Two New Resources Found at Camp

Joining a writer's group is a common suggestion to any writer who wonders aloud about improving their skills, but writer's groups are not open to newcomers, everyday, and good matches aren't always easy to stumble upon.  Camp NaNoWriMo an off-shoot of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) has sort of a writer's group appeal to it.  Cabins and cabin-mates are optional and can be created with friends or acquaintances.  They can also be filled with encouraging strangers.  It isn't necessary to join a cabin for the writer's group sort of attention, however, as each 'camper' has email notices, links to resources, the forum, and a Youtube channel with all sorts of information from camp counselors and guest speaking authors.  The goodies for winning often reveal many new resources in the Indie Publishing business.  This year's tips from the goodie bag to pass along to writer's who missed camp include:
The Author Marketing Club and Inked Voices

Inked Voices is a community that groups authors into online, writing groups.  The criteria for group finding is controllable by each writer in a multiple choice format to determine the writer's group 'match' for new members.  Writer's groups can also be shopped and changed after joining, so there is little risk in getting involved.  Also, there are structured writing critiques and many perks and extras for members.  There is a cost, per month.  One goodie from camp was a discount.

The Author Marketing Club boasts a membership of more than 25,000 authors.  The main perk, here, seems to be that it demystifies Kindle and Amazon, a bit, for independently published authors. Secrets the large publishers probably either know, or don't have to because of the amount of business they do with the top book-seller are revealed like a Review Grabber.  Amazon has scads of reviewers who actually have a page where they post their bios and email addresses, so indie authors can request reviews of their books.  That and a few tips on pricing and coding, insider valuables, that kind of thing.  This site also requires a monthly or annual fee be paid before the secrets are revealed.  Good to know, though, certainly.

Is NaNoWriMo a Terrible Way to Write a Book?

Maybe.  I don't know, but it has motivated hundreds of thousands of writers to actually become authors.  In otherwords, to not only write a book, but to market it, sell it, show up (somewhere!) about it, and maybe even read it out loud (with people in the room - gasp!).  If you are an introvert, their type of on-line marketing works to encourage even the most computer cubbied individual out into the cyber world with their own voice, writing, works, and even continue on to creating platforms and indie publishing.  Join up if you are extroverted, too.  There are always places for the socializing and friend listing to occur.  More NaNo's make friends within the month than even Facebook or Twitter.  Valuable peeps to know and work with along the way to published author are worth remembering, here, in this blog post and definitely at the end of this month when that (sometimes elusive) DONE button is to be pushed with the 50,000 words behind it.
Its not the worst way to write a novel.  Probably on a train.  Just guessing.

And... Done!!

Last night I went to pizza with my kid to celebrate my pushing of the Validate button; having just reached my Camp NaNoWriMo word count - at the table.  Here's why the post: that button is NOT easy to find.  Turns out, I actually didn't validate my word count - a necessary step to winning and finishing at camp as a victorious camper/writer.

If you have validated your words, without the banners to the right, here, showing up with a blue ribbon WINNER badge, you did not find the button either.  This morning, luckily, I checked the same website on my phone.  I had thought it quite uneventful last night - no badges, bells, or whistles. The little validate button is under the window that looks like a Boones Ferry sign-in box, or old ghost town window.  You have to scroll down - and even reduce the magnification of your screen content to see the button.

Now, I am a winner. Willow is ready for writing, as I was in the Pre-writing classification.

A Novel in a Month!

Most writers know about NaNoWriMo.  We even know what the acronym means! It stands for National Novel Writing Month - spelled out the long way. In its short version, it is an organization who encourages the act of writing a novel in just one month.  Since November is the official, national novel writing month, it is also the org's most attended event, and its held every November from All Saints Day (or Day of the Dead) through the midnight deadline of November 30th.  The orgs first time out boasted about 100 novels but now has over 500,000 novel writing members whom have gotten their novels done in one month with the group.
The famed New York times best sellers list has had several NaNoWriMo authors grace its list who still belong to NaNoWriMo.  Its a great way to get going and