Camp Nano: WINNER

That’s right…I did it! *throws confetti and happy dances then collapses in a heap of exhaustion* Honestly, not sure how, but I beat my goal with one week to spare.

Word goal: 20,000

Final word count: 20,436

So now that it’s over, what do I think of my first NaNoWriMo experience?

It was definitely a roller coaster. There were moments I felt like a superhero on top of the world and others I wanted to cry and rip my hair out. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like if I had gone for the full 50k. But on the other hand, I knew going into it that this month was already going to be busy and hectic in the first place, so that might have been part of it. 

CampNaNo was challenging, exciting, eye-opening, fun (sometimes), painful, exhausting, and inspiring. I think my favorite part was the community and all the awesome support. I could have never done this without NaNoWordSprints or my super awesome cabin of fellow WordPress bloggers. It was also reallycool to see how different everyone was–even within our cabin, there were some going for 10k, others for 60k. Some got stuck at low word counts, others were writing demons churning out thousands a day. But that’s what was so cool, seeing how everyone worked, seeing everyone’s struggles and accomplishments, and all of us working together towards this one goal. It really felt like a team. 🙂 

What would I say to someone who is considering a NaNoWriMo event?

Know what you’regetting yourself into. Also, know yourself and what you’re capable of. Through NaNo, you’ll probably discover you’re capable of a lot more than you thought you were, but on the other hand, don’t commit to a large word count when you know you have a busy month or hectic life already. The point of NaNoWriMo, in my opinion, is to challenge yourself. Challenge yourself creatively, become a part of this community, and have fun. There is no point in participating if you start to hate writing each day, or end up overstressing yourself, and basically just have a miserable time. 

My advice to anyone participating for the first time?

Relax. It is not the end of the world if you don’t reach your goal. It doesn’t mean you’re a terrible writer and you should give it up. Everyone works differently. Some people might find out that they’re not made to write in a situation like NaNo. I found it very difficult for my writing style. And as I’ve said to several people participating this month, no matter what your word count is at the end of the month, every word is one word more than you had when you started. And that is something to celebrate, whether you’re a “winner” or not. 🙂

Would I do it again, or consider NaNoWriMo?

Honestly, after this trial, I don’t know that I could do full on NaNo. Maybe, if I had a basically free month, and really put everything else aside. But with my school schedule, I don’t know that that would be possible. CampNaNo? Absolutely. Depending on where I am at next July (hopefully it will be less busy for me next year) I would love to participate again. Mainly because of the customizable word count. I know the point is to write a book in a month, but honestly I don’t really want to write a book in a month. I know my limits, and 20k turned out to be a good goal for me. Maybe next year I’ll try 30,000, and work my way up from there. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll go for the full 50? 🙂 

There’s still a week left, but where are you at? Have you met your goal, or are you inches away from the finish line? Are you struggling to churn out those last few 1ks before the end? Would you do this again, or try it for the first time? I’d love to hear what you think!