Author Mia P. Manansala is your Camp Counselor this week. Find all Camp Care Packages in Breaking News throughout the month of July, or learn more about Camp NaNoWriMo!

1) Find your people:

My number one piece of advice to up-and-coming writers is to build your community and build it early. Writing can often feel like such a lonely, isolating endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. Find the people who will push you, uplift you, and create a safe space to vent/celebrate. I wouldn’t be where I am now without my various communities, and if nothing else, get yourself a DM buddy!

2) Read widely and deeply:

Read a mix of older works (so you know what’s come before you) as well as books released within the last few years so you have a good idea of what the market is like now. Reading, appreciating, and dissecting what’s already out there has helped me more than any writing class or craft book.

Writing Dare: Write a scene between your main character and their best friend. What's their dynamic together? What do they talk about? What do they have in common, and how are they different?

What's up at Camp?

• Camp NaNoWriMo Virtual Write-In — Wednesday, July 13, 10:00 PM PDT (Your Time Zone) Make progress on your Camp NaNoWriMo project! During this hour-long livestream, we'll share a few writing prompts to help you brainstorm ideas, and you can chat with other Camp NaNo writers.
  

• Writers of Color Virtual Write-In — Saturday, July 16, 8:00 AM PDT (Your Time Zone) Write and chat with fellow Wrimos at a virtual write-in for writers of color in the NaNo community, hosted by writer and experienced VWI host Aditi Shrivastava. 
  

• Try something new this Camp — focus on world-building! The world of your story can determine what kinds of challenges your characters face, and can reveal so much about the things you want to explore with your writing. Check out our World-building page for more how-to resources!