Chris Baty's Blog, page 24

Introducing Our Director of Community Fundraising, Allison Celosia!

Today we’re proud to welcome our newest staff member, Allison Celosia, Director of Community Fundraising. Fun fact: we posted this job opportunity looking for our first-ever Development Director. We met and loved Allison’s energy and vision. Even before their first day of work, Allison set the tone for NaNoWriMo’s fundraising journey ahead with this job title change. This is a department centered in community-centric fundraising. We’re going to mobilize resources TOGETHER in support of our Wrimo community, present, past, and future generations.

Hola Wrimos, Allison here.

Don’t tell anyone (then why are you blog-telling us this, Allison!), but I’m not a novelist… yet. (Tim’s got me writing this April in Camp, woohoo.) Primarily, I’ve been an essayist in the public sphere. I’m an op-ed writer, hard on the facts, hard on the opinions, and stubborn to boot.

That’s why my new role with NaNoWriMo is a welcome opportunity. I regard joining the team as my much-needed return to softness, to storytelling, to world-building! While I’m here, I’m hoping to tell the story of our donor community.

So many Wrimos – more than 8,000 of you, in fact – have made a small dollar donation to NaNoWriMo in the past year. When I asked the team “why is our donor community so badass?” they pointed me to the donor responses on our 2021 End-Of-Year Survey. Here, I found more than a hundred answers simply telling us “We trust you! You’re doing good work!” or “Keep inspiring us!” to explain why they donated.

The untold story, until this very moment, is the narrative of why Wrimos didn’t donate to our organization. And that’s where my heart swelled. I read through the survey responses, and I had FEELINGS. Yes, ALL CAP feelings. As is the case with any great novel, I, the reader, began to empathize with the folks in this story.

There were two recurring characters in the non-donor story: one who experienced pain due to financial hardship during the pandemic and the other who felt outrage at our organizational commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

I’m here to unpack those pendulum swing responses. We have a joyful narrative with those who give. With all my fundraising heart, I want to ease the emotional divide between NaNoWriMo donors and non-donors. Regardless of your capacity and privilege to donate, no one should feel disconnected from the mission and purpose of our writing community due to *whispers* money.

In any case, I’m only now starting to turn the pages on this donor community story. I hope you’ll tune in to read the next chapter. For now, feel free to spy on my LinkedIn to get to know me professionally or email me directly at NaNoWriMo HQ. My email address is allison_celosia@nanorwrimo.org.

Salamat kaayo (thank you very much in Bisaya), talk soon.

Read the YWP Novel Excerpt Contest Official Runners-Up!

In February, we challenged you to submit a 400-word excerpt from your NaNoWriMo novels. From over 650 fantastic entries, we chose two Grand Prize Winners and four Runners-Up. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did! (For more excerpts, check out this forum thread.)

“The Beasts of Beck Street” by Izzi H.

The headlights of a lone car flashed through the trees. Morgan drummed her fingers on the steering wheel and accelerated up the incline smoothly. A full-bellied moon dripped pale white light across the forest, but it would still be too dark out under the trees for human eyes. Not that it would matter, she had brought a flashlight this time. The truck leveled out on the desolate road and Morgan checked the rearview mirror compulsively. There was no way he was still following her…Read The Rest!

“The Dragon’s Jewel” by Julia

“I got ‘er,” he shouted over the bustling crown. “I got the thief!” To Bianca’s horror, the man raised a slip of parchment in his other hand. On it was a sketch of her face - braided black hair, freckles and all - as well as the words, WANTED ALIVE. For Crimes Against the Village and the Patrol; for Trespassing and Destruction of Property; Thievery; and Evading Capture. A man in a chain-mail shirt, plumed helmet, and black drawstring pants with a red stripe walked over. A legeon had arrived. He read out the poster to her…Read The Rest!

“Home Sweet Home” by Shiloh D.

Jax was locked in combat. Sweat dripped down his forehead. His heart hammered so fast, he felt it in his collarbone, choking him.

His eyes zipped around the room, searching, when—

Bzzt. Crackle, snap.

The lights began flickering wildly. A hot and metallic smell tainted the air. He heard several circuits short out behind the wall. He bolted into the kitchen, something he should’ve done before…Read The Rest!

“Wendy’s Macbeth” by Evelyn

“Why didn’t you tell us about the ghost?”

Wendy shuffled around a bit on the ground of the school’s costume closet. She knew she’d have to come clean to her make-shift Family eventually, but having three pairs of eyes on her didn’t make this any easier.

"I… thought it would be best to wait until Mars was here,” Wendy decided. It was a half-truth, wasn’t it? The other half, was, well… she didn’t trust them…Read The Rest!

“We write because we love it, but that doesn’t change the fact...

“We write because we love it, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s hard work. Hard work should be rewarded. Celebrate yourself and your work because you deserve it.”

—Michael Leali is a writer and educator. He received his MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When he’s not dreaming up stories, he’s probably playing a board game, eating cheese, or grading papers somewhere in the suburbs of Chicago. The Civil War of Amos Abernathy is his debut novel. Michael Leali identifies as white, cisgender, gay, and uses he/him pronouns.

What to you like to reward yourself with when you hit your writing goals? Let Michael know, or thank him for his Camp Care Package!

Read the YWP Novel Excerpt Contest Grand Prize Winner (13 and Under Age Group)!

In February, we challenged you to submit a 400-word excerpt from your NaNoWriMo novels. From over 650 fantastic entries, we chose two Grand Prize Winners and four Runners-Up. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did! (For more excerpts, check out this forum thread.)

“The City’s Pawns” by Abigail C. — Grand Prize Winner (13 and under age group)

Edith popped a lollipop in her mouth and hopped down from the wall. The morning had been successful. No different than most pre-Games mornings, but it was always fun to slip past the wealthy.

Back in the slums, she wiped the kind smile from her face and walked back to the Garage. Even though Edith technically didn’t work for anyone, it was easier if people thought she did. Solos rarely worked out in The City and the last thing she wanted was attention.

Edith climbed in through the second-story window in the back and took out her notebook to jot down what she’d found. She would burn the page after committing it to memory, a necessary precaution since the information she stole could topple family lines. Even on Games week she made sure to leave no trace of what she knew.

Footsteps echoed in the stairwell. Edith stared at the page a moment longer then ripped it out and stuck it in the furnace vent. She climbed down from the window and stalked out into the alley. Anyone who saw her would think she had given whatever she – supposedly – stole to Madame Friedswell, and thieves would believe she didn’t have any valuables on her. She’d learned that trick from a master.

Edith kept the same pace until she reached the slums bordering the Trading Quarter. Most of the time there were stands selling completely useless items to the gullible immigrants, who aspired to be merchants but didn’t realize you had to be rich to live in the Quarter. But it was almost Games week. The sellers were out working their side jobs as criminals.

“Hey, miss! You shouldn’t wear those rings around here. Someone could steal them right off your fingers!” Edith glanced up at the speaker, a filthy old man sporting missing teeth and an acrid odour. The crook made to prove his point but she grabbed his hand and bent his fingers back as far as they would go without breaking. He grunted and tried to pull his hand away, but she pressed harder.

“Believe me, kind sir, I know. I’ve gone lengths to ensure that won’t happen,” Edith crooned. His eyes widened and he stopped fighting. She grinned and let go. “Now run along. I have work to do.”

She didn’t tell him about the trap his mutinous gang had set for him, poor old Farley Baxter.

Guest author judge Tashie Bhuiyan had this to say this about The City’s Pawns:

"Reading this felt like reading something from a published novel. The worldbuilding was so easy to get into and really helped set the scene. It was so immersive and captivating, and the main character immediately drew me in!”

Abigail (Abby) C. loves reading, writing, music, and standing on top of hills with her face to the wind. While her friends at school say she reads and writes too much, her family and other friends say otherwise, so she’s not stopping anytime soon. Her favourite books to read always involve betrayals and major plot twists, to the dismay of book characters everywhere. She hopes to one day follow in her mom’s footsteps and become a published author.

Read the YWP Novel Excerpt Contest Grand Prize Winner (14-18 Age Group)!

In February, we challenged you to submit a 400-word excerpt from your NaNoWriMo novels. From over 650 fantastic entries, we chose two Grand Prize Winners and four Runners-Up. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did! (For more excerpts, check out this forum thread.)

“Demons & Detectives” by Asenath W. — Grand Prize Winner (14-18 age group)

Phinsby was out the door in an instant. The shock of the cold, icy air outside made it hard to breathe, but he pushed himself as hard as he could, gaining on the man in front of him. Snowflakes swirled around him, stinging his skin, and people scrambled to get out of his way, their protests silenced when they saw his badge glittering on the lapel of his flapping black coat.

The man didn’t stop to look back, sprinting across the snow with frantic, muffled footsteps. Phinsby almost thought he could hear him gasping for breath.

He caught up with him by a snow-filled alleyway, grabbing hold of the man’s coat and yanking him to a stop before tossing him against the rock-hard snow with a growl. “Some way to treat the man who’s here to save your life,” Phinsby said, pulling his scarf down so he could gasp for breath. The frigid air nipped at his exposed skin with razor-sharp teeth, but he ignored it the best he could. “I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

The man lay curled on the icy ground, his face bright red from the cold. He had a pox-scarred, thin face with muddy colored eyes and a pained, horrified expression. “You’re different,” he panted, trembling. “You don’t look like the others.”

Phinsby grinned like a hungry wolf. “Correct.”

“Were you the one who did this to me?” the man asked, his breath coming in quick puffs. He scrambled backward, slipping, shaking his head. “Were you the one who cursed me? Is that why your aura is blue instead of yellow?”

Phinsby tilted his head, gazing down at the man through his tinted snow goggles. The blue glow of the man shifted and wavered, like it was trapped inside him. “Not exactly.”

“What happened to me?” the man demanded fearfully. “Why am I seeing things? And—who are you?”

“I already told you who I am, my dear man,” Phinsby said, winding his scarf around his nose and mouth again. “I’m your savior.”

Guest author judge Tashie Bhuiyan had this to say this about Demons & Detectives

“This story really painted the scene well, describing both characters vividly. The interactions between them were compelling and made me want to keep reading. The final line felt a lot like a mic-drop in the best way!”

Asenath W. is a junior in high school who loves to spend her time reading, writing, painting, watching old TV shows, and enjoying fresh air. Her favorite genres are fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and Regency romance, and she is constantly obsessing over her favorite characters. Although she spends more of her time daydreaming about her ideas than writing them, she hopes to become a published author in the future.

Finding My People: Why You Should Make Writing Friends

The best way to power through any writing challenge or project, like NaNo, is to have a group of friends that can support you and cheer you on. R.L. Merrill, a long-time NaNo Participant, writes this article in honor of her writing friends, and encourages you to find them in little pockets of the world.

I’m Ro, I live in the East Bay, and I’m a People Collector. That’s right, I collect rad folks with special gifts and talents who make this world a better place. It’s not nearly as creepy as it sounds, I promise, although I do write horror stories from time-to-time when I’m not working on a romance to make you swoon or shiver. 

Let’s back up to June 2014 when I first attended a meeting of the San Francisco Area RWA chapter. I was greeted by two vivacious women who invited me to sit with them, which up until that point had been a rare occurrence in my life before joining the writing community known as Romancelandia. See, I was an educator for twenty-seven years, but I was always the one who tried to radicalize the staff to better meet the needs of the students. I’m usually that one weird mom at the PTA meetings who the others are nice to as long as I bring the right cupcakes to the party. 

Okay, I’m exaggerating slightly, but before I found the incredible folks at the SFARWA (now the Bay Area Romance Writers group) I never truly fit anywhere. Finding other writers was sort of like meeting the goth kids the first month of high school—or “mods” as we called them—and feeling like I’d found a safe group to hang out with when my fellow cheerleaders were sick of my straight hair and lack of makeup (I went to high school in the latter half of the 1980s). Writers are a diverse group by nature, and they are always willing to take up the shield when another is in peril (don’t believe me? Check out Twitter).

But back to SFARWA, I knew I’d found my place when I met Shannon. At one of the meetings in the early fall, she started talking about an intriguing enterprise known as “NaNo.” I had to ask her what it was all about. 

“Oh, sit with me and let me enlighten you.” I was told of this magical community online who support each other through the month of November as they attempt to complete a 50k novel in 30 days. I love a good challenge, so I followed the link she gave me to the NaNoWriMo site and beheld the beauty that is this community. 

During all of the Camps and NaNos I’ve participated in (16 and counting), l was supported by the many folks I’ve collected along the way. There’s Rachael and Sophie, the two SFARWA members who greeted me at my first meeting, Shannon, Karysa who coerced/coaxed me to join the board for our local chapter, Annabeth’s Rainbow Cabin members, the Bay Area Sexy S’mores, and members of the Inclusive Romance Project to name a few.  

Just as I collected these folks, they embraced me with all of my tattoos, pink hair, and heavy-metal-loving ways. Together we whined and “wahooed” each other and then celebrated completing our projects. My “collection” of people is vast. I’ve taken classes from some, invited some to share their experiences on my blog or on my Clubhouse chat with Amy Z. Chan on Friday mornings at 9 PDT (Yep, Amy is another friend I collected). I even have a “crew” of folks I chat with on Tuesday nights on Zoom to discuss the latest news in Romancelandia, the newest marketing/promotional strategies, and the bonkers plot bunnies that happen when I’m challenged…I love a good challenge. I love pushing myself to be a better writer, better friend, and better cheerleader. One of the things I always recommend to the newbie writers I work with is to check out the NaNo site. Whether it’s prompts you need, or some accountability, or maybe it’s knowing someone else is out there sitting behind a blank screen desperately wishing for those words to come, all of those things can be found through the NaNo community.  

Who are the people you’ve “collected” along your journey to becoming a writer? Have you told them how much they mean to you? This post is my way of honoring my people, and a reminder that there are people I’ve lost track of who could use a check-in. We need our people more than ever, and we need to let them know how much they mean to us. So find your people and get to NaNo-ing!

R.L. Merrill writes contemporary, paranormal, and supernatural tales to make you swoon and/or shiver. You can find her on social media, advocating for America’s youth, writing music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned…

Camp Care Package: Story Touchstones

Every year, we gather together a team of published authors to be your Camp Counselors. Author Michael Leali is this week’s Camp Counselor! Here’s some advice from his Camp Care Packages:

“Last week, I sent off the latest revision of my next novel. After spending so much intensive time with a manuscript, I sometimes lose the forest for the trees. (What am I writing again?) When I get to this point, I revisit touchstones central to the inception of my story. One of my favorite touchstones is my working title. I repeat it in my head to recall the initial feelings, images, and excitement I had early in my drafting process. What touchstones can you revisit today that will rekindle or refocus your energy?”

Today’s Writing Challenge from Michael:

“What are your characters’ touchstones? What images and words center them on their goals?”

Michael Leali is a writer and educator. He received his MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When he’s not dreaming up stories, he’s probably playing a board game, eating cheese, or grading papers somewhere in the suburbs of Chicago. The Civil War of Amos Abernathy is his debut novel. Michael Leali identifies as white, cisgender, gay, and uses he/him pronouns.

Thank Michael for his Camp Care Package!

My First NaNo Experience

As Camp NaNoWriMo is drawing to an end, author and NaNoWriMo winner, MenteMelan, reflects upon her first NaNo experience, and gives some tips to people who might not have joined this time, but plan to in the future. 

Excitement. Joy. Fear. Apprehension.

These are some of the numerous emotions I experienced a few days before the 2021 NaNoWriMo began. After weeks of prewriting, seminars, and strategizing, I eagerly sharpened my pencils and cleared my workspace as I awaited the beginning of the 50,000-word challenge.

I first heard about NaNoWriMo during the pandemic in 2020. Before then, I had participated in several writing challenges, written a few short stories, and produced the first draft of a novel. I was psyched by the challenge the NaNoWriMo proposed. 

Since I stumbled upon the creative writing challenge several days after it began, I decided to bid my time and participate in 2021. However, I never anticipated any of the things that occurred in the months preceding the NaNoWriMo.

As the lockdown restrictions gradually eased last year, the world slowly tried to heal from the turbulence which occurred in 2020. Like many others, I struggled to adjust for several months and was forced to come to terms with the fact that the world could never be the same. 

I have never been a big fan of change, so as you can imagine, I battled with so many emotions, never finding the right avenue to vent everything I’d been feeling. For me, the 2021 NaNoWriMo was highly therapeutic. I can still remember how I picked up my laptop on the first day and poured out all the pent-up emotions I had experienced during the year into the different characters I had crafted. 

By the end of the first day, I’d written about 3000 words, albeit with several typos and sentences that eventually needed fine tuning. However, none of that mattered. For the first time in months, I felt relieved. The moment I updated my profile and earned my first badge, it felt like I’d just won a million bucks!

Each day came with a different challenge and every second of it was fantastic. The goal wasn’t to create the perfect novel in 30 days but was to create an undiluted first draft, knowing I would still refine it all at the end. As I unlock each badge, I felt fulfilled and excited, waiting to see how long it would take to finally hit my goal. 

On the last day of the NaNoWriMo, I finally hit 50K words and unlocked my winner’s badge. I can honestly say no words can describe how amazing I felt that day.

Experiencing the joy that comes with being able to meet a challenge head-on is something I believe everyone deserves to feel during their lifetime. Although, there will be moments where the thrill of the chase might fade, and your characters might not speak to you as frequently as they used to. 

To overcome this, my advice would be to surround yourself with fellow writers who share the same goal and vision. If you can’t think of anyone who might be interested in the journey, then you’re welcome to join any of the NaNo regions. You’d receive a lot of support and encouragement from fellow writers and get chances to vet your work.

Finally, always remember you can edit it later. It’s your first draft, so it’s not meant to be perfect. It’s pretty easy to edit the first draft but impossible to edit what you’ve never written.

Enjoy every second of the challenge and take pride in what you’re doing. By deciding to participate in the NaNo, you’re already a winner. So, my fellow writers, sharpen your pencils, raise your pens, clean your typewriters, charge your laptops, and let the creative juices flow!

MenteMelan is a diverse award-winning African writer who believes in communicating her views and perspectives of the world through her books. It helps her foster connections with people across the world, create communities with kindred souls, and spread awareness about mental health.

Link to books:

Imprisoned by Secrets: https://www.wattpad.com/story/236039980

The Prophecy of The Black Day: https://www.wattpad.com/story/247485109

The Last Supper: https://www.wattpad.com/story/245502550

Social Media:

Instagram: @mentemelan

Wattpad: @MenteMelan

Photo by Ilya Pavlov on Unsplash  

“A wise person told me that my procrastination is not because...

“A wise person told me that my procrastination is not because I’m the worst, but because I’m trying to protect myself […] So now instead, here’s what I try to tell myself when procrastination rears its head: ‘I know it’s scary, but you’re smart enough, resourceful enough, and brave enough to deal with whatever comes your way. Thank you for trying to protect me. But we got this.’

And this is what I tell you too.

You got this.“

—Sarah Suk (pronounced like soup with a K) is the author of the young adult novel Made in Korea. She lives in Vancouver, Canada, where she writes stories and admires mountains. When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the water, taking film photos, or eating a bowl of bingsu. Her next book, The Space Between Here and Now, will be published in fall 2023. You can visit Sarah online at sarahsuk.com and on Twitter and Instagram @_sarahsuk.

Your Camp Care Package is brought to you by Camp NaNoWriMo. Sign up to receive more Camp Care Packages at nanowrimo.org ! Thank Sarah for her Camp Care Package!

Camp Care Package: Devoting Yourself to Writing

Every year, we gather together a team of published authors to be your Camp Counselors. Author Sarah Suk is this week’s Camp Counselor! Here’s some advice from her Camp Care Packages:

“Earlier this month, I completed the first draft of my upcoming novel. The process was an uphill climb, and when I say uphill, I mean so arduous I felt I was slowly transforming into a disheveled gremlin version of myself with every step.

When I desperately wanted to distract myself with something less difficult, I was reminded of this quote from poet Mary Oliver: ‘Attention is the beginning of devotion.’ Devoting yourself to writing a whole book isn’t easy, but it all begins with the act of paying attention. Attention to the sentence in front of you, then the next, and the next after that.

Embrace your inner gremlin, my friends, and take it one word at a time. It’s supposed to be hard, but you can climb this mountain. I believe it.”

Today’s Writing Challenge:

If you start to feel frustrated or burnt out, take a few minutes and pay attention to the gremlin version of yourself. What does gremlin-you like or not like about your story? What makes you feel angry or excited or scared when you’re writing? When you feel like you know your gremlin-self a little better, turn that same focused attention to the words on the page.

Sarah Suk (pronounced like soup with a K) is the author of the young adult novel Made in Korea. She lives in Vancouver, Canada, where she writes stories and admires mountains. When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the water, taking film photos, or eating a bowl of bingsu. Her next book, The Space Between Here and Now, will be published in fall 2023. You can visit Sarah online at sarahsuk.com and on Twitter and Instagram @_sarahsuk.

Thank Sarah for her Camp Care Package!