Canada :: New Brunswick

ONLINE events - Tri-City Calendar (Fredericton - Peoria - Gainesville)

writerwithoutborders — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:11:41 +0000

For the online events, we are working with 3 adjacent timezones. In writing the times of the events below, the timezones are Peoria, IL (CST) / Gainesville, FL (EST) / Fredericton, NB (AST). So an event that is listed as 5pm/6pm/7pm – 7pm/8pm/9pm would run from 5-7 pm for folks in Peoria, from 6-8 pm for folks in Gainesville, and from 7-9 pm for folks in Fredericton.

If at any point you are confused about the time of one of these events, please don’t hesitate to contact your ML.

All of these events will take place in our chatroom, which is here: http://www.crushedmuffin.com/Chat2.htm. You can also get there from the Chat & Jar page on the Tri-City website. If you have a Meebo account, the room is called NaNoWriMo War Games

*Please note, the guest author event will take place in a different room – link below with the event.

Online Write-in
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 21
TIME: 12pm/1pm/2pm – 2pm/3pm/4pm
Word War: 12:30/1:30/2:30 – 1:30/2:30/3:30 pm
HOST: Peoria

Online Write-in
DATE: Sunday, Nov. 22
TIME: 5pm/6pm/7pm – 7pm/8pm/9pm
Word War: 5:30/6:30/7:30 – 6:30/7:30/8:30 pm
HOST: Fredericton

Online Write-in
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 28
TIME: 12pm/1pm/2pm – 2pm/3pm/4pm
Word War: 12:30/1:30/2:30 – 1:30/2:30/3:30 pm
HOST: Peoria

Online Write-in
DATE: Sunday, Nov. 29
TIME: 5pm/6pm/7pm – 7pm/8pm/9pm
Word War: 5:30/6:30/7:30 – 6:30/7:30/8:30 pm
HOST: Fredericton

Final Push – Online Write-in
DATE: Monday, Nov.30
TIME: 4pm/5pm/6pm – 9pm/10pm/11pm
Word Wars – as desired
HOST: Gainesville

****************************************************

PAST EVENTS:

Online Meet & Greet
DATE: Thursday, Oct. 29th
TIME: 6:30pm/7:30pm/8:30pm – 8:30pm/9:30pm/10:30 pm
HOST: Cross-Regional

Kick-off Online Write-in
DATE: Sunday, Nov. 1
TIME: 12 pm/12 pm/12 pm – ?
Word Wars: as desired
HOST: Fredericton ; Peoria

Online Write-in
DATE: Sunday, Nov. 1
TIME: 5pm/6pm/7pm – 7pm/8pm/9pm
Word War: 5:30/6:30/7:30 – 6:30/7:30/8:30 pm
HOST: Fredericton

Online Write-in
DATE: Thursday, Nov. 5
TIME: 5:30pm/6:30pm/7:30pm – 7:30pm/8:30pm/9:30pm
Word War: 6/7/8 – 7/8/9pm
HOST: Gainesville

Online Write-in
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 7
TIME: 12pm/1pm/2pm – 2pm/3pm/4pm
Word War: 12:30/1:30/2:30 – 1:30/2:30/3:30 pm
HOST: Peoria

Online Write-in
DATE: Thursday, Nov. 12
TIME: 5:30pm/6:30pm/7:30pm – 7:30pm/8:30pm/9:30pm
Word War: 6/7/8 – 7/8/9pm
HOST: Gainesville

Online Write-in
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 14
TIME: 12pm/1pm/2pm – 2pm/3pm/4pm
Word War: 12:30/1:30/2:30 – 1:30/2:30/3:30 pm
HOST: Peoria

Online Write-in
DATE: Sunday, Nov. 15
TIME: 5pm/6pm/7pm – 7pm/8pm/9pm
Word War: 5:30/6:30/7:30 – 6:30/7:30/8:30 pm
HOST: Fredericton

Gainesville’s Big Event with Guest Author Chat
DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 17
TIME: 4pm/5pm/6pm – 9pm/10pm/11pm
Authors:
J.V. Jones – 5:30/6:30/7:30 – 6:00/7:00/8:00 pm
J.C. Hutchins – 6:30/7:30/8:30 – 7:00/8:00/9:00 pm
Mur Lafferty – 7:30/8:30/9:30 – 8:00/9:00/10:00 pm
HOST: Gainesville
ROOM: Special Guest Author Chat Room

Online Write-in
DATE: Thursday, Nov. 5
TIME: 5:30pm/6:30pm/7:30pm – 7:30pm/8:30pm/9:30pm
Word War: 6/7/8 – 7/8/9pm
HOST: Gainesville
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2006 - 100k
2007 - 60k
2008 - 68k

Canada :: New Brunswick

FREDERICTON Calendar of Events - Save these dates!

writerwithoutborders — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:25:45 +0000

Here's a quick list of our events. For more information about any event, visit the Fredericton Google calendar.

**RSVP to writerwithoutborders@gmail.com or send me a PM.**

This is the chatroom we'll be using this year, shared with our sister cities of Peoria, Illinois, and Gainesville, Florida: http://www.crushedmuffin.com/Chat2.htm.

ALL OF NB IS WELCOME TO OUR ONLINE EVENTS. Check out the "ONLINE events - Tri-City Calendar" thread for the complete list - below are the ones hosted by Fredericton.

***

12-HOUR WRITE-IN
Sat Nov 21, 10am – 10pm
Unitarian Fellowship, 874 York Street

ONLINE WRITE-IN
Sun Nov 22, 7pm – 9pm
Our chatroom

WRITE-IN
Wed Nov 25, 7pm – 9pm
Fredericton Public Library

ONLINE WRITE-IN
Sun Nov 29, 7pm – 9pm
Our chatroom

"SPRINT TO THE FINISH!" ONLINE WRITE-IN
Mon Nov 30, 10pm – 12am
Our chatroom

************************************************************************

PAST EVENTS:

"HOW TO SUCCEED AT NANO WITHOUT REALLY TRYING" WORKSHOP
Sunday, Oct.18, 2pm – 4pm
Location: UNB, Marshall D'Avery Hall, room 221

MEET N' GREET
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2pm – 4pm
Dairy Queen (South side, by the Fredericton Mall/Uptown Centre)

KICK-OFF PARTY
Friday, Oct. 30, 7pm – 1am
Private house (RSVP for location)

MIDNIGHT WRITE - Start NaNo with a bang!
Sun, Nov 1, 12 am – 3am
In our chatroom

ONLINE WRITE-IN
Sun, Nov. 1, 7pm – 9 pm
In our chatroom

WRITE-IN
Thursday, Nov. 5, 7pm – 9:30pm
Blue Room in the Student Union Building (UNB)
**Coincides with an online write-in. If you can't make it, check out the "online events" thread for more details!

WRITING RETREAT
Sun Nov 8, 8:30am – 8pm
Oakland Farm and Lodge, New Maryland
($20; RSVP for more info.)

WRITE-IN
Wed Nov 11, 7pm – 9pm
Triniteas Cup on Regent St.

MIDWAY PARTY
Fri Nov 13, 7pm – 1am
Private house (RSVP for address)

ONLINE WRITE-IN
Sun Nov 15, 7pm – 9pm
Our chatroom

WRITE-IN WITH GUEST AUTHOR ONLINE CHAT
Tue Nov 17, 6pm – 10pm
UNB's Harriet Irving Library
**Coincides with an online write-in. If you can't make it, check out the "online events" thread for more details!

"THANK GOD IT'S OVER" PARTY
Sat Dec 5, 7pm – 1am
Private house (RSVP for address)

There are also additional online write-ins courtesy of our sister cities in Peoria, Illinois, and Gainesville Florida. Check out the "ONLINE events - Tri-City Calendar" thread for all the details! Note that some of our events overlap with theirs.
----------
2006 - 100k
2007 - 60k
2008 - 68k

Canada :: New Brunswick

SAINT JOHN Events Calendar! - UPDATED!

Cass — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:03:52 +0000

The Saint John calendar of events has been updated! Please check below for any date / location changes!

*** RSVP (when requested below) to: cassaclyzm [at] gmail [dot] com, or Send me a PM ***

November 28 - Saturday: Library Write-In / "Get 'er Done" Workshop
12 - 5pm, Free Public Library, Market Square (uptown), Multipurpose Room

This afternoon of writing will be one part motivational seminar (led by local organizer and eight year NaNoWriMo veteran, Cass McPhee), one part writing workshop to help iron out problems that are making it difficult to finish the 50,000 words, one part socializing and several parts writing like mad. Drop-in time starts at noon, but Exciting Motivational Stuff starts at 2pm!

November 29 - Sunday: DROP IN - Last Dash Pasta Splash!
2-6pm, Cass's Place (RSVP for address and directions)

Only two days left! It's time to put our noses to the grindstone, put the pedal to the metal, put our fingers to the keyboard, and get 'er done. And like a marathon runner, you need to be properly fuelled up for this kind of sprint. A hot plate of pasta will get you through those cold final nights.

Drop in anytime throughout the day for a quiet, friendly environment where you can tuck yourself away and crank out that last few thousand words. Cass will have lots of different pastas on hand to be boiled up at a moment's notice, as well as delicious home made tomato sauce (veggie, with optional meat balls) and zesty cheeses.

**RSVP Required.** Bring some CD's to put on and some munchies to share!

December 5 - Saturday: TGIO Party at the Library!
2-5pm, Saint John Free Public Library (uptown)

NaNoWriMo doesn't have prizes, but WE DO!

Drop by for inspired readings from our glorious manuscripts (whether complete or not!), fun games, and did I mention PRIZES?

**RSVP Required.** Bring some finger food to share, and wrap it up in style!

*** RSVP (when requested above) to: cassaclyzm [at] gmail [dot] com, or Send me a PM ***
----------
The NaNo Canada Podcast!
Episode 6 is up - Lord of the Appendices!
http://nanocanada.podbean.com
--
wordwhacker.livejournal.com
"Out, damn plot! Out I say!"

Canada :: New Brunswick

Donations to NaNo - We have raised a lot! Thanks so much everyone!

writerwithoutborders — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:27:58 +0000

Hey everybody! Quick update on our fundraising so far this month: The Fredericton group (with the help of Saint John and Moncton Wrimos through the Writing Retreat fundraiser) has been able to donate $250 to NaNoWriMo this year!

$200 in donations have already been made, and I'll be making the next $50 donation soon. In fact, I have a halo for that donation to give away tonight at the Online Write-In (7 p.m.; hour-long word war at 7:30), so if you don't have a halo already & aren't able to donate yourself, come join us and see if you win! (One restriction: You must be "homed" to NB so that our region gets the credit for the Donation Derby!) Our chatroom is here: http://www.crushedmuffin.com/Chat2.htm. Please arrive within 15 minutes of the word war start to participate; and please come check out the write-in if you've haven't been to one yet. Everyone in NB is welcome!

This Tuesday is NaNo's big fundraising drive, so I'll be making my personal donation then. If you've gotten something out of NaNoWriMo this month, why don't you join me? If you can't afford to make a monetary donation, check out all these other fabulous ways to donate to the site: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/donatingwhenbroke.
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2006 - 100k
2007 - 60k
2008 - 68k

Canada :: New Brunswick

Tri-City chat room...

johannsen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:06:27 +0000

and will be for the next couple of hours, if anyone wants to word war. If I don't respond immediately, I'm writing, but will check back in every once in a while.

http://www.crushedmuffin.com/Chat2.htm

Gina
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Chance Encounter - NaNoWriMo 2005
Wounded Hearts - NaNoWriMo 2006
Roses, Blood Red - NaNoWriMo 2007
Mirrored Memoirs - NaNoWriMo 2009

USA :: Illinois :: Peoria

Finished!

Eternal Winter — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:50:10 +0000

Took many days of slogging through the writing even when I was losing motivation with the story, but I managed to reach the 50k goal.

I've decided to go for 100k this year. If I can keep up the same pace, I should be able to do it. Wish me luck! And wish me a lack of carpal tunnel syndrome while you're at it! :p
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Canada :: New Brunswick

Gotta Get Gadgets

Susan Douglas — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:16:48 +0000

I just saw this -- I want!

http://www.thegeekchic.ca/shop/usb_speedometer.html

Susan
----------

Canada :: New Brunswick

Author Chat tomorrow, Nov. 17th

weylyn42 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:12:13 +0000

Join the Gainesville region on Tuesday, Nov. 17th for our Big Event Write-in.

Gainesville WriMos: The in-person event will take place from 5pm - 10pm in Library West, Info Commons. Refreshments will be available, as well 3-mini word-wars, one after each of our guest authors, for a chance to win a book by these authors.

For everyone in Peoria, Gainesville and New Brunswick regions: We have three awesome guest authors joining us via live-chat to provide inspiration and to answer questions about their works and the craft of writing. These author chats are being hosted in a Meebo room that is different from where the word-wars take place, so please make note of this link:

Large Chat Window: www.crushedmuffin.com/Chat.htm
Small Chat Window: www.crushedmuffin.com/Chat-small.htm
Back-up Chat Window (in case the host site is down): www.uflib.ufl.edu/LibraryWest/NaNoWriMo.html

The Authors:

J.V. Jones (5:30-6pm Peoria / 6:30-7pm Gainesville / 7:30-8pm Fredericton)
J.V. Jones is author of the bestselling Book Of Words series. Her books have been translated into nine languages. Her latest book, Watcher of the Dead, will be published by Tor in April 2010. She lives in San Diego. http://jvj.com

J.C. Hutchins (6:30-7pm Peoria / 7:30-8pm Gainesville / 8:30-9 pm Fredericton)
An innovator in online publishing and promotion, J.C. Hutchins has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR's Weekend Edition and Time.com. He used podcasting and fan evangelism to land two fiction book deals from St. Martin's Press. His 7th Son thriller trilogy is the most popular "podcast novel" series in history. jchutchins.net

Mur Lafferty (7:30-8pm Peoria / 8:30-9pm Gainesville / 9:30-10pm Fredericton)
Mur Lafferty is an award winning American podcaster and writer based in Durham, NC. She was, until July 2007, the host and co-editor of Pseudopod. She is also the host and creator of the podcasts Geek Fu Action Grip and I Should Be Writing, and author of Playing for Keeps. She is participating in NaNo WriMo 2009 to work on the sequel. murverse.com

The Rules:
Please edit your username for the room to include the first letter of the region you are closest to: P-, G- or F- (E.G. P-Hewey; G-Dewey; F-Louie)

Authors will be introduced at the beginning of their chat, and I'll ask the first question to get the ball rolling. After that feel free to ask questions of the author, but be respectful of them and other participants. Sometimes an answer may be broken up over more than one entry from the authors. I've asked them to use ellipsis (...) to indicate they are still in the middle of answering the question. If you see this, please wait until they have finished answering before asking the next question.

Authors are scheduled for half hour chats each, and transcripts will be made available if you are not able to attend one or more of these chats. If you aren't going to be able to make it, and you have a question for a specific author, you can post those here until 4:00 pm EDT tomorrow. After that, I might not get them.

-Christy

----------
-Christy
Co-ML for Gainesville, FL
---------------------------------------
NaNo Participant: 2002-09
Nano Winner: 2002-03, 2005-08
NaNo ML: 2003, 2005-09

USA :: Illinois :: Peoria

Fredericton Roll Call! WOOHOO!

writerwithoutborders — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:04:54 +0000

Who all is participating in Fredericton? I'm Yolande and I'm the Fredericton co-ML. I'm very excited for November to come! We have so much planned for Fredericton (and N.B. - check out our Writing Retreat and our online write-ins!).

I will make a longer post later, but for now, check these out:

The Fredericton Google calendar: http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=writerwithoutborders%40gmail.co...

The Fredericton Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=41943516012&ref=ts

The Writing Retreat Facebook invite (all of NB is welcome!): http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=143048747325
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2006 - 100k
2007 - 60k
2008 - 68k

Canada :: New Brunswick

Retreat Results

vunger — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:25:12 +0000

I did the writing retreat yesterday, and now my word count is up by about 3,500 words! Whoo-hoo!
----------
My word count reminds me of Legolas saying in Lord of the Rings, "Only an eagle could overtake them now."
2007: The Belongers, 53,015 - Win!
2008: Twist Magic, 26,260
2009: Blank: the Anti-Memoir, ...

Canada :: New Brunswick

Tri-City Frenemy program

weylyn42 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:16:33 +0000

Howdy,

I am Christy, one of the co-MLs from the Gainesville, FL region, and this thread is to introduce the "Tri-City Frenemy" program. This year Fredericton (New Brunswick), Gainesville (Florida) and Peoria (Illinois) have teamed up to create a little cross-regional competition. In addition to the online write-ins that each region is hosting, we want to encourage wrimos in the regions to reach out to writers in your "Sister-Cities" to find a writing buddy(friend)/enemy.

By picking a Frenemy from the Tri-City group, you'll have someone you can look to for support, or a little one-on-one competition during the online word wars, or at other times during the month. If you are looking for a writing buddy, I encourage you to reply to this post, let us know if you are looking for someone who will cheer you on, or someone who will taunt you whenever their word count sneaks past yours.

Feel free to take on more than one Frenemy, but remember, a writing buddy is a commitment, you have to feed them, walk them, and… well, not quite, but if you do pick a writing buddy, you both want to know that you'll have someone who will help see you to the 50k finish line.

So go ahead, and post your info, or look at the posts others have made, and find someone who you think would be a good match to your writing style, and adopt a Frenemy today. This thread appears in all three regions, so there is no need for you to leave the comfort of your own regional forum to find a Frenemy.

And for those frenemy buddies that want a chance to meet before November, - or if you'd rather pick a writing buddy "live", join us at the Tri-City Online Meet & Greet, to be held on Thursday, October 29th at the following time:

Peoria 6:30-8:30 pm
Gainesville 7:30-9:30 pm
Fredericton 8:30-10:30 pm

(This is the same time, reflected in the respective time zones)

The chat room for the online Meet & Greet, as well as the word wars (or any clandestine meetings for Tri-City region writers) is http://www.crushedmuffin.com/Chat2.htm

(If you have a Meebo account, the room is called NaNoWriMo War Games)

I look forward to seeing everyone through November!

-Christy

----------
-Christy
Co-ML for Gainesville, FL
---------------------------------------
NaNo Participant: 2002-09
Nano Winner: 2002-03, 2005-08
NaNo ML: 2003, 2005-09

USA :: Illinois :: Peoria

No Laptop? No Problem!

rampancy — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:05:30 +0000

For people planning on attending upcoming write-ins and retreats, and for various reasons are without laptops/portable writing machines, I have ~~two~~ three spare Mac laptops for people to use. All I ask is that people let me know ahead of time so I can prepare accordingly. Thanks in advance!
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"Before I'm a writer, I'm definitely a reader and when I read memoir, I really want it to be true."
- Augusten Burroughs

Canada :: New Brunswick

NaNo Meditation Podcasts

Susan Douglas — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:01:41 +0000

http://www.dawngroves.com/category/podcasts/

I just found these hidden in the bowels of my computer. I found them very inspiring at the start ofawritting session. Especially number 2 - Word Flow

Susan
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Canada :: New Brunswick

Tri-City: Word War Rules

weylyn42 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:54:52 +0000

At our online chats we will be holding multi-region word wars. At most of the regular chats, (Sundays, Thursdays and Saturdays) the word war will take place during the middle hour. Chat Room Here: www.crushedmuffin.com/Chat2.htm

At the other online events, word wars may take place as decided by the host region for the event. One of the MLs for the host region will be moderator / time-keeper for the word war. She will call “go” and “time,” at the prescribed time.

Participants in the war will write during that hour, and stop when time is called. In order to determine which words were written during the word war, we ask that you do one of the following:

1. open a new document for the word war, and use the word count feature there
2. write down the number of words you have before we start the war. Subtract that from your total word count at the end of the war to determine how many words you wrote
3. or write you words for the word war in a different color text, so you can easily highlight it and do a word count on your selection.

At the end of the word war, once you have your word count, you will need to report the number of words you wrote. Before the word war, an ML from each region (if available) will identify herself as the one to take your word count.

Report the number of words you wrote to your ML. She will tally all word counts, and come up with the average word count for the region (total number of words divided by participants in the region). Your ML will report the word count average to the hosting ML, and she will announce the winner of the word war.

If no ML is present from your region for the word war, the hosting ML can either ask for a volunteer from your region to gather and average the word counts, or take and do the math for multiple regions.

This is a honor system. Please report your words truthfully.

We recommend keeping an eye on the time yourself, and/or leaving your chat window open, at least a little, next to your document, so you know when the war ends.

In order to be fair to people in your region for average word count, you can’t participate if you join the word war and/or are not in the chatroom more than 15 minutes after the word war starts.
----------
-Christy
Co-ML for Gainesville, FL
---------------------------------------
NaNo Participant: 2002-09
Nano Winner: 2002-03, 2005-08
NaNo ML: 2003, 2005-09

USA :: Illinois :: Peoria

'Twas the Night Before NaNo

writerwithoutborders — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:52:45 +0000

One of the MLs from another region wrote this today and decided to share it (without editing, in the spirit of NaNoWriMo). I really like it because it supports my "NaNoWriMo is like Writers' Christmas" opinion. Enjoy!

***

'Twas the night before NaNo, when all through the house
Not a keyboard was typing, not a click of a mouse.
The stickers were hung by the writer with care,
In Hopes that a Novel, soon would be there.

The Editors were nestled, all snug in their beds,
While visions of red pens, danced in their heads.
with Chris Baty in his viking hat and I in my shirt,
All the wrimo's world wide, sat waiting to work.

When out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my writing spot, to see what was the matter.
Away to the window, I flew like a flash,
Tore open the window, threw up the sash.

The moon was big, with a very bright glow
and it looked like a screen that had something to show.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a story and eight characters.

With a little plot arc ,so lively and round,
I knew in a moment, "My Novel - I've found!"
More rapid then eagles the chapters they came
and the story whistled and shouted and called things by name,

"Now characters, Now plot arcs, now storylines and more,
"On conflict, On turmoil, On plot twists galore.
To the top of the plot line, to November's 50 K
Now write away, write away, write away today."

As dead words before the wild month fly,
When they meet with a Muse and mount to the sky
So up to my desk top these coursers, they flew
with a slew full of ideas, and my muse too.

And then in a twinkling I heard on my desk
The smattering of words, taking one last rest.
As I drew in my hand and was turning around
Appeared, did my muse, in one single bound.

It was dressed in all words, from it's head to it's foot
and it's clothes were all tarnished with erasure gook.
It's bundle of stories were flung on it's back
And it looked like Chris Baty - What's up with that?

It's eyes how they shimmered, It's dimples how scary,
It's cheeks were all blustery, it's smile so merry.
It's droll little mouth was drawn up like an "oh"
And not a beard on it's chin, that'd be freaky, ya know?

The stump of a pencil it held tight in it's teeth,
And punctuation encircled it it's head like a wreath.
It had a bright face and a round cuppa coffee
That shook when it laughed, without ever sloshing.

It was awkward and lumpy, a right crazy old elf
And I laughed when I saw it, inspite of myself.
A wink of Its eye and a twist of Its head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

It spoke not a word, but went straight to my desk
And It looked at my blank page then said, "Surely you Jest"
Laying its fingers aside of my keys, It winked at me once,
And slid inward with ease.

It sprang on my screen, to the words it gave whistle
and away they all flew to it, like the down of a thistle
But I heard it exclaim, err it faded into the night
"Happy NaNo to all, tonight you shall write!"

- C.A. Dubois October 31, 2009
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2006 - 100k
2007 - 60k
2008 - 68k

Canada :: New Brunswick

N.L. made a pre-NaNo exercise! =) [68 super-fun questions!]

N.L. LeBlanc — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:00:18 +0000

This is in the Moncton forum too, but then I realized that a lot of you guys probably aren't. XD So now you can join in the fun!

Guys, two days until NaNo! :D I can barely stand still. Also, I am very hyper, which makes me ADD. So instead of doing what I SHOULD be doing (finishing Part II of my book), I took a little break and made a pre-NaNo character development exercise for everyone!

Now, from what I've observed at the Moncton meet-and-greet, I know:
A) That most people doing NaNo are starting a novel from scratch, with new characters that maybe they don't know too well just yet.
B) That writers enjoy talking about their characters (well, if they're anything like me they do, anyway. XD).

If one or both of those statements apply to you, this little "challenge" might be useful (or at least fun, or time-killing) for you. :)

Tell me about your character(s), be it your MC, your love interest, your personal favorite, your sidekick, your antagonist, or even two or more of those. But here's the catch - you have to do it by answering the following gruelling character quiz!

Also, if there are some questions you do not feel comfortable answering (spoilerwise or otherwise), you may skip them. :)

[Part I - Back to basics]

1. Where and when was your character born?

2. What is your character's name, as written on his/her birth certificate?

3. Is your character male or female (or something else)?

4. Was this character born before the story or during?

5. In November 2009, how old would your character be?

6. Is your character human? If not, what is it?

7. What role does this character play in the story (in relation to the main character)?

[Part II - A brief physical]

8. Describe your character's eyes.

9. Describe his/her hair.

10. Describe his/her predominant feature.

11. Does your character appear older or younger than his/her chronological age?

12. Does your character have any birthmarks or scars?

13. Tall or short?

14. Build?

15. If you got to pick the actor/actress to play your character in a movie, who would it be?

16. What's your character's physical health status?

17. Any physical particularities? Explain briefly.

[Part III - Personality and psyche]

18. Describe your character's personality in one word.

19. What does your character avoid at all costs?

20. Complete this sentence: "My character is most likely to..."

21. What's your character's favorite book/favorite color/favorite show/favorite expletive/favorite song/favorite food?

22. Who is your character's favorite person in the world - if they had to pick just one?

23. What are your character's hobbies?

24. What's your character's first memory?

25. Most vivid memory?

26. Your character's greatest fear?

27. Greatest regret?

28. Is your character bored easily?

29. What would he/she be most likely to do on a rainy day?

30. What would be your character's motto?

31. What would be the theme song of his/her life?

32. What is the single worst thing that could ever happen to your character?

33. How would your character describe him/herself?

34. Character's top five priorities (in order)?

35. How is your character's psychological health on a scale of one to ten?

36. Does your character get angry easily?

37. Talents and skills?

38. Greatest psychological flaw?

39. Character's darkest secret (I won't be surprised if people back out of this one XD)?

40. Optimist? Pessimist?

41. Introvert or extrovert?

42. Ultimate goal in life?

43. Tell me any additional information (related to personality and psyche) I should probably know about your character here.

[Part IV - Family and social]

44. What kind of childhood did your character have?

45. Your character's immediate family consists of:

46. What is your character's marital status for most of the story?

47. Is your character in a committed relationship for the greater part of the story?

48. Education?

49. Religion?

50. Social class?

51. Sexual orientation?

[Part V - Relationships]

52. How does the character relate to other characters?

53. Does your character have a major love interest, and if so, who is it? Are they/will they be in a relationship (if you can tell us)? What is your character's relationship with his/her love interest like?

54. What is your character's relationship with his/her best friend(s) like?

55. What was/is your character's popularity like in high school/middle school?

56. How's the relationship with the parents?

57. How about siblings?

58. Is there someone your character would die for, no questions asked?

59. What are other characters' general first impressions of your character?

60. What do others like most/least about your character?

61. What is a something your character cannot stand in other people?

62. What is a surefire relationship deal-breaker for your character?

[Part VI - Your character and you]

63. Give us a three-word description of your character.

64. Give us a paragraph description of your character.

65. Would you want to be friends with your character if they were real?

66. If you've ever talked to people in your life about the character, how did they react to him/her?

67. What genre is your story this year?

68. Do you enjoy/do you think you'll enjoy writing about this character nonstop for 30 days?

And... you're done! So, what do you think? Do you know your character a bit better?

I really have to write another chapter, but I'll be back later with at least one of my characters. :) Just because I'm obsessed and love talking about them.

I can't wait to hear about your characters! :D

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Me: http://awriterstherapy.blogspot.com
Follow Gertrude's daily life with three awkward husbands (Hannibal, Johnny and Robert) and one disturbed child (Michael) XD: http://gertielsd.blogspot.com

Canada :: New Brunswick

Fredericton MLs on the radio Tuesday, Oct. 27!

writerwithoutborders — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:52:34 +0000

If you're in Fredericton or in the CHSR-listening-area, tune in to hear about NaNoWriMo Tuesday, Oct. 27 (tomorrow) from 7-8 p.m. The Fredericton MLs and super awesome participant Jeannie will be on Ashes, Paper and Beans, an arts show hosted by Joe Blades. It's on the UNB radio station, CHSR 97.9 FM. Joe has samples of Saint John Super ML Cass's new podcast, so a clip of that might even make an appearance!
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2006 - 100k
2007 - 60k
2008 - 68k

Canada :: New Brunswick

Mount Allison/Sackville Nanos?

ZE — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:31:56 +0000

Well, since I've started the ever so wonderful experience of a 'higher' education here at MTA, I thought I'd see if I am going to be alone in taking part among the 2000ish students here. And I swear if you guys are clumping with Moncton or Fredericton, well, I don't know.

This is the roll call for Mount Allison University, do we have any takers?
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Canada :: New Brunswick

Nov. 8 Writing Retreat in Fredericton -- all of NB is invited!

writerwithoutborders — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:41:06 +0000

The Fredericton group is hosting a NaNoWriMo Writing Retreat on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. No matter where you are in NB, you're all invited to attend!

The cost is $20 to cover the rental of the lodge; any extra monies will go toward NaNoWriMo (first, to cover the costs of the Fredericton group, and then as a donation to NaNoWriMo.org). Email writerwithoutborders@gmail.com to get your name on the list; pay ASAP to register and secure your spot. We have a maximum of 30 spots available. (Post-secondary students can pay $10 until Nov. 1.)

The retreat will be at the Oakland Farm & Lodge, which is a really nice two-room lodge that is a very productive writing space (I know because the Fredericton writing group Freddy Words had a writing retreat there in August!). There is no wi-fi, which minimizes distractions, and there's a full kitchen and a cozy fireplace. The lodge is in New Maryland, just 10 minutes outside of Fredericton. Here's a link to the Google Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=65+Oakland+Farm+Lane,+New+Maryla...

We're going to organize a potluck so we can use the day to concentrate on writing. Please plan to bring a potluck contribution (i.e. a casserole) and to contribute a snack; the potluck organizer will contact you closer to the date to let you know what we need - though if you have any suggestions, let us know when you RSVP!

Locally, we're arranging a carpool, so let us know if you need a ride or can offer a ride, and where in the city you're coming from. Outside of Fredericton, it would be a great idea to organize your own carpool, if you have a group of people who want to go (I know someone from Saint John who's wanting to go, for example!).

If you're on Facebook, here's a link the FB event: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41943516012#/event.php?eid=1430487...

Remember to RSVP and to pay ASAP - your spot isn't secured until it's paid for. Hope to see many of you there! :D Also, just let me know (here, or over email) if you have any questions about the retreat!
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2006 - 100k
2007 - 60k
2008 - 68k

Canada :: New Brunswick

Saint John Roll Call! LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!

Cass — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:35:46 +0000

Woohoo! NaNo 2009 is only a month away!

I'm Cass, and I'll be ML-ing (half co-MLing, it seems?) the beautiful city of Saint John. This is probably my last year MLing, and I want to make it one to remember!

Here are some ways that you can keep in touch with your fellow Saint John Wrimos:

Join the Facebook group!

Come to the writing retreat (hosted by the lovely Fredericton folks!) I'm definitely going, and if we have enough people maybe we can arrange for some car-pools to get us up there. Space is limited, so check it out and register soon!

Check out the google calendar - COMING SOON! Still need to figure out how to coordinate this with the Fredericton and Moncton ML's.

All right, you swarthy Saint Johners! SOUND OFF!
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The NaNo Canada Podcast!
Episode 6 is up - Lord of the Appendices!
http://nanocanada.podbean.com
--
wordwhacker.livejournal.com
"Out, damn plot! Out I say!"

Canada :: New Brunswick

Woodstock?

mmss — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:06:58 +0000

First timer here... anyone else giving this a shot?
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Canada :: New Brunswick

Alphasmarts for Fredericton Write-ins

Susan Douglas — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:19:36 +0000

Some of you may remember "Twitchy" and "Twitchy's Brother".

Twitchy behaves himself for 2-4 weeks, then he demands a new lithum battery. (about $4)

Twitchy's Brother can't be trusted.

Both of them are ideal for write ins.

If you want to use them at a write in, let me know. You can either bring a flash drive to copy the text to, or I can email it to you. I'll be bringing a netbook for this transaction.)

Susan
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Canada :: New Brunswick

Tri-City - The Jar

weylyn42 — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:13:24 +0000

Returning wrimos from Gainesville will remember the Jar, the wondrous jar of ideas that we create at the Meet & Greet, that appears at every in-person event through November. Well, this year marks the return of the online version of the Jar, a place where you can go, add plot or character ideas when you have an abundance, or draw ideas when you get stuck.

The Jar can be found linked off of the Tri-City NaNo Wordpress page, or you can access it directly at www.crushedmuffin.com/NanoJar2

When you get there, click "Add an Idea to Jar" to add to the 009 jar. You can draw ideas from 3 categories using the drop down menu:
Jar 2008 (last year's online and in-person ideas)
Jar 2009 (this year's online jar)
Jar of NaNo Past (contains all the in-person ideas from 2007 and earlier)

I'm opening up the jar to our sister-regions of Fredericton and Peoria, so hopefully a lot of good ideas will be on hand whenever you get stuck.

And this is a family-friendly jar, so please, keep it appropriate. Most importantly, Enjoy!

-Christy

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-Christy
Co-ML for Gainesville, FL
---------------------------------------
NaNo Participant: 2002-09
Nano Winner: 2002-03, 2005-08
NaNo ML: 2003, 2005-09

USA :: Illinois :: Peoria

The NaNo Canada Podcast is live!

Cass — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:00:39 +0000

Hey guys!

I've been working on a special project this year, and I've finally got it off the ground. It's called the NaNo Canada Podcast, and you can check it out here:

http://nanocanada.podbean.com

The first episode is up and in it I talk about the addictiveness of NaNo, the interesting issues that a region like OURS has when it comes to community and sharing resources, and a bit of warm-up advice and a prompt. Check it out!

I'd love to hear from YOU about your NaNo experiences, so if you want to get involved, drop me a line (either PM here or as a comment on the podcast site.)
----------
The NaNo Canada Podcast!
Episode 6 is up - Lord of the Appendices!
http://nanocanada.podbean.com
--
wordwhacker.livejournal.com
"Out, damn plot! Out I say!"

Canada :: New Brunswick

NaNoWarmUp, anyone?

Eternal Winter — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:38:08 +0000

Okay, so I'm a little late posting this, but I figured I'd throw the idea out there anyway. In the past, a few friends and I have gotten together to give ourselves a little warm up to NaNo, and this year I figured I'd go public and see how many others might want to join in.

The plan? Pick a goal (between 25k-30k is about average), and aim for that during the month of October. It's good to get the writing juices flowing if one hasn't done any writing for a while (*cough* like me... *cough*), and much like NaNo itself, we can cheer each other on, give ourselves some friendly competition.

So, who fancies doing this little warm-up challenge this month?
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