That's right, this is the place to come and tell us who you are and what you're doing here (assuming you know, of course!) Tell us a little bit about yourself, and about your novel.
I'll start, since I'm here.
I'm Magenta, though my mother calls me Claire, and I'm your Municipal Liaison. That means I'm in charge here, although so far I've nver once had to put my stompy boots on. Don't make this the first year I do. : ) [Remember, in particular, that this is officially designated an All-Ages Forum, so no swearing or discussions of untoward topics.]
This will be my fifth year doing NaNo, my fourth as ML, and hopefully my fourth victory. I only failed the challenge in 2007, which I think can be excused since I had a baby on the 7th of November that year. So far I've always written contemporary urban fantasy, but this year I decided to go a little bit crazy and write a cheesy romance. Or possibly cheesy erotica, if I feel the need to pad the whole thing out with lavish sex scenes.
So yeah, that's me. Now it's your turn!
----------
Claire - ML for England :: York & Leeds + Moderator of Newbies
32,532 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 00 31
Hello! I'm Reebs (short for Rebecca) and I'm 18, and its my second year doing NaNo, but lost my password and username and failed miserably in 2008, so I thought that I'd make a new account, for a fresh start! I think I'll be writing Supernatural meets Romance (my stories always seem to end up Romance, and I'm done fighting it!), and I may also throw a little Horror in for good measure. Yesterday, after a long hard day at work, which I wasn't really supposed to do (because I was supposed to have a lovely relxing day off), I sat down and wrote the outline of my plot, which I'd thought of the day before, and an in-depth description of my main character who is yet to be named, and that's all I have so far. Apart from the urge to put a cat called Depardieu in my story, which I think is an urge I'm just going to give into.
Only a month to go! I'm rather excited.
And, I'll be sure to avoid any acting up, so that the dusty stompy boots don't have to come out!
----------It's not the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog.
42,519 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 01 39
Hi folks.
I'm Jonny, I live in Leeds and I've reached the grand old age of twenty-two. This is my first year at NaNo.
I work full-time at Borders in the city centre - I'm the tall-ish one with the spikey hair and stubble, if you want to say 'hi'! I recently started writing a few sci-fi/fantasy-esque short stories, and I was talking to a customer about that when she told me about NaNoWriMo. Thought it sounded like a brilliant idea, and I've got a couple of concepts I want to road-test. I've roped my two housemates into it too, so you might be seeing them on here at some point.
Nice to meet you all. Roll on November!
----------"Instruction on the Conventions of Invention and Construction."
0 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 03 07
Hello, this is Lanesra also known as Ric. Also 22 like the guy above and also did a musical degree! What are the odds? I previously attended the University of Leeds - graduated this year. I live near Bradford. This is my first year of NaNoWriMo too... I heard about it from someone on another forum on teh internets and the concept of it truly inspired me... I am looking forward to Novemember but as yet have no plot or even idea what I'm going to write but still - I am excited! I write a lot of poetry and the occassional short story but have never ventured into anything like this.
Good luck to everyone!
42,764 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 03 47
Hi, I'm SchrodingersDuck, aka Stephen. I'm a third year theoretical physics student at Leeds Uni. I took part last year for the first time, and just about made it.
This year's novel is sort of a bundled up ball of every half-baked plot that's floated into my head over the last year, so it'll probably be hideously incoherent. It's about a plague of killer cockroaches that's covered the land, forcing people to live on boats. Hopefully it'll be at least reasable...
60,018 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 04 11
I'm Rustydragonfly, 26(agh! Stupid age! Stop going up each year!) and I live in Barnsley. This will be my uh... seventh NaNo? You know you've been doing this too long when you can't even keep track. I work somewhere in the outer reaches of Rotherham, where my duties currently appear to include playing at internal tech support, writing department process manuals, and making the World's Most Giant Flowchart.
NaNo this year is fantasy, same old universe as all the other times, but this time I think I will break stuff a bit more. And well I should, it's a depressing war story, following the adventures of an extremely grouchy soldier, her flighty and surreal minded psychic partner, an escaped experimental man with a girl's name, a transsexual with a train fetish, and a man whose hamster is trying to kill him. They must evade the grip of the world's most tragically adorable anti-villain healer and his sister, who owns a giant killer toad and is going slowly insane because of it.
..it all makes sense in context?
..I think I might put that in my novel info.
----------The author formerly known as aeireono.
NaNo 2009: Capercaillie
2008: Haixtlan
2007: Moths
2006: Eye of Rakaros
2005: Senahri: Approximate Destruction
2004: JSBCBS
2003: From Here To There
44,329 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 05 26
Colbane here, 34 and the oldest person so far I think... *SIGH*
Third year of Nano, this years victory will be my ninth completed novel though. Yeah, I write all year around but Nano gave me the impetus for actually finishing something for the first time :)
I work in Halifax, but live between Leeds and York - writing on the train every day will actually get me to my word count goal :)
This years Nano... like other people in the thread I was seduced into romance last year. This year I am going back to dark fantasy/sci-fi and have three novels in that genre ready to go and be written however I am most interested in doing a story that lays out the origins of the vampire mythos about a thousand years ago. Nano gives me the excuse to write that without the research!
Seeing that one of our writers works in Borders in Leeds, I was wondering whether anyone attended the bi-weekly writers group there (or has done) and what it was like? Off the topic I know, but I was considering going along but had a stinking cold the last time it met and didn't think they'd appreciate it!
Good luck to all.
-----------------
2007 - Starlight - Completed
2008 - Out Front - Completed
2009 - Thrice Blessed
-------
43,052 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 06 27
Galadriel1010 checking back in :D
----------I'm Gala or Rach, I'm now a student in York (YSJ, to be precise) so I live in lovely York. I managed NaNo for the first time last year on the fifth attempt and haven't stopped writing since. I'm now up to about 30 Torchwood stories and not likely to stop, considering the pile of half-formed plunnies lying around.
Can't wait to get going, I'm doing a Children of Earth fixit this year
NaNo09 - The more you write, the less you die.
www.fanfiction.net/~Galadriel1010
66,351 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 06 57
Hi, I'm Atheling, 20, owner of an unspellable Welsh name in real life. 2009 will be my fourth year doing NaNo and my third year doing an essay-heavy English Lit degree . . . we'll see how this pans out, shall we?
This year's novel is steampunk, time travel, and whales.
----------39,116 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 08 09
Hey, I'm Hannah. I'm 21, I live in Wakefield and this is my second year doing NaNo. I wrote sci-fi last year so I'm probably going for Fantasy this year. I just went back to college so balancing NaNo with that is going to make it a bit more challenging this year. I'm a full time child minder (something else to contend with) and have a love for sci-fi that probably surpasses my love for writing.
I'm really excited for November, good luck to everyone!
2,196 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 07 34
My name is Tamsyn, I'm 18 and heading up to University of York in about a week to study biology. This will be my third year doing nano, and, yet again, i'm continuing on a fantasy theme, if I can manage it around all of the work I will (assumably) be doing. First time I've ever posted in the York/Leeds board as I'm moving up from the South West..nice to meet you all! :D
----------Laugh long, laugh loud, die happy
19,589 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 08 05
Hi, I'm Pentoon, also known as Kate. I'm 29 and at York Uni in my second year of an English Lit Degree. This is my first NaNo, heard about it on another site. I'm not sure how well I'll do around uni and two young boys but I'll give it a bash!
My story is a little difficult to define but it'll wind up being a sort of commentary on relationships and perception.
----------43,052 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 08 05
@Vampire Watermelon and any others in York, anyone fancy a writing group here? I'm hoping to start one at YSJ, but would love a wider one.
----------NaNo09 - The more you write, the less you die.
www.fanfiction.net/~Galadriel1010
2,196 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 08 07
Galadriel, that sounds like a good idea :D although I've never attended a writing group, I must admit! The Cornwall lot have always just had nano meets, where it was more of a social gathering than anything else. Is it that everyone shows up and writes, or just a socialising even?
----------Laugh long, laugh loud, die happy
43,052 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 08 17
@Vampire_Watermelon I was thinking a combination of write-ins and socialising.
----------NaNo09 - The more you write, the less you die.
www.fanfiction.net/~Galadriel1010
2,196 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 08 18
Galadriel, that sounds good! I look forwards to it
----------Laugh long, laugh loud, die happy
0 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 08 45
Hello. :) I'm actually from Middlesbrough, but that close enough to York or Leeds in my opinion. XD
The name's Vicky and I'm 14, currently attending school, obviously. This is my first year doing NaNoWriMo and I doubt my outcome will be very good - I do my first science GCSE next month, too, so I'm expected to be revising for that, not working on my novel - but, writing is something I'm very passionate about. I'm doing GCSEs in all three English language, English literature and Media studies; and I plan to go on to do a Media Studies National Diploma at A-level, and in the long run want to be a journalist. I'd love to be a professional author, but I know even now that's a pipe dream; considering the amount of books which get written in comparrison to the amount which get published.
I'm excited for starting out this year, is I find the thought of spending a month on a novel an exciting concept, especially considering how much I usually procrastinate my writing.
19,589 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 09 10
Galadriel, I would definitely be interested in a writing group in York, sounds like a great idea.
----------43,052 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 09 30
Cool :D
----------NaNo09 - The more you write, the less you die.
www.fanfiction.net/~Galadriel1010
22,002 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 10 00
Hey all! :D I'm River, also known as Jayne. I'm a 16-year-old Beverlonian, currently doing A Levels. This is my second year doing NaNo, so I'm hoping I do a bit better than last year. I got halfway through the month before having to pull out, so I'm hoping I can manage the whole month this time, although I should really find a plot first...
----------4,492 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 12 02
Hi, I'm Bread, and I'm 23. I live and work in York. My job is to sell newspapers, but I've just started at a pharmacy as well.
This yeah, I want to write a story about cigarettes, mostly, I think. Still trying to work it out.
----------T. Bread Sandwich
And all that.
0 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 12 12
I'm Natalie, 24 (sigh), from Wakefield, and this will be my third year of doing NaNo. I'm writing a horror novel this year, set in Korea, and based on the lyrics and videos of some of my favourite Korean pop bands (I'm a bit odd. Don't worry, you get used to me eventually) - a plan I've had since halfway through last year's NaNo. Goodness knows how I'm going to manage it this year, I've got a full time job and I'm a Brownie Guider, both of which I had last year when I won, but this time I'm also a Rainbow Guider who is panicking like crazy because we're losing both the other Brownie guiders and the other Rainbow guider in my unit at Christmas and I'm struggling to find help at the moment - if you know of anyone give me a shout! I'm also doing an online Battle Royale RPG, so I need to find time to write for that as well. I really thought my character would be dead by now. He isn't.
Plus, the first day of NaNo clashs with Zombie Aid in Manchester, which I'm planning to attend dressed as Zombie Kylie Minogue (from the Where The Wild Roses Grow video she did in the 90s with Nick Cave).
So if I look a little frazzled by the end of November, you know why!
43,052 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 12 36
@Bread Yay for York!
----------NaNo09 - The more you write, the less you die.
www.fanfiction.net/~Galadriel1010
27,098 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 14 19
Hey, I'm Andy, 28 and (stuck) in Leeds at the moment. This will be my 8th year, (with luck) 8th win, and 4th city doing NaNo. It'd be nice to repeat the 6th year feat of hitting 50k in the first ten days, but I can't see that happening this time around.
I'll be writing fantasy again, though I've still not decided which plot to go with (and likely won't have till about midnight on the 31st as usual...)
And, technically, I'm a NottsNaNoer in exile, but while I'm here I may as well get involved with the locals and see if I can't make this region home.
----------"All my Blades are broken Oran, and all I've got left are the fading fragments of the dreams that he's stolen from me."
0 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 23 49
Hi everyone. I'm Azlena, 28.
I live in Huddersfield, but work in York as a teacher. This is my third Wrimo - I've (just!) won both times - my first one I continued writing and finished this summer and am hopefully going to send off for agents soon (eep!!) - the second has been relegated to the drawer where no-one can see it (let's just call it an experimental piece).
This year I'm having a go at a story that started thinking about when I was at uni. I kept trying to start it but it never worked. However I went on holiday to Rhodes this summer and realised if I move the whole story to there, it works. So as the weather in the UK gets colder through November, I'm going to be sunning my characters in 40 degree heat. Gonna take some imagination!!
Good luck everyone!! Can't wait to start.
44,454 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 04 20
Helloes once more. Chris, now 37 and still in Hull. This will be year number three at NaNoWriMo for me and hopefully win number three as well. After enjoying last year's 'Ninjas In Space', I shall be writing the sequel this year . . . . 'Ninjas in Space II' . . . .
I need a better title :P.
----------2009 - Ninjas In Space II
2008 - Ninjas In Space (won)
2007 - Winter Court (won)
0 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 04 42
Hi, I'm emiloy (you don't have to look far to find my real name ^^), I'm 21 and about to start my MA in York, and thus, shall be moving to York.
This'll be my 4th go at Nanowrimo, and probably my 4th failiure, since I'm probably going to be busy with coursework etc...but as always, I'll be giving it a go!
It doesn't help that I also have no plot, no characters and no genre to speak of at the mo, though in the past, my stuff's all been a bit fantastical.
7,485 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 09 25
Hi everyone,
I'm Sarah, wassup. I'm actually a 25 year old Australian who is on a semester abroad at University of Leeds this semester and I'm really looking forward to attending some write ins and events in November. Last year was my first NaNo, and though there was a lot of angst involved, I won! I was living in the country though, so never got to actually attend any of the Melbourne events. I reckon those write ins would be a great way to boost the word count...am I right or is there more talking than typing? Guess I'll find out. Don't get me wrong - I'm also gonna come along for the talking!
I'm going to be writing a contemporary paranormal middle grade novel. So a book for 9-12 year olds. I'm just about to be on submission with publishers in America through my agent, so really want to have something good to follow it up with!
Actually, if anyone is interested in reading a middle grade chick lit sort of title as an advanced reader before it goes out to editors I'd really appreciate it. I've edited the ruddy thing that many times I just can't tell if it's good anymore.
I'm aiming for the 40k mark, not 50k with this NaNo book, but we'll see what happens.
----------Right. I should go away and outline now. Or I should study. Hmm...
http://www.sarahbillingtonauthor.com
http://twitter.com/SairzBillington
NaNo08 WINNER! It's MJ's Blogiverse (You just live in it!)
NaNo09 CONTESTANT Demi & The Demon Diary/The Wishing Journal/ Careful What You Wish For
2,735 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 09 56
Hey folks. I'm Tom; I'm currently in Oxford, but I will be in York by the end of this month doing my teaching-english-as-a-foreign-language course, and I thought I might attempt nano while I was there, although my chances of keeping up on word count while doing an intensive-training course are, well, low. This would be the third year I have attempted nano, having failed the previous two, if anyone's counting, though I did at least make it into five digits last time.
I am either writing a swashbuckling fantasy adventure or an action-packed espionage-ish sci-fi story or a realistic novel about a man whose hair starts to fall out after his best friend's father's suicide. These are the options I am considering.
0 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 10 17
How do :) I'm Michael, 26 years old, from Pontefract. I started NaNoWriMo last year after a friend persuaded me to give it a try. I got to about 10,000 words and ran out of steam, but enjoyed the experience so much I'm back for a second go!
This year I'll be starting the sequel to last year's idea, an alternate history mystery drama type...thing set in the fictional city of New Constantinople. Anyone who can guess which popular video game I borrowed the name from gets a free piece of cake at one of the meetups. :D
----------i bet this really annoy's you if your a grammar freak
40,582 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2009 - 04 25
Hellooo, I'm Imelda, and I'm stunned to find that we haven't been overrun by the usual crowd yet. Magenta is the only name I recognise at the moment! Shocking.
Anyway, I'm 23 years and 13 months, and this will be my fifth year. I've lost the last three, as my signature attests, but I think I'm in a better place this year, so I'm determined to win more than usual. I am, as usual, bending the rules, and working on the trilogy I started in Nano 2005. I'm very near to the end of the second book now. In fact, there's only about 30,000 words left of it, so I may abandon it halfway through Nano and go write something completely different. My main goal is to just write stuff. Coherency can come later. It'll be fine. (Yes, I am trying to persuade myself)
----------Nano 2005: Nikara (Won)
Nano 2006: The Third Essence (Lost)
Nano 2007: Nikara O_o (Faaaaaailed)
Nano 2008: The Third Essence (Failed Again)
Nano 2009: The Third Essence (?)