Intro's

Tom G here. I'd guess I'm one of the 'oldies' - I'm in my mid-50s - originally an 'Essex boy' (Writtle, to be precise) and currently in Colchester, but mainly based in Australia these days.

Like Hayley, I'm setting aside November for NaNoWriMo: not so much 'unemployed' as that I'm always working but occasionally someone will pay me! :-) Currently working on two other non-fiction books and a couple of fairly large academic papers, all with fairly tight deadlines, and setting up to go back to Aus for a while, so November's going to be, um, busy...

Haven't done NaNoWriMo before, though I'm used to writing large projects fast: ten books published so far, in a total of around a dozen languages, and more projects brewing at present. All non-fiction to date, but the ideas I'm working on these days are so abstract and so far out of most people's comfort-zone that just about the only way to get them over is in fiction - hence coming here.

I'm using WriMo to re-visit ideas about the nature of society and sustainability that I've worked on in some other ways before - as a experimental-fiction website in 2000, for example, and as an equally experimental screenplay in 2005. A novel would allow me to get deeper into that radically different view of the world - and I want to see what my characters will be willing to show me about their personal experience of their world. No great expectations as a novel, then :-) but I do hope that it'll give me material that I can re-use in other projects.

(Tip for newbie writers: Christopher Vogler's excellent 'The Writer's Journey' seems to be on special in the discount bookshops - only 3 pounds in the shop on Colchester's Long Wyre Street, for example. One of the best descriptions of the standard 'Hero's Journey' story-structure, which is ideal as an initial framework for a WriMo novel: strongly recommended.)

- tom g.

Um, Hello.

Paul here, just another grunt in the workforce, which is good cause my company's laptop is what I'm going to be nano-ing on.

I'm also one of the two municipal liasons for the good County of Essex, and have done stupid things like agree to participate in a word war......

I like everyone and noone, and my ideas about the world are unique to me. It makes everything fun.

I've started a nano novel twice before ... year one: 12,000 words,.. year two... 28,000 words... and this is year three,.. which is without doubt the big five-oh.

I'm also crap at introductions, if you want to know anything or even just say ello, be my guest. You'll see lots of me in the forums, and some of me at write in's... only some, because I plan on leaving my sensibilities elsewhere.

Good luck Nanoing!

Paul Donnelly

ML England - Essex

Ehm, hi....

I'm Jo. One of the young uns around here. In my first year of college so time might be getting a bit tight. But hopefully I'll be ok. It's only 1600 words a day, right?

Anyway, I've had my novel planned for a month or so, and am just ironing out the fine details in it right now. And wondering how on earth I'm going to streach it to a whole 50,000 words.

A person starts dying when they stop dreaming.

My real name is not Morarwen (I wish, Tolkien nut that I am), but at least it starts with M as well. I live in Stanway and this is going to be my first try. Writer's block has set in early, since I've been racking my brain for ideas for the last couple of weeks and finding absolutely nothing, but eh... I guess I'll wing it.

Of course I'm crazy, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. I'm mad, but not ill.

'Lo. =) I'm Kitty, 18, and originally from Witham (a slur on the map about 10 miles from Chelmsford). I do live in Lancaster now, since I'm attending Lancs Uni, but since I'm an Essex girl born and bred - with the white stilettos to prove it - and still live in Witham for a good 20 weeks out of the year, I hope you won't kick me out! =P

I have no idea what I'm writing... I do have a vague idea of the characters and their lifestyles, but no plot. Or even a theme. Given a theme, I can improvise actual events (the marvels of LitFic), but I can't do a lot with just two twins and a pile of imaginary cocaine. Hmm. I'm just hoping I'll get hit by a thunderbolt, and soon!

Hi All

Real name Annie and this my first NaNo - haven't a clue what I'll be writing about but will try and give it a good go. I work in Wickford and I'm from Benfleet, not too far from Pitsea.

I wish you all good luck with the NaNo - and would love to think that between us we can put Essex on the map some how!

I'm not around for the first week - aaaargh! So have had to recalculate daily word count but am still hoping to write where I'll be.

Am excited and nervous all at the same time - :-)

Good Luck Essex - let's show the world, eh?

aka nannio on Writers Dock & Comedy Central

Hi everyone!

My name is Eveline, I live in Chelmsford, but I'm Dutch and only came to live here with my lovely boyfriend (long live the internet!) little over a year ago. I have to say I love it here, and am enjoying finding out all the cultural differences that aren't that apparent but are there!

This will be my 4th Nano (my 2nd in English) and I'm really looking forward to it. I've been reading the forums for the last hour and my fingers are itching to type those first few words in the early morning of the 1st.

Good luck everyone!

What's in a name, eh. Lacking the courage of my convictions I've borrowed a name from a relative in case this all goes terribly pear shaped. I'm actually not from these parts, being born in North America and raised in various places around the Asia-Pacific. I've found myself stuck near Southminster and the escape plan isn't progressing as I'd hoped - so I'm taking a little time out from vaulting horses and the like to, well, write a 50,000 word novel. Simple really.

Howdy all,

I'm Phil, living in South Ockendon for the past few months. Originally from Texas, came over to England as a research student (which I'm still working on down in Brighton, though I do most of my work at home).

I *think* I know what I'm writing, though I don't even have a name for my MC. He's immortal, though. Sorta.

Hello! I'm Anna, I've been signed up to do NaNo for the last three years but this is the first time I'm actually going to start it. The previous years I've moved house and got married so not actually managed to write a word. I live in Surrey but spent the first 18 yearsof my life in Stanford-Le-Hope, so I'm an Essex girl really. Besides, Surrey doesn't have a group, and I've been friends with Hayley for 10 years so I thought I'd join here to give her moral support!
My novel is about a girl who has to rescue her brother who has been kidnapped by giants to be kept as a pet. There's a bit more to it than that, but I don't want to exhaust myself by typing too much too soon. Good luck people!

Thank you! Moral support is very welcome!

Hi all,

My real name's Emma, I'm 22 and I live near Tiptree (a large village about half an hour from Chelmsford, and THE most boring place in Essex). I've lived in Essex my whole life (I used to live in Silver End - near Witham - before moving here about fifteen years ago.

I signed up with Nanowrimo last year, but got distracted with other (family) things and never got around to taking part. So I'm determined to come up with at least something this year - but the timing's terrible as I'm in the middle of moving, and also helping my grandmother move (and downsize) from Essex to Somerset!

I've got a few ideas and plans for my Nano novel, but I'm probably just going to take it a day at a time.

We can do it!
Good Luck everyone!

Emma.

"Writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead." -- Gene Fowler.

Hi I'm another Hayley, I'm in southend and this is my third year, I'm yet to complete it, but for me it's more about getting me to write! I have a full time job, two internet radio shows and am active in an animal rights group, and I don't know what I'm going to write about yet...

good luck everyone!

Hi all,
I'm Sue, 49 years young - feeling older by the second as the clock sprints towards the start of NaNo - divorced mum of three who hasn't got a clue as to why I let Hayley (Hurley Murley) rope me into this!

Being an author is like being in charge of your own personal insane asylum. ~Graycie Harmon~

Hello!

I am Mdot. Nineteen. I live near Harlow, but more just on the other side of the border, in Hertfordshire. I love trains, and London, and those things will be inspiring me particularly heavily in the next few days. A nice boost to get me started.

For the past five years, my friend in Australia bugged me to do this, it's only now, after dropping out of University (Creative Writing BA funnily enough, not great), that I actually have the time and space to do it, and a hyperactive muse, which always helps.

We're currently an hour and nineteen minutes in and I still don't quite know what I'm writing. Discouraging to say the least. I'm still very excited though, and I hope the morning will straighten out my rabid plotbunnies and show me the way to go.

Hi Everyone.
I'm Kate. I live in Supported Housing or The New Asylum for the uninitiated and so am accustomed to seeing a lot of mental illness. I love books, academia and just living LIFE which includes the annual Novel writing Sprint 1x year. Prior to Nanowrimo 2007 I did some Preparation in 1000 words prose things following the advice of Dorothea Brand whose book is my Bible next to No plot no problem of course (in its place mind you). I have friends and family who love me and am a Christian going to a fabulous Church in Colchester which is really including of me despite the problems it raises. I love Art, Films, Theatre I am limited to my wretched TV and my beloved computer but like an Armchair Tourist I explore all sorts of interesting highways and byways. I love Culture. I hate low culture and the life assigned to such as us I refuse the poor qaulity goods and services meted out to the poor.
For me novel writing is like giving birth not that I am attached or have children. Instead I give birth to ideas and novels. I am using Virginia Woolf Orlando to pioneer however badly the ideas relevant to people in my position which hitherto haven't got a high class novelling voice. I also give birth to other ideas too but I keep them private.
I have a huge Library 122 books mostly academic including loans with interests in sociology, philosophy, Political Theory, ancient greek history, science and maths (ks3-4). I adore MIT OCW and download copious amounts of Research Papers that are very revealing and helpful plus in addition I am working on replying to a Research Proposal Draft Bid sent from the North East which entails quite a bit of Reading. I have a working family who range from Social Services to Academics middle class to working class so you can't box me in. I love good books and am very choosy about what I read.
I hope this is clear and look forward to getting to know people subject to this site actually working and letting me on in the first place.

Life in the Unknown Regions of Life

Hello all.

Sorry it took me so long to say hi. I'm Simon, I'm 25 and from sunny Southend, working a lousy job whilst I look for something better. All this typing is hard work as my job involves me typing all day anyway.

This is my first NaNoWriMo, and the first time I've written any fiction of any length since school (besides a couple of aborted starts). The longest thing I've ever written was an 8,000 word dissertation, but as that was non-fiction and researched, that was fairly easy; this is MUCH harder. I've got a fairly good feeling about it so far, however. I've made a good start and am having fun.

My novel's called Gaming Jupiter and it's a fairly silly science fiction thing full of stupid made-up names.

Good luck everyone!

Hi everyone. I'm Mira, I'm 16 and I'm from Southend. :D

I've just started Year 12 in my school's sixth form taking Combined English, Histroy, Sociology and Geography, and I'm already freaking out about Unis even through I have quite a while to properly decide yet.

I'm doing a Fantasy novel this year (title to be decided), and my novel goes a little like this:

In a world where slavery of supposed 'sub-humans' to upper class people is the norm, a boy and his 'sovna' - actually a working class boy his own age called Nik - strive to break the magical bond which anchors them to each other, however attempts on their life are made, and they are soon made to go into hiding.

As you can see, Sociology themes have crept into it considerably. ^_^

Hello all,

Like lots of people here, I too am from Southend. I'm 21 and graduated earlier this year. This is the first year i'm doing nanowrimo. I've just scrapped the beginning of my novel and am now going in a completely different direction, which puts me three days behind! Oops! My new idea is a satirical piece, which is a stretch as I usually write horror/sci-fi/fantasy.

Good luck, hope everyone's novels are going well.

Hello. I'm Lor, I'm 17 and I'm also part of the Southend crew.
It's my first time doing Nano, and I'll be attempting to juggle it with college work, a part-time job and a life. Should be interesting if nothing else! I'm not prepared to give masses away about what I'm writing, since the plot is somewhat ridiculous, so you'll have to just use your imaginations and pretend I'm writing a masterpiece. (That's what I'm doing anyway!)

Hi,

My real name's Derek and I reckon I must be one of the first 'newbies' for the 2008 challenge. I signed up during Dec 2007 having seen an item on BBC Breakfast tv at the end of Nov about what was described by David Silletto (the presenter) as a writing competition held in York.

As my login name might suggest, I'm reasonably involved in writing and publishing and I was, frankly, astounded to be told that there was this thing involving the creation of 15,000 books during a 30 day period going on without me being aware of it. A fair bit of hassling in the direction of David and the BBC revealed that this was NaNoWriMo and when I checked out this website, I realised that it was just what I needed personally to give me the impetus to to write my own book.

I guess it's inevitable for anybody working in the publishing world to think about writing their own book (particularly as I'm guaranteed publication) and I've been thinking about it since 1995, even making a couple of half-hearted starts but, like "The Cobblers children are the worst shod" it's all thinking but never doing. Anyway, I've booked my 4 week's leave for Nov so AOnL can take a back seat in my life for a change.

Hi Derek and welcome to NaNo! Everyone has a novel inside them, and you've taken the first step to actually writing yours. I wish I had seen that item on TV, it would have made me really excited!

Hi. I'm Ruth - another new semi-"oldie" in my 50s. Originally from Wales (hence the user name) but an Essex girl for almost 30 years. My son told me about this a couple of hours ago so, as someone who's started countless novels but never finished them, I immediately signed on. I've just cut my working days from 4 to 2 days per week (because I can!) so I should have the time. And I'm not going to plan anything - I've tried that in the past -so come November it will be a "stream of consciousness" effort. I'm looking forward to it.