Author Ran Walker is your Camp Counselor this week. Find all Camp Care Packages in Breaking News throughout the month of April, or learn more about Camp NaNoWriMo!

1) Write the story the best way you know how: 

There have been times when I have repeatedly restarted a project. Why? It didn’t feel as perfect as I had imagined it would be. Well, the reality is that the two will rarely be identical. Write that “perfect” story the best way you know how, and be okay with the differences between the real and the ideal. Over time, I have come to realize that you have to love the version of the story you write, with all of its imperfections. Maybe you will edit it closer to that ideal. Maybe not. But cherish the story - because it comes from you.

2) Switch it up to unblock yourself:

If you find yourself mired in writer’s block, try this on for size: temporarily change the tools with which you write. For example, if you are typing your manuscript on a laptop, you might want to pick up a notebook and pen. Each mode of writing accesses a different part of the brain, and you may find that you write (and think about your story) differently when you change the writing tools you use. 

Writing Dare: Switch your writing tool, set a timer for 10 minutes (or 30! or 60!) and write without stopping. See how it feels to be using a different part of your body and mind.

Ran Walker is the author of twenty-one books and is the winner of the 2019 Indie Author of the Year and 2019 BCALA Fiction Ebook Awards. He has taught at various workshops around the country, including the Writer Digest Conferences in both New York and LA. He currently serves on the faculty of Hampton University, where he teaches creative writing. He lives with his wife, Lauren, and daughter, Zoë, in Virginia and can be reached via his website, ranwalker.com.

What's up at Camp?

• You can now officially classify your Camp project as a musical! If you want to learn more about writing a musical, watch our Q&A webcast with your musical Camp Counselors.

• Join our Virtual Write-In today, 1 PM PST (Your Time Zone) to get a jumpstart on your Camp project and write with other Wrimos from around the world.

• Need more support with plot, characters, or world-building? Check out our Young Novelist Workbooks or NaNo Prep 101 Workbook!