As July approaches, so does Camp NaNoWriMo, an online challenge for writers in which each person gets to set their own goals. Although I will not be participating this year, I have in the past. It’s fun to have company when you’re pushing yourself to get the work done.
In case you’ve never heard of it, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month. It’s an online event that takes place every November in which writers are challenged to write 50,000 words in one month. That’s a lot of words. You “win” the challenge by completing your 50,000 words, period. They don’t have to be good. They just have to be done. It can be a great way to establish a writing habit.
The organization also holds an event called Camp NaNoWriMo in April and July of each year. These events are looser. Each person gets to set individual goals. But you are still tied in to all the other people challenging themselves through the online event.
Here is a link to the NaNoWriMo website. One of the fun resources they have there is a collection of pep talks by well known authors. You can browse them on the Pep Talks page.
You’ll find lots of inspiration there. One of my favorite talks is by Roxane Gay. This quote, pulled from her talk, really spoke to me when I first read it. It resonates even more now that I’ve experimented with so many writing techniques.
“This is your novel and only you know how to write it.”
Roxane Gay, NaNoWriMo Pep Talk, November 1, 2017
Are you planning to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo this summer?
