't push yourself that far if you really think you can't do it. My first NaNoWriMo was 30,000 words.
Pick a good place to write the novel. I use Google Docs for novel-writing, but most people prefer to use an offline editor like Scrivener or Word.
During the writing process:
Make sure to meet your daily goal every day. There's one of the many keys to winning.
Don't burn out. If you're getting burned out, stop, get away from the book, and get back to it when you feel like it. Some days you may possibly feel like writing two thousand words, which is good. Some days you may possibly feel like writing four thousand words; I've done that, but rarely and when I'm in the mood. Other days, you won't feel like writing your daily goal; I've experienced it, and it's not fun. Just write as much as you feel you can during the day (but make sure to meet your goal by the end of July).
Write with good grammar. Okay, that's coming from someone who hates to see bad grammar, but just try to keep the good grammar going. If you need some help, I have a number of posts on this blog with grammar tips. Look around and see what you find. Who wants to read a great story yet be bothered by grammar error's? (I mean errors, not error's.)
Also, remember to validate your word count at the end of NaNoWriMo. People can go past their word count goal without validating the length of their novels. No fun to get past your word count goal without winning, right?
And finally, enjoy yourself! It's not fun to write a novel and not enjoy yourself. I mean, sometimes you won't enjoy writing this novel, sometimes you will. It happens to me during NaNoWriMo.
To wrap up this post:
Anymore questions or tips? I'd be happy to answer; just comment on this post. However, I'm afraid I cannot help with writer's block; I haven't gone through it. (I don't mean to brag about that.)
Have a good day, and enjoy writing.
