Are Ya Having Fun, Wrimo?

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Campfire Technology, a 2021 NaNo sponsor, creates writing software to help storytellers write better stories faster. Get 30% off subscription-free writing software with Campfire’s coupon for NaNoWriMo writers! In this post, author Jackson Dickert shares the ultimate secret to writing good fiction:

Even if you’ve never seen the meme before, I think just about everyone can relate to it on some level. You’re sitting there playing a video game and your dad comes in and asks the iconic question, “Are ya winning, son?” 

(Why is this a universal experience? Did we all have the same dad? Anyway…)

That’s kinda how I feel right now. I’m checking in on you guys, seeing how things are going. How’s the writing process? Are ya winning NaNoWriMo?

I was supposed to write an article with storytelling tips. Give you guys some writing advice to help you finish your manuscript. Oh, and I had some GENIUS insights too. I had the best writing tips and advice ever. Really good stuff that would have blown away even the most veteran and revered of writers. That “Lost Article”, as it will come to be known, would have made Shakespeare rise from the grave just so he could shake my hand. And then you know what I thought?

Instead, I’ll write about that funny dad meme.

Now, I know a lot about the craft of writing. But even more valuable to me, I know a lot about my needs and preferences. Could I crank out an article called “Top 100 Best Writing Tips” that’s chock-full of useful info? Sure, totally could. But if I write about a meme, that fits my writing process more. Cater your writing process to your needs and your art will be more unique, entertaining, and memorable than it would have been otherwise.

Let’s go back to your dad. Err, I mean our dad. When our dad pokes his head in the door and says, “Are ya winning, son?” he’s not actually worried about whether we’re going to win the video game. He’s not worried about if we’re going to win NaNoWriMo. The real question he’s asking is: are we having fun?

And that’s what I want to know. Are you having fun?

For all its faults, you probably enjoy writing. You’re a writer for crying out loud. You’ve researched this stuff, you’ve practiced your craft, you might even have a degree in this. But if you’re bogged down, if you’re not having fun, then consider for a moment: are you writing what you want?

There’s nothing better than getting a new idea for a story. You’re excited, the idea is amazing, it’s a guaranteed bestseller. But along the way, somewhere in that murky middle… all that can get lost in the mix. If you’re not winning, if you’re not having fun, look at the actual content you’re writing. If you lose that excitement along the way, like many of us inevitably do while we write our works in progress… this is your wake-up call.

Put something that gets you excited in your story. A scene to write toward, a character’s secret love interest, a dragon. Yeah, do that. Put a dragon in. Everything’s better with dragons.

(In my debut novel, I had a buck with tasers mounted to its antlers. No, seriously. Didn’t plan on it initially, but I had the idea for it somewhere in the middle. It motivated me to get through the writing rut I was in and gave me something fresh to work toward. That Taser Buck is one of my favorite parts of the book.)

Writing is supposed to be fun. That’s why we fell in love with it. So my writing process is to have as much fun with it as possible along the way. Doesn’t matter if it makes little sense. You’ll fix that in the next draft. Good fiction starts with you. If you’re miserable and not having fun while you write, it’s going to come through on the page. Quit taking this whole thing so seriously. 

A mediocre idea written by someone who’s having fun is always going to be a better read than the great idea written by someone who hates what they’re creating.

Now go put a dragon in your story. I don’t care how you do it, figure it out.

(That’s him leaving. Don’t make fun of me, I’m a writer, not an artist.)

If having fun isn’t the issue and you’re struggling to stay organized while you write, though, try out Campfire. It’s a browser-based writing application with a full suite of organizational tools that help you write stories and worldbuild. With an offline desktop app and mobile app coming later this year, it’s the perfect tool to help you write better stories faster. It’s even free to use for small projects, so be sure to try it at www.campfireblaze.com.

Jackson Dickert is the Chief Marketing Officer at Campfire Technology, author of The Quest for the Golden Plunger , and is an avid manta ray enthusiast. (No explanation necessary, they are awesome.) He’s passionate about creating tools that help storytellers write better stories faster. Jackson loves to make people laugh, and his current hyper fixation is Vikings. Just all things Viking, really. He’s thinking about growing a beard. Maybe getting a tattoo. Potentially raiding England. We’ll see. Follow him on Twitter @SwagXMcNasty.