We are almost at the end of the month of June, which means that July’s Camp NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. I am actually super excited this time round, and I am feeling ready. I have decided, rather last minute, that I will be working on my YA contemporary; Project Different.

Let’s be real, I don’t actually have to pack for Camp NaNoWriMo, as I am sure I won’t be leaving my house very often, however, I do want to let you know what I will be using, and what I think makes my “essentials” list for winning Camp NaNo. Whether you are writing, editing, who knows what, I feel like this list works.

Writing Material of course, you can’t really start without writing material, whether that is your laptop, or a pen and paper, whatever you choose to use. Along with this comes various charging materials you may need, colourful pens for jotting down ideas, etc. Snacks and Beverages I cannot get through a good writing session without at least 5 cups of tea, and a crunchy snack (usually some biscuits to go with my tea). This is definitely one that will be different for everyone, but do make sure to stay sustained over the month. A Book I like to make sure I have two types of book on hand. Firstly, my current read. I like to make sure this is different from the genre that I am writing, so since my project is YA contemporary, I will likely be reading Fantasy – I am thinking The Lord of the Rings. The second type of book that I like to have on hand is a “writing-advice” book, for instance I’ll be using Save The Cat Writes A Novel. an organised desk space / designated writing area I know some people like writing anywhere, and I know that a good percentage of my writing will not take place at my desk, but I do think that having a designated writing space is helpful for days when it is a little bit harder to get the words out. other optional things: a bag – to carry everything if you decide to go out to do some writing

mood music – I like to make personal playlists for each of my writing projects to help me when writing

research – if you know you are writing about a murder, research the facts first, if you know you are writing about a historical event, research first – that way you know that you are less likely to waste time during Camp NaNoWriMo researching when you could be writing

Do let me know if you have any essentials for Camp NaNoWriMo, and if you are participating this July, best of luck to you all!