23,390 words

Camp NaNo is normally run in July, but this year, just as I felt I was floundering on my current project Grim Repercussions, came Camp NaNo in April.

Camp NaNo is different to NaNoWriMo & ScriptFrenzy in that it takes a more relaxed approach to the idea of writing challenges. NaNoClassic is for novels & is strictly 50k words. ScriptFrenzy is for stage and screen plays & that’s all I know about it. Camp NaNo is for writing of all kinds & you set your own word goal, you can even change your goal right up until the last week.

I decided to set my word goal at 50k because I already know I can write that much in thirty days, but perhaps I was overly ambitious. In all likelihood, I just slacked off too much during the month.

Every November I find myself distracted by side projects, or the desire to sleep, but the wide knowledge & appeal of NaNoClassic usually keeps me in line fairly well. Having nothing to prove, no one to compete against, & my timetable being tossed out the window by starting a new job all conspired to keep my word count low.

However, success is measured in more than just word counts. There are measures by which I can consider myself to have done adequately, if not well. Firstly, I met the suggested word count of 20k, so my failure was no where near as spectacular as the first time I tried NaNo. Secondly, I discovered what was stopping up my flow of creativity. This is an important point, because I learnt something about the way that I write that will influence my attempts at composition for the rest of my career.

Lastly, I achieved what I needed to achieve. While I only wrote about half of what I would of liked to write, I’ve built something with the 20k I wrote that I can really work with. I’ve solidified ideas, discovered major plot points, & met a new character.

I still have a long way to go, but, if I had been at this point when Camp started, I would have aced it – either by word count or by finishing the novel.