Camp Care Package

Gloria Chao: The word count and the work.

Everyone’s process is different so listen to your gut: if you’re not feeling it today, it’s okay if you don’t hit your word count. Take a break, read, relax, and come back when you’re refreshed. You can make up for these days later when you’re more on a roll. And remember: it’s not about the number but the work you’ve put in, which sometimes can’t be easily quantified.

Gloria Chao: A prompt for writer's block.

What is the absolute worst thing that could happen to your character right now? Even if it doesn’t fit perfectly with where you are now, take a side road and write the scene where this awful thing happens and see where it takes you. Have fun with it! (If you can't think of any worst-case scenarios, try the extra writing challenge below.)

Gloria Chao: You can complete this journey.

I am proof that you can get published without having a writing degree, without a single connection in the business, and without knowing your whole life that you wanted to be an author. The things that helped me the most during my journey:
1. Reading different voices and narrative structures across many age categories and genres;
2. Rewriting, revising, reworking to develop my craft and learn rhythm, word choice, and structure; and
3. Taking breaks between rounds to be able to come back with fresh eyes.

Jessica Strawser: Bridge the gaps later.

If you can’t picture exactly what comes next in your story, but you do know what happens a little later on, just skip ahead. (This works even near the end, with multiple strings to tie up!) We’re all aiming for a cohesive beginning, middle, and finish, but no law says you have to do it in order. My first published novel was written out of sequence, and I doubt it would’ve come together any other way. I firmly believe the truest writing comes from penning whatever is most vivid to you in the moment; you can bridge the gaps later.

Jessica Strawser: Remember how stories are written.

Some writers stop reading others’ work while in the throes of a big project, but I never do. Even a few nightly pages before I shut off the light can remind me of how stories are written: one scene leading to the next, with not every sentence an exercise in perfection. More important, they remind me of why I write—of an imagined world’s power to make a reader feel. If you've sacrificed your reading time to complete this challenge, pick it up again now. Even 5 minutes can ground you in what it is we’re all trying to do.

Jessica Strawser: Get recharged.

Though there’s a lot to be said for keeping your butt in the chair, it’s also true that the recharged and ready you is a better writer than the exhausted and frustrated you. When you find yourself forcing things, try something novel: Stop. Take a walk, a shower, a drive. I’m stubborn about not doing this—it can feel like admitting defeat—but when I take these little reprieves, I almost always curse myself… for not having done it sooner. This is when whatever was tripping you up—whether the twist for the next scene, or the fix for the last one—will come.

Jessica Strawser: Insecurity is good!

I once had the privilege of interviewing Patricia Cornwell—who was adamant that insecurity can be good for a writer. “I’ll be honest,” she said. “When somebody has written their first novel and they tell me how fantastic it is, I know it’s probably not very good. It’s usually the person who says, ‘I’m not sure what I think…’ and then you look at the thing and go, ‘Now that is really special.’ So it’s not bad to be a little insecure. It makes you work harder and pay attention.” When I’m pushing through a draft and that hopeless feeling creeps in, I remember this. Feeling uncertain could be a sign of real magic! You’ll never know if you don’t see it through.

Jessica Strawser: Your writing matters.

If there’s one thing I learned in my time at Writer’s Digest, it’s this: What you’re doing right now matters. Maybe it’s nourishing your soul in some essential way. Maybe it’s preparing you for a challenge you haven’t yet faced. Maybe the words you’re second-guessing right now are precisely the ones a reader somewhere is longing for—whether that’s in the form of an answered question or simply a needed distraction from a hard day. If you feel called to the page, trust that it’s for good reason. And if anyone tries to shake your faith in that? Resist.