Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Camp NaNoWriMo Do-Over!

My #CampNaNoWriMo failure earlier this year did not sit well with my perfectionist self. I hadn't realized there would be another one coming again so soon during the month of July…but when I caught a glimpse of that #CampNaNoWriMo hashtag on July 1, it set my wheels turning. I knew I needed something to get my bum in my chair to work on my WIP as we shifted into summer…what better way than a daily word count challenge? So by the end of the day on July 1st, I quietly signed myself up for #CampNaNoWriMo. Again. 

Only this time, I made a few changes. The most important one? I kept my word count goal manageable. Oh, don't get me wrong. I have a hard time suppressing those overachiever personality traits. It was still pretty high. But I remembered to plan for vacations, and a few days of "I don't feel like writing today." But I learned the first time around, if that word count goal gets too far away, it's too easy to give up on it. I kept it real.

My second change, was that I kept that word count goal in sight. Preferably, behind me. I used the tools: the daily averages and pacing statistics that come with signing up for a NaNoWriMo challenge. It kept me on track. I kept my daily word count average low enough, so I knew I could double it the next if I skipped a day. Watching that bar graph climb the steep slope, sometimes landing higher than the daily target, was a visual thrill I never expected. I reached my word count goal on July 27. I was ecstatic.

I will be forever grateful for July's #CampNaNoWriMo. It kept me in my writing habit during one of the busiest months of the year. I yanked myself through the muddy middle of my WIP to catapult into an explosive ending. (And I mean that literally, I actually exploded stuff at the end.) I learned the value of a daily word count goal. I now feel confident that I can produce quality words on demand, under a deadline. (Which, hopefully, will come in handy in the near future. One word: sequel.) 

And best of all, the hashtag #amwriting can retire for awhile in favor of #amediting. Thanks #CampNaNoWriMo!