Canada :: Alberta :: Elsewhere

All right, Wrimosaurs! Last day!! If you're sprinting for the finish line, give it everything you've got. You can always sleep Saturday.

GO! GO! GO!!!

OK, this is the downhill sprint. Nano ends one week from today. If you're close, make that extra push. It's worth it!

If you're not close, but you don't want to give up on the 50K, it's still possible. Check out my post on "Struggling with Word count."

If you're not close and don't think you can reach it at all, do the sprint anyway, and get as far as you can. However many words you write this week are words you would not have written without Nano and without this final sprint. Go for the double digits! Or go for the next round 10,000 (i.e. 20K, 30K, etc., depending on where you are).

Just a quick note: today is Donation Day. Nanowrimo is run entirely on donations and volunteer hours. If Nano has been of value to you, please consider giving back whatever you can.

(AND! There are prizes! Including two Kindles to be given away!)

To donate, just click "Donate" on the far right of your menu bar.

Today is Backup Your Novel Day! Don't fail this important task -- I say this as someone who lost an entire draft once when a hard drive failed.

Aaaanndd so it begins. The frantic race to 50K.

Try to hit 2,000 a day, just in case. But don't panic if you fall behind: Word Wars are a great way to catch up, and we'll be doing them in the chatroom every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m.

Look also for local events in your community's thread. And let me know via Nanomail if you want anything added to the regional calendar.

Good luck!

Join us for a Virtual Kickoff Party/Countdown to Midnight from 10 p.m. until midnight on Halloween in the chatroom on our website (or watch the forum below for updates). We'll chat about writing, maybe play a game or two, and introduce ourselves -- and at midnight, we'll start writing.

We have a website! And a chatroom! aka-click has been working hard for several days to get them up and running, and they're fabulous!
Click on Wrimosaurs on a Wrampage here or in the Links to the right. Let's talk about writing!
And make sure you come back to the chatroom tomorrow, Sunday, at 2 p.m. for our Quick & Dirty Plot Planning Workshop!
BIG thanks to aka-click!!

Seven days left to plan! One week from today, it's the end of your life as you know it (with apologies to R.E.M.). You ready?

Welcome, wrimosaurs! Please pop into the "Introductions" thread and say hello.

And to keep in contact, affiliate with the Canada::Alberta::Elsewhere region. Also, please make it your home region so your words and donations count in our totals. Thanks!

Oh, and put in your two cents in "Virtual Events!" Hope to "see" you at an event soon!

Ready to start the adventure? Whether your an old-timer or brand new at this Novel Writing thing, we've got a place and a welcome for you!

We won the Derby Donation for our league!! Congratulations, you guys.

If you're a sucker for stats, like me, it's all below in the post about the Derby.

Whew! That was exhausting. And fun. Thanks, guys.

Next year? Same time, same place? It's a date!

If you've been thinking of donating but haven't gotten around to it, please do so before you disappear. Nano is run entirely by donations and volunteers. If you can't -- no worries. :-)

I see Faecanuck has suggested an online meeting Sunday afternoon for anyone who wants regular encouragement and help throughout the year. Pop in if that's something you're interested in.

In the meantime, let your inner editor out of cellar. Help her dust off her clothing and dignity. She can be an asset now instead of just a pain in the assets.

So ... Happy editing! See you next year!

Quick reminder, and then I'm back to furious novelizing: TODAY'S THE DAY! To get a coveted purple bar, you have to finish your 50K words by midnight TONIGHT.

Make sure you validate! You can't go purple without validating. I recommend you do it by 11 p.m., in case there's a run on the validator, and I recommend having a few extra words because word counters do vary. You can find the Validator on your "Edit My Novel" page (under "My NaNoWriMo" on the menu bar).

But if you're like me, close but not there yet ... what the heck are you doing here? Go back your manuscript and write!

One more week! Can you feel December 1 breathing hot on your neck? Boy, I can.

If you're done, congratulations! I'm doing the happy dance for you!

Forgive, though, if I'm doing it at my computer, still writing furiously. But I have a ways to go, so I can't stop, not even to dance.

If you're like me? Don't give up! You still have a week. Let's push to that glorious 50K together.

Whoops! We missed Donation Day. But it's not too late!

Remember: Nanowrimo is supported entirely by donations and merchandise sales, so take a short break from writing to dig under the sofa cushions and check the pockets of your coats for loose change. Even if it's only a few Loonies, it'll help. Or pick up something in the store -- those ceramic coffee mugs are fabulous!

Then ... back to writing! Nose to the grindstone, bum in the chair, hands on the keyboard, brain ... where the heck your characters take it.

It's Back Up Your Novel Again Day! You don't wanna lose all those sparkling new words!

Feeling discouraged? Don't worry. It's probably just Week 2 Blues. They're normal. We all feel them.

It helps to meet with other writers at Write-Ins or in the ChatNano room. Or post here about your woes (or crow about successes). And just keep plugging away. Any words you write this month are words you would not have written without Nano. So if your word count is anything more than zero, you're ahead. If it's zero? What're you waiting for?!

Back Up Your Novel Day! If you haven't already backed up your shiny new words, do it now. You don't want to lose them.

It's time! Put your fingers on the keys and let them fly!

Our next event -- heck, the start of Nano itself! -- is only hours away! Plan to attend our Virtual Kick Off Party at 10 p.m. Halloween night. We'll play a game or two, talk a bit, and collect Virtual Goody Bags. Watch the forum for instructions on how to access the chat room. And be ready to start writing with us at midnight!

Two more days! Are YOU ready?

If not, come out to a plotting party in Medicine Hat, Red Deer or Spruce Grove. Hope to also see you at 10 p.m. Monday online at the Virtual KickOff!

Ready or not, here it comes! We've only one week left to finish planning before it's time to write furiously, plot or no plot.

Think about coming out to the Plot Warm-up Saturday afternoon if you're near Medicine Hat, or the Virtual Kick-Off Halloween night regardless where you are. Or if you're feeling lonely in your corner of our big, old province, post some flyers to try to drum up some cohorts.

Regardless, get ready! November is nearly here!

Welcome to our shiny, new home! Be patient while we bustle around, rearranging furniture and hanging pictures. But don't let the disarray stop you -- come in and make yourself comfortable.

Oh, and congratulations! Whether it's your first attempt or your tenth, writing a novel in a month is an exciting undertaking (and a bit threatening too). But we can help.

You've got a few weeks though. Spend some time developing your characters and writing an outline if you use one. Cruise the forums -- there's great advice there, not to mention a contagious, building energy. Post a pic, so we can get to know you.

And be listening for that announcement to buckle up and raise your seat-backs and tray tables to their upright position because I can hear the engines warming up. We're going for a ride!