Chris Baty's Blog, page 121

Camp Pep: How You’ll Win

Camp NaNoWriMo is nothing without you, our incredible participants. Today, Massiel Valenzuela-Castaneda, an author and fellow Camper, offers you some pep:

It’s the end of week two! Congrats, story warriors! Soak in your victories!

Or, if you’re like me… you’ve run into some problems.

Perhaps your story isn’t working, your protagonist isn’t cooperating, or your word count is spiraling downward. In other words, your motivation is drying up.

When I first tried NaNoWriMo, I felt a growing number of obstacles and soon gave up because I wasn’t perfectly accomplishing my goals.

But cheer up, Wrimos! Here’s how you’ll win this month (even if it’s not perfect):

1. Give yourself some love.Do not compare yourself to other writers, or to who you think you “should be”. Comparison is the antagonist of joy. Comparing yourself also takes time from your writing. Instead, pat yourself on the back for showing up, being committed, and writing! That’s the most important part.
If you need some extra motivation, give yourself a little pep talk. Set aside five minutes and write down affirmations (I Google them). Keep them real and inspiring. For example, “I am a best-selling author” might not (yet) be true, but you can say “I have all the creativity tools I need to succeed.”
When you start to feel really overwhelmed, take a break. Meditate. Set a timer and breathe. Focus on what is important in your life. Maybe a new scene will float into your mind.
2. Accept that you’re never completely ready.Perfectionism is a myth. If you accept that right now, it’s easier (and more fun) to work around obstacles. Remember that your Camp NaNoWriMo goal is not set in stone and that you can change it to something more manageable if you need to.
Expect the unexpected. Eat and sleep well so when life throws a curve ball, you can roll with it. When it does, your first task is to find a new writing time. Writing is your soul’s priority. Try scheduling a backup writing time each day (in case your first choice slips).
You’re the average of the five people you hang out with. So, jump into the Camp NaNoWriMo cabins to communicate with other writers and surround yourself with friends. It is highly likely that other Wrimos are going through or have conquered what you feel right now.
3. Make a habit and be persistent.Create a daily goal that is small enough to easily accomplish, but big enough to make yourself proud. Whether that is 30 words or 3,000 words, always feel proud that you finished another step.
As Jerry Seinfeld would say, “Don’t break the chain.” Each day that you write, create a visible list of checkmarks. The more progress you make, the more inspired you are to continue taking action. If you miss a day, don’t worry, but challenge yourself to miss no more than one day of writing at a time.
Don’t play catch-up. If you miss a day, you don’t have to aim to catch up on your word count. That’s more un-needed pressure. It’s more important to be persistent, so stick with your normal word count unless you just can’t stop the creativity.

By the time the next round of Camp NaNoWriMo approached, I had given myself a breather, let go of perfection, and focused on my daily word count. My first draft was a sloppy 50,000 words, but the coolest surprise had happened!
My protagonist came to life. She walked, talked, and acted on her own. I had never encountered that before. It’s magical to see your creations live!

So, forgive yourself for the words or the characters you didn’t create yesterday. Get rid of that self-blame. It won’t help you be a better writer.

Just keep writing.

Massiel Valenzuela-Castaneda is a writer and reader of YA, fantasy, and self-improvement books. She’s published a handful of short stories and novellas under a pseudonym (very fun) and now, she is working on the draft for her first real-name novel. She works in Hi-Tech and is also a freelance writer specializing in personal finance and women-empowering businesses. An optimist and recovering perfectionist, she loves to make friends and wants to help make the world a kinder, more inspired, and more diverse place. Find Massiel on her website, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Writing Affirmations submitted by Camp NaNoWriMo...

Writing Affirmations submitted by Camp NaNoWriMo participants.
(Text reads: “In order to finish, you have to make a start. In order to finish, you have to keep going.” By NaNoWriMo user bluepenstemon.)

Start writing with Camp NaNoWriMo today!

"Experiencing a bout of writer’s block? All poets (and artists of every kind!) get stuck every once..."

“Experiencing a bout of writer’s block? All poets (and artists of every kind!) get stuck every once in a while, even the greats. Whenever my inspiration well runs dry, I take a step back from writing about my own life experiences and try to find inspiration elsewhere.

 

Don’t forget: Poetry can be about anything, and you can find poetic beauty in every kind of writing. Instead of writing from your own perspective, try writing a poem or passage from the point of view of someone—or something—else. Your creative juices will be flowing in no time.”

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Amanda Lovelace is the winner of the 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Poetry with her debut collection, the princess saves herself in this one. She has been a poet for fifteen years. Currently she resides alongside her poet fiancé in a very small town in New Jersey known for its open mic scene. As you can see, poetry is her life, and she wants nothing more than to inspire others to begin their own journey into this enchanted world.

Your Camp Care Package is brought to you in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Sign up to receive more Camp Care Packages at campnanowrimo.org.

Camp Pep: Have You Written Today?

Camp NaNoWriMo is nothing without you, our incredible participants. Today, Miranda Wanja Buwalda, a fellow Camper and member of the Young Writers Program, offers you some pep:

Hi there NaNoWriters,

Welcome to another event of writing, where you have already completed the first lap. Well done! I’m happy to be right there with you. Writing has always been my haven, my rock under the sea where I can breathe just for a second, gain my composure, and emerge once again into the vastness of the ocean that is life.

Writing calms me down, and I always enjoy starting a project, because it is fresh and new and exciting. But the middle always gets me down. Returning again and again to the same piece is a challenge, and sometimes I cringe at my own words. Pressing through the middle is the hardest part of the NaNo event. It is the time you feel tired, and you have doubt creeping around in your mind. It is the time when you will seriously consider stopping.

You have already begun writing, whether you started from the beginning of your story, the middle, or even the end. You already have words on the pages in front of you. Do you remember the first thrill you had as you stared at the blank whiteness of the page in front of you? Do you remember the excitement you felt when you discovered the direction of your story? Dwell on those feelings for just a moment.

Now that you have started a project, or have come back to an old one, you already have a jumping pad created. So use it. Don’t let those feelings of excitement dissipate before the end. Use them as energy, as a force that will launch you forward and help you get those words. Soon, it will become a habit.

Here is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I believe captures what I am trying to get across to all you beautiful souls out there:

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

At the end of the day, let your writing be. Forget your missteps and moments of doubt and return the next morning. Something that gets me back to writing every day is a sign on my wall that says “Have You Written Today?” When I read those words, they really push me to answer. If I haven’t written, why not? If I did put down a few words, was that all I had in me for that day? I can’t get these questions out of my head. Eventually I pull out my project and I write, no matter how I feel about the day before or what could come ahead. Don’t think about what’s coming; focus on the words that are in the now, in the present. Remember what you felt when you first started, and place that feeling into the writing of that specific day.

Push on, writers. You all have a story in there somewhere, and there is someone out there who will be touched by your words. The only way to ensure that is to place those words onto paper.

Miranda Wanja Buwalda is a 17 year old student living in Kenya. She is a musician and is currently part of three orchestras and a choir in school. She has enjoyed writing and reading since the day her mother showed her a book about rabbits. She enjoys helping people out wherever she can, and hopes to get signed as an author some day very soon. Find her on her blog  and on Twitter .

"So what happens when your synopsis is stuck, when you’re stuck, when you can’t solve the weird..."

“So what happens when your synopsis is stuck, when you’re stuck, when you can’t solve the weird puzzle that you’ve created for yourself? Seek out other storytellers to help you.

 

I used to have this pride about my work, like, it is ALL MY IDEA. How absurd. One of the joys of being a storyteller is watching how others interpret your ideas. And asking other people for ideas is amazing. Find people whose judgment you trust: for me, that’s my husband who writes animated film screenplays and other YA authors. I find that casual brainstorming in a relaxed setting (for example, your living room, or a bar!) really helps.”

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Maurene Goo grew up in a Los Angeles suburb surrounded by floral wallpaper and piles of books. She is the author of Since You Asked… and I Believe in a Thing Called Love and has very strong feelings about tacos and houseplants. You can find her in Los Angeles with her husband and two cats–one weird, one even more weird.

Your Camp Care Package is brought to you in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Sign up to receive more Camp Care Packages at campnanowrimo.org.

Writing Affirmations submitted by Camp NaNoWriMo...

Writing Affirmations submitted by Camp NaNoWriMo participants.
(Text reads: “Sure, every story has been told a thousand times––but not by you.” By NaNoWriMo user betti.avari)

Start writing with Camp NaNoWriMo today!

Writing Affirmations submitted by Camp NaNoWriMo...

Writing Affirmations submitted by Camp NaNoWriMo participants.
(Text reads: “Your story needs you. You are the only one who can bring it to life.” By NaNoWriMo user TalkingToTrees125.)

Start writing with Camp NaNoWriMo today!

"As you dig into your writing project, use your outline as a guide. But remember it’s just a tool to..."

“As you dig into your writing project, use your outline as a guide. But remember it’s just a tool to help you along, not the work itself. Things will inevitably change once you start writing. It’s an outline, so nothing is set in stone. If you need to, go back in, twist and tweak as necessary so that it works naturally with the story you’re trying to tell.

 

Having the roadmap–as detailed or bare bones as it may be–will help you plan your time wisely, especially if you want to stick to daily or weekly word count goals. But remember: Camp NaNoWriMo is supposed to be fun! Don’t torture yourself if you miss a day or two. And if you’re smart, you’ll build in some room for slacking off here and there. After all, we all need a break sometimes.”

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Sona Charaipotra first worked as a celebrity reporter at People and (the dearly departed) TeenPeople magazines, and has been a contributor to publications from the New York Times to TeenVogue. She’s the co-founder of CAKE Literary, a boutique book packaging company with a decidedly diverse bent, and the co-author of the YA dance dramas Tiny Pretty Things and Shiny Broken Pieces. She’s also proud to serve as the head of content for the non-profit We Need Diverse Books.

Your Camp Care Package is brought to you in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Sign up to receive more Camp Care Packages at campnanowrimo.org.

Camp NaNoWriMo: It’s Time to Start Your Adventure

Camp NaNoWriMo has begun! Start writing today to lay the foundation for a continuous writing habit throughout the month. Today, participant Menatiera invites those of you who might still be on the fence to join this month of literary abandon:

Dear Newest Wrimos,

There might be some of you who are still not sure if you want to give Camp NaNoWriMo a shot. I’m here to tell you that you should do it, for two simple reasons:

First, because you have nothing to lose.

And second, because you have so much to win!

To me, NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo haven’t only given me a great community, or my first finished novel. More importantly, they have given me experience. Courage. Confidence.

Confession time: I’m a perfectionist about everything. Do you know the feeling when the story is going on and on in your head, the characters are talking constantly, the world is basically building itself, and you wish you could crack your skull open and pour it all out into paper? I do! I may not have everything figured out at this point, but there is something there, and that something wants to come out.

This was always the point I started to procrastinate. And I hated myself for it. Why did I do this to myself? Why didn’t I write when I wanted to do that so badly? Why?

Because of perfectionism. Because I didn’t think I’d be good enough. Because I thought there is no point in writing at all if it’s not flawless on the first try. Because I feared that the story I wrote wouldn’t be as glorious as the story is in my head. And this, fellow writers, turned out to be true. Whatever I did, whatever I tried, the story on the paper never seemed to match the one I intended to tell.

I almost gave up writing completely. Then NaNoWriMo came, and it was frightening and mad and great, but most of all: it was the thing that rescued me from most of my insecurities. The NaNo experience is highly based on the fact that you only write the first draft of a story, and it doesn’t actually have to be perfect. It will be okay, however it turns out, because a first draft is better than no draft!

It was a game changer for me.

“For one month, don’t be perfect. Be brave instead. It’s worth it.”

I didn’t finish a novel in the first try. But I did meet my word count goal! For the first time in my life, I was able to silence that little, evil voice in my head which always questioned whether my writing is (and therefore, if I am) good enough or not. That first NaNo experience showed me that I am allowed to be imperfect, to scribble down meaningless words and sentences from time to time, to tangle myself up in the words and be miserable and sometimes type pitiful ramblings about my own suffering. Because it’s okay. It’s happening to everyone.

And the best thing? It turned out that the first draft I considered garbage is not that bad at all. Because here’s the secret that you should remember while creating your world––no one else can see the story in your head, just you. You compare your work to the ideal one in your imagination, but no one else knows anything about that! To others, there’s no comparison, just the work you finished.

So don’t beat yourself up if you can’t match your words with what’s in your head. If you do your best––and believe it or not, just by sitting down and typing anything, you are doing that––It will be enough. It’ll definitely need editing, but so has every single published work. That’s not your failure, it only shows that your story ended up with more potential than you expected when you started it.

And when you manage to finish it, you’ll have every right to be proud of yourself. You created something out of nothing, out of thin air, and it’s yours, totally yours! Your words, your heart, your mind, your ideas, your twist on a worn out trope, your everything.

Camp NaNoWriMo can help make this happen. It’s a community that will help you through your personal obstacles, a tool to help you focus on your project, and a reminder to let go of your insecurities. For 31 days, you are allowed to make mistakes––not only allowed, but encouraged. It’s an adventure, and adventures hardly ever have a straight path. But just remember that a detour may be the best thing to happen to your project! Or not. That’s also okay.

For one month, don’t be perfect. Be brave instead. It’s worth it.

Let’s write!

Menatiera is a children’s librarian. She considers herself a writer, a procrastinator, and a professional AO3 stalker. She mostly writes fanfiction in Hungarian, but has started to write in English, too. Although she has spent most of her life futilely asks for superpowers, she gets to live at least half her life as a superhero in her fanfiction.

Top photo by Flickr user Alan Yoo.

Writing Affirmations submitted by Camp NaNoWriMo...

Writing Affirmations submitted by Camp NaNoWriMo participants.
(Text reads: “Nothing is scarier than a blank page. So, fill it up.” By NaNoWriMo user alisonwroby)

Start writing with Camp NaNoWriMo today!