Camp Nano Spotlight: XRoryX

Well, we’re up to X in the A to Z Blogging Challenge, and this is typically one of the hardest letters to find a topic for, so I’m very grateful to XRoryX for responding to my call for Camp Nanowrimo writers to interview. And really big congrats to XRoryX (aka Sarah) for a really great Camp word count: according to her stats page  it looks like she reached her 50k goal on April 16th, and she’s currently at something like 60,775! Way to go Sarah. Let’s go to the interview.

How did you find out about Camp Nanowrimo?
In 2010 I participated in my first November NaNo, it was so much fun and I loved the forums so much I couldn’t bring myself to leave. I don’t remember when they first announced Camp NaNo, but because I was around the forums I heard about it and thought it sounded fun. I’m less busy in the summer so I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal trying it. Strangely enough I actually felt November was easier even though I was busier, but I still enjoyed it. I worried that if I did too many novels in a month, I’d lose the excitement or something, but I haven’t. If anything, it just gives me more experience writing, and more rough drafts to inwardly weep about due to their ridiculousness.

I knew they were hosting Camp again this year due to a forum post. Plus I sort of assumed they would since they had for the past two years. The months were a bit of a mystery seeing as they keep changing every year though. When I learned it was in April, there was a bit of a panic there, but I decided to try it. Ever since I started NaNo, I’ve done every Camp and every November NaNo offered. I love writing and NaNo is just the motivation I need to finish.

Have you participated in Camp Nano before? If so, would you call it a success?
Yes I have, four times. I think anytime I write anything it’s a success. But I did win all four of them, so I guess I’d consider them a success. I haven’t done anything with my past NaNo novels, there’s a couple that I think have potential if I go back and really work on them. I just don’t think editing is as fun as the chaos and excitement of that wildly written first draft, so I have the habit kicking my feet in that area. All my NaNo rough drafts come out as dreadfully embarrassing messes which make them even harder to edit, but I still consider their existence to be success all the same.

Do you know what you’re going to write this year?
Yes, sort of. I’m a wannabe planner, but a pantser at heart. One thing for sure is that I have to know character names, setting, genre, title, and premise. All the plot details are made up on the spot. So I know the general idea of what I’m going to write. I don’t really have a plot yet, I’m hoping I’ll discover that along the way. Almost all my previous NaNo’s have been in the Horror and Supernatural category so this year I’m writing a Fantasy. That was the first thing I decided. From there I got a vague idea that included fairies, and then paintings as a gateway. The idea is still very much just that, pretty hazy and not pieced together, but I prefer my ideas to be flexible since so much changes once I start writing. I’ve learned I just can’t outline. I’ve made myself in the past and then didn’t even use it. Nothing ever goes the way I think it will once I start writing. So yes, in my mind, I know what I’m doing to write this year, but knowing my novel, it’s going to have a different plan that it hasn’t shared with me yet.

What’s your favorite part of your Camp project?