***Welcome and introductions!***

I've been back a day, and here I am talking to myself already...but let's get things rolling!

I'm your returning ML, Jo, or merpy if you prefer. This is my second year as ML for Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge, and my fifth Nano! I've won every year but my first, and I fully intend to continue with a win this year, come fire, flood, famine or mental breakdown.

In real life, I'm a grad student in psychology at UW, and mental breakdown is not entirely out of the question, given the research, classes, and TA work I'll also be doing in November, but I've done it before and I can do it again! This year, for the first time, I'm writing post-apocalyptic sci fi rather than my usual fantasy, so I'm excited and nervous about the change. I hope I can write in this new genre!

I'm really looking forward to seeing you all again, and hopefully lots of new faces and inky fingers too! (That's a little old-fashioned, I guess... you'll have crampy typing fingers instead.)

See you at the Launch Party!

ML for Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge
"merp! merp!" --bunnyhero

Greetings, Earthlings and other folk. I'm back for my seventh year. I have a title and a vague idea what I'm going to do, and I have a whole month to think about it, and I'm sure as in the previous six years I will come up with the required number of words... and more.
And you can take that to the bank lol.

___________________
That's Tee kee' rahm

The fox-like, auburn-furred, bushy-tailed alien

Well, I'm back for my third year! I only won last year, and I hope to win again this year. I'm rather surprised to already have an outline going and mostly done ^.^

During the off season I conned two people into joining, so hopefully they'll have fun here as well :P

Death Toll: 70

Hello, I'm Liv. This is my err... 7th? 8th? year of NaNo. I won the past three years and this is my first time in the Waterloo region. I came over from the Niagara Region of which I was the ML for three years, but I decided that the tourism industry was no longer for me, quit my job and went back to university. So, here I am at Laurier, in a Bsc program for Geography and Envi Sci working on my second Bachelor degree, probably way in over my head and planning to do NaNo at the same time.

So, Hi everyone! I'm new! (sorta)

I'm gonna eat your socks!

Hello, hello :D I'm Jo (or Liadan since there seems to already be a Jo, haha). I'm anxiously awaiting November to start my fourth NaNo, hoping to make it my fourth win. I'm in BC for the first half of this and moving back to Ontario right in the middle of November so it will be interesting to see how this ends for me! I'll be in Guelph, really, but KW isn't too far away from where I am, haha. Gotta love the outskirts ... Yep. So, this year I think I'll try something new and on the 31st of October, I am pulling an era in my timeline out of a hat and TADA my nano. I can't decide who/what to write so this just sounds like an easy breezy way of screwing myself into awesome crack.

I'm done rambling, off to scour the forums! I look forward to someday attending a real Ontario event, haahaa.

Hey everyone! I'm back for my... fourth NaNo, hoping for a third win. I'm a second year psych student at UW, so I'm rather curious to see how novelling and midterms will go (last year was... um... let's call it "interesting"). I'm not totally sure what my novel will be about yet, but I know it'll involve zombies, opera houses, and some steampunk-y elements.

Hello, I'm Rachel and this will be my sixth year taking part in Nanowrimo. Last year was my first win (maybe due to the write-ins that I actually joined in on and probably the massive amounts of red bull consumed). Anyways, I'm still working full-time, but this year I have a lot more on my plate! I'm in my second term of distance education working towards my BComm degree AND trying to start up an on-the-side photography business. So.... time is scarce, but let's be honest - Nanowrimo has become such a big part of me that I could never not attempt it. Sadly, I have absolutely NO idea what I will be writing this year. But literally since October 1 (which is usually when the panic settles in) I have been going crazy trying to think of ideas (a line in a movie will have me stop dead in my tracks as the wheels start turning in my head, or a story a friend tells me has me mentally jotting down potential plot notes).

What my growing passion for photography means for you all, is that I might just be lugging my camera with me to write-ins and snapping photos in between chapters (I figure I'm giving you fair warning here - it's only October 3!)

So, I look forward to meeting you all, and to get re-acquainted with those whom I met for the first time last year.

Cheers!

Rachel Celeste
http://rachelcopland.wordpress.com

2008: 50,219 words
2007: 25,524 words
2006: <1,000 words
2005: 15,034 words
2004: 11,093 words

Hey!

I'm Uzair, and I did this once before, back in 2007. That didn't work out so well, but I'm going to try this again (and again, and again). I came out to the events back in 2007, so I hope to come out again and meet awesomesauce people.

My introductions need to be less short.

"Let the world change you, and you can change the world."

Hi all,

My name's Victoria and I'm back for my second NaNo win (fingers crossed).

As seems to be the trend, November is going to be an insane and hectic month, but even if I have to sit down and pound out half my word count in one weekend (*cough* last year *cough*) I'm determined to reach the word goal.

I have a much more vague idea of what I am going to do this year, compared to last year, but perhaps vague is the way to go. I fully intend on testing this theory of mine and seeing where it takes me.

Hopefully, I make it out to a write-in this year and meet all of your shining faces! :)

High five.

hey everybody! this will be my fifth year in nano, and my first in KW, as i pursue the ever-sought Bachelor's Degree. looking forward to maybe going to a write-in for the first time ever!

i don't have many pretensions about winning - i'm mostly in it for the cookies unbridled creativity & forum love. my goal is to beat last year's word count, maybe to get to *gasp* 20000?

see you all around :)

2005: Key, 2000
2006: The Greater Secrets, handwritten 50389!
2007: Saturn Return, 6289
2008: Snap, 10001
2009: ...?

I am back again, 8th year. I've passed on being ML of the area this year. I don't have the time this year to put forth the kind of time and energy it requires. Thankfully, Jo has stepped up to the task, and I know she'll do great things.

Like every year, I've got no idea what I'm writing about, just that it'll be something.

Hope to see everyone at the meet ups and kickoff parties!

Hey, Trafuse, welcome back.

Seventh year for me, and I'll be writing about my favorite aliens again. You can take a look at 'Synopsis' where I've put down what my story will be about this year.

___________________
That's Tee kee' rahm

The fox-like, auburn-furred, bushy-tailed alien

Hello again!

I'm a sneaky Guelphite invading your forum. ^_^ Julie's the name, and I hope to make it out to at least one of the K/W/C events this year, so perhaps I'll see you there. Mostly I expect to be staying local, though, and trying to convince my fellow Guelphites to come out for pleasant afternoons of caffeine, conversation, and literary panic.

This will be NaNo # 9 for me, and I'll be celebrating by getting my plot from a random prompt generator on the evening of October 31st. The last few years, I think I've had too much invested in my plots, and as a result spent too much time worrying about getting it "right". This year, therefore, I will be starting from a completely blank page and seeing what I can fill it with. If I have to resort to pirates or ninjas by the end of it... so be it.

Enkanowen - Good to see a fellow enviro-sci in here! I did my degree at Guelph *coughmumble* years ago, but am still working with the bugs and trees today.

Merpy - Post-apocalyptic sci-fi sounds incredibly cool, and is very relevant to my interests. :D Best of luck with that!

Julie,

I noticed you joined in 2005, yet you say this is your 9th NaNo,

Hmmm. *scratches his furry head in puzzlement.

___________________
That's Tee kee' rahm

The fox-like, auburn-furred, bushy-tailed alien

Hi Everyone!

Well this will be my first Nanowrimo... I stumbled upon the website last year in late November... hemmed and hawed for a few months and said well why not?! Not totally sure what I will be writing although I love mysteries, sci fi and fantasy genres. So probably something within all that.

I work full time and have been working on my undergrade part time at UW... although not this term - so I have no excuse :)

While I'm a feeling a little overwhelmed I must admit I'm getting a little excited about Nov 1st. I look forward to meeting the rest of you.

Cheers,
Annie

Hi everyone,

I'm Carrie. This is my first nano - last year all I did was get an account (oops).

I'm an undergrad in accounting at UW, so this will be a nice change from all the debits and credits.
Besides ... how else would I put off studying for midterms (you can only vacuum and do the laundry so many times).

Looking forward to meeting everyone soon!

Hello everyone and good luck!

I've physically moved out west and will be lurking on the Manitoba forum from now on but wanted to say goodbye to the folks here at K-W-C. I met a few of you and it looks like you've got some new blood this year. Have a great month of novelling!

Cheers,

Siobhan

_________________
NaNoWriMo 2005: Into The Clouds (Winner!)
NaNoWriMo 2006: In Your Dreams (Winner!)
NaNoWriMo 2007: Final Fantasy (Winner!)
NaNoWriMo 2008: (Winner!)

I'm Justin, and this will be my third year doing NaNo. Hopefully it'll be my second win, too. :P

During the off-season I obsess over books and Tori Amos and work my butt off at a factory. Hopefully the new job won't deter me from finishing NaNo this year but with Dr. Wicked's Write or Die program I think I'll manage.

There are no such things as accidents; only pre-planned events that no one bothered to tell you about.

Hi! :) I am Ashley, and this is my second year of NaNo (I kinda wimped out last year, though) and I am going to do it right this year! :) (By right, I mean actually write more than 1000 words, and get out and meet fellow local NaNo-ers.)

When I am not being a crazy NaNo-participating crazybean, I am working as a Personal Care Attendant, reading, or playing copious amounts of video games. :)

I have a small idea of what I am going to write abut this year, but like most things, I am just going to let it come to me as it wants to (and hopefully I wont have to chase my ideas down and drag them kicking and screaming bloody murder until they co-operate and form a story. :P) :)

Hey there! Nuno Teixeira here (or NunoXEI... XEI for short :))! I have known on NaNo for three years. I'm finally getting onboard for my first attempt at even considering the challenge to my sanity. Clearly many of you are already insane with some of the responsibility loads you carry into November on top of the challenge of writing a 50k word story... so that at least gives me a good reason to try!

I can't say I'll make it. I'm pretty A.D.D. but I'm also pretty determined to give my best shot anytime I take a challenge. The upcoming year will be me trying any and all challenges relating to creative endeavors that I can find out about. Well, just not TWO NaNo type challenges back to back!

My goal is to finally write some content for a world I've been working on for about 6 years. It will focus on different character POVs and how they interact and deal with the world they live in. That allows my natural A.D.D. tendencies to be maximized. It is a world of horror and fantasy elements, mixed with steampunk and pulp. Should be fun!

Is there a meetup in KW somewhere at the start of November? I read mention of some such thing but can't find details! Please help--I'd love to show up!

Blog: http://www.nunoxei.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NunoXEI

Hey!

Here for my first nano (probably, I'm still sitting on the fence, though I'm leaning strongly into the camp). I've had an idea for a hero for awhile, and I've been wanting to write about him. He's there in my head, he just needs to get out and save the world, you know?

I've just moved to Hamilton from K-W, so I'm not sure which group I should be in. I'm currently in teachers college in Toronto, so I've got a few hours a day in the car to daydream about whats going on in my world and what kind of hijinks the MC is getting into this time.

I also think there should be a napibowriwe for those of us who teach and would also like to write some picture books, maybe I'd finally get around to it.

My sister has done this for a few years, so it's her fault I'm here, that and the fact that I'm sitting in my language class a little bored. (Hopefully that's not a bad sign...)

I changed log-in names in '05, so the previous records vanished into the ether. I swear I have the t-shirt to prove it, though! ;)

Hi, I'm Terah. -waves- Back for my fourth year and hopefully my first win, although my word counts seem to be getting lower every year. >_>;;

Although I have a laptop this year so who knows, maybe that will inspire me to go to more write-in's. I went to one last year but was embarassingly scared (I am so antisocial) so I pretty much hid in a corner with my friend and wrote.

As for my story this year, I have absolutely no idea, and it's very refreshing. :)

叶うなら誰か俺に生きる意味を教えて下さい -- 明日舞き幸福, 呼笑亡き明日
If it's possible, somebody please tell me my purpose to live. -- Asunaki Koufuku, Koenaki Asu

hello nanoers! i'm ness and i'm back for my 4th nanowrimo. i did it the first time just to see if i could win, and did, and decided that would be it. but then woke up in late october the following year with an idea and that was the end of it, i've been hooked ever since. i have absolutely NO idea what i'm going to write about this year, but i have a handful of novel ideas with at least a few notes (if not entire outlines) kicking around and if it comes down to it, i might just grab one of them randomly and get going. nanowrimo last year was especially fantastic because i started participating in regional events. weeeeeeeee!

when i'm not writing or participating in nanowrimo, i'm probably asleep. or at work. or in the garden.

i've taken an editing course and expect to take a couple more to get into freelance editing. otherwise, i will continue my pursuit of becoming a published author. one way or another, my life revolves around books.

happy nanoing and good luck!

Wow, this is great -- so many Wrimos on the board! Lots of old faces (OK, usernames) and I'm glad to see so many people coming out for the first time too. We should have a really good group this year. :)

If you're a little shy, like MiyaTree, and want to try and get more involved with the social events, that's fantastic! Come out to the Kickoff if you can, and some of us more socialish types will do our best to get you involved. My first Nano event is still fresh in my mind, and I know I'd have tiptoed right back out of that coffee shop in Toronto if my brother hadn't been there too. It can be intimidating approaching a bunch of people you've never met, but remember that you automatically have something big in common with all of us--just say, "What's your novel about?" ...and off you go!

Speaking of the Kickoff, NunoXEI asked about it. You can find details (though there isn't much yet) of the Kickoff and other events on our region's Google calendar, which is on our main page (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3004948) on the 'View' tab of our shiny new regional header (beside a picture of me and a quicknote!) For now there's only the bare bones of a handful of events: the Kickoff, the first day write-in, and the overnight session. But soon enough, when you click on an event you'll find details about location, and when each event approaches there will be a thread on the board with more specifics about it (where, when, how to get there, etc.)

I really hope you'll join us for the Kickoff, where you'll receive a special writer's goodie pack--new this year! It should help you out with your novel-writing endeavours. :)

See you all soon!
Jo

ML for Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge
"merp! merp!" --bunnyhero

HI!

I'm Nina, a 4th year student in history at WLU. This is my first time doing NaNoWriMo... for I'm not sure what reason haha. I've known about it for YEARS, though i forgot about it for a little while until a friend mentioned it and I was like "OH YEAH!" and decided to give it a whirl this year.

Looking at my school schedule, I'm a bit worried! haha. But I'm definitely going to give it a try.

No clue what I'm writing yet.

*wanders in and waves* Hi! =^_^= I'm Nuka, and this is my first time taking this National Novel Writing Month challenge! I am quite looking forward to it and to meeting lots of new people!

When I'm not wandering around on the interwebs, I am a graduate student at the University of Waterloo, doing an impression of a social psychology grad student!

Methinks I shall attempt to finally put to paper the idea for a novel I've had stuck in my head since I was 13 >.<' Here's hoping I find the words and make them coherent enough to call a novel!

Thanks for the info merpy! Looking forward to insanity!

Blog: http://www.nunoxei.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NunoXEI

I believe you, JC. It just puzzled me; it was kind of a 'Huh?' thing.

___________________
That's Tee kee' rahm

The fox-like, auburn-furred, bushy-tailed alien

G'day, nice to see some familiar folks here!

My name's Ben, I'm the guy who setup the Tricities NanoWrimo website last year (and currently getting it ready for 2009!). This will be my fifth year of nano, and hopefully my fifth win (last year I cut it WAAAY too close ;) )

By day I'm a self-employed on-site computer geek, and by night I'm either draining the local pub resources with friends or working in Kwartzlab, the hacker space I helped build these past few months with a group of amazing makers, tinkerers & artists.

Anyhow, I hope to see you all at one meetup or another! Cheers!

Blog: http://www.generik.ca/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BenTheBrown