Welcome to NaNoWriMo - we're glad you can join us! Feel free to talk amongst yourselves, and post whatever you'd like, but just to get the ball rolling (and prove that we're all friendly, affable folk), this thread is where we can provide our introductions. Is this your first NaNoWriMo, or are you a veteran? What sort of stuff do you like reading? What sort of challenges will you be facing this year? What's your worst habit as a writer? What snack do you prefer at 2AM after a long, productive night of writing? Let's find out with whom we're sharing this month!
I'll go first: Hi! I'm Denton! I live in Medicine Hat. This is going to be my seventh NaNoWriMo, and this year, my challenge will be to make an outline of my novel before I write it (Last year was a string-of-consciousness affair, which apparently doesn't work that well for me). Also, my other challenge will be to provide some bonus content worth posting here on the forums for you guys. Let me know if you have any suggestions! My worst habit as a writer is overusing the word "whom", and and my preferred 2AM snack are wasabi peas and Dr.Pepper.
Hm. That doesn't sound like a very good snack, now that I see it in writing. In the same sentence, it sounds like they're mushed together in a sandwich, or a smoothie. Well, maybe you've got a better suggestion for a 2AM snack - I look forward to hearing what it is!
----------
Denton, a.k.a. Aquadeo - ML for the Alberta::Elsewhere Wrimosaurs
I'm typing this year's novel LIVE on:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/late-write-featuring-aquadeo
77,219 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 14 43
Howdy!
I'm Crystal, I'm currently from Red Deer, AB. This is my second NaNo. Last year went very well for me and I couldn't think of any excuse for NOT ignoring the world for 30 days straight again. I'm actually hoping to manage plotting my story past the third chapter this year, but so far, it's not going so well. I also am working hard with my fingers crossed toI have the second draft for my current novel finished before I start NaNo so that I am not distracted!
As for a 2am snack? Mine isn't going to sound so great either. You'll most like find me sipping Coke or rum and coke depending on how hard the day has been. For a snack I'm usually nibbling on potato chips (so healthy) or reeses pieces. Hmm, some how healthy snacks just aren't appealing at 2 am!
----------~CLicK~
NaNo 2008 Dawn of Eve - WON!
NaNo 2009 Memoirs of an Unlikely Assassin
Inspiration is a lie. Sleep is for the weak. Caffiene is a gift.
Seriously, giving up was never a choice.
25,365 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 18 06
Hey, I'm Gavin. This is my fourth year doing NaNo (I believe, I might've lost count along the way, though). This year I think my biggest challenge will be actually finishing the novel instead of getting past 50 000 words and running out of steam. My worst habit as a writer is probably procrastinating, which I am actually doing right now, since I should be working on a short story.
Well good luck to everyone.
----------"I will show you fear in a hand full of dust." T. S. Eliot
648 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 20 30
Hello all,
Well, I thought I would give this another go after failing miserably last year with the word count. Fouth year for me. I look back to my golden Nano Year of 2006 where I won the 50K icon but sadly never completed my novel. I left my hero soaking in the bathtub with an angry lynching mob walking up the farm driveway. I worry about him; he is going to be shrivelled like a prune by now.
My goal for this year is to make up some characters that I care enough about to finish off their story – perhaps even give them a happy ending.
As for my 2:00 AM snack – whatever is in reach of the keyboard.
----------Valleyview: NANO 09: http://nanowrimo.homestead.com
30,449 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 20 47
Hi Everyone,
I'm Charlie. I've been doing NaNo since 2002 and I've won every year so far. This year I've relocated from Edmonton to Lethbridge and I'm hoping to meet some other writers in the area.
I don't have much of an idea for a novel yet. Although that's been the pattern since about 2003.
2 am? What is this odd hour you speak of?
----------"Because creative people aren't always in charge. And when they do their best work, they're hardly ever in charge. They're just sort of rolling along with their eyes shut , yelling Wheeeee." - Steven King, Everything's Eventual
77,219 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2009 - 22 15
>>2 am? What is this odd hour you speak of?<<
It's really not that odd of an hour is it? I used to be in the middle of working at that hour last year!
----------~CLicK~
NaNo 2008 Dawn of Eve - WON!
NaNo 2009 Memoirs of an Unlikely Assassin
Inspiration is a lie. Sleep is for the weak. Caffiene is a gift.
Seriously, giving up was never a choice.
3,055 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 00 53
Hey! I'm Justine from Grande Prairie and it's my first year doing NaNoWriMo. I've been writing in my spare time for a few years now, but I have a tendency to take my sweet time about finishing, well, anything. (Procrastinator? Who, me?) So this will definitely be a challenge (other words that come to mind include experience and ordeal).
Luckily for my characters I survive on a whole 4.87 hours of sleep (I know; I'll die young if not soon) so I can usually be found still on the computer at various random hours of the night.
Like 2:50am. I should go to bed, I know. But I'll probably just go refresh twitter one more time.
Anyway. Hi!
----------12,027 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 21 28
Hi all!
My name is Dane, and I'm a rage-a-holic, I can't get enough rage-a-hol... oops, wrong forum... ;) Let's start over...
My name is Dane and I am from the home of the world's largest pysanka - Vegreville. Ive been an off-and-on writer most of my high school and adult life, concentrating more on poems and short stories. This will be my third year of NaNoWriMo, with the last two years a great success. My challenge this year will be trying to write something out of my usual comfort zone and go into a different direction. Where that direction is, I have no clue yet though it seems it will be a snapshot of my life over the past decade or so. Whether it will be a relationship farce/mockumentary/soap opera (Think "Chasing Amy" meets "Melrose Place(the classic one, not the flashy reboot)" meets "The Office" and "Trailer Park Boys") or something I have been batting around for a while called "Heartland(Not the crappy CBC show!)", which would be a dark exploration of everything that has happened so far in the 2000s. Another challenge will be doing this now with a regular job with regular hours, so it may be hard to do accomplish this wacky task this year.
I have no idea what this "2 A.M." nonsense is as I seem to lose any meaning of relative time in November. Anyhoo, advanced good luck to us all, and hope to hear more from my fellow nuts this year... woo woo woo! ;)
----------2007 Novel: Apocalypse Wow! Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The End Of The World.
2008 Novel: Apocalypse Wow! 2!: Electric Boogaloo
2009 Novel: Willowbend Tales (working title)
http://dwamomentarylapseofreason.blogspot.com/
25,365 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 22 14
This is a bit off topic, but Eldaner, I just read your signature with your previous Nano novel titles, and I must say, "Bravo." I've often thought that the only thing that could make an Apocalypse Now reference better would be combining it with a Dr. Strangelove reference. Okay, so that's a lie, but I wish I would have thought that, so well done.
----------"I will show you fear in a hand full of dust." T. S. Eliot
15,970 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2009 - 22 45
Okay, so this is the FIRST year I am actually disclosing my REAL first name on the forums. Yes people, my name is not ACTUALLY ANNA...it is Colleen (but it is the name I would have chosen if I had had a choice). It is close though - it's a combination of my middle and last name. So I'm not completely lying. lol!
I am in Peace River Alberta and this is my third time doing NaNo and hopefully in for a third win as well. Last year I connected with the Valleyview group so that will be my home-away-from-home this year too. Funny though, that in a place the size of Peace River I have to go all the way to Valleyview to find other NaNo-ers. O.O
2a.m. snack .... hmmm .... ice cold water and whatever comes out of the freezer that can cook up in less than 20 minutes. Pre-cooked mini sausage rolls are my fave - it's amazing I don't weigh 800 lbs. !! (yet)
----------NaNo '07: The Clan ... Won @72K
NaNo '08: This Other Woman's Life ... Won! @ 52K
NaNo '09: Unforeseen Consequence
I am Absolutely Addicted to Trance!!
0 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 12 00
-edited to remove double post. Ah, the joys that come when the site first goes back up-
0 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2009 - 14 40
Hey all!
I'm Keira, and I live in the middle of nowhere, more formally called Swan Hills. I've done Nano for 6 years now, and lost for the first time last november ( However, this is to be expected, as last November I was in the N.S planning and executing a cross-country move. XD)
Seeing as I'm still in school, I'm rarely up at 2AM, but if I was I would probably be drinking pepsi. Pepsi and Halloween Candy keep me going though NaNo, and anyone who tells you 18 is too old to trick or treat is LYING. =D
51,089 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2009 - 19 21
Hey, that's great, Keira - I actually wrote my first NaNoWriMo novel in Swan Hills in 2003, when I was working at the Treatment Centre. I've got good memories of that place... a walk through the forests and lakes there would always ease my worried mind.
Well, not a walk through the lakes. That'd be just silly. But you know what I mean.
(By the way, am I reading that correctly, that the first time you did NaNoWriMo, you were 12? Wow.)
----------Denton, a.k.a. Aquadeo - ML for the Alberta::Elsewhere Wrimosaurs
I'm typing this year's novel LIVE on:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/late-write-featuring-aquadeo
7,379 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2009 - 22 33
Hi!
I have nothing witty to say but wanted to introduce myself anyway :)
I am Christine (aka Xeryfyn) and I have been doing NaNo since 2003 (Hi Edmowrimos!!!). In betweeen I have had two more children (to add to the one I had in 2002) and a giant move from Edmonton to teach high school English in Fort Mac which leaves me with little time to myself ...in which I stay up past my bedtime and do NaNo
I have set a crazy motivator for myself this year: I am going to write my NaNo (mostly) in a glass faced DJ booth in the main area of the school building and students can pay $1 to offer a suggestion ($1=add a flying monkey) etc or make pledges to keep me on my NaNo timeline, with all proceeds to the school in Kenya that we are building :) WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO???
I have only an inkling of a plot and not much else, but we will see where the wind takes us. I am petrified of the prospect but feel like after 6 years of various NaNo endeavours, it is time to step it up
BTW, 2am snacks usually consist of whatever is close--Double salted Dutch licorice, gummy candies and Coke. Huh. I mean to write broccoli, edamame beans and water.
89,223 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 23 32
Hello Out There!
I'm Sarah, also known as unruly dreamer. This will be my fourth year in Nano, and my second year doing "double nano" goal of 100K). I am originally from Ontario, don't hold that against me though and now I reside in Canmore. I know I am close enough to Calgary to connect up with them, but figure in actual fact I'd prefer to be an elsewhere so that's why I am here.
My 2am snack... it depends on the mood it will either be root beer and chips or milk and cookies.
Well that's me. Look forward to getting to know you all!
----------Cheers!
~unrulydreamer~
0 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 12 33
Denton: Yeah, my grade 7 teacher made NaNo our creative writing mid-term assignment - and I've been hooked ever since. My younger sister just hit grade 7 this year and will be joining my mother and I in Nano-land (Mom was converted last year, but the move disrupted everything for her too.) Swan Hills is a gorgeous town, I'm just adjusting to the lack-of-Atlantic-ocean. :)
Christine: Wow! I've thought about doing pledges before but then I'd feel obligated to show people what I wrote, and a draft straight out of November isn't something that I feel comfortable showing anyone but my family or my beta. XD My English teacher started a group for kids doing NaNo in my school though, so maybe some of your students would be interested in joining?
Sarah: As both a teenager and someone studying Social Work, specifically for going into Youth Heath-related fields when I graduate, your first novel-premise made me immediately interested. I'd love to hear more about it, and may pester you later ;P
Oh, and my worst habit as a writer is the over-use of comma's. Run-on sentences sneak into everything if I'm not vigilant XD
89,223 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 12 53
Keira: Of course you may :D I don't have everything beaten out yet, but my characters are getting pretty angtst just waiting. I'll send you a PM with my contact info :)
----------~unrulydreamer~
0 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 13 05
Well, my name's Katrina and I'm one of those people who live in the very windy city of Lethbridge - as proven by today where the wind is going up to 70km/h. This is technically my 2nd year of NaNoWriMo; I had to skip last year due to personal family issues.
I have 6 months of University left to finish off my Geography degree, and I'm hoping this year to actually finishes NaNoWriMo. Considering this little plot has been haunting me for about 3 months now, I shouldn't have a problem.
And, who has the time to eat at 2 a.m. during NaNoWriMo? That takes away valuable writing time!
----------2007: The Land Pirates - - Fantasy/Humor
2008: - Hiatus -
2009: Images in Blood - - Horror/Thriller
36,689 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 03 28
Hey! My name is Tonia and this will be my third year doing Nano. The town I live in is mainly known for it's fugly giant sausage statue. Though I must say that it has supplied me with endless amounts of juvenile amusement as I've pointed various internet acquaintances towards sites with it's picture on it.
Anyway, the only thing I know about my novel is that it's a post-apocalyptic urban fantasy. My worst habit as a writer is procrastination. My current win percentage for solitaire is up to 31%.
And I don't have a 2 a.m snack. I have dinner at 2 a.m.
----------Tomorrow may be hell, but today was a good writing day, and on the good writing days nothing else matters. — Neil Gaiman
51,089 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 04 15
Good point: Alberta may not be the Land of the Midnight Sun, but it's certainly the Land of the Midnight Shift.
(Hey, that'd be a great title for a novel - and it hasn't even been used already! If anyone thinks it fits their story, go ahead and steal it. A gift from me.)
----------Denton, a.k.a. Aquadeo - ML for the Alberta::Elsewhere Wrimosaurs
I'm typing this year's novel LIVE on:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/late-write-featuring-aquadeo
77,219 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 17 41
Do I ever know that. I sacraficed a good salary to have a M-F day job!
~CLicK~
----------...i enjoy my insanity, don't you..
NaNo 2008 Dawn of Eve - WON!
NaNo 2009 Memoirs of an Unlikely Assassin
~CLicK~
NaNo 2008 Dawn of Eve - WON!
NaNo 2009 Memoirs of an Unlikely Assassin
Inspiration is a lie. Sleep is for the weak. Caffiene is a gift.
Seriously, giving up was never a choice.
54,270 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 11 28
My name is Nicky (Nicole). This is my first year. I'm currently living in Peace River, Alberta.
I'm a bit nervous.
I have no trouble coming up with characters or dialogue, I fail when it comes to actual plot and because of this I've never completed any of my writing projects in the past. Hopefully this will be the year of finishing what I start! And also discovering a plot!
15,970 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 19 36
I'm a bit nervous.
I have no trouble coming up with characters or dialogue, I fail when it comes to actual plot and because of this I've never completed any of my writing projects in the past. Hopefully this will be the year of finishing what I start! And also discovering a plot!
Hi Nicky! This is SOO COOL! This is my third NaNo and out of the 3 years so far you are the ONLY OTHER Peace River person I have met!!!!! (er..."e-met" lol).
I have joined with the Valleyview group for our NaNo meet-ups. If you are interested in checking it out let me know - you'd be welcome to come along with me when I go. The ladies are wonderful and it's lots of fun - not really a 'serious' writers group. Who knows, maybe we'll find more Peace River writers and start our own. : )
I SO hear you with the not finishing any writing projects. I haven't even hardly looked at the other 2 I started during my last 2 years after NaNo was done - and even if I did I'd probably have to completely scrap them and start over. LOL! But I love the challenge.
----------NaNo '07: The Clan ... Won @72K
NaNo '08: This Other Woman's Life ... Won! @ 52K
NaNo '09: Unforeseen Consequence
I am Absolutely Addicted to Trance!!
648 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 21 26
Christine - I think this is brilliant. I was disappointed when Nano stopped sharing the profits from the contributions with the libraries in Laos. Maybe you could start a thread “Kenya School Booth” or something like that and let us on Alberta Elsewhere have the opportunity to send you suggestions with a loonie attached too.
Valleyview: NANO 09: http://nanowrimo.homestead.com
----------Valleyview: NANO 09: http://nanowrimo.homestead.com
54,270 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 10 12
Hi Nicky! This is SOO COOL! This is my third NaNo and out of the 3 years so far you are the ONLY OTHER Peace River person I have met!!!!! (er..."e-met" lol).
I have joined with the Valleyview group for our NaNo meet-ups. If you are interested in checking it out let me know - you'd be welcome to come along with me when I go. The ladies are wonderful and it's lots of fun - not really a 'serious' writers group. Who knows, maybe we'll find more Peace River writers and start our own. : )
I SO hear you with the not finishing any writing projects. I haven't even hardly looked at the other 2 I started during my last 2 years after NaNo was done - and even if I did I'd probably have to completely scrap them and start over. LOL! But I love the challenge.
I bet there are more Peace Riverites around they're just in hiding ;).
I find if you leave a writing project too long your style changes so much there is no choice but to scrap and start over and after starting over a certain amount of times it's easy to get discouraged and toss the whole lot!!
Anyway, I can't wait for this thing to get started. Should be a fun month.
Oh! And I won't be able to join the Valleyview group, from the looks of it they have meetings pretty much every day I work (I work Mon-Sat 9-9 though so that's not a hard thing to do). Oh well! Maybe for next year! By then I'll 'e-know' you all better!
54,270 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 10 14
(Hey, that'd be a great title for a novel - and it hasn't even been used already! If anyone thinks it fits their story, go ahead and steal it. A gift from me.)
For such a rich province there are a LOT of people working ridiculous shifts just to make ends meet. It makes me wonder how much harder people must be working in poorer provinces and then my brain short circuits so I stop thinking!
15,970 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 12 37
...and you're going to find time to write WHEN??
O.O
LOLOL!
That's okay though - I'm going to try harder to get the girls to come out to PR maybe for one meeting ... and then we'll ambush you at work, take you hostage .... you get the picture. LOL (jk; about the ambush/hostage thing that is).
Wicked crazy shifts girl! My heart goes out to you.... : (
Maybe we'll find an opportunity to go for a coffee or something during Nov that works for your schedule. I'm a night owl anyway. : )
Hope all goes well for you. You'll enjoy it!
----------NaNo '07: The Clan ... Won @72K
NaNo '08: This Other Woman's Life ... Won! @ 52K
NaNo '09: Unforeseen Consequence
I am Absolutely Addicted to Trance!!
41,231 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 16 30
Ello!
I am Jeana, from a small town near Red Deer Alberta. I am in grade twelve on my second year of NaNo. I won last year and I plan on winning again...although I have a lot going on in my life right now. I am a photographer and plan on going into photojournalism in college next year.
I love Garth Nix's books. I work in a library so I read a lot ^.^ Video games are wicked, especially Zelda.
I am easy to get along with and I love to chat with people when I have the time. Hope you are all well and have an extraordinary time here on NaNo, wether your new or old Good Luck!!!
Sincerely,
----------Jeana
~Keep On Writing!~
14,063 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 19 13
I'm Suzy, and this shall be my 5th year of nano. I come from coaldale, making me a cold alien. I pretend I'm from lethbridge though (and my heart resides in Edmonton -- I shall return to you soon, E-town!).
My nano history is quite sad really, the first year i joined at about 10pm on October 31st, so there was absolutely no planning, only craziness. I made under 500 words before I deemed it a fools task and went on with my life. The year after, when those nano emails hit my inbox, i decide to take another crack at it. I spent about 2 weeks planning, and I made maybe 1000 words before life took me over. The next year, I made about 5k words. And last year, I went full in. I planned for 2 months (the most planning I've -ever- done for -any- story) and set myself a goal of 10k words, and managed to get about 50 words away. I really am a short story writer at heart, but nano has pushed me further each year! With that in mind, I set myself a goal of 15k this year, and now that you've read this, you all have to help me get there! MWAHAHAHA!
-cough- erm
As for a 2 A.M. snack, I usually have juice, cheese and granola bars. Wow, that sounded far more healthy when in the context of everyone elses snacks XD
----------54,270 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 07 12
O.O
LOLOL!
That's okay though - I'm going to try harder to get the girls to come out to PR maybe for one meeting ... and then we'll ambush you at work, take you hostage .... you get the picture. LOL (jk; about the ambush/hostage thing that is).
Wicked crazy shifts girl! My heart goes out to you.... : (
Maybe we'll find an opportunity to go for a coffee or something during Nov that works for your schedule. I'm a night owl anyway. : )
Hope all goes well for you. You'll enjoy it!
Writing won't be the hard part! I type at 100wpm so barring major writers block I could feasibly get anywhere from 2000-6000 words written in an hour. So if I wake up an hour earlier I can do NANO without interrupting my usual routine, or I can take a half hour from my morning and a half hour from my evening and wha-la.
My issue is usually that instead of writing I play that video game, watch that TV episode, or just anything but writing so I'm hoping NANO will help me buckle down and commit my time to the one thing I love above all else but the one thing I take for granted and ignore because I know it'll always be there. :)
Thanks! Coffee sounds nice sometime. OR ICE CREAM.
*cough*
Have a great day!
21,651 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 11 48
Heey, I'm Gabby from Fort McMurray. This is my first NaNo, so I hope I don't give myself a heart attack by doing this. I have a feeling I won't make it to 50k, what with school and the fact I'm not allowed on my computer half the time, but even if I make it halfway I'll be happy. I think my sentences end up being too long and have too many commas and stuff, but if it gets me some more words then it can't be ALL bad, right?