It’s almost April, which means Camp
NaNo is almost here. This is going to be my first year participating in Camp
NaNo, so I’ve decided to take a different approach than when I did NaNoWriMo
YWP. Instead of 30,000 words I will be aiming for 40,000 and I have been
outlining the whole book this whole month. This is allowed, I checked. Anyway, enough of that. Let’s get to the point: My Camp NaNo Survival
Kit.
Every writer has supplies they use,
so I’ve decided to share mine with you. This, is what the box holding most of
things looks like:
Sorry it's sideways. My computer's being weird.
I bought this box on a vacation to
Maine because I love moose. It originally had saltwater taffy inside of it, but
as you guessed, I finished that quickly. On the back I have a number of quotes,
most of them I’ve said.
Quotes:
“You
cannot begin to appreciate a good description until you have tried and failed
to write one yourself.”
“I
think the most frightening horror movie for a writer would be a compilation of
books being torn apart on loop.”
“Some
writers write because they want to, but most because they have a story to
tell.”
“A good
story will make you think differently, and maybe even change your life.”
“Nobody,
not even a severely burned man, knows pain until their favorite character has
died.”
“Writing
is like a song. One wrong note can be saved by a beautiful climax.”
“Most
of the time authors use their dreams as inspiration. Unfortunately, I cannot do
that for my dreams usually involve a vampire vomiting a rainbow.”
Now for the good stuff, the
paraphernalia inside the box.
Every item in this box I will
definitely use during my writing adventures. I also have a few things that will
not fit in the box that we will get to later. Now, number one:
I always have a clicky-pen. I don’t
often write on paper, but the pen is in there with the paper just in case.
Also, if I suffer a bad case of writer’s block, I can repetitively click the
pen until I am so annoyed that I get
an idea.
There are going to be times when I
get frustrated with my writing. If that happens I can make myself a cup of tea
to calm down and think. Also, it tastes really good.
It is scientifically proven that if
you chew gum while working, you will think clearer and be less stressed. This
is helpful for many tasks, including writing. Another benefit of gum is that it
cures my cravings for candy and snack food. Instead of junking out, I can stick
a tablet of gum in my mouth. My favorite is Eclipse Peppermint gum.
Unfortunately, the gas station I bought the gum at only had the Winterfrost
flavor, but that’s not a big deal.
Note: Eclipse is not sponsoring. I really do
like their gum, and I’m not marketing it.
If my clicky-pen idea therapy
doesn’t work to give me ideas, I use rubber band therapy instead. It’s easy:
put the rubber band around your wrist and snap it against your arm a couple
times. Sometimes a little bit of pain can help your inspiration.
DO
NOT snap yourself so
many times that the rubber band leaves a mark. I am not responsible for any
injuries.
Though I don’t have a picture for
it, I also include paper in my kit if I want to doodle, make a web, organize my
thoughts, or tear apart in frustration. I recommend keeping paper in your kit
because it can be very useful.
Now we come to the objects that are
not in the box.
Aside from tea, my favorite drink is
Grapefruit Sparkling Water. Because tea can be a hassle to make, I normally
grab a sparkling water from the fridge and sip while I’m working.
Celery and peanut butter is my go-to
writing snack. It takes no preparation (other than washing the celery) and if
your careful doesn’t make a huge mess. Some people like to eat this with
raisins, but I don’t.
Of course, I have to include my
computer. I have an iMac that I write on, but most writers use laptops.
Personally, I like bigger computers.
If you steal my ideas I will find out. This is my story that I created. Plagiarism is illegal and I will sue you if you steal my work.
I also have my outline. Like I said,
I outlined my whole novel. I used Word’s notebook layout for my outline so I
could have different tabs. I find it much easier to use than a blank document.
The best part is that it comes with Word.
One of the most important things
(aside from the computer) is the Camp NaNo website. This is where I will
communicate with other authors and track my word count progress. My username is
elisenotelsie1. Sign up and message me so I could possibly include you in my
cabin. Link Here: campnanowrimo.org
My last item is Noveling Music
Playlist. I change the songs on this playlist for every book I write, depending
on the mood or vibe I’m going for. For my last book all the songs were
depressing because it was a depressing book. For this book I’m going for creepy
and regretful music, including a little confusing and weird music. I also add a
few of my favorite songs so I can jam out. Some writers don’t like song with
lyrics, but I don’t mind. You should choose whatever works best for you.
There we have it, my complete Camp
NaNo Survival Kit. Make one yourself and add your own touches.
Signed,
The
Writer
SLOTH
