I recently returned from an out of town vacation and am trying to catch up.
It’s been a busy month.
While on my trip, I conducted some research at a
library and at an archive, studying local history. I looked for inspiration while shopping
too. I love going to antique
stores. There are all kinds of
interesting items that can spark a story idea. I took alot of notes throughout
my visit, as I walked, ate and shopped. Site seeing also provided some ideas as I studied museum exhibits and marveled
at the beauty of nature. I wish I could have stayed longer. I’m sure I would
have found more inspiration. It all went by so fast and then it was time to
return home.
I wanted to do more during the summer months so I found some
additional writing opportunities.
In May, I signed up to do the “100 Days of Summer Writing
Prompt Challenge” by Shannon Abercrombie, www.shannonabercrombie.com. Each
day, I receive an email with a writing prompt to complete. Some are more
challenging for me than others and it can take awhile to put my thoughts
together. As a whole, the exercises have been helpful. I was not able to keep
up with it while on vacation (I don’t always use the internet when away from
home), but I’m working on what I missed.
I also signed up for Camp NaNoWriMo, http://campnanowrimo.org. I haven’t been to camp since I was a
child. As a 4-H’er, I attended camp for a week one long-ago summer. (I got
homesick.) For NaNoWriMo I will be in a
“cabin” but I don’t know yet who I am “sharing” it with. Camp takes place
during the month of July. I’ve got the hot dogs and the s’mores ready to go!
What are your writing plans for the summer? Will you be
doing anything new or different? Will you finish a book or start a new one? The
possibilities . . . .
Debbie A. Byrne has a B.S. in Mass Communication with a
minor in History. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and
Illustrators (SCBWI) and is working on her first children’s book
7 comments:
I should add that my writing did not consist of any actual stories, just lists of notes and ideas for books. It helped!
Debbie, Cam NaNoWriMo sounds so fun (and probably pretty intense writing wise). Of course it's winter where I am, but regardless of the season, I do also like to set myself little goals. Please come back and do a post on how your Camp went.
Enjoy your camp. I'm not sure I could spend a whole month at a camp to write.
I think I need to explain about "camp" further. I was trying to be funny. :)Camp NaNoWriMo takes place online. It does last for a month, and participants are encouraged to write everyday. You can be in a virtual cabin and have cabin mates if you like. It's more the support than anything else. I thought I would give it a try. Sorry if my post was confusing. And yes, I just might write another post about it. Thank you for the suggestion. Btw, I do see lots of online challenges, etc -- I don't know how many there are, but I think it's a good idea. If you can't leave home, it's a great way to learn, meet people and have some fun!
Thanks for sharing Debbie. Enjoy NaNo. Like Magdalena, I'm also in winter at the moment. Not camping weather that's for sure!
Sounds like a great summer. Love the idea of camp! Sure sounds like fun.
Debbie, I'm glad you included in your comment that it's a virtual camp. An away from home month-long writing camp would be kind of grueling. :)Summer officially came the other day and this week the weather if following along with the three summer Hs - HOT, HUMID, and Hazy.
I'll be moving over the summer after 17 years in my home. So, now I'm sorting through stuff, getting rid of what I can, and packing. Hope this is the last time - I'm getting too old for moving! :)
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