Friday, March 31, 2017

NaNoWriMo Survival Guide

Hey all, as Camp NaNo time is rolling around again (in about 9 hours, to be precise), I thought I might share some of my tips and tricks for surviving the craziness that is Camp NaNo.
What is Camp NaNo, you ask? Well, Camp NaNo is a smaller, more casual and free-form version of the full NaNoWriMo of November. Camp NaNo happens in both April and July, and writers are allowed to set any word goal they want, and any type of project (from novels to short stories to poems).
I sticking with the good ol' novel this year, and I'm really excited (albeit somewhat nervous) to participate. I did take part in the July camp last year, and well, let's just say it didn't work out. (I got 8k words in before I gave up).
I don't quite know what it is, but something about Camp NaNo just doesn't feel like the November version - a lot less intense, I suppose.
All that aside, here's my tips for surviving NaNo, whether that's the traditional November one or the Camp versions.

Tip Numero Uno: PLAN PLAN PLAN
Okay, I get that some of you out there are pantsers. You thrive on taking NaNo by the seat of your pants, and maybe that works for you. On the other hand, there are also the planners, who plot out every scene before hand. Or there's me: the plantser. I'm a little bit of both. I plan up to a certain point, but after that, I wing it and plan as I go.
But this one thing is important: whether or not you're a panster or a planner, you NEED to have some idea of what you're going to write. Don't ever say, "hey, I'll just come up with an idea November 1st and it'll be fine."
BECAUSE IT WON'T.
Honestly, just come up with a very simple plot at least, maybe a Pinterest board with the feels you want. (I love me some Pinterest, guys)
JUST DO SOMETHING.

Tip #2: Sustenance of body and mind
Okay, it's pretty obvious that you need food to survive NaNo. I mean, you need food to survive every other month out of the year, writing contest or not. BUT, what you may not think of, is that you need food for the mind as well. But I'll get to that later. First, let me tell you about some of my favorite foods for NaNo.
FROZEN FRENCH FRIES: Easy, not (too) unhealthy, and you can pop them in the oven for a few minutes and write while they're cooking. Last November, my awesome brother brought a couple bags home for me and I feasted for a week.
Now, for drinks:
LA CROIX: My favorite drink for NaNo, and, honestly, the rest of the year. Healthy, with a hint of fruit, and they come in a million flavors. In my house, we can easily go through a couple cases a week.
A bonus of the November NaNo is leftover Halloween candy. Unfortunately, there's no Halloween during Camp NaNo, BUT there IS Easter! I'm seriously looking forward to some Creme Eggs and Peanut Butter Cups...mmm.
Sustenance for the mind:
Just as important, but easily overlooked. Stock up a collection of favorite books (or books you've been meaning to read) and settle down in between writing periods to keep your creative mind going. I got a few writing books for Christmas, and they're going to be my right-hand men this April as I work on my novel.
Wonderbook: Okay, this book is freaking WeIrD, but it's also insanely helpful. With selected essays and interviews with published authors, and surreal but somehow inspiring artwork, it'll answer a lot of your plot questions and issues.
The Emotion Thesaurus: This book is amazing. I have a weakness for Thesauruses, and this one takes the cake. It describes in detail physical and internal reactions to different emotions. It's especially helpful for getting around cliches that might come with certain emotions.
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy: A masterpiece by a master, Orson Scott Card. It helps you create worlds, cultures, and other things you might need in your speculative novel.
The Elements of Eloquence: A great book for the prose writer in all of us. This book has a huge amount of literary devices to help create the perfect turn of phrase.

Tip Number Three: Escape when you need to
I'm sure that most of you out there have at least one roommate. I, personally, have to share a home with two brothers, my mom, and two obnoxious cats. So, if you live in a crazy hub of activity like me, I give you permission to ESCAPE in order to get writing done. Whether that's to your room where you can put in headphones, write in peace, and *hopefully* not be interrupted, or to the nearest coffee shop, you should always have a fallback spot for when everything gets too crazy and you need some peace and quiet.

Well, that's it for today. I'll do my best to keep you updated on my progress through April (probably won't happen though lol).
Thanks for reading!
~Trinity