Hello all!
Someone from the BBC had contacted me about doing a story on Nano! It's a bit up in the air, but the idea is that he would talk to about 5 people about nano and then film a reading of the opening paragraph of their novel.
I think it would be a fantastic project to get involved in, and it's nice to promote nanowrimo at the same time - so if you're interested in getting involved as soon as possible!
----------
Lizzie - Suitable-Boy
Co-ML for Leeds and York
leeds_england[at]nanowrimo[dot]org
"The trouble with writing a novel is that literally anything can happen."
85,265 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 12 38
Are we allowed to edit our first paragraph before we read it in front of the WHOLE country?
I'm not very photgenic, but if you need someone... Oh-heck let's just admit I'm a rampant exhibitionist and leave it at that.
50,330 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 12 41
Yeah, I'm fairly sure you could! Perhaps keep an unedited copy too though, to show the style of nanowrimo? I'm not sure what he wants yet! Really glad that you want to be involved! Just need another few people!
----------Lizzie - Suitable-Boy
Co-ML for Leeds and York
leeds_england[at]nanowrimo[dot]org
"The trouble with writing a novel is that literally anything can happen."
100,789 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 13 22
I'd like to be involved. >>
70,067 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 13 26
If you want someone who has a random assortment of teenagers also doing NaNo at school, then I can pitch in a bit. I'm slowly but surely converting the masses!
397 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 13 32
Wow Lizzie,
That's pretty cool and great for NaNoWriMo. Is it BBC Leeds? I hotdesked there a couple of days a week when I worked for the BBC and they seem like a pretty nice bunch. When and where are the interviews? Not that I could do it, as I've failed massively, lol!
Sandra xx
50,330 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 13 54
The BBC person is based in London - but wants to do something away from London. Not sure when the interviews are yet!
----------Lizzie - Suitable-Boy
Co-ML for Leeds and York
leeds_england[at]nanowrimo[dot]org
"The trouble with writing a novel is that literally anything can happen."
100,789 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 14 17
I'd be interested, but with my exams coming up and such, I wouldn't want to take time off school to go down to London. >> So really I can only be involved if it's localish. Just to specify. :D
85,265 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 14 45
I have a few travel problems too, starting with a phobia of trains, so I hope this is local. (rampant exhibitionist side wouldn't want to miss a chance to show off) I have a car, if it's in Leeds.
50,330 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 15 00
I'm fairly sure it would be based either in York or Leeds - possibly Leeds as it's relatively easy to get to on the train from London.
----------Lizzie - Suitable-Boy
Co-ML for Leeds and York
leeds_england[at]nanowrimo[dot]org
"The trouble with writing a novel is that literally anything can happen."
22,700 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 15 41
I'd be happy to be involved.
Let me know more details when you have them.
----------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nano 05: Excess Baggage (chicklit) - finished at 50,100!
Nano 06: Moving on (literary fiction) - unfinished at 50,090!
Nano 07: something to do with elves in a wood... for kids
50,141 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 16 48
I'd certainly be interested, even if to show that Nano appeals to people of all ages.
Chris
50,154 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 17 22
I'd absolutely be interested, yes, sounds like fun! I suspect most of us would be, you might have to draw names from a hat ;)
----------2005: fell at the dreaded week two
2006: winner (hurrah!)
2007: winner again (hurrah!!)
50,330 / 50,000
Nov 21, 2007 - 01 20
You kids just all love the BBC. Hopefully contact or calling the person today (if I remember. my memory appears to be going on me at the age of 22...) and as soon as I have more details, I'll let you all know! If there are lots and lots of people who want to get involved, then I probably will have to draw names from a hat - though the BBC person may want to pick some to get a variety of people!
----------Lizzie - Suitable-Boy
Co-ML for Leeds and York
leeds_england[at]nanowrimo[dot]org
"The trouble with writing a novel is that literally anything can happen."
50,330 / 50,000
Nov 21, 2007 - 11 35
Okay my dears,
Here is the thing - Friday is the day he wants to come up to Leeds / York to do the story, sometime during the day. I'm planning to see him at nine at my house. And he will travel to people's houses to see them write, or meet them at coffee bars etc. Please, please, please let me know today if you can do it or not. If you don't say, I'll assume that you can't do it, because it has to be sorted out really quickly! If no one can do friday, we can possibly do a different day, but I need to know! I also need your addresses to give him so he can find / meet you!
He wants to film you writing and ask a couple of questions (As in - Why?) and it will hopefully be out on the 30th (when we all finish!)
Please PM, email, etc. soon.
----------Lizzie - Suitable-Boy
Co-ML for Leeds and York
leeds_england[at]nanowrimo[dot]org
"The trouble with writing a novel is that literally anything can happen."
70,067 / 50,000
Nov 21, 2007 - 11 58
I can if he can come to York (it'll have to be at school though!) - otherwise I can be through in Leeds by 4pm on Friday.
85,265 / 50,000
Nov 21, 2007 - 13 35
In my house Aaaarghhh! where's the vaccuum cleaner? Has anyone seen my Dyson. It's grey and yellow, last seen on 31st October. If you see it, please let it know it is sorely missed.
50,330 / 50,000
Nov 21, 2007 - 14 13
Thanks to everyone who got back to me about this! Please get back to the reporter to arrange everything - you should have his contact details now. Check your nanomail!
If you can't contact him, please email me!
----------Lizzie - Suitable-Boy
Co-ML for Leeds and York
leeds_england[at]nanowrimo[dot]org
"The trouble with writing a novel is that literally anything can happen."
50,154 / 50,000
Nov 22, 2007 - 03 17
Should any of you taking part be curious, here's a fun report by David Sillito, the interviewer in quesion, at the Tate Modern - there's a short video on the page that's quite fun...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6034123.stm
----------2005: fell at the dreaded week two
2006: winner (hurrah!)
2007: winner again (hurrah!!)
50,141 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2007 - 06 31
Well, that was an interesting experience. Cold, but interesting. Later in the day I'd be interested in exchanging thoughts with anyone else who took part. David Sillito was heading for York I understand, Miss Mac; Clarabelle maybe. I know he spoke to Suitable-Boy before me. 08:30 on BBC next Friday I'm told, and a piece on the internet. I dread the thought.
Best wishes,
Chris :o)
100,789 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2007 - 06 54
I'm guessing he's not coming to me, though he didn't make an effort to let me know either way. :\
(I did communicate with him via email and give him my phone number, so, y'know.)
22,700 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2007 - 07 19
Well that was fun! Nice to see Ravenflowers and JellyWellington.
I don't think we were too awful!
----------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nano 05: Excess Baggage (chicklit) - finished at 50,100!
Nano 06: Moving on (literary fiction) - unfinished at 50,090!
Nano 07: something to do with elves in a wood... for kids
50,154 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2007 - 07 55
Yep, I thoroughly enjoyed it - it's always lovely seeing Clarabelle, and it was nice to meet Ravenflowers for the first time. David Sillito was very charming (and actually a little shy, I thought), though god knows how we came across - hopefully amusing and wry rather than odd and strange (though after three weeks of constant writing, I am starting to feel a little odd and strange - too many ideas whirling in me head! help!), but that won't stop it being fun to watch, I s'pose ;)
----------I can't begin to describe how hideous it was reading out my first, very unedited paragraph.
2005: fell at the dreaded week two
2006: winner (hurrah!)
2007: winner again (hurrah!!)
50,141 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2007 - 08 38
Yes, it was an experience. Did anyone else have to write for the camera? I was having trouble with the laptop, and thought you might be interested in just what I wrote, before the screen finally DID go black(ish).
Thankfully it came round once I got it back in the warm again and plugged into its own socket, so I haven't actually lost anything except time.
'BBC INTERVIEW. 23/11/2007.
Here I am sat outside Yum Yum in the center of Leeds, wondering what the hell I'm
up to with this TV camera pointed at the end of my nose The battery on the laptop is
screaming 'danger' and I'm praying that it won't explode before they've finished
filming this spot. I would hate to lose all the 40,000 words I've written so far.
There's no way I'll catch up on that in the remaining week!
"Wrtite," they said,
"Write what?"
"Does it matter? Write what the hell you like, it's not important."
"It is to me, I've still got another 10,000 words to go and there's only seven
days left – eight if you're counting today, most of which is already at risk due to me
suiting here on a freezing Yorkshiore morning, trying not to let the shiverin show on
the camera, when I should be back at home, warm and ".
At this point the screen did go blank, though I kept writing (and editing - how do you edit a blank page?) so if you do see me typing away on Friday, looking all professional, you'll know exactly what I was going through.
Still Waaaay behind today...
Chris :o)
50,141 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2007 - 08 41
I don't think we were too awful!
You make it sound like a scene from Macbeth...
Chris
85,265 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2007 - 08 49
Great to meet Jellywellington and clarabelle.
All the 'how to do a BBC interview' has now gone into my back brain to turn up in another story. I suppose David Silito did realise he was meeting writers didn't he? It would have to air during the school run - Oh well, that's why video tape was invented, I suppose.
50,154 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2007 - 08 59
I wrote a whole bunch of drivel too - didn't have my laptop so I was scribbling in a notebook as they filmed us, but it was hard to concentrate, so I'm not certain I'll end up using any of the scene I wrote - might be able to rescue some of it.
----------But yes, first they filmed the three of us writing (this went on for some time) from different angles. We tried not to giggle.
Then after David Sillito did a quick piece to camera, he asked each of us to read our first paragraphs, and then filmed the laptops themselves (and my printed out version), asked Clarabelle to do a bit of typing as they filmed her screen (particularly watching her word counter, which counts up as she writes)
Then he interviewed us, asking us general questions about Nano, and about our books, and about the social aspect of it (maybe he thought we should get out more ;) ) - first Ravenflowers, and then Clarabelle and me together. Took about an hour or so in total, filmed on the top floor of the Fountains Learning Centre (part of St John's College) on Clarence Street. Mr Sillito was charming throughout, I took to him straight away.
2005: fell at the dreaded week two
2006: winner (hurrah!)
2007: winner again (hurrah!!)
70,067 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2007 - 09 44
I really, really hate cameras...
ARGH
He was a lovely bloke though and the kids were just so excited about the whole thing. I'm sure everyone elsewhere was a lot more coherent than I was - I felt like I was rambling for England.
22,700 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2007 - 02 38
The 600 odd words I wrote during our pretend "write in" where all essentially the same. I just rambled about the end of my little elves' meeting and them going home to have to keep this big secret. But made that last 600. Proper nano - no story - writing. Shame it's probably going to be the last bit I do on it. Realised 30,000 is impossible in 7 days (for me anyway) so not going to spend any more time on it. Just wish I could get to 50,000 by doing the typing I had to do for the camera when I got to type jhjhjhj gfgfgfg uyiudl kjjfs;n kkladiihn jkjk j sjh for about two minutes!!
----------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nano 05: Excess Baggage (chicklit) - finished at 50,100!
Nano 06: Moving on (literary fiction) - unfinished at 50,090!
Nano 07: something to do with elves in a wood... for kids
50,141 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2007 - 03 23
Am I missing something here, or was I really the only guy involved yesterday????
Chris
85,265 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2007 - 03 41
Chris
JellyWellington was involved. He was at the York St John University team writing display.