National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) takes place every November, and some fantastic books have come out of it. Camp NaNoWrimo takes place every April and July and has a more casual feel so that you can start and track any writing project, whether or not it’s a novel. Maybe you want to write some fresh poetry, start journaling more often, or just develop a writing habit in general. Camp NaNoWriMo is great for all of those, especially if you’re the kind of person who thrives on encouragement from others.
With a robust website, a steady email campaign, and regional and global groups, it is easy to get caught up in the energy and excitement of Camp NaNoWriMo without doing any actual writing. While their free resources, such as webinars, can be useful to many writers, don’t let anything distract you during your actual writing time. Just because an email comes in from NaNoWriMo (or anybody for that matter) doesn’t mean you need to drop everything to read it. Participate on your own terms and set boundaries during your writing time. Writers often use research as a way to procrastinate, so watch out that you’re not doing the same. Appreciate the NaNoWriMo community, but protect your writing time and put your WIP first.
