Chris Baty's Blog, page 82

"Camp is one of the best ways to try something new. There are no hard goals, just the ones you set..."

“Camp is one of the best ways to try something new. There are no hard goals, just the ones you set yourself. What can a new way of writing teach you? What can a new writing space teach you? What can new writing friends teach you? This is your chance to break out of a rut. Be bold!”

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Adib Khorram is the author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay. If he’s not writing (or at his day job as a graphic designer), you can probably find him trying to get his 100-yard Freestyle under a minute, learning to do a Lutz Jump, or steeping a cup of oolong. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where people don’t usually talk about themselves in the third person. You can find him on Twitter (@adibkhorram), Instagram (@adibkhorram), or on the web at adibkhorram.com.

Your Camp Care Package is brought to you by Camp NaNoWriMo. Sign up to receive more Camp Care Packages at campnanowrimo.org.

Useful Tips and Tricks to Write Around Writer’s Block

Camp NaNoWriMo is in full swing! Now that we’re in the second week, you may find yourself struggling to figure out what to write next. Today, NaNoWriMo YWP participant Rylee Kazort shares some writing advice and tips for breaking through writer’s block: 

As a writer myself, I will be the last to tell you writing is as simple as picking up a pen and just going for it. Everyone has their own style and vision. A lot goes into writing a good story, and not all the rules are clear cut.

But what if I get stuck? Writer’s block is something we have or will experience at one time or another. Here are a few things to help get over or avoid that situation.

1. Make every scene important.

Whenever you’re between action sequences in the story and nothing is really happening that will hold interest, give the reader important information about the story. Add information when you can’t show action.

2. Show emotion, tell feeling.

We’ve all heard of “show, don’t tell”—and yes, it is helpful, but sometimes telling things is good, too. I prefer to show emotion, tell feeling. It makes it a lot easier when things need to be short and sweet rather than bogging down writing with big descriptions.

3. Stop when you know where you’re going.

Sometimes the best step to avoiding writer’s block is to stop when you know where you’re going. Now most of you may think that is insane. If you know where you’re going and how the story is going to unfold, you should write it, right? I thought that too, before I started using this device. And the result was amazing. I wouldn’t sit down and have to look over everything and decide what was going to happen next, because it was already planned out in my head. Sure, you write for a bit, then you get stuck, but you’re already deep into your story. It’s easier to work yourself out of that little rut.

4. Walk away.

And if all else fails and you’re still stuck, walk away for a bit. You can’t keep pushing. If you don’t know what you want, the story will be choppy and rough. The best thing to do is walk away and think. Some of the best ideas come to you when you’re not at a keyboard.

Now that we have some useful tips and tricks to writing, it should be easy and fun to move through this next story. Maybe we hit a few bumps, but they can be worked through just the same. Just remember when you get discouraged, no one can write your story, so you have a duty to write it out.

Rylee Kazort is a teen writer with dyslexia who started writing in freshman year of high school. In the four years since then, Rylee has written 14 stories, 11 of them being novel length, one of these being longer that 100,000 words. She has some of her short stories published for enjoyment out on WattPad at @19RyleeAnn.

Photo by Amador Loureiro on Unsplash

Camp Pep: 5 Easy Tips for Camp NaNoWriMo

Camp NaNoWriMo is nothing without you, our incredible participants! Today, Trinity Mullins, a fellow Camper, offers you some pep in your step, for the long road ahead:

Hello Campers, and welcome to Camp NaNoWriMo! 

I’m sure you’re like me and feeling a bundle of mixed emotions about the journey we’ve begun this month! Whether you’re nervous, excited, scared, elated, or all of the above, we can do it! 

Taking on the task of writing, whether it’s 100 words or 50,000 words, can be daunting, even for experienced writers. How can this get easier? And how can success happen for Camp NaNo? Quite easily! All you have to do is have a plan of attack. Whether you’re a Panster or a Planner, having a plan on when and how you want to write can help—even if you’re still figuring out what exactly you want to write.

One of the best ways to succeed at writing is to write. Well duh, right? It sounds easy, but many of us know it doesn’t always end up being so easy. “Just write!” is something we writers hear all the time. And many of us end up staring at a blank page for hours with the overwhelming task of sorting thoughts and getting them out, or not even having thoughts to get out. That’s okay! 

Here are two possible paths to get you through the woods:

Plan A: Write. It doesn’t have to be good, it doesn’t have to be great, and it doesn’t even have to make sense. Just get to writing. Revisions and editing are always in your future, so don’t worry about perfection.

Plan B: Panic. Then write. It’s all the same as above. Just know it’s okay to freak out sometimes and allow yourself those moments so you can gain your clear head back.

Want more Plan A and less Plan B? Try setting yourself up a schedule or a habit for writing. Whether you’re going to get up early, stay up late, or watch one episode less on Netflix. Find what time you want to write and stick to it. Every day. 

When I did NaNoWriMo in November, I wrote after work every evening. My domestic partner would play his favorite video game while I wrote. This quickly became our habit, and it’s how I won NaNoWriMo! Some days I wrote very late at night, and some mornings I got up a little earlier and took the time then to write if I knew I’d have a long day or busy evening.

There’s plenty of ways to succeed at Camp NaNoWriMo, and you’ll find your way of doing it. Here’s some other quick tips for creating and completing Camp:

1. Write every day. Whether it’s a couple words or thousands, just write. Don’t worry if it’s good, just get it done!

2. Try to avoid editing during Camp. Revise after, you don’t want to take away any progress you’re making! Just remember it’s okay if you don’t love what you have written, it’s just important that you have written anything at all.

3. Find writing buddies. Whether you’re in a cabin, on forums or Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, find some other Campers. Find people who are writing in general. They are going through the same thing you are and can provide infinite support and help.

4. If you are struggling in a scene, move on. Write something that happens in the future of the work, or even the next scene and go back. You don’t have to work linear!

5. Try to keep a notepad or a place on your phone for quick ideas you get when you’re away from home/writing. Jot down that quick scene, that exchange of dialogue, that location, or whatever. You can flesh it out later if you don’t have the time to at first!

Remember: You’ve got this. You are an amazing person, you have great talent, and you can do it!

Have fun, Campers, and keep writing!

Trinity Mullins is a twenty-six year old writer located in West Virginia, U.S.A. She’s a graphic designer, filmmaker, photographer, and works in multimedia. She received her Bachelor of Science in 2017 and is currently pursuing her Master of Arts at West Virginia University. She’s a mom, domestic partner, and an avid adventurer. Trinity hopes to be a professor in the future. She runs a book/writing blog at Mountain Mama Reads and a commission-based art business called Ocean Gem Designs. Find out more on her Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and website.

Top photo by Andreas Dress on Unsplash.

“The blank page can intimidate. All that—space—waiting to be...

“The blank page can intimidate. All that—space—waiting to be filled with words. Your words. Where to start?

Try a writing prompt, a jumping off place to get you going, a diving board into the Camp NaNoWriMo pool of creativity.”

—Alexia Gordon is a Virginia native, a physician by training, and an author by passion. She writes the Gethsemane Brown mysteries, from Henery Press: Murder in G Major (Lefty winner, Agatha nominee, Suspense Magazine Best Of); Death in D Minor; Killing in C Sharp; and Fatality in F. Find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or visit her website.

Your Camp Care Package is brought to you by Camp NaNoWriMo. Sign up to receive more Camp Care Packages at campnanowrimo.org.

Text added over original image by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash.

Putting Yourself in the Right Mindset

Camp NaNoWriMo has officially begun! Today, NaNoWriMo YWP participant Elysia Lopez offers the inspiration to rise to the occasion and meet your writing goals this month:

NaNoWriMo is hard. 

There, I said it. I don’t think anything could be so bluntly understated than the words in that sentence. NaNoWriMo is hard, it’s stressful, and it never ever goes exactly as planned. There are countless things you could do to prepare for NaNoWriMo—outline stories, prepare a survival kit, block out time in your daily schedule for writing—but ultimately, all of these fall short of the most vital method of preparation: Putting yourself in the right mindset for NaNoWriMo.

This mindset consists of understanding that although the goal of preparing for NaNoWriMo is to alleviate the stress as much as possible, that doesn’t mean that the stress is going to disappear. You will still have days where your growing list of tasks just seems too overwhelming. You might get sick, your schedule might fill up, or you might have to deal with your German-only-speaking, capricious cousin who seems to have hidden all the wires on your beet farm again so you have no power. Regardless of the specificities, the point remains that things will never go as planned. Once again: NaNoWriMo. Is. Hard.

But here’s the thing: You want it to be hard. Without challenges testing your patience and your dedication toward writing, you would never grow as a writer. NaNoWriMo might seem like an insurmountable challenge. However, if you manage to soldier through the month and accomplish your goal, now you know you can do it, and you could do it again. Your expectations for yourself increase. You grow. And you feel proud of yourself. Just imagine, waking up the day after NaNoWriMo ends and knowing that you did it. You accomplished the goal you’d thought was impossible. Doesn’t that seem like a dream?

“Without challenges testing your patience and your dedication toward writing, you would never grow as a writer.”

If writing novels were easy, everyone would do it. Who wouldn’t want to create worlds out of words? Some people daydream about writing books about things that matter to them, but never get around to actually writing it. The fact that you did decide to sit down and start weaving together the fibers of your imagination shows that writing is important to you. You are a writer.

And if you’re willing to undergo an entire month of intense dedication and hard work, there must be something significant that you’re aiming to get out of this experience. So, what is that something? What do you hope to gain? It could be the first draft of a novel you’ve always wanted to write, but never thought you had the time to do it. It could be an attempt at recovering from a writing slump. It could be the desire to just have a fun time writing. If you haven’t fully decided what your reason is yet, now is a good time to figure it out. I promise you there will always be a reason why you should write.

Whatever your reason is, take note of it. Write it on a sticky note and post it on the wall behind your desk so that it will be a constant reminder throughout the month. This ultimate, overarching goal is what’s going to anchor you to your commitment. And with so many things going on in your life, pulling at you like currents in all different directions, an anchor is vital.

Let’s recap: Know that NaNoWriMo will inevitably be hard. However, from this difficulty rises growth. So, you’ll have to endure the harsh winter storms before reaching the blossoming of spring. You decided at some point to join Camp NaNoWriMo to reach a goal, and you owe it to yourself to follow through with that commitment. Take note of why you joined, and remind yourself of it throughout the month. I promise that your goal is worth it.

So, prepare for a month of diligence, dedication, and discipline. Most importantly, prepare yourself to grow.

I wish you the best on your writing journey! See you on the other side.

Elysia Lopez is a high school freshman and lives in sunny Southern California. She likes writing stories, mainly contemporary and fantasy, as well as poetry. Besides writing, she enjoys watching Youtube, doing karate, and building and programming robots for her robotics team.

Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash

"Every writer, while writing her current work, thinks of a hundred great stories she should write..."

“Every writer, while writing her current work, thinks of a hundred great stories she should write instead of her current work.

 

Don’t change. Stick with one story for thirty days. Then, if you decide you’d rather write about unicorn bank robbers instead of singing fish, go ahead.

 

Don’t forget those other ideas. Keep a notepad handy. Write them down. (To this day, I kick myself for not jotting down the Greatest Story Idea of All Time before it fled my mind.) Because unicorn bank robbers sound like a great sequel to singing fish.”

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Alexia Gordon is a Virginia native, a physician by training, and an author by passion. She writes the Gethsemane Brown mysteries, from Henery Press: Murder in G Major (Lefty winner, Agatha nominee, Suspense Magazine Best Of); Death in D Minor; Killing in C Sharp; and Fatality in F. Find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or visit her website.

Your Camp Care Package is brought to you by Camp NaNoWriMo. Sign up to receive more Camp Care Packages at campnanowrimo.org.

What's the Best NaNoWriMo Writing Schedule for You?

What's the Best NaNoWriMo Writing Schedule for You?: It’s April, which means that Camp NaNoWriMo is officially here! 

Head on over to the Camp NaNoWriMo website to create a project, set your own goal, or join a cabin if you haven’t already. And, if you’re wondering how to determine a writing schedule that will work for you, take our quiz! Maybe you’ve already set aside some time every day… but if you’re still not sure how you’re going to fit writing into your month, try out our quiz for a suggested writing schedule.

How to Break a Block? Just Start Babbling!

Camp NaNoWriMo starts in just a few days! April is just around the corner, and we’re preparing for our next writing adventure starting April 1st. Today, NaNoWriMo participant Chyina Powell shares tips to help avoid getting tripped up on the trail:

Camp NaNoWriMo is fast approaching… and you know what that means! Shake the dust out from between the keys of your keyboard and grab some writing snacks because it’s time to get to work!

As a creative person, there are times when you feel stuck. You aren’t sure what a character should do next or the story isn’t turning out the way you wrote it in your outline. Maybe you don’t know how to insert something crucial into your story without it seeming to come out of nowhere. Welcome to the Frustrated Writers Club. It’s normal, but I know these little moments can lead to doubt.

You might be saying to yourself, “Maybe I can’t do it, maybe I can’t be a writer.” You might think that being a writer means words flowing out of you the minute you head to your computer, but that isn’t always the case. Even the best writers have experienced writer’s block, whether it’s when they try to write something new or are in a tough spot of a first draft. Don’t fret, you’re in great company.

So, how do you get past that block?

I think the best way is to just start writing. It doesn’t even have to have anything to do with your current work. Just write, and if it’s complete and utter nonsense, great! Because you may be able to use that nonsense to build your world. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it doesn’t have to be eloquent, just be you. Think of something you enjoy writing about and write it. Free writing is just that, freeing. When you aren’t forcing yourself to fit a certain style, genre or even stick to a certain topic, you truly let your imagination run wild. And Campers, that’s a huge part of the NaNoWriMo spirit!

“It doesn’t have to be pretty, it doesn’t have to be eloquent, just be you.”

Another way to overcome that great evil is to get your mind off your project! That’s right, go for a walk, watch Netflix (just try not to get sucked into the swirling vortex that is binge-watching), read a book that has nothing to do with your own project, go out to eat. Whatever! Often, the best ideas come when you aren’t thinking about what to write next or where you want your story to go. And thank goodness for smartphones because you’ll always have somewhere to write down your ideas as they come.

Don’t worry that you won’t finish your project or get over this roadblock, you will! Campers, don’t give up when that block comes. Just take a break, breathe and remind yourself of how AWESOME you are, how important your story is, and do what you love. Write!

Happy writing!

After receiving her MLA from the University of Pennsylvania, Chyina Powell can usually be found reading or writing for her bookish blog at chyinapowell.wordpress.com. She is also an avid bookstagrammar and freelance writer. Feel free to connect with her @chyina_powell. She has been a participant in NaNoWriMo since 2014 and has loved every minute of it! Thanks to all the wonderful people who make this program possible.

Top photo by Mario Caruso on Unsplash.

Read the YWP “Now What?” Contest Honorable Mentions!

Last month, we challenged our young writers (18 and under) to revise and submit a 400-word excerpt from their NaNoWriMo novel. From over 650 stupendous entries, we chose two Grand Prize Winners and three Honorable Mentions. Today, we’re sharing our Honorable Mentions. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did!

Mackerel Sky by Anna — Honorable Mention

England, March 1939.

Rowan Everleigh was the sort of girl who drew one’s attention, seated alone on a train headed north, wearing her oldest clothes and surrounded by a trunk, two suitcases, a small bird cage and an animal cage. The other passengers stared as they passed her. Fully aware of the stares and whispers around her, Rowan valiantly swallowed her fear and set her chin, reading from the book on her lap as if quite unconcerned… 

Read the rest!

Imperfect by Lia — Honorable Mention

She stared at the cat, and the cat stared right back at her. The cat had never seen a human either, and it was just as confused with this large two-legged creature as Katherine was with it. It slowly took a step in the direction of a scraggly patch of trees. The cat hesitantly turned her back on her and lowered her body to a crouch, her attention now of an invisible object… 

Read the rest!

The Elementalists by Molly — Honorable Mention

We descended the stairs quickly and silently. I gripped Faith’s hand tightly, glancing over at her every so often to make sure the spell’s weird rule was still working. It always was—I was just feeling insanely paranoid. Internally, I knew it was stupid to underestimate magic. But if even one aspect of this plan failed, she and I would be in serious trouble… 

Read the rest!

Read the YWP “Now What?” Contest Grand Prize Winner (13 and Under Division)!

Last month, we challenged our young writers (18 and under) to revise and submit a 400-word excerpt from their NaNoWriMo novel. From over 650 stupendous entries, we chose two Grand Prize Winners and three Honorable Mentions. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did!

Just This Once by Stella — Grand Prize Winner (13 and Under Division)

The passenger drone purrs as we glide over the fish farms, spindly black grids stretching for miles. In front of us the border floats innocently, a line of solar transmission buoys. The iCom beeps and the flashing screen shows a red dot moving steadily towards the coast. Dad sighs deeply and taps the screen to lock in the location. He looks tired; this job’s getting to him.

I reach out and take his hand.

Dad hovers above the boat and I can’t help thinking it looks like a teardrop. He presses play and an automated voice echoes over the sea: “You are approaching New Zealand coastal waters. Our population must remain stable to be sustainable, and therefore all immigration is banned. You must leave these waters immediately.”

The people on the deck shout something as Dad lands the drone on our side of the border. He deactivates the windows as a woman calls out, “Please, help us. We’re running out of desalination filters.”

“Look… You’re gonna have to turn around. This is the New Zealand border. I’m sorry, I can’t let you through.”

Out of my window I notice that the group of children who had been pointing at our drone have fallen silent. A tall girl my age pushes forward. Her hair is stiff with salt, but her face is clean, her cheekbones pronounced.

“Where did you come from?” My voice is quiet.

She looks at me sadly.

“The beaches sparkled like a thousand suns were buried in the sand. The sea was the deepest of blues, and every morning we woke to the deafening sound of the shrikebill’s song. But the sea, that was once so dear to us, rose, and rose. It flooded our homes, drowning our island.”

I turn away from her hopeless face, and I whisper, “Can’t we let them in Dad? Just this once. They have nowhere else to go.”

His voice is stern, “Just this once is what happened to America. Now they’re overflowing with rubbish and pollution. There are concerns about their resources. They are facing the consequences of just this once.”

“But Dad…”

He flicks on the drone engine.

As we rise, I cast one fleeting glance back at the boat and see the girl standing on the prow like some figurehead of old and I imagine what it must have been like, to watch your home disappear under the waves.

Stella W. is an aspiring author who loves writing, swimming and hanging out with her friends. She has been published in Toitoi journal, has read her stories on the HeiHei listen app and has been commended in several short story competitions. She is a year 9 at high school and some of her favourite things are food, 5SOS, and reading (especially John Green). She loves to write her own novels and is hoping to publish her current project.