Camp NaNo Wrap-Up

Check out the details on the book I was working on for Camp NaNo.

My word count goal: 50,000
Necessary words per day to reach that goal: 1,667

My total: 20,767
Average words written per day: Not nearly enough. (It's a bit embarrassing.)


My stats graph:

As you can see, I started off strong.  Actually, this was the best start I've ever had to a NaNo project.  I was so fired up and determined that this time, I would win!  I was ahead at least a day's worth for several days in a row.  It was great!  My cabin was totally awesome and supportive, too.  In fact, you can go visit them at their respective websites and blogs, if you like.  There's Katelyn, Bethany, and Sarah, all of whom I already knew.  C.F. and Elliot are new friends - C.F. is a fellow homeschooler (well, graduate), and Elliot has totally awesome fantasy drawings, including one of a griffin!

I powered through the first three chapters of my story, and then I reached a main plot point.  See, with my book being about a mermaid and girl switching bodies, the tone and style of the book shifts a bit after the switch.  That's when I realized I had no idea what to write next.

Writers are familiar with crazy lifestyles, and military families (as well as others) know Murphy's Law like they know their best friends.    Well, I experienced a writer's-version of Murphy's Law.  The week I hit what felt like my biggest block ever, I started to fall behind in school a little.  That also happened to be the week of prom and a junior/senior Six Flags day... at the same time my family closed on our new house.  So, naturally, the next week my grandparents visited and we started new-to-us house fix-ups and moving in.  Of course, lots of things popped up in cyberspace that I just had to participate in too - serious things like the Gosnell tweetfest and fun stuff like Rock the Drop.

Writer's Block + Prom + Six Flags + School + New House + Moving + Grandparents Visiting + Cyberspace = Nothing I both can and want to take out of the equation, but not really enough time to figure out my story.

So it's back to the drawing board and a return to camp in July.

Camp NaNo: About My Book

Cover Image:

Again created by the amazing Ruth Ackiv!

Description:

Kaimalie hates her new life as the rich kid, so when she meets a real mermaid, she jumps at the chance to trade feet for fins.

Word Count Goal:

50,000

Main Character:

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Kaimalie Palakiko, quarter-Hawaiian athlete living in Hawaii with her half-Hawaiian dad and her Wisconsin born and raised mother.

{via}

She enjoys running and swimming, she collects seashells, and she's working on getting better at her biking.  Her dream is to be in the Ironman Triathalon one day.  Her family, with her father's job as a groundskeeper, was pretty average until a helicopter accident.   Her father saved a prominent politician before the wreckage went up in flames, making them famous from the news coverage and rich from the man's reward.  Now Kaimalie is miserable in her family's new life.  Then a cruise vacation brings her path across someone she never would have expected, and her life is changed forever.

Camp NaNo Pinspiration

Feel free to drop by and check out the Pinterest board for this book.  If you like what you see, come follow me! :)  To see what this is all for, go visit campnanowrimo.org.

Click each image to see its pin.

Camp NaNo!

Good morning, my lovely readers!  Remember this past November, when my blog was taken over by Pinspiration for and discussion of my NaNoWriMo book?  Well, this month I'm going to keep the writing/non-writing posts a bit more balanced, but right now I'm participating in a similar month-long challenge: Camp NaNoWriMo!

Today, I'll let the officials from camp tell you how the program works.  Then on Thursday, I'll share a bit of my Pinspiration for this project.  Don't worry, Saturday will be a non-camp post.

"Based on November’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Camp NaNoWriMo provides the online support, tracking tools, and hard deadline to help you write the rough draft of your novel in a month… other than November!

Camp NaNoWriMo was established in 2011 as a project of the Office of Letters and Light, the parent 501(c)(3) nonprofit to National Novel Writing Month and the Young Writers Program. 2013 Camp sessions will take place in April and July."

Participation is key.  Community is a strong part of this event - you get assigned to a cabin with 4-6 great supporters, and you can discuss anything and everything you're working on in the NaNo forums!  You can set your own word goals, and you can even use an already-started story.  *gasp*  You NaNo rebel, you!  (Traditional NaNoWriMo requires that you not start the actual story until 12 AM November 1.)  I think my favorite parts are my cabin (with several people I requested and already know well) and the novel page on my profile.  I'm a simple, easy-to-please person.  Give me a spot for my story description and the gorgeous cover Ruth Ackiv so graciously made for me (again).  I'm one happy Camper. ;)