2019 July Camp NaNo Prep and Notes on Lake Havesu

I spent two hours making these Camp NaNo Mason Jar salads this evening. Later I’ll make two jars of fridge oatmeal. If the writing goes well, I hope to convert bags of pluots and apricots into freezer jam.

After finishing a YA contemporary first draft last weekend, I worked this past week on Udemy’s Nina Farrington’s class Outline a Romance Novel Fast. After four lessons, she recommends doing a 15,000 word discovery of the first stage. I’m at 3K now. I’m liking this new novel, a sweet, espionage romance set in California.

I’m in a cabin at Camp NaNo! It all starts tomorrow, July 1st.

For those who keep asking, yes, I made some progress on my third Deluded Detective novella. Here’s a link to the first one if you’re wondering what I’m talking about.

In May, I went to Lake Havesu with my family and two dogs. We stayed in a four bedroom VRBO near the London Bridge. It had a pool and a pool table. We took the dogs to the lake for swimming, enjoyed shaved ice, and even attended an art exhibit at the tourist information center. Partly hidden behind my mason jar salads above is a sample of Irene J. Schultz’s work.

The weather was delightful and I enjoyed the desert landscape. Another highlight was taking the ferry from east shore to west shore and back again. Or was it the other way around?

These past few months I chewed through more classes at Master Class. I enjoyed or am taking instruction from astronaut Chris Hadfield, violinist Itzhak Perlman, country singer Reba McEntire, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, television writer Shonda Rhimes, writer James Patterson, storyteller Neil Gaiman, conservationist Jane Goodall, economist Paul Krugman, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and food philosopher Alice Waters. I’m getting my money’s worth with an annual all access pass!

Questions? Share if you’re attending Camp NaNo. Please leave your favorite Camp NaNo recipes and prep plans here!

Happy noveling, Michelle