Camp NaNoWriMo – a smaller version of the famous NaNoWriMo – is coming up in just a few days and writers are already planning what they’re going to use the month for. The wonderful thing about Camp NaNo is its flexibility, since the month allows you to set any writing goal for yourself. If you meet your goal, you’re a winner.

It’s as simple as that.

If you’re planning on jumping in and doing Camp NaNo this April, but don’t quite know what you want to do just yet, here are five ideas you can play around with.

The key word here? Experiment.

1. Change up your normal goals.

One of the clearest factors that differentiate Camp NaNo from NaNoWriMo itself is the goal flexibility. Do you usually find yourself counting words when you write, feeling a sense of satisfaction when you hit 1K, then go way over? During Camp NaNo, you can change that up and try counting pages instead. Or throw out the idea of writing more entirely and count the number of minutes you spend on your work in progress.

This always makes me feel a little more motivated about my project because I’m trying something new. It’s not the usual goal that I tend to look at (word count), but a different goal that lets me stretch myself to see how I can hit targets for the month.

2. Let yourself go steady.

NaNoWriMo is all about working fast, aiming to reach 50K by the end of the month. It’s an event that needs serious planning and a lot of work to get done beforehand. It’s not impossible, but it can be daunting for slower writers.

The thing is, it’s not bad to be a slow writer. If I start comparing myself to some of my amazing writer friends, I’d be really slow. I also know that I’m considered fast as compared to some of my other friends. It doesn’t really matter unless you have deadlines to meet. 

With Camp NaNo, there’s no pressure to hit 50K by the end of the month. No, you set your own goal, and even if that goal is 20 pages, so be it.

I get it, you’re busy. So am I. Which is why during Camp NaNoWriMo, you’re free to set yourself manageable goals you know you’re able to meet.

3. Try co-writing.

If you’ve never written anything with another writer friend, do it. Co-writing is an amazing experience that really lets you and another person struggle through the same story together.

The great thing about co-writing is that you have two or more minds working together. If you’re stuck somewhere in your story, your co-writer is likely to think of something to twist the problem or solve it entirely.

Even if you’re not able to be online or together at the same time, all the time, you can assign each co-writer a main character. If you have a solid outline, writing chapters on your own should be easy. Personally, I find it easier to have my co-writer on a Google Doc with me so I can ask questions and clarify plot points. We can also pick on each other’s terrible word choice and lousy sentence structure as we write, but that’s not super important.

You’ll also want to give encouraging comments, too. It’s important to keep each other up.

4. Write a different genre.

If you have a preferred genre to write in, spice things up some more for Camp NaNo by throwing yourself into a new genre and a new project. Do you usually write fantasy? Go write sci-fi. Do you write slice-of-life? Write an epic fantasy. Choose a genre that captures your interest and is sure to keep you motivated to the end of the month.

Of course, this may prove to be a challenge. In which case, it’s okay to revamp the project and go back to your favorite genre. Camp NaNo is just a great opportunity to play around with new options and see whether or not you like them.

5. Write in a different point of view.

Believe it or not, there are so many ways you can go about this. Apart from the obvious first person / third person point of view, remember that there are two kinds of third person POV: third person limited and third person omniscient. If you’re a third person omniscient writer but don’t want to go all in with first person, limit yourself and try writing in third person limited.

Next, see if you want to change the tense. If you usually write in past tense, write in present tense. C. G. Drews mixes it up in her unusual third person limited / present tense writing style. If tenses aren’t your strong point, you could challenge yourself this April by trying to master a tense you don’t usually write in.

And then go even further into the character themself. If you usually write girls, switch things up and write from a guy’s perspective instead. You know what, you could even throw away the idea of human characters altogether and write from an animal’s perspective. Or vampires, mermaids, dragons… you know what I mean. Go on whichever path holds your interest, my friend.

Your turn!

Are you participating in Camp NaNo this year? If so, what are your plans? Are you sticking to a project you’re already working on, reworking an old project, or trying something new?

You tell me!

All the best,