Letters from Camp: Week Two

Camp NaNo can be thrilling, challenging, and revitalizing—sometimes all at once—but more than anything else, it’s fun. We’ve asked Campers to share their daily thoughts in a series, Letters from Camp. Read about what your fellow Campers are thinking: 

April 7

Dear Children,

First, I want to remind all five of you how much I love you. Second, it may feel like I’m always at Camp and have no time for you. But this is not true! Although I am making Camp a priority, I will still be there to kiss your boo-boos, to read you a story, and to tuck you in at night. I promise. Last thing: I’m sorry about the dirty kitchen. I know eating with paper plates and plastic forks is not what you’re used to, but it’s almost like you’re at Camp too! Don’t worry, things will go back to normal after the first of May. Until then, sending y’all hugs and kisses!

Mom

April 8

Dear Shane,

It is day eight at Camp NaNoWriMo and I’m already making new friends. We named our cabin The Tardis to inspire camp spirit!  We came up with the name because one of our cabin mates noticed that we were all fans of sci-fi. As for my personal progress on my writing project, I am off to a great start. I am editing my half of our book and it is coming along. At this rate, I will complete my personal goal before camp is over. Fingers crossed it all goes well!  Wish you could be at camp with me. I bet you’d like it. Maybe you’ll join me in July.

Your Best Friend, Lauren Hughes (TrinkaLs)

Dear Eric,

I’m rewriting your book—the one I wrote about you during regular NaNoWriMo. Yeah, I know, the first draft sucked. But I’d just like to say that it’s all your fault. As the main character and narrator of my novel, you’re supposed to work with me. Well, anyway, the past is in the past. This camp, you and I have been getting along pretty well, considering. I think you really developed as a character and person since November; I’ve learned so much about you! You’re whiny, awkward, insecure… tell me, why are you my main character again? Well, hopefully by the end of this month we can redeem you. At least that’s in the outline. See you tomorrow!

Sincerely,

Your author,

Angela

April 9

Dear rosebush at the bottom of my front steps, 

Congratulations on your flowers, please don’t poke me. I am going to be saying hello to you much too early every morning, so I’m hoping that you’ll be my cheerleader for this novel. I give you full permission to snag my various inner critics out of my head. They don’t seem to fond of my beginning, and that makes it very hard to move on. Also, if you could remind me to stop procrastinating on the NaNo forums, that’d be great. And tell me to manage my time in the afternoons better so that I can do homework, chores, and extra writing instead of scrambling to get everything done at a reasonable hour. Also also, remind me to study for my tests when I pass you on the way in. That’s important. And you can include my writing, chores, and other homework in that reminder too. Basically be a talking calendar, but a bush.

You’re the best!

~Parchment_Scribe

April 12

Dear MC,

I sincerely apologise for all of the challenges I’ve piled on your shoulders lately. You don’t deserve them. If anything, you deserve to have a mage come along with all the answers I refuse to give you. It’s tough. I know it seems unfair that I’ve cut you off from everyone you love, set your hometown on a mission to find you, added the whole Kingdom to join in the manhunt, and barely left a clue about what the next step should be. I’m the worst. I know this is why you aren’t speaking to me right now, but I promise I will help you work it out. If you help me write, we’ll get out of this together.

All my love,

Ren

Dear GD,

I know I said I was gonna be a pantser this year. I’m using some prompts to guide me through the stories I wanted to write and since I chose them randomly yours was one of the trickiest. I don’t know if I’m doing it well, but I’m doing my best. I thought I couldn’t do it without a plan, but I’m having a great time making the story up as I write. I hope you’re having fun too. I promise you that you’ll have as much fluff as the others had in their chapters. It’s a compilation of light hearted stories, so I won’t be as usual, don’t you worry. I need to write 2 more stories apart from yours, so please help me a little bit so I can finish your part and move on. However, don’t rush it so it doesn’t look forced. I don’t want that.

We’ll met again in a couple of minutes, let me have a breather first.

Love,

Kahitna

April 13

Dear Jacqueline,

Do you remember when I told you that maybe I should just stop writing because I’ll never be able to do anything more with it, because my writing would never be anything more than imperfect quality and it’ll never bring me the satisfaction that I always seek? Do you remember my fear that one day I’d stop having time for writing so I was trying to prepare myself for the heartache instead of just fighting to hold onto my words? Do you remember what you said to me on that day from so long ago? You said, “No, you should keep writing. You’re a great writer.” You’re the reason I kept writing. I owe you my life. Thank you. I miss you. I love you. I wish I could tell you all about Camp NaNoWriMo and my writing projects and my ups and my downs, and to just know who you are again. I used to pride myself in having your entire name memorized after not being around you for years but if there’s one thing that I know is a character is never just a name, they all have a story, a tale to be shared. What’s yours? I hope one day I’ll know again. I’ll always hope for that.

Sincerely,

Erin

We’ll post more Letters from Camp as April (and our projects!) progresses. In the meantime, you can share your Letters from Camp on the official forum post.

Good luck, writers!