USA :: California :: Sacramento

[sticky by request] Sactown dares!

katster — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:53:29 +0000

Put your Sactown dares here!

I'll start with:

Include Andros' imaginary friend in your novel.

-kat

[Edit: Stickied. Please feel free to add your own to this thread.]
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Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon

USA :: California :: Sacramento

[sticky] Virtual Write-In and the #sacnano IRC channel

katster — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:47:27 +0000

[Edited to add a Chatzilla FAQ and a link to connect to the channel from Chatzilla.]

Yeah, we're going to try to use some of that new-fangled internet technology to have ourselves a virtual write-in. It'll be held on our regional IRC channel. I hear you asking me how you would get to such a thing, and never fear, I am here to offer some solutions!

For those who know what IRC is and how to get on it, the channel is #sacnano and the server is irc.goodchatting.com.

If you don't know what IRC is, well, there's a couple options to get you on. The easiest would be to access the server via the Java web client, which you can find here: http://www.goodchatting.com/rooms/sacnano.php. Please set a name in the box in the bottom right corner.

If you want an actual client, I'm hearing good things about Chatzilla, an IRC plugin for Firefox. It seems to work for several of our users. Here's a good FAQ on how to use Chatzilla. After you have installed chatzilla, you should be able to access the IRC channel from that link.

If you're on Windows, another option is mIRC. Here's a good guide on using mIRC written by the person who runs the server where our channel is hosted. (She shows how to get into the main #nanowrimo channel, but if you replace #nanowrimo with #sacnano, you'll find us.)

There are of course many other options. If you're having problems, post to this thread or find me, and I'll see what I can do to help.

Our virtual write-in will be 8-11 PM on Wednesdays, but if you want to drop by any time, there's usually a few users in the channel. Feel free to come say hi!

-kat
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Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Attention Bay Area Wrimos!

Tavia Stewart — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:14:34 +0000

We wanted to make sure you all knew about the third-annual NaNoWriMo Night of Writing Dangerously Write-a-thon. This noir-themed noveling event will be held from 5 PM to 11 PM on Sunday, November 22 at the beautiful Julia Morgan Ballroom in downtown San Francisco!

All you need to do to raise $200 in sponsorships through GiftTool from family and/or friends by November 18. And if you raise $300 or more you can bring a guest!

Not only is this a great chance for us to see the faces of those who support us, but all proceeds from the evening make our programs possible, including the classroom-based Young Writers Program. Come show your support this year by helping us reach our $25,000 fundraising goal! The more money you raise, the more tickets you'll get for our prize raffle. Plus, the top fundraisers will walk home with one of our grand prizes. Check out our Night of Writing Dangerously Write-A-Thon 2009 page to find out what this year’s grand prizes include.

Don’t miss your chance to come write with us for six hours surrounded by San Francisco’s city lights and 200 fellow NaNo-novelists typing frantically alongside you!

Already shopping for my Noir costume,

Tavia Stewart-Streit
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USA :: California :: Sacramento

[sticky - ew] Le Grand Write-In Calendar

underpope — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:07:10 +0000

Below are the days and times of the various write-ins that will be happening in Sacramento and the surrounding regions. Please let me know if there are changes or updates or if I've just gotten something wrong. But do so gently.

Sacramento

Sundays, 2:30 p.m. Naked Coffee, 1111 H Street
Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. Temple Coffee on S Street (near Natural Foods Coop)
Thursdays, 7:00 p.m. Tupelo Cafe on 56th Street, near H
Saturdays, 3:00 p.m. the Fox & Goose, 1001 R Street

There will also be a write-in at the Del Rio Cafe in Old Sacramento, but the details of that have not been finalized.

Davis

Sundays, 2:00 p.m., Cloud Forest Cafe, 222 D Street
Wednesdays, 6:00 p.m., Crepeville, on the corner of 3rd and C.
Fridays, 6:00 p.m., 3rd & U Cafe, on the corner of 3rd and University Avenue

Nevada City

Fridays, 6:00 p.m., Cafe Mekka in downtown Nevada City

Folsom

Fridays, 6:00, It's a Grind, 2770 E. Bidwell

Roseville

Saturdays, 6:30, Panera Bread, 916 Pleasant Grove Blvd

Carmichael

Fridays, noon, Boulevard Coffee, 7901 Fair Oaks Boulevard

Online

Wednesday, 8:00 to 11:00 p.m., #sacnano channel on irc.goodchatting.com (see Kat's post for instructions)

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Richard Crawford, Sacramento Region Co-ML
Code Monkey by Day, Word Monkey by Night
http://www.mossroot.com/codemonkey

USA :: California :: Sacramento

[sticky] The Great Write-In Planning Thread

katster — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:37:03 +0000

So, to keep ourselves straight as to who are planning what write-ins where, I'm keeping this post with links to different threads on write-ins, so that I can be efficient at making sure they get on the Big Board. I'll put them here as I see them bubble up on the forum, and I'll link this post to the header.

Richard and I are setting up write-ins, but we can't set them up everywhere. We are only two people, and NaNo HQ hasn't finished the superhero modifications they've been planning for years now. So we need your help! Want a write-in in your area? Start a thread for it!

It is much more awesome if you make a thread for your write-ins as opposed to planning them out under this post.

The threads are as follows:
Carmichael/Citrus Heights/FairOaks/Orangevale Write-ins
Davis Write-Ins -- several, see thread.
Elk Grove Write-In
Folsom Write-In -- probably Fridays at It's A Grind on East Bidwell.
Nevada City/Grass Valley/Penn Valley Write-Ins!
Roseville Write-In -- probably Saturdays at Panera Bread on Pleasant Grove.
Sacramento Write-In

Monday Write-in

As we get more, I'll put them here. You can find this post by clicking the Regional Info tab on the header.

[Last updated 10/14/2009: Added Nevada City, etc. write-in thread, Carmichael write-in thread, and added possible places]
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Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Winner's Circle - 50k

tama — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:35:13 +0000

Here's where people shout out when they've completed the 50,000 words!

I hit 50k this evening! Yeah! In ten days!

Too bad the novel isn't done, so I will keep writing and see how many words I can get in the month.

But now, I'm going to go get some food and then go to bed. ( I think I'm getting a cold)

I'll continued on tomorrow!

Good luck everyone!

Go for the win!

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---------------------------------------------
"Try to be one of those people on whom nothing is lost." Henry James
Too bad I have such a bad memory!

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Writing Distractions

confusedLilly — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:45:06 +0000

Besides the Procrastination Station and random blogging, I was wondering what every one does when they're procrastinating. I usually add more songs to my writing playlist, browse books and add some to my reading list, search for add-ons that will make research easier (hah!), and browse over random facts about other countries (telling myself that it's all for the sake of later works, heh). I know a certain some one who buys things on eBay O.o
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I write because the world must know these following phrases the way I do:
Piranha Kitten
The Noys
Sand Fleeter
Devion Guide
PROT Guide
Dabble Quencher
Fat Mouse
The Anti-Muse
Devious
and others...

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Word War Updates

katster — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:38:56 +0000

If I've done this right, this should crosspost among all three regional forums that are in a semi-unofficial war with one another. Finland, meet Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, meet Finland. Both of you, meet Sacramento. :)

Basic rules here is the regional average divided by the number of participants. The region that wins gets the warm and fuzzy bragging rights [nearly wrote "writes" there, heh] and the losing regions gets to stew in the cold harsh fact that they weren't good enough to win. (And who knows. There may be more awesome prizes, if we can be bothered to come up with any.)

Anyway, the tale of the tape under the regional tab seems to be that on this, the fifth day of November, the head of our leaderboard goes to....*drum roll please*

FINLAND!

Yes, those plucky Finns are out in front, having a large (but possibly not insurmountable) lead.

Here are the standings:

Finland -- 425 Wrimos in this region (active and homed) - 42% are new. Wrimos in this region have written 2,022,416 words (5,879 per Wrimo with wordcount) [89th overall in words per wrimo]
Sacramento -- 470 Wrimos in this region (active and homed) - 45% are new. Wrimos in this region have written 1,526,457 words (5,088 per Wrimo with wordcount) [229th overall in words per wrimo]
Pittsburgh -- 422 Wrimos in this region (active and homed) - 40% are new. Wrimos in this region have written 1,303,952 words (4,690 per Wrimo with wordcount) [341th overall in words per wrimo]

Or shorter version, with the important numbers:

Finland: 5,879 words per Wrimo
Sacramento: 5,088 words per Wrimo
Pittsburgh: 4,690 words per Wrimo

May this inspire you all to newer and higher wordcounts.

I'll be back on the 10th for a status update.

-kat
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Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon

USA :: Pennsylvania :: Pittsburgh

Sac State Meets!

felinius — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:17:47 +0000

Hey everyone who lives near Sac State / goes to Sac State!
This is a little different from the college thread because it'd be nice to have a meet up specifically at CSUS. :)

Here's some possible meet-up spots on campus:
- Union (2nd floor or 3rd floor?)
- AIRC 1st floor for the whiteboard!
- Riverfront Hall (if you don't know, it's right next to Mendocino Hall and has the Crepe place)

Peak times tend to be around M/T/W/TH from 10AM-2PM, so I'm not sure if we'd want to meet during these times.
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Military Sci-Fi (click banner!)
Times written during class: 2
Times dreamed about: 4
Missions Failed: 0

USA :: California :: Sacramento

TGIO Party!

underpope — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:15:15 +0000

Our local TGIO party is scheduled for Saturday, December 5, at 2:00 in the afternoon. Unfortunately, we seem to have hit a snag with regards to a venue. Can anybody suggest any place, or does anyone have any connections we can take advantage of?
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Richard Crawford, Sacramento Region Co-ML
Code Monkey by Day, Word Monkey by Night
http://www.mossroot.com/codemonkey

USA :: California :: Sacramento

The Eve of Scrawling Alarmingly [Part-ay!]

Eyum — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:21:24 +0000

Hi, my name is Annie and because most of us will not be allowed to attend the Night of Writing Dangerously in San Fran, we're having our own! We call it The Eve of Scrawling Alarmingly, (ESA for short). Bring your laptops, notebooks and pens, parchment and quills - whatever you use to scribe - along with ideas and snacks to share! We have wireless internet, for those with laptops, and a ridiculously huge table, so seating wont be a problem. Also, we have plenty of writing utensils, so if you should happen to forget or misplace yours, we've got you covered (unlike Pepto).

Who: Sacramento Region WriMos!

What: The Eve of Scrawling Alarmingly!

When: Saturday, November 21st, 2009
6PM-10PM

Where: My house in Folsom!
604 Cordillera Ct.
Folsom, CA 95630

Why: Because we can

How: Again, because we can

If you happen to get lost trying to find my house, you can call my cell at 916-934-8990 - ask for Annie. You can RSVP on this page so I have an idea of how many to expect :D

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I like to beat Writer's Block in the head with a fire extinguisher!
“...didn’t anyone ever teach you how to tell a proper lie? I know you’re probably hoping I’ll just give up and kill you, but you’ll find that I’m a very stubborn sort of man.” -Jorbayn

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Tips for Thanksgiving with the relatives

tama — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:10:36 +0000

Last year, my mother made me promise to be done with my novel before Thanksgiving. This added more stress to the process, but I was able to finish the novel in 23 days.

But this year will be different. I’m going to keep on writing through the holiday. The two years before last year, I also attempted to write while at my grandmother’s in Portland. I failed a bit in getting much written, but maybe I can pass on some things you can do to keep writing even with relatives as distractions and hinderances.

This is for those who are behind and will be hounded into family gatherings for the four-day weekend.

1. Get up early or stay up late - I found that waking up early, before dawn preferably if you have early rising relatives, allowed me time to write while they used the shower or puttered around the kitchen in search of food. One year, I got up when my grandmother put in the turkey. This was at six and I got an hour’s worth of writing done before other people began to emerge. The same goes for staying up after everyone else is tired from too much food and company. It’ll be quiet and you should be able to get some writing done.

2. Get out of the house - Steal a car! Find a bicycle! Something to get you out of everyone’s eye sight. Getting up early worked for me, but what I did wrong was sit at the dining room table where my grandmother could talk to me. This year I’m planning to get out of the house if I can get #3 to consent to this plan.

3. Find an ally - Find someone to distract the others when you disappear. Enlist them to leave the keys to the car where you can find them and take off. Have them tell the relatives that you’re in the bathroom or running an errand for them. Anything to deflect that you left with your computer or notepad.

4. Be sneaking - Have your computer set and ready in a bedroom and then run in and write for short ten or fifteen minute spurts. This works for me because when my family sees the computer, they start saying to each other that I’m bored and we need to find some activity to do as a family. Hide your writing if it’s not accepted. If you’re only missing for a few minutes, they can’t get mad at you.

Hopefully some of these will help. If anyone has more to add, I welcome more ideas. I do have to see the relatives this holiday weekend :)

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---------------------------------------------
"Try to be one of those people on whom nothing is lost." Henry James
Too bad I have such a bad memory!

USA :: California :: Sacramento

In the right Region???

Tamakaro Makezai — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:38:52 +0000

Ok... I don't know if people from West Sacramento can come here or if people consider us part of Sacramento but here it goes... Hello... I'm Tamakaro Makezai.
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Nephew - http://dragcave.net/user/Maka%20Albarn
Cousin Male - http://dragcave.net/user/Fighting%20Fefnir
Cousin Female - http://dragcave.net/user/SnowRabbit916
Mine - http://dragcave.net/user/Tamakaro

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Hello

sesquipedalian2B — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:32:43 +0000

Hello. I'm new, and this is my first NaNoWriMo. So far I've been anticipating week two and three fatigue, so while I'm still giddy I'm writing more than I need. I'm a younger teenager, and my no means average. I'm not at all popular or stylish or anything, but I like theater, languages and textile crafts and, of course, writing.

I'm in Davis. Who else is?

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J'ecris, donc je suis.

USA :: California :: Sacramento

I Really Want A Year-Round NaNo!

confusedLilly — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:13:15 +0000

Did every one get the e-mail about the all-day online fundraising drive on Tuesday the 24'th? Apparently, NaNoWriMo is trying to raise $100,000 on that one day. At the top of the e-mail, Chris says that NaNo is hosting over 200,000 novelists. That means that if every single NaNoer would donate just fifty cents that day, we'd reach the $100,000 goal. If every NaNoer donated only $1, we'd double that to $200,000! I promise to donate my dollar if every one else does. Lol. Hm, year-round NaNoWriMo O.o ooo ahhh
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I write because the world must know these following phrases the way I do:
Piranha Kitten
The Noys
Sand Fleeter
Devion Guide
PROT Guide
Dabble Quencher
Fat Mouse
The Anti-Muse
Devious
and others...

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Week three slump

sesquipedalian2B — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:27:02 +0000

I have now officially encountered my week three writing fatigue. And it's not helpful that this has been a long yet crazily busy week. As well as confusing.

Tuesday felt like Friday. So did Wednesday. Today felt like a weekend, but I had to get up and go to school anyways, and I still have another day of school to get through before vacation and...dum dum dum... writing 2,500 words a day because I am way behind. Along with turkey, though, which won't be so bad.

Who else is behind? Or having a bad week? Or has hit a point of writing fatigue? or more than one of those?
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J'ecris, donc je suis.

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Night of Writing Dangerously (final headcount)

katster — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:35:04 +0000

So who made the donation requirements to go to the NoWD? Since the window closed yesterday, I figured I'd start the count and help coordinate rides where needed.

Besides, want to make sure the Sactown contingent represents, y'know?

So who's going, who needs rides, who's got space?

I somehow made the requirements; I think I'm carpooling over with underpope and his wife, but that's not set in stone. So count me on the list as possibly needing a ride.

-kat
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Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Folsom (Nov 20) and Roseville (Nov 21) write-ins

katster — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:50:21 +0000

Okay, Roseville's faster, so I'll start there. I'm going to be at the party (Eve of Scrawling Alarmingly) is Saturday, so I will not be at the Roseville write-in. If folks want to get together and write at Panera, I'm cool with that. I just won't be there this week. We'll be back for the last Saturday in November.

As for Folsom, I'm going to run out the string on It's a Grind for this year and then re-evaluate for next year. I looked at the pizza place, but I hesitate for two reasons -- one, big screen TV, so if there's an important game on Friday evening, we could be competing for space, and two, it's noisy between the TV and the music. Not exactly the most conductive place for writing. [Also, I'll be a bit late again on Friday, but I'll be there before 8.]

Any thoughts on either of these, go ahead and leave them here.

-kat
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Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Woodland Write-in??

KellyinCA — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:13:20 +0000

Okay Woodlanders, how about a write in this week in OUR town? For a city with 3 Starbucks, 2 Dutch Brothers and something in every grocery store surely we can find a place to write!

Just tossing out the first "how about" for Starbucks on the corner of Main and Pioneer - next to the Wendy's/Taco Bell - some night this week? They're open until 9pm and have more seating than the other two Starbucks.

Thoughts?
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"How come the words we write for others are so much better than the words we write for ourselves?" ~Finding Forrester

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Carmichael/Citrus Heights/FairOaks/Orangevale Write-ins

kbrigan — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:57:57 +0000

Because somebody had to type it. How about a Furlough Friday lunch/afternoon somewhere in da burbs?
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USA :: California :: Sacramento

New online timer

SacBill — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:23:57 +0000

I've been having some success with using an online timer called eggtimer that I wanted to share. It's helped me to focus on just the writing and not stopping every two minutes with a distraction (e.g., checking my word count). The website is www.e.ggtimer.com and you just give it a time limit you want to work with, then it counts down to finish.

Tip: you can write the length of time you want into the URL, and the timer will kick off. For example if you want 15 minutes, just type "e.ggtimer.com/15minutes" into your URL address bar and it will start the timer. That's how I use it. I start the timer then get to writing. When the timer's up, I save my work, do a word count, then hit 'refresh' on the webpage and start a new 15 minute count.

One warning, though. If you're listening to music on your PC while using this, you will be SHOCKED at the volume of the 'time's up' notice. You might want to use it without headphones or just go for the visual notice. (Bouncing Firefox icon on Mac, small splash screen on Windows).

Bill
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USA :: California :: Sacramento

Elk Grove write in?

Weeks Marta — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:53:05 +0000

Anyone interested in getting together in Elk Grove?
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Marta Weeks

USA :: California :: Sacramento

Davis write-ins

inkedbuddha — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:59:02 +0000

Ok, I'm going to make some executive suggestions and we can adjust from there.

1. Sunday write-ins 2 pm at Cloud Forest Cafe, 222 D Street. They have long hours on Sunday (unlike a lot of places), and I'm told they have wifi. :)

2. Wednesday write-ins, 6 pm, Crepeville, 3rd and C. They have never bothered us about staying long hours writing, and they have good food, wifi, and plenty of outlets. Farmer's Market Wednesday nights ends at Halloween, so no problem with big Wed crowds.

3. Friday write-ins, 6 pm, 3rd and U Cafe, 3rd and University Ave. This is a new one for us, and can shift it if it doesn't work, but on Fridays they have bottomless fries, so I feel like that is reason enough to go there. ;)

Anyone want to offer different suggestions, or additional write-ins?

Tara
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USA :: California :: Sacramento

Run To Feed the Hungry?

SuperDonald — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:39:03 +0000

So, this is not really about writing, but is anyone willing to do a NaNoWriMo team for Run to Feed the Hungry. You do not actually have to run, and it is really fun. If anyone is interested. I know it is next week, but I just thought about it today and I think it is a cool idea because I have not met any other NaNovelists around the area. So, what do you guys think?
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"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

USA :: California :: Sacramento

The 11k Challenge!

katster — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:14:50 +0000

Normally, Veterans Day falls over a three day weekend holiday. Of course, this year, it had to fall on a Wednesday. A Wednesday, I say! What's so special about Veterans Day that it can't be observed, like all the rest of our holidays except Independence Day? (Well, okay, I suppose we don't observe Christmas/New Year's either, but still...) Also, when the heck did we start getting Veterans Day? When I was in college, we went from Labor Day to Turkey Day, and liked it!

*coughs* Oops, got carried away. Sorry about that.

Anyway, normally we do the 11k challenge over Veterans Day weekend. That is, take the three days (Saturday, Sunday, and whichever day Veterans Day falls on) and write 11k over that three day span. (it works out to about 3667 words per day -- two thousand more than the minimum.) It's 11k for Veterans Day, which falls on 11/11.

But since Veterans Day fell on a Wednesday this year, there is no happy three day holiday to make things all clean and shiny. This has never stopped Sacramento before, though. I'm declaring the coming weekend Veterans Day weekend and making it the weekend of the 11k challenge.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to pick three continuous days from the coming weekend (FrSaSu or SaSuMo) and write 11k over the course of the three day period.

A lot of people like to do it, especially if they're behind. They find it gives them a nice swift kick in the pants to get moving. It also gets them 6k more words than a standard three-day period.

So who's with me?
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Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon