Week 2: Camp NaNoWriMo – Critique Partner

Joynell Schultz, , ,

CNW_Participant[1]

I just finished Week #2 of Camp NaNoWriMo and things are smooth sailing.  I’ve finished 28,100 words of my 31,000 words goal.

On GoodReads, I stumbled upon an ad for a critique partner. A fellow writer was looking for a partner to read each chapter of her novel as she finishes it (Work in Progress). What pulled me in was her characters were similar to mine for this Camp Nano. I jumped at the opportunity to have some feedback on the novel as I wrote it.

This is an entirely new concept for me. I’ve never shared a work in progress before. My first drafts… Or rather, draft zero, is typically terrible. A complete embarrassment that I won’t even show to my mother. Maybe this one is too, but I’m still sharing it and using the feedback to make it better. I believe that when I get to the end, I’ll have the best first draft I’ve ever written.

My palms sweat and my heart flutters before I share each chapter – both from fear and from excitement. I really like having feedback on the plot before I write a 50K+ novel and have to rework the whole thing.

Plus it keeps me going. I don’t think I’d be 28K into the novel already if I didn’t have someone eagerly waiting to read my next chapter. So even if it’s not perfect, I still click “share”.

We’ve been using Google Docs, and I’m really enjoying this program for critique partner/feedback. It handles comments really well and you can go in and see exactly what your partner changed in their story based on your feedback.

How is your project going, and what have you been doing to stay motivated?

22 Comments

  1. I’m using the Camp to finish a novel that I had begun previously. I’m one to two days from the end. But I set a word count goal for the month of 20,000, and my novel is likely to end around 18,000 — so I might call myself a winner without reaching my number!

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    1. I think you have every right to be a winner at 18K! Finishing your novel is so exciting, and who knows, by the end of the month you may have added in a few extra thousand words of details anyway. Thanks for commenting!

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    1. I probably read each chapter three times or so before I send it off to my critique partner, so it’s not quite as rough as my typical first drafts. The only thing I see so far is I discover things while I write that are important and I add the details into earlier chapters — which my critique partner ends up not knowing. (Though I tell her if it is important to the overall plot.). I’m about half-way done with the novel now and we’re getting to the hardest part to write, so we’ll see. Thanks for the comment and reading my post!

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  3. I’m a Camper too. And I joined a local writers critique group. My first 15 pages of my November Nanowrimo novel are in their hands this week. And I’ve already discovered I like critiques.

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    1. I’m so jealous you have a local writer critique group! I think I’d be nervous getting face to face feedback… I admire you for doing this. I hope you get some fantastic feedback that makes your novel shine!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by and the comment! How many betas are you using for your WIP? How long do you think it will take for them to get through it? I’m curious if my experience is similar to others. Thanks!

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  5. Very brave of you!! My first novel and the sales magnet for it are out for their official beta review in a week or so with my editor. The second novel in the series is at 80k words and by hook or by crook I will finish it this weekend. After that, who knows… might try a short story or dive right into book three.

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    1. I wish you success in finishing the second novel in your series this weekend! I’d like to hear how that goes. Short stories are a fun break, but if you still have momentum and drive, it would probably be nice to pound out book 3. :-). Thanks for taking time to read and comment on my post.

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  6. That is great motivation: an actual awaiting reader. This is my first Nano foray, and I’ve only gotten 5k words. (Every time I attempt a write-in someone at work wants something. Probably because I am at work.) However, I am proud of the level of writing I’m doing so far and of how much I do have. When you are your only motivation to meet a goal, sometimes it’s easier to program your DVR.

    Is she a cabin mate?

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      1. My goal for this NaNo is 30k. I know now I don’t think I will make it, but I didn’t change it in time, so we’ll see! What about you?

        I like the Write-Ins. They usually happen while I can’t really participate with sound, but they are good for helping me get some plot points into my character-development driven story.

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        1. Are you at 30K yet? I haven’t tried a write-in yet. I’ll have to try them for November’s NaNoWriMo. As for July’s Camp, I’m done! I’m well over my goal and it makes me happy! (Though my story’s not done yet.)

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  8. Fun! That sounds like it would definitely be motivating, and I may have to try that sometime. It looks like you’re really close to reaching your goal–good job, that’s awesome!

    My Camp project…heh…well, let’s just say I’m a little behind. Usually my best way to stay motivated is to set daily goals for myself and then try to accomplish that! It works pretty well for me.

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      1. Haha, wow that is amazing! I have written 10K in a day, although it was strenuous. And no, I didn’t catch up on Camp, but that’s okay. I’m planning on finishing it up this first and second weeks of August.

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