I have pitched my tent. The fire is flickering and the sausages are starting to sizzle. Hot wisps of tea tickle my nose. An array of coloured pencils sit by my second draft manuscript of Doctor Jack. Camp NaNoWriMo starts today.
This month I am sharing a cabin with my friend, Amanda Howard, who writes true crime. A cabin is a team of fellow writers who provide encouragement, enthusiasm, and maybe a little guilt trip every now and then, to goad each other into completing our individual chosen goal for the month.
My goal is to complete final rewrites on the novella, Doctor Jack, so it can be published next month. This has become a bigger task than I had first anticipated. (Writing courses are both a boon and a curse. I am currently endeavouring to show not tell, and banish those inactive sentences.) As a result, I have been procrastinating again – so Camp NaNoWriMo is a well-timed kick in the butt. Deadlines can be extremely compelling, especially when they have been announced publicly. (Hence this blog post).
You can track my progress on my Camper Profile, to make sure I don’t slack off.