What the “Duck” is up: 2008 edition
First off, let me say a few words of welcome to the newbies in our midst and a big noisy HELLO to all of the returning wrimos. You all did an amazing job in 2007, and I can only hope that we work as hard and make just as swell a showing in 2008.
For the new folks here: the tag line to our forum says “Home of the REPEAT 1st Place ducks!” and that’s true. In both 2006 and 2007 wrimos affiliated with Seattle wrote more combined words than any other region in the world. In 2007 our region also raised more money via firstgiving and through traditional donations than any other region.
We’re #1! Let’s keep it that way. Remember that the top word generator and top fundraiser from the Seattle region each win a walk-on role in an upcoming episode of STAR TREK: PHOENIX.
If you haven’t already, you’re welcome to subscribe to our LiveJournal Community: hydrophobicduck. We’d love to have you.
As for those of you who don’t know how or why the Seattle wrimos have come to be known as the ducks, the story is as follows:
In 2004 Chris Baty visited our area just prior to the beginning of NaNoWriMo. Several of us who had met on the forums decided to attend, but wanted to assure that we could find each other once we were at the event. It was then suggested by then rookie-wrimo Xaandria that we each bring a rubber duck with us so that we could easily identify each other. The ducks were labeled with our forum usernames and many solid friendships were formed. Rubber ducks then became the official mascot of the Seattle NaNo organization, and have been present at every write-in since. It seems a ducky is an easy way for new wrimos to find the NaNo group in a café full of people with laptops.
The 2004 ML shared with us a story about the asininity of the U of Oregon having once not allowed their live mascot (a duck) onto the field in the rain for fear it would get wet. Several of us agreed that year to include a ‘hydrophobic duck’ in our novels. There has been a duck in some form appearing in Seattle wrimos’ novels every November since then. The 2005 ducks had antennae, the 2006 ducks were on fire, and the 2007 ducks were either wearing or part of a hat and they made an unusual noise.
And, in honor of NaNoWriMo’s 10th year, the 2008 duck:
WILL HAVE 10 OF SOMETHING OR BE ONE OF 10!
Feel free to respond to this thread with the particulars of your duck or with ideas for others to steal that mightn’t work for your novel, but could be helpful to others. My hydrophobic duck was a grenade, the one with the antennae was a collectible rubber ducky, the one on fire was a recipe gone wrong, and the hat was a silly carnival prize with a weak quack to it.
It's silly fun and good for at least a few hundred words. :)
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4 time ML for the#1 Seattle DUCKS!
www.smartestgirlinthewest.com
50,144 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2008 - 03 06
WILL HAVE 10 OF SOMETHING OR BE ONE OF 10!
So....either a duck with say, 10 wings or 10 of the same sort of duck? Or simply 10 rubber ducks placed somewhere in the story? Should they appear all in one place or can they show up spontaneously?
51,304 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2008 - 21 35
Dopey, Grumpy, Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sneezy, Sleepy, Donner and Blitzen. Oh, one more, let's say, Moe.
50,169 / 50,000
Oct 17, 2008 - 09 00
(Newbie here)
So would a duck with ten ducklings be way too tame?
Or a ten course meal with - 1. Soup 2. second course 3. third course 4. Duck 5. fifth course 6. six course 7. seventh course 8.eighth course 9. ninth course 10. Nuts - would that work?
101,546 / 50,000
Oct 17, 2008 - 09 46
How about like a turducken but like a duck stuffed inside nine other ducks (like a duckahedron)
wow how terrible I hope I don't say that in my book
53,288 / 50,000
Oct 17, 2008 - 10 09
From a Buckminster Fuller perspective, this would be very cool if it were 12 ducks. Then it could be a doduckahedron!
51,304 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2008 - 22 25
A doduckahedron, that would make it a duckyball.
The kids decorated their ducks today -
Dr. Duck - He's a quack
Superduck - He's yellow
Diver Duck - He's all wet
Twin Ducks - Bird's of a feather
George W. Duck - He's lame
Charles Duckins - He's the best of ducks, he's the worst of ducks
Fu Man Duck - He's peeking
Rich Duck - He's picking up the bill
Poor Duck - He's worth chicken feed
Henry Fonduck - He's on golden pond
That's 10
72,027 / 50,000
Oct 19, 2008 - 16 14
I figured out what my duck was going to be while at work and then hammered out the more detailed specs while sitting through church...
It's a "duck" gun that basically shoots ducks at the intended target. There were only 10 built, so my character has one, just by chance... It has unlimited ammunition because inside the gun it has a wormhole that is linked to a planet of only ducks called "Duckotymous". Once a duck hits its target, it then returns to it's home planet.
50,729 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2008 - 10 34
Hi there,
Your Live Journal link doesn't work and I'd like to check it out. Is there a way for me to go to the site and search by name or something? Please enlighten as I am not yet familiar with Live Journal. Thanks, and thanks for letting us know about the history of the duck.
62,779 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2008 - 15 06
Try this, paperbulletspre...: http://community.livejournal.com/hydrophobicduck/ There's an extra " at the end of the link in the original post. That's all. :)
I didn't manage the flaming duck in 2006, I'm sad to say. In 2007, though, I have both a real duck and a duck that makes an odd sound and is also on a hat. Ten ducks or a duck with 10 of something this time, eh? Should be a fun challenge!
~MonkeyBard