Hello Greeley WriMos! I hope the off-season treated you all well and welcome to all the newbies! My name is Skyla and I'm your local Municipal Liaison (or ML). Basically what I'm here for is to help make your NaNo experience awesome! I'll be organizing several local events including the Kick-Off Party, weekly write-ins, and the Thank Goodness It's Over Party. I'm also available for any questions you have! Feel free to contact me with anything you think I can help you with and if it's a question that's beyond me I'll find someone who can answer it for you. If you have any questions about the rules, events going on, problems with your novel, problems with finding the motivation to continue on, etc. feel free to message me.
Okay! So as the thread topic suggests, this is an introduction thread. Feel free to introduce yourselves and see who else is going to be writing in Greeley (and the surrounding areas) this month as well.
My name is Skyla and this is my 4th year MLing for the wonderful city of Greeley. This will be my 7th (yikes!) year participating in NaNoWriMo. I have absolutely no idea what my novel is going to be about this year, but that's pretty typical. I usually don't figure it out until at least half-way through October and even then my ideas will decide to change throughout November. All my other novels have had a fantasy spin on them so that's probably the genre I'll be writing in this year as well. I usually never know what's going on in my novel because I never got the hang of actually planning my novel out in advance.
And on a side note, this will unfortunately be my last year as an ML for Greeley due to that whole pesky "graduation" thing (unless something goes terribly wrong and I fail Physio, but I don't see that happening). Therefore, for NaNoWriMo 2010, Greeley will be needing a new ML. If you're interested in taking over next year, read through this: http://www.nanowrimo.org/node/1003232 and see if that's something you'd definitely like to do. If you're thinking that you might want to be the next ML (or know for sure), feel free to message me and I'll include you in what's going on this year ML-wise to make it a smooth transition for next year.
Alright! That's enough from me, let's hear about you!
----------
"I wish I kissed you before that Potter kid." - The Remus Lupins
ML for Greeley, CO
88,244 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 14 09
Hi ho, GreWriMos:
After a horrible showing last year, I'm back for my third try.
I just finished a novel in September so I'm looking forward to starting a new one in November.
I've been challenged by one of my writing buddies to get 50k by the 15th. I think I can do that, but just to make it a little more challenging, I'm going to write out of my normal universe and do a Fantasy. It should be an interesting experience for me.
Will we be having a battle of the words with the traditional enemy?
if so, sign me up! :)
NL
80,387 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 16 47
Hello Greeley-
It is I the dastardly ML from Fort Collins. And yes we will be battling again, if you think you can handle losing once more. But in the spirit of working together I wanted to invite all of you to the Fort Collins events. NaNo is definitely a time where camaraderie is needed so check our forums and calendar for events, also if you're on facebook I welcome you to join the Fort Collins NaNoWriMo group where I will post activities such as write-ins and parties.
----------Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~E.L. Doctorow
77,918 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2009 - 14 39
Hi, ya'll. This is my second NaNoWriMo and I'm really excited and like most other people, don't have much of a clue what I will write. I found out last year that my characters seemed to have minds of their own. Whatever it is, it will be fun. I'm part of the FOCO group, but live in Loveland, so if anyone is interested in hanging out and writing in Loveland, let me know. Hope to see some of you in NaNo land.
4,247 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 11 18
Hello Greeley!
It's your FoCo friend, Michelle! This is my third year doing NaNo, and I won last year. I've been pretty regular to your Panera write-ins before, and I'd like to be again if they happen this year! Even though I'm batting for the other team, I love my Greeley writing buddies, so I hope to be able to get to know most of you! If you're ever in FoCo and would like to come to a write-in or anything, just shoot me a PM! Happy writing!
-------------
You can't just GO to Pigfarts! You NEED a rocket ship! Have you got a rocket ship?
33,171 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 10 28
ello all it is the loveable rat from the foco group but as such i still live in loveland "Le Sigh" i will be mostly attending the loveland write ins and some of hte foco ones. i look forward to winning again this year and assuming i am insane enough i might challenge skye to a word war.
----------NaNo Winner 08 Sins of the Father
Writing transforms the insanity of the mind into sanity on paper.
46,131 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 14 54
Ok, I am completely new to NaNoWriMo and am extremely excited for the word challenge this month. The thing is I guess for my first nano i am rebelling. I am simply adding 50,000 words to the novel I am working on right now. I don't think NaNo is a big enough reason to stop the plot I am currently engaged in so I am just using the month as a word count sort of thing. I am wondering if, with these goals in mind, I can still come to write-ins with greely
----------37,770 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 19 12
Welcome again! Just as a warning - challenging me to a word war might be very boring this year. I think I'm going to stick with the normal 50k this year. Last year was waaaaay too sleep deprived for me to want to try that again on top of my normal life. :) If you want to go for a crazy amount of words, though, I'm sure you'll be able to find someone!
Ok, I am completely new to NaNoWriMo and am extremely excited for the word challenge this month. The thing is I guess for my first nano i am rebelling. I am simply adding 50,000 words to the novel I am working on right now. I don't think NaNo is a big enough reason to stop the plot I am currently engaged in so I am just using the month as a word count sort of thing. I am wondering if, with these goals in mind, I can still come to write-ins with greely
You can definitely come to write-ins! No matter what your goal is, as long as you're planning to write something during the month of November, you can come to any and all of the events. We welcome NaNo Rebels and regular WriMos. :)
----------"I wish I kissed you before that Potter kid." - The Remus Lupins
ML for Greeley, CO
1,568 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 12 43
Hello all! This is my 5th year officially participating in NaNo, and hopefully I'll keep my streak and win again!! Thankfully I'm living in Greeley again so I am very much looking forward to the write ins if work doesn't get in my way... I know this year will be my toughest as I am going to WrockStock (Woo!!) and directing a one-act at my college (I'm a silly theater major)
----------~~~
Lose it…it means go crazy, nuts, insane, bonzo, no longer in possession of one’s faculties, three fires short of a happy meal…WACKO!
(If you know where that's from, you're my new best friend)
29,400 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 22 01
this is my second year of nano but i'm doing the same thing. adding 50k words to last years nano which is still unfinished. >_> glad i'm not the only nano rebel this year. XD
10,800 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 07 56
Hullo! I'm another first year participant, and am really looking forward to this. Normally I consider a good day of writing 500 words, so this should be... umm... educational? So if you don't mind me asking, who won last year's NoCo battle? Just curious.
0 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 10 44
So, this is my second year...and regretfully I didn't finish my last novel, and I have no idea when I'm going to get to finish it...I think I'm kind of stuck.
But this year I plan to at least get to the 50K word count...
Umm...I'm a student on the UNC campus...and I'm not exactly motivated to finish.
37,770 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 16 39
Welcome, everyone! Glad to see the new faces and glad to see some of you returning!
Anissina - You're definitely not the only NaNo Rebel. They have a whole forum dedicated to you guys! Glad to see you're participating in the writing extravaganza, though. :)
Jbeam07 - When I first started participating I hadn't written anything over 2,000 words and most days I don't think I wrote anything more than 2 or 300 - if I wrote at all. You can definitely do it! I recommend staying on top of the daily word count recommendation of 1,667 words. Taking it one step at a time makes it a lot easier than trying to write 50,000 words in the last weekend. I shoot for 2,000 words a day because it's easier to count by and it gives me a bit of breathing room in case I encounter a day when I can't write much. And last year Fort Collins won the battle.
LillybetE - I have a really hard time finishing novels outside November - I feel your pain. That's why NaNo can be really helpful - the Deadline is really a good motivator (at least in my experience). I tried to leave one novel unfinished after November, thinking I'd be able to finish it... I eventually did on October 18th or so because I didn't want to enter into a new NaNo with an unfinished NaNo hanging over my head. The ending was terrible, too, because it was so rushed (but then again, all my endings are terrible).
I'm a UNC student, too, so if you ever want to schedule an impromptu write-in, just let me know. We'll also have weekly write-ins at Margie's (I still have to talk to them to make sure we can write there but we've been able to for the past few years so it should be good).
----------"I wish I kissed you before that Potter kid." - The Remus Lupins
ML for Greeley, CO
0 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 18 20
Hey Yall,Its your favorite Cameron here. I was not going to do it this year but I've gotten sucked in. I'll be adding my word count for the fine city of Greeley.
C
----------The only thing necessary for Evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
36,113 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 09 39
It's exciting to see so many other UNC students! I thought I was the only one crazy enough to try and juggle school and NaNo (and work, and student ministry, and journalism, and planning my wedding)... So here it goes! This is my second attempt at NaNo (last year's lasted about a week before I got overwhelmed). Without giving too much away, my novel is going to be something along the lines of the way people deal with disappointment and unmet expectations, especially regarding church and God. Last year, I tried to do too much and ended up getting overwhelmed, so this year, I'm trying to keep it simple and just FINISH.
Other than that, I'm a sophomore at UNC, journalism major, reporter for Bear News... I do a lot. My hobbies include laughing, talking to people, drinking too much coffee, and being obnoxious. I look forward to meeting all of you!
7,500 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 06 53
Howdy, folks! I'm Jared Fiel (stuck with a stupid username). Been doing NaNo since 2001. Last year was a breakthrough year for me as I added the final 50K to a novel I have been editing since December now. Maybe because of all of that I haven't been thinking about what I'm going to write this year. So, I'm a little freaked out with NO ideas.
Skyla does a great job as our ML. I don't get to most of the in-person stuff (no laptop and have kids at home) but I love looking around the chatrooms.
Good luck everyone,
----------Jared
_____
Check out my book, columns or blog ... or don't!
Jared Fiel
37,770 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 08 36
Cameron - Glad to see you back again!
AshleyBates - Wow! You sound busy! There is definitely a good student population with NaNo (and a Facebook group, too, for anyone interested and want Facebook reminders for NaNo events). I thought I was busy, but you sound busier. I've heard stories about planning weddings and it definitely doesn't sound easy. Having so much going on can definitely be overwhelming but with a busy schedule a couple things might help. I like to stick by a daily word count of 2,000 (it's easier to count by than 1667 and it gives me a little extra room if I can't write much one night). Writing in your spare time - even if it's just five minutes - can really help boost your word count. Splitting the writing up into different sessions in the day can make it seem more manageable (although I tend to procrastinate and I'm left at midnight with 2,000 words to write and I won't let myself go to bed before I write them - time management fail on my part). If you have time to make it to the write-ins, those can be really helpful, too. Good luck! :)
Jared - Glad to see you back again this year. I'm with you on not knowing what to write (although for me that's really nothing new - I never know what to write even during November...). I'm contemplating writing my novel this year entirely with dares. I tend to believe Chris Baty's motto of "No plot? No problem!" I'm relatively convinced that most of my novels never actually had a plot. The good news is we've got a few more weeks to plan (or not plan in my case).
----------"I wish I kissed you before that Potter kid." - The Remus Lupins
ML for Greeley, CO
51,459 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 08 46
Hello everyone. To put an end to the question of whether there are Nano Rebels lurking amongst us, I refer you to my user name.
I'm also known as Thom, and this is my sixth (I think) trip down Insanity Lane. I want to second Jared's praise of Skyla as our ML -- she brings goodies, posts in the forum like she's got nothing better to do with her time, and even ferries coveted Nano cups to schleps who don't get around to ordering one before the supply ran out.
And, also like Jared, I am not able to attend many of the get-togethers, but I do think of you all fondly from the camper in my garage where I write.
Good luck, drink lots of coffee, shoot your inner critics, and keep in touch.
26,052 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 10 31
Hi everyone!
My name is Lauren Michaud and this is my first year doing this. I'm a bit nervous because I don't usually write that much and I've got no clue what I'll work on.
I'm a UNC student majoring in English with a writing minor. I also work nearly full time. I love writing but I rarely finish anything. Here's hoping NaNoWriMo will change that!
Kallisto:
~~~
”Lose it…it means go crazy, nuts, insane, bonzo, no longer in possession of one’s faculties, three fries short of a happy meal…WACKO!"
You rock! “Window of Opportunity” is one of the best episodes in all 10 seasons!
24,489 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 10 07
Heya all those from Greeley!
-special wave to Skyla-
I'm afraid this year I'm not donating my words to you [but I will be cheering your team on all the way!] but to Atlanta, where I've moved since the previous NaNo. This is my third year of writing and I'm terribly excited [and nervous, naturally!] to be doing this event again [and, hopefully, I may actually have a real story this time!].
Despite the competition that I must give you, I want to wish you all the best of luck.
Oh, and beat FoCo for me!
3,073 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 22 46
Howdy, Greeley-ites! I'm Christine and I just recently realized that I will be returning to CO just in time for this year's NaNo. Yay!
2007 was my first year doing this and it was awesome. Then last year I tried once again, shortly after moving to AZ and it wasn't nearly the experience it was the year before. So, now I'm coming home and am looking forward to going to write-ins, working on a story I've had percolating in my brain for far too long, and spending time in various coffee shops. ^__^
0 / 50,000
Oct 20, 2009 - 08 42
hi Greeley, my name's Mel, I'm excited for my first year with nanowrimo. I write a lot of scraps of things, so hopefully this will help me stay committed enough to actually finish something.
peace,
mel
37,770 / 50,000
Oct 22, 2009 - 20 10
Thom - It's excellent to see you back again this year! And thank you and Jared both for the compliments. I'm glad I contribute to the NaNo experience at least a little.
Lauren - Welcome! If you're worried about hitting 50k, check out the Reaching 50k forum. They've got a lot of good stuff, including tricks, techniques, and dares for when you get stuck. Don't worry about not knowing what to work on - I almost never do. As Chris Baty, NaNo's founder, says, "No plot? No problem!" Just start writing and a plot will find you (and the deadline is fantastic for changing the not finishing problem. I never wrote anything more than 5,000 words before my first NaNo and I managed to make it to 50k. You can do it!)
Liniya! Good to see you again! We'll miss you here in Greeley but I'm sure you'll have an excellet time in Atlanta.
Christine! Also excellent to see you back, especially in time for NaNo. As always, it shall be a blast!
----------"I wish I kissed you before that Potter kid." - The Remus Lupins
ML for Greeley, CO
39,678 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2009 - 14 17
Howdy all! I hail originally from the Lafayette/Erie area, and most recently from Montana. It's complicated, but I'll be in Greeley for most of November, so I'm excited to have writing buddies and chance at something as fun as beating FoCo in an epic word battle!
One question: If the Montana forum is my official home region, can my word count still be included in the Greeley/FoCo battle, or do I have to switch home regions?
Looking forward to meeting everyone, and good luck to all!
~Montana Girl~
37,770 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2009 - 17 04
Welcome! Glad to see you here. Your word can definitely be counted in the Greeley/FoCo battle no matter which region is listed as your home region. We compute the stats all by hand so as long as you posted in the Greeley/FoCo word war thread (which you did), you're golden!
----------"I wish I kissed you before that Potter kid." - The Remus Lupins
ML for Greeley, CO
40,220 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 11 14
My name is Lana, and I'm feeling like the ancient one with all you students out there. Guess that means I'll need to try harder.
----------Question: I thought we had to begin something new. I've been working on a novel that has been dragging for several months. Yes, I fear there are a good fifty thousand words left to go; so do I understand I can use that? I won't include the words already written, of course.
This whole thing sounds like loads of fun and a good kick where it needs to be.
See you Sunday.
Lana Van Horn
37,770 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 14 49
Welcome, Lana!
You're certainly welcome to continue the novel you've been working on. As that's technically "against the rules" you'll be considered a NaNo Rebel, but as some others have mentioned, there are plenty of other NaNo Rebels out there. Feel free to continue your novel if you want to! NaNo's done completely on the honor system so no need to worry about the giant NaNo rule-enforcing alligators attacking you. NaNo suggests that people start with a new novel in November because bringing in a pre-existing novel can be difficult. People may have too much invested in their novel and may find it difficult to write so much in such a small amount of time when caring that much for the quality of their characters and plot. That certainly doesn't apply to everyone, though, and feel free to continue with your current novel if you want to. My advice is to try your best to ignore your inner editor. What you write in November may not be perfect, but remember that you can always edit it in December. :)
----------"I wish I kissed you before that Potter kid." - The Remus Lupins
ML for Greeley, CO
50,184 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 17 06
The way I see it, there's nothing wrong with that. I'd still consider you a "winner" if you completed and validated 50K+ words added to your story for November.
I just wouldn't count it for purposes of the competition with Greeley.
----------all original text licensed OWL [ http://owl.apotheon.org ]
11,421 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 18 07
Hey everyone -- it looks like I'm back too. Jared/Jethro has talked me into trying again, for, what the seventh year? I'll add my praise for Skyla, it's great to have someone like her keep us all motivated and engaged, even if I stayed holed up in my cubicle each day and the spare bedroom each night.
Good luck to everyone. Write fast, write often, and write a lot.
And if you've got any spare plots laying around, ship 'em my way....
22,135 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 20 23
What up, it's Mariah. This is my first year doing NaNo, and what a great time to join the movement than my first year at university. I went to the kick-off/write-in today. Good fun!