7 Tips for Making Your Own Luck During Camp NaNoWriMo

Camp NaNoWriMo is just around the corner! If you’re a first-time camper, welcome! You might be wondering what you should do during Camp Nano to produce a great, publish-ready book! Today, writer Christoffer Petersen shares his tips for making your own luck during Camp NaNo:

It’s never too early to go camping. 

My Camp NaNo stats include two published novels, which are currently climbing the mystery thriller charts on Amazon. They have built the foundation of my writing career. Here’s how I used Camp NaNoWriMo to get my camp drafts published:

Tip #1: Make the most of the Public Cabin.

Public cabins are great, and I have enjoyed supporting other campers and being supported while writing in April and July each year. It doesn’t take more than a few lines in the chat to give or ask for help. If you’re new to Camp then be sure to introduce yourself and regularly check in for updates. It’s this part of camp life that keeps you going, and gets those words on the page.

Tip #2: Create a Private Cabin.

Make a note of the other campers you shared a cabin with, especially the ones who contributed to your word count with motivating comments—perhaps even a pep talk in between. Then, when the next camp comes around, be bold! Create a Private Cabin and invite the same campers, or ask to be invited. It’s important to build on that first camp session, and to establish a positive writing environment.

Tip #3: Set your own goals.

Camp NaNo is great because you can set your own goals. Be sure to do that, even if you are editing a manuscript you wrote during Nanowrimo in November. I’ve done this several times, and left Camp with a finished first draft ready for others to read and edit.

Tip #4: Get more eyes on your work.

Now that your draft is finished, it’s important to get more eyes on it, and even better to have an editor go through your work. You can pay for the services of an editor, but if you’re lucky, you’ll know an editor that you trust. There are other ways to catch classic and repetitive mistakes by using some of the brilliant editing software programmes available. However, it’s still important to have humans read and edit your story. And, no, your mum is not your best friend when it comes to editing—if possible, try to recruit readers who will be honest, but constructive.

Tip #5: Set deadlines and stick to them.

Deadlines are really important if you want to get your work published. Without them, you can continue working on the same project for the rest of your life. Deadlines create a sense of urgency, and a sense of importance. You should take pride in your work, and be proud of the effort required to write your story. Setting a deadline for publication will ensure that your project has a finish line, and people have the chance to read your story.

Tip #6: Trust your readers and self publish.

I’m just going to say it: self publish. If you have written a bestseller, your readers—who are your best critics—will let you know. If you haven’t, they will let you know. The days of traditional publishing as the only way to be recognized as an author are gone. You can choose that route, and you might be lucky, or you can self publish and make your own luck. 

Don’t settle for second best or a half-edited draft. Do your best work, and give it your best shot, and then do it all over again.

Tip #7: Go camping again.

It doesn’t matter if you choose to go back to Camp in July, or wait until November—the important thing is to keep writing. If you listen to the feedback from campers and editors, if you read lots of books, if you make mistakes and learn from them, you will be a writer.

Keep writing. I did.

Christoffer Petersen lives in Denmark and writes crime thrillers set in Greenland. His stories are inspired by the seven years he spent in Greenland, and his travels in the Arctic. Christoffer has a Master of Arts in Professional Writing. He has also seen far too many Jason Bourne films, but just can’t seem to get enough. Visit his website at www.christoffer-petersen.com.

Top image licensed under Creative Commons from amanda on Flickr.