Life in progress

Tag Archives: Camp Nano


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Let’s go camping! (and #tuesdayuseitinasentence)

Before I get started on my post, I just want to mention how awesome MLW is with her Tuesday Use It In A Sentence prompts. This week, the word is “quest.” Click the link and check out the rules so you can join in too! https://stephaniecolpron.wordpress.com/2016/06/21/tuesdayuseitinasentence-quest/

Okay, so, camp. I’m not talking about the traditional back-destroying, sleeping-in-a-sleeping-bag, sit-around-a-campfire-and-roast-marshmallows-and-drink-an-entire-bottle-of-Jack-Daniels-whilst-looking-up-at-the-stars-and-contemplating-the-universe-type camping. The days of being able to walk the day after sleeping on the ground are long gone for me. I’m talking about Camp NaNo! What is Camp NaNo, you ask? Well let me tell you.

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is in November. During that time, the goal is to write at least 50,000 words, no excuses. Write 49,999 and you lose. But the people who bring us NaNoWriMo also host two “camps” every year. They are in April and July. During the camps you set your own goal. Anywhere from 30 words to 1,000,000 – it’s up to you. Campers are assigned to cabins, and each member of the cabin encourages the others. There can be challenges, there are forums full of experts to help with research, and chats over coffee… it’s fun!

Since I’m on a quest to finish the sequel of my epic novel, I’ve decided to join Camp NaNo in July. I actually started my sequel at the camp in April of 2014, when I managed to write about 30,000 words.

So, who’s with me? Anyone out there already signed up? Have a cabin for me to join? I’m thinking I may start my own, otherwise. Here’s the link: https://campnanowrimo.org/sign_in

Let’s sit around the campfire and roast marshmallows and drink an entire bottle of Jack Daniels whilst looking up at the stars and contemplate writing, without the stiff and aching muscles, together!


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Queen Day and Goal Met

Just a quick note to say I’m finally off to see Queen and Adam Lambert in Toronto today. Full report tomorrow.

And I reached my Nano Camp goal of 30,000 words! It’s a happy day. 😀

2014-Winner-Square-Button

See you tomorrow!


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Random Update

I spent a fun-filled day playing Scribblenauts Unlimited on the WiiU with Alex, John, and John’s youngest daughter. That’s only slightly sarcastic – I could do without playing the game again, but we did have a few laughs. Alex is generally glad to be back home. He enjoys playing with his half-brother at his dad’s but routine is routine.

On the Camp NaNo front, I was within 1,600 words of completing my goal of 25,000 and there are still ten days left so I upped my goal to 30,000 words. I know I’m not going to be able to stop writing this one until I’m finished but I am forcing myself to take a break occasionally and edit the first one.

However, I’m having a bit of a difficult time with genre issues – or at least theme. The issue is with my new villain. She’s oversexed so of course the topic of sex keeps coming up. Where the first novel has its erotic moments, (and okay, a couple of decent sex scenes) this one is beginning to compete with 50 Shades of Grey, if not with the constant porn then at least the mention of body parts and, let’s say, warmer feelings. I may be able to tone it down but I can’t cut it out and keep my character in character. You can see my dilemma, right? What would you do? Have you ever read a sequel that strayed far away from the tone of the first… and did you like the second one? Or is this just a recipe for failure?

On that note, and in the spirit of randomness, here’s a picture of the sun setting over Boston Pizza.

 

sunset

 


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Progress – Camp NaNoWriMo

I don’t intend to write many progress reports here, but I did want to share how my day went today.

To be honest, I was nervous about starting the sequel to The Great Dagmaru before I finish editing it. I was torn – should I concentrate on finishing the first? Or start the next in order to see where the story is going, in case I’ve missed out any important details of my character’s lives that I can still write into the first book? As you might have read last a couple of days ago, I’ve chosen to go ahead. And I’m so happy I did.

My goal is 25,000 words, which means I have to write an average of a little over 800 words a day to achieve it by the end of the month. Today I wrote 1600 — and I don’t want to go to bed. I don’t want to stop.

Getting back into my beloved character’s lives is like stepping into a warm bath on a cold winter night. It’s like going on an adventure with a lover with no preconceived notion of where we’re going, only that we’ll be going together. It’s like once again haunting my loved ones: they have no notion that I’m there but I am, lovingly watching every step, hearing every thought, and gently rounding out every feeling so that they glow warmly on the page.

I truly truly love to write. And I’m so lucky to have the luxury to pursue my passion for it.


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Go ahead, call me crazy

2014-Participant-Vertical-BannerIn my infinite wisdom borne of never having enough of a challenge in my life, I’ve decided to join Camp NaNoWriMo, which starts July 1st. My goal is to write 25,000 words of the sequel to the novel I started and failed as a NanoWriMo project in November of 2011. That one took me 18 months to finish. I’m not under any delusion that I can get the sequel done in a month, so I won’t even try.

But wait, Linda, I hear you saying. You can’t even reply to the comments on your blog, what makes you think you can take on another project?

To answer that question, I have no idea other than that I need to start being creative again or I will go completely around the bend. I’m halfway there now, and let me tell you, the scenery ’round there is scary-dark and smells ominously like a fart.

Is it worse than getting lost in the woods while at Camp Nano? There’s only one way to find out. I figure I should be okay as long as I don’t come across any bears — ‘coz you know what THEY do in the woods.

 


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10 Random things that pissed me off today

1. People who argue on the internet, just because they can.

2. Bloggers who never ever reply to their comments, especially when they’ve written something controversial.

3. Looking out the window at a downpour when the “Weather Network” says it’s sunny outside. Don’t you people have a window of your own?!?

4. Over-sensitive people who love going out to socialize but who feel offended when strangers look at them.

5. Dog poo on the sidewalk.

6. My weeds. Not only are they choking my grass, but they keep growing, damnit!

7. My Sims Agents.

8. The pull of Camp Nano. It’s calling me, enticing me like a long lost lover…

9. Bacterial infections that live in hospitals – how do you weigh the risk vs. the benefit of going there?

10. When email doesn’t work! Please let me know if you requested my story the other day and didn’t get it – you should have.

What pissed you off today? And what made you smile? I could use one of those. 😉