The Office of Letters and Light Blog

Camp NaNoWriMo is getting some visitors. Don’t worry—we won’t have to tie up our food. In the coming weeks, we will have seven published authors acting as honorary Head Counselors: every Monday starting next week, a new published author (or two!) will answer your questions.  

Ask your questions in the comments, or through our Ask NaNoWriMo box. Any and all planning, writing, publishing, or process questions are welcome!

Here’s our line-up:

• First up? Suzanne Lazear, Wrimo and author of steampunk novels Innocent Darkness and its upcoming sequel Charmed Vengeance. 
• Jennifer Bosworth, author of the YA novel Struck and writer of horror scripts directed by her husband, Ryan.
• Julia Crouch, British Wrimo and author of thrillers Cuckoo and, most recently, Tarnished.
• Sarah Duncan, UK author of romances including Kissing Mr. Wrong.
• Ari Marmell, author of fantasy novels such as The Iron Kingdoms Chronicles’ In Thunder Forged as well as multiple roleplaying games.
• James R. Strickland, Wrimo, and author of science-fiction and cyberpunk novels, including Looking Glass.
• Susan Dennard, author of YA gothic mystery Something Strange and Deadly, and it’s prequel and e-novella A Dawn Most Wicked.

Have any questions for our first author, Suzanne? Maybe you want to know how to maintain a mythology like Suzanne does with her steampunk faeries. Or maybe you’re not sure if you’re planning enough as Camp NaNoWriMo approaches. Now is the time to get those burning writing questions off your chest!

During NaNoWriMo’s “In Your Pocket” Summer Drive, we’ll be posting “My First NaNo” stories from you, our amazing participants, and the writing tips you learned from your maiden voyage. Today, participant Sonia Mahajan shares why embracing your characters is so important: 

I remember that first, magical time: sifting through my piles of one-paragraph novel ideas that had never been completed, coming up with different names, finding the right font, and marking down the days on my calendar until that mind-boggling date: November 1. I waited, tingling with anticipation on October 30 for the sun to rise again so I could finally start writing.

And then, of course, when the morning of November 1 arrived, I met NaNo-itis: I banged on the keyboard for not planning enough and debated throwing my one-paragraph manuscript out the window. Of course, I didn’t—otherwise I might not be typing this right now—but instead grabbed my cup of tea, flexed my fingers, and set out to novel!

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During NaNoWriMo’s “In Your Pocket” Summer Drive, we’ll be posting “My First NaNo” stories from you, our amazing participants, and the writing tips you learned from your maiden voyage. Today, participant Maya Ziv shares the cathartic experience of writing her first novel: 

I remember it like it was yesterday. My palms were sweaty; I didn’t know what to expect but I knew that this night I would embark on a journey that would make memories for a lifetime. 

I had been thinking of tackling NaNoWriMo for years and finally committed last year: my birthday is in November, and I decided it would be a great present to allow myself to shirk all other responsibilities for a month and write a book. 

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Hello there! I’m Emily and I am the newest intern here in the coffee-filled paradise that is the Office of Letters and Light. I was born and raised here in Berkeley, California and will be a junior in high school this fall. I’ve written six magical realism novels, which is more than I can count on one hand, so I may just have to stop now. (I kid!  Once you starting writing, I don’t think you can ever stop.  It’s like Star Wars or a really good concept album.)

As you can imagine, I love everything magical, so if you happen upon a portal to another world in the form of a wardrobe or something like that, do write me. I can neither confirm nor deny the rumors that such a portal exists in OLL.

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During NaNoWriMo’s “In Your Pocket” Summer Drive, we’ll be posting “My First NaNo” stories from you, our amazing participants, and the writing tips you learned from your maiden voyage. Today, valiant intern Michael Adamson, finds himself grappling with severe writer’s block two-thirds of the way through his story: 

There was a dark moment for me around day 21 of my first NaNoWriMo experience. I was faced with a word-count debt fast approaching 12,000 words, and any realistic chance of winning was evaporating.

I had only myself to blame. Doubt and lack of motivation had impeded my progress during the first three weeks; sometimes I would go five days without writing so much as a single word.

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NaNoWriMo’s “In Your Pocket” Summer Drive officially launches today! We need your help to make our sites mobile-friendly; in return, we promise to get you 100% ready for July and November’s noveling madness, with exclusive donor goodies marking you as a NaNo-pro.

We’ll also be hosting a series called “My First NaNo”, where we ask you, our amazing participants, about your very first NaNoWriMo adventure, and the writing tips you gleaned from your maiden voyage. First up? Denise Krebs, who took on her first NaNoWriMo with her crew of eighth-grade students: 

My first NaNoWriMo was in 2008: My sister had written a novel the year before, and I was so impressed. “I want to write a novel too,” I mused in her presence. She remembered my proclamation and sent me an invitation to join her in October. I remember feeling tentative and scared as the calendar days ticked by.

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Camp NaNoWriMo is gearing up for July, and many of you are already hard at work storming up ideas. Are you ambitiously planning on writing a trilogy, perhaps? Well, Susan Dennard published her debut young adult novel Something Strange and Deadly, the first in an intriguing trilogy blending historical fiction, horror, romance, and mystery, and on July 23, the sequel, A Darkness Strange and Lovely, will hit shelves. Read on to learn how Susan used three years of NaNoWriMo to master her trilogy:

How did NaNoWriMo help you draft your novels?

It’s so easy to put writing off—even for books on deadline—but there’s something about knowing that I’ll start on x-date, work like a madwoman until x-date, and then finish with 50K that really helps me hunker down. I also think the sheer insanity and support that other writers bring to the whole NaNo-experience really helps keep me motivated, even after that first week when my productivity always wants to flag.  

How has your NaNo experience been different each year you wrote a book in your trilogy?

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Hello, gentle readers. My name is Sonja, and I’m the newest addition to the crack interning team at the office here in scenic Berkeley, California.

When I’m not participating in NaNoWriMo-related events (I know, at times it’s difficult to believe there is a life outside of it!), you can find me painting, fixing clocks, performing in musical theatre…

Wait a moment. This sounds familiar.

Too familiar…

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Happy Camp NaNoWriMo Launch Day! Camp is fresh out of the oven, with new features to spice things up. And to help you get ready for your July writing project, we’re excerpting No Plot? No Problem!, written by NaNoWriMo’s weird-and-wise founder himself: Chris Baty. Today, he explains the magic power of a writer’s deadline:

When I actually sat down to write my first novel back in 1999, I discovered that my ideas about novel writing were woefully mistaken. You don’t need a plot before you write a novel, nor do you need an evocative sense of place or a winsome, engaging cast. You don’t even need coffee (though I still haven’t allowed myself to fully come to terms with that yet). What you really need is a secret weapon.

You need a superpowered, diabolical device that will transform you into a bastion of literary accomplishment. And I’m happy to report that this implement is in the house, and it’s just waiting for you to pick it up.

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If you’d been in the office in the first half of April, you would’ve seen various NaNo staff members furiously working, writing inspiring pep talks, and being generally magnificent. You would also have seen Chris Angotti, the NaNoWriMo Program Director, in full teacher mode, quizzing me on literary theory, pastoral elegies, litotes, and other such nonsense.

Why, you ask? Because I was using this past April’s Camp NaNoWriMo to study for the GRE in English Literature!

When I first registered for The Test, as it was lovingly called by roommates and friends, I saw it as an impediment to my Camp success. But thus, my friends, began my month of literary abandon. I’ve been out of school for over a year, so my brain needed a wee bit of dusting. It went a little like this:

The Plan and Its Benefits

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The challenge: Write an epic poem – 22,500 words in 30 days.

What was I thinking? 

I hadn’t written a poem in years. I barely remembered the definition of an epic. It would have been smart to do some research and have a clearer goal. I should have thought about my character, plot, setting… but suddenly it was April. It was time to pursue the Noble Path of the Pantser.

How did it go?

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Critically-acclaimed author Ally Kennen is no stranger to a challenge. She used NaNoWriMo to help her publish nine books, all while raising her three children. She tells us about her revision process, and shares just how to make room for writing in a bustling life:

When did you first attempt NaNoWriMo? What did it offer to you as a writer? 

I first attempted, and failed, NaNoWriMo in 2004, before I had any books published. NaNoWriMo felt delicious. Here was a community of like-minded dreamers, all passionate about writing. I loved the lighthearted approach and humor, but there was also a real determination to get those words done.

I’ve participated many times since. Sometimes I have failed miserably. Other times I have failed quite brilliantly, and a few times I have even achieved the magic 50,000 words. I adapt NaNoWriMo to suit me. It is never a waste of time. What I love about it is how it is so positive: this massive international wave of good intention and creative endeavor.

I have since had nine books published, all for children and young adults.

Could you tell us more about your revision process?

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Do you remember when you first began to write down your stories? Alexis Ann Davis, pictured above signing her CreateSpace-published novel in Spokane, is one of the thousands of young writers supported by the NaNoWriMo community through the Young Writers Program, and the first to be spotlighted this year:

As a participant in NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program, seven-year-old Alexis Ann Davis reached her word-count goal last November, but didn’t stop there. She leapt into her next endeavor, and published her novel! For some writers, publishing daydreams come complete with money, fame, and fandom. For Alexis, publishing her NaNoWriMo novel has meant helping the community, gaining a sense of accomplishment, and daring to dream big.

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Hello once and future Campers! How are you feeling on this fine May day? Blissful and free, like the pollen drifting on the breeze from tree to tree? Exultant, like the alpenglow that graces the mountain peaks with the first light of day? Triumphant, like the grizzly bear, emerging from a long winter with her playful cubs?

If you are anything like me, those three similes probably just made you a little bit nauseous (I mean, pollen? Really? You know what that stuff is, right?). If you had a Camp NaNoWriMo experience similar to mine, you might be feeling a little spread thin. You might be feeling disillusioned. If you are anything like me, you might be feeling unsure as to how to fill these new blocks of free time. 

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It’s time to start thinking about some very important people: our 2013 NaNoWriMo pep talkers! Every spring, we call on some of our fave authors to provide encouragement and inspiration in November. Here’s who we heard from last year, and here are our writers from 2011 and earlier.

So, who would you like to hear from? All published living authors are fair game. (Though we prefer to spread the love and not repeat writers, so be sure to check the lists above.)

Don’t be shy to tell us who you’d be most excited to see in your NaNoMailbox this fall. Share your list in the comments below!

Original photo by Debarshi Ray

In some ways, the result of my April doesn’t feel as satisfying as a typical NaNo month’s. I don’t have a word-packed document on my desktop or a pile of ink-stained notebooks in my backpack; I just have a ton of facts, quotes, and ideas waiting to be turned into something else. 

The genre I’m most interested in—research-based creative nonfiction—requires time. When you’re trying to find out all you can about a particular topic, it’s hard to just dive in and write a complete draft in 30 days. You need to refine your focus, read background information, do interviews, and find a narrative.

Camp NaNoWriMo was the perfect opportunity to buckle down and finish these steps. And even though I only have an outline to show for it, it’s an outline with a whole lot of potential. If you’re interested in using Camp’s July session as a research and outlining month, I’ve got a few tips based on my experience:

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Every year, during NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, Wrimos from around the world whittle their stories down to a short pitch for a chance to break into the industry with the help of pros Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry, also known as the Book Doctors. (They’ll also be donating the proceeds of their upcoming Art of the Edit webinar to NaNoWriMo!)

This year, Stacy McAnulty took top honors; read on to find out how a dinosaur egg can turn into a winning idea! (Click here to read Stacy’s original pitch, as well as the critique.)

Your winning pitch was about “a boy who hatches a dinosaur egg.” What inspired that idea?

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Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry, aka the Book Doctors, spend their days working with authors to hone their manuscripts. On Tuesday, May 14, they’ll be hosting a webinar to benefit NaNoWriMo, called The Art of the Edit, where they’ll guide participants through their steps for revision. They shared a taste of what they’ll discuss with us.

One of the things that separates amateurs from professionals is their ability to rewrite their novels, to transform them from beautiful but unshaped pieces of clay into glorious works of art that take the breath away. We look at multiple aspects of the novel as we edit—often doing individual edits for each aspect. Here are the big ones:

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This past April, Camp NaNoWriMo allowed participants to choose both their word count and their preferred writing form, whether that was a script, short story, novel, poem, or even the back of a cereal box.

Educator Cynthia Garcia took the opportunity to keep alive the spirit of Script Frenzy, a retired program that challenged people to write 100 pages of a script in 30 days. Cynthia hosts two NaNoWriMo events every year at Fairmont Catholic School as an extracurricular activity for students. Since 2010, the participants have grown from twenty to 83.

“NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy have been the most dazzlingly successful of our projects,” said Cynthia. “Students are engaged with the writing, they are engaged with the project, and they are engaged with each other. They even share their writing with their parents and friends outside school, which I think is terrific, as it makes it that much more meaningful to them.”

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