Canada :: Ontario :: London

The Meet 'n' Greet post

cjel — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 18:37:40 -0700

Last year we had a nice 'getting to know you' thread that I myself found quite interesting because although we're all in the same city (or thereabouts), there's a lot of diversity in our group. As no one else has started it yet, here's a post where you can introduce yourself to your fellow London NaNo-ers and share interests/details about yourself and learn more about others. After all, NaNo is not only a personal writing challenge, but a great way to connect with other people and make new friends that you might not have met otherwise :) So take it away, folks ... (I'll add my own later - too sleepy atm)
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

The After NaNo Post - Sticking Around

cjel — Sun, 2 Dec 2007 04:42:32 -0800

Like a handful of other people from the meetings, I'm thinking of sharing my novel once it's finished and edited etc. However, we who are continuing to write may still like some support/suggestions/solutions/s-words from the group here and it'd be nice, too, to know when and where people's NaNo novels will be available for public consumption. Therefore, anyone who's sticking around for a bit before life whisks us in our separate ways again for another year - hi :) Let's keep things going until we're writing "The End."

First up for suggestions: I believe that gekk is still looking for a title for his novel.
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

TGIO Party Post

cjel — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 14:47:42 -0800

It would be ideal to have the party on Saturday December 1st - sooner is better than later, before you all scatter and disappear back to your normal lives for another year - so leave a reply below if you're good to go for that day. I'd hesitate to move it back to the 29th meeting for those who can't do weekends because, hey, NaNo won't be over yet, and leaving it until much later into December is not a realistic goal. So, fingers are crossed that next Saturday can be the day.

Also - the TGIO may involve a lot of noise, food/drinks (non-alcoholic), games, activities, etc, so the public library is not the best location (especially since we've been shushed by librarians a couple of times at the Thursday meetings already). Last year we were hosted by one of the NaNo participants but also up as suggestions were things like cafes, if I remember rightly - something like Williams with a lot of seating, for example.

Anyway, if you've got a suggestion for a location (or if you're Lora and have had a chance to brainstorm on this - I'm just getting it out there for consideration since we're into the last week) please let us know below. That's all from me for now and we'll see how this turns out.

-Carrie
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

An invitation

celticfrog — Sat, 1 Dec 2007 10:11:37 -0800

I made the leap in NaNo this year because members of the site I write on the rest of the year were doing it. We are a diverse and crazy bunch, (We're writers - enough said.) I would like to invite any of you who would like to keep the writing skill sharp through the year to drop into the Text section at Worth1000.com and join us. We write a story or two a week and make (usually) helpful comments on each other's work. Just tell them celticfrog sent you.

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Put the story first.

Canada :: Ontario :: London

Final Week

cjel — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:18:11 -0800

Here we go for the final week of NaNo and I just wanted to leave a note to everyone out there who hasn't given up yet - you all can feel free to post some mutual encouragement here too.

Anyway, I've been really impressed by the diligence that a lot of you guys have shown, especially the first time writers. If you're in the 30,000s, I'm really excited to see you bear down and crank out that last 10+ because it's such a thrill to have the goal in sight, even if you're behind, and just sprint with your last bit of energy to finish before the deadline. If/when you make it, save a bit of energy for the TGIO party that traditionally happens in the first week of December (we're looking at the 1st, which is next Saturday) and we can all celebrate success in your reaching the 50K mark. If, on the other hand, you miss the mark by a bit, or by a LOT, I encourage you to join us at the TGIO with your head held high because you gave it a good, solid shot and that totally counts for something. Your contributed lines in the 'last sentence' thread will live in in perpetuity, if nothing else ;)

I think the hardest part of this last week for me last year, which was my first time, was itching to reach that 50K and writing complete and utter drivel with no polish, no panache, and not a lot of plausibility to boot - but whatever, it's quantity and not quality, don't forget. If it sounds terrible, who cares? Move that plot along by whatever means necessary and leave the making sense part for December's editing. Don't give up, people, and go read those much better-written Pep Talk emails!

So keep up the good writing everyone and marshal your fellow NaNo-ers on to victory with as much encouragement as you can muster! Go Londoners! :)
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

Congratulations to all Participants!

Jaelyn — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:09:15 -0800

Because real life (and that pesky writer's block) really, really get in the way of trying to write some times, I tip my hat to everybody who got some words written during this month. It's been crazy and everybody at the meetings has seen what I'm like when hyped on sugar and caffiene. Well... sorry about that but hey, it got me through this year. =D

If you got to the beloved 50k this year than take a bow, go get some sleep, you've earned. To those who are trying to write as much as they can, I suggest you set a goal and aim for that instead. ^_^v Just remember, it's not a failure, it's a good effort made.

~ Laura
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

Post your latest sentence here! - 2007 version

Lorata — Mon, 5 Nov 2007 06:47:26 -0800

Last year, some ingenious person (I can't remember, nor can I look it up because the 2006 archives are down) came up with a thread where, at random moments, you come here and post the last sentence you've just written. This is ingenious for several reasons: one, it can be quite humourous; two, when other people's sentences end up making some sort of twisted sense by accident, it's great to read and pretend it's supposed to be a coherent story; and three, if you don't think your last sentence is good enough to post, it's a reason to keep writing until you get a real zinger. ;) (C'mon, '06 veterans, you can't pretend you didn't do that. It's like the "What is the last book you read?" question on a college application - I don't think anyone's going to say "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader".)

I'll start us off:

"Grammarians do it anally."

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Lora, Municipal Liaison for London Ontario

Canada :: Ontario :: London

The DARIL Project: Your Contributions

cjel — Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:43:12 -0700

Hi guys,

For those of you planning to attend the weekly meetings, you'll soon meet DARIL the Dare Cube - aka a modified Rubik's cube who will be at your service when the answer to the question, "Does Anyone Require Idea Lists?" is "yes." That happens to be my answer at this very moment, as I'm soliciting you, my fellow participants, to help me get the DARIL project off the ground. Here's what I'm talking about:

- DARIL has 6 different colours and 9 cubes of each colour, which will correspond to 9 different suggestions/ideas for each of the 6 topics, listed below:

Red - Relationships
Orange - Random Sentences
Yellow - Dream Sequences
Green - Plot Twists
Blue - Character Details
White - General Dares

- If you're interested in suggestions to help enhance your novel, here's how DARIL can help:

Step 1. Pick a heading/colour. Step 2. Twist DARIL's rows around in no particular order, the number of twists corresponding to the date. (eg. Oct 8 = 8 twists, Nov 20 = 20 twists). Step 3. Roll DARIL on the mat like a die and consult the upper face when it comes to rest. Step 4. Whichever blocks in the chosen colour are on the upper face will direct you to the idea lists by number (eg. Face shows Blue #4 and Blue #7, so you pick either idea 4 or 7 from the Character Details list).

Basically, it's just a (fun?) way to randomly choose ideas that we all come up with that aren't necessarily dares and don't necessarily fit into our own novels, but would be fun to see someone run with. And something to do at meetings that could possibly be called productive ;)

So see my next post for examples of what I mean in terms of idea lists and, if you're up for it, go ahead and post your own lists so I can compile a good number by the time November comes along and we're all ready to get writing. If you can come up with 9 at a time (aka 1 full list) that would be awesome, but a few random suggestions would be useful too (again, see futher posts for examples).

- Carrie :)
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

Upcoming NaNo Meetings

cjel — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:30:48 -0800

Hey guys. One quick correction about the email I just sent out: I typed 'elevators' when I meant to say 'escalators' and although the tables are technically across from the elevators in some sense, it's not the ideal direction. Sorry about that - NaNo makes me lax in my proofreading ;)

Anyway, see below for the usual transportation information, bearing in mind that some buses are rerouted downtown because of the sinkhole repairs - detours are listed on the LTC website notice here: http://www.londontransit.ca/PublicNotices.htm

As you can see from the Events, we've got 2 meetings scheduled for this week down at Central's 2nd floor tables:
Thursday, Nov 15 at 6:00pm
Saturday, Nov 17 at 1:00pm

In light of last weekend's lack of turnout, which I admit is very likely due to the short notice of our emailing, I'd love it if you could drop a reply here if you're planning to make it this Saturday. I know we've had some regulars at the Thursday meetings (awesome) but we don't have any numbers to go by when planning the weekend ones so, again, drop us a reply here if you want to let us know you're coming on Saturday. Thanks :)

TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION: For those who take the bus, the Central Library is located within two blocks of Dundas and Richmond, and within one block of Dundas and Wellington, making it within two blocks of every bus that hits downtown. Those who drive, parking is available through the Clarence, Wellington, King, or York street entrances of the Galleria Mall. Bring your ticket to the 2nd floor circulation desk and have it validated for two hours' free parking!
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

Writing Observations

Jaelyn — Thu, 8 Nov 2007 20:56:24 -0800

When I got home from the meeting, there was a TV blaring, a dog barker, a kitten being a little heathen and well... I found myself horribly distracted after yacking Jess' ear off before parting ways for another week. Anyway, after the TV was turned off, my mother and the dog went to bed, I made a startling observation. I had always thought before that I wrote better when there was some type of noise in the background. It actually turns out that silence is the best answer. I churned out another 1500 (approximate) words and am about to head to bed in five minutes feeling quite proud of myself.

So my fellow Londoners, what observations have you made your writing in the past week?

PS: Happy ML Appreciation Day to Lora and Carrie! ^_^ <3
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

The Official "What Are You Writing This Year?" Thread

Lorata — Fri, 5 Oct 2007 07:10:23 -0700

It's up to you guys to start this one -- I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm waiting for inspiration to strike and hoping it's any minute now ...

But yes -- those of you who do know what's going on this year, let us know! Genre? Characters? Plot twists? Unusual format? We're eternally curious, and we promise to be nice to your babies and treat them with the respect that all fledgling stories deserve.
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Lora, Municipal Liaison for London Ontario

Canada :: Ontario :: London

The Official "Help! I need ideas!" Thread

Lorata — Fri, 5 Oct 2007 08:21:53 -0700

I'll start this one off -- I have no idea what I'm writing for NaNo this year, and I know I'm not the only one. I don't know what genre I'm writing, what style, anything -- I imagine I'll figure it out before November, but it sure is intimidating, being able to count the days and having no ideas forthcoming.

Who else is in the same boat? This is the forum for encouragement, rallying cries, brainstorming, and ideas for those of us who aren't quite as prepared as some of the others. We've got to stick together, folks!
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Lora, Municipal Liaison for London Ontario

Canada :: Ontario :: London

Word war, anyone?

Jessica Breiter — Sun, 4 Nov 2007 17:44:23 -0800

I figured that since we didn't already have one of these threads, I'd make one.

For those new to the idea, a word war is where you get together with someone (or multiple someones), and set a time to write. Say, 15 minutes. Then you write as much as you can in those 15 minutes. Whoever gets the most written wins! The reward? A boost to your word count, and a small amount of bragging rights. ^^

So. Straight to the point: does anyone want to wordwar tonight?
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

What's this? A writing challenge?!

Jaelyn — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:22:54 -0700

Why yes, yes it is a writing challenge! It may be a little random and it might just be a little too far out of left, center or right field for your personal liking or comfort zone. Let us take a moment to fling our hands up in the air, let loose an oath of epic, nine meter deep proportions and grin and bear it. So in case you didn't just notice my drop of the depth of the sinkhole at dundas and wellington, you now know what I'm talking about!

So here is the writing challenge. It doesn't have to be apart of your novel but it would be interesting to writing about something literal or physical that could send your life or someone else's into a sinkhole. Or... you could actually write about a sinkhole that actually has a maneating worm (like the sandworms from Beetlejuice). The creative process is up to you!

PS: Happy NaNoing! :D
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

London NaNo Kick-Off

cjel — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:56:36 -0700

Okay guys, this Thursday (Nov 1) is the kick-off meeting and we'd love all 92 of you (not counting your MLs) who're signed up for this region to swarm up to the Central Library's 2nd floor and freak out security by amassing at the giant pencil for some excellent kick-off fun.

However, I suspect not everyone can make it so here's the post where you can let the rest of us know: a) if you ARE coming for sure, b) if you're NOT coming for sure, or c) if you THINK you can/cannot make it. Lora and I will definitely be there: how about you?

(If you missed the email with location/time/transit details, see below.)

- Carrie

DATE: Thursday, November 1
TIME: 6:00pm
LOCATION: 251 Dundas Street: Central Library, Downtown; 2nd floor, tables across from the escalator. Look for the giant pencil!

DETAILS: This will be our NaNo Kick-Off meeting but the format will be pretty much the same as the October meetings: an informal get-together where you can meet your fellow London NaNo-ers and chit-chat/share ideas. And since the writing will have officially begun, you can work on your novel too, if you'd like. Do bring along some paper and writing implements for any activities ... and any leftover Halloween candy is welcome too ;) If the official swag gets here in time, we may have some fun stickers and things to give out to get you motivated, but either way we still have a number of posters that you can take and distribute at your leisure to spread the news of NaNo. If you know that you're coming (or not) and want to let us know, please log into the forums and leave a note on the Kick-Off post. Thanks, and hope to see you on Thursday!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For those who take the bus, the Central Library is located within two blocks of Dundas and Richmond, and within one block of Dundas and Wellington, making it within two blocks of every bus that hits downtown. Those who drive, parking is available through the Clarence, Wellington, King, or York street entrances of the Galleria Mall. Bring your ticket to the 2nd floor circulation desk and have it validated for two hours' free parking!
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

The (Unofficial) "Countdown to Nano'07" Thread

Jessica Breiter — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:30:39 -0700

So, a little late, but still better than never. If there's anyone hanging around the forums that wants to waste time in these last few hours left before NaNo... this is the place to do it.

As as alternative to the forums (which, lately, are excruciating slow at best... or at least it seems like it), does anyone want to set up a chat room of some sort? I have no experience with that sort of thing, so I'll leave that idea to someone who knows how, if anyone does/is interested.
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

The Music Post!

Jaelyn — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:45:50 -0700

Hey guys, one more week! I think we can all last one more week until the madness begins. :D But the grand question is this: What are you going to listen to while writing your novel? I know personally, that I'll probably listening to some hyper sounding Jpop music.

Would anybody like to be so bold as to listen to the same music as I?
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Canada :: Ontario :: London

November Meetings - What do you want to see?

Lorata — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:32:15 -0700

The title says it all, really. But it's a question that bears asking, especially since we have a few pre-meetings under our belts, and we're halfway to November.

So far, meetings have been pretty loose, mostly social. We had one member ask "So what are we doing here?", and while I answered that at the time, I think it's important to answer that here, in case other people might be wondering whether or not to come along.

The early meetings are basically a chance for us to get to know each other, joke around and talk and basically build a support system before the November panic turns on. That way, we have a large support base, so that those who are having good days can encourage those who aren't, and three days later when those people switch roles, they can cry on/encourage as they see fit. It's also a time to discuss your novel-in-planning, talk about where you're stuck, and swap ideas.

But once November comes, we have a larger pool of meeting ideas from which to draw: social meetings, where we can get together and talk about our novels and our lives with people who understand and won't try to get us to do chores and discourage us; write-ins, where we get together and work on our novels together, secure in the knowledge that there are people in proximity who are suffering likewise (or, if you're competitive, who might be getting ahead of you); or who knows what else that I haven't thought of.

I've got a few people who are interested in write-in meetings, but perhaps not enough to run a meeting on its own -- would people be interested in a joint meeting? Meet up somewhere, bring paper and/or laptops, and those who want to write sit together while those who want to chat do likewise, and anyone who wants to switch between groups can do so. These would most likely be the Saturday meetings, because that's when a lot of working/student writers will want to catch up.

A question raised in last week's meeting was whether or not people here would be interested in pre-November writing prompts. I'd asked the question around the table a few times and got unanimously negative results, but I haven't posed the question to the as-yet non-meeting-going NaNoers yet.

So, a summary of this post:

What sort of meetings would people like to come to in November?
Who would be interested in write-ins during November? Conversely, who would definitely not want to participate in something like that?
Who would be interested in short writing prompts during pre-November meetings? Again conversely, who would not want to take part in those?
If we did November write-ins or pre-November writing prompts, would anyone feel uncomfortable if they didn't want to participate, or would you be happy talking amongst yourselves until the writing portion was over?

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Lora, Municipal Liaison for London Ontario

Canada :: Ontario :: London

Upcoming Events

Lorata — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 19:08:58 -0700

This is pretty empty for now, but it will grow! This isn't just a place for the MLs to post, either -- feel free to add any meetings or write-ins that you yourself want to host (hey, you never know!). You and a few other people busy on the nights that most of the group agrees on? Meet up yourselves, and don't forget to post here so that other people can join, as well!

Some of this information might be repeated on other posts, but it's always useful to have things like this in one place.

Upcoming Meetings Overview:

October 4 - Pre-NaNo Meeting 1 (Introduction) -- DONE
- 6pm, Central Library
October 11 - Pre-NaNo Meeting 2
- 6pm, Central Library
October 18 - Pre-NaNo Meeting 3
- 6pm, Central Library
October 25 - Pre-NaNo Meeting 4 (Planning the Kickoff)
- 6pm, Central Library
November 1 - Kickoff Party
- Acting date, subject to change

Upcoming Meetings Detail:

DATE: Thursday, October 18
TIME: 6pm
LOCATION: 251 Dundas: Central Library, Downtown; 2nd floor, tables near the escalator. Look for the giant pencil!
DETAILS: An informal get-together so your MLs can start to get to know the new members, and so returning members can reunite! Low-key, low-pressure, but (hopefully) high in social connectivity. Your MLs will be on hand to answer any questions and assuage any doubts you might have regarding NaNoWriMo, and to take suggestions on what kinds of events everyone would like to see during November. If you can't make it, don't worry -- we'll be holding events at the same time and place every Thursday throughout October. This week, we're doing something different, so bring a pen!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For those who take the bus, the Central Library is located within two blocks of Dundas and Richmond, and within one block of Dundas and Wellington, making it within two blocks of every bus that hits downtown. Those who drive, parking is available through the Clarence, Wellington, King, or York street entrances of the Galleria Mall. Bring your ticket to the 2nd floor circulation desk and have it validated for two hours' free parking!
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Lora, Municipal Liaison for London Ontario

Canada :: Ontario :: London

ML E-mail Archive

Lorata — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 18:24:26 -0700

As much as we like to pretend, the Internet is not infallible; e-mails get lost, settings get changed, and for some reason or another, every year people slip through the cracks of the ML mailing list.

This post will serve as an archive for each official ML e-mail sent to the London region. Check back if you haven't heard from us in a while to make sure you haven't missed anything, or just if you want a refresher of the topics we've been covering, without having to search through your e-mail. This is also a good place to let us know if you're not on our list, or if we're not getting your e-mails.
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Lora, Municipal Liaison for London Ontario

Canada :: Ontario :: London

Welcome!

Lorata — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 18:07:03 -0700

This is Lora, your ML and forum moderator, speaking!

Just letting you know that the London NaNoWriMo community is up and running! Our first meeting is coming up, and you're all most welcome.

DATE: Thursday, October 4
TIME: 6pm
LOCATION: 251 Dundas: Central Library, Downtown; 2nd floor, tables across from the escalator.
DETAILS: An informal get-together so your MLs can start to get to know the new members, and so returning members can reunite! Low-key, low-pressure, but (hopefully) high in social connectivity. Your MLs will be on hand to answer any questions and assuage any doubts you might have regarding NaNoWriMo, and to take suggestions on what kinds of events everyone would like to see during November. If you can't make it, don't worry -- we'll be holding events at the same time and place every Thursday throughout October.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For those who take the bus, the Central Library is located within two blocks of Dundas and Richmond, and within one block of Dundas and Wellington, making it within two blocks of every bus that hits downtown. Those who drive, parking is available through the Clarence, Wellington, King, or York street entrances of the Galleria Mall. Bring your ticket to the 2nd floor circulation desk and have it validated for two hours' free parking!

Make sure to check out:
- ML E-mail Archive
- Upcoming Events
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Lora, Municipal Liaison for London Ontario