Hi, I'm your Municipal Liaison, Sheila. aka merrihart.
I'm ** years old, I work, I go to school, I write a mixture of romance and sci-fi/fantasy. (Never consistently, though.)
I have 2 cats, one of which is undergoing surgery on the 5th. (All bets are off if he dies, sorry, but he's my baby.) I decorate for Halloween and Christmas. I drink lattes and tea, I eat apple pie with walnuts in it, and I love beef.
I listen to whatever I want, including Glen Miller and Enigma, I love soundtracks. I type in silence, though.
I'm on my 4th year as ML, and my 5th year as a Wrimo. I've won each year, but count only the first year as truly successful in generating a story I loved. My second year I did a cohesive story and felt it was flat. I"m not even going to talk about my 3rd and 4th years. :p
I hope to meet you all at our meet ups, this month, which I will post as they are decided on. If you can't make any of the meetings, don't worry, we still want to hear from you!
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--Merrihart, ML for P
40,038 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 11 54
Hi, I'm Amy, and I'm an alcho-- never mind, wrong forum ;P Hi, my name is Amy, aka xavernus. If you don't know how to pronounce it, don't worry, not many people do.
This will be my fourth year doing NaNo. I'm not sure what genre you would stick me in yet, because I tend to write a little something different every year. Last year I wrote a horror novel, and so far, sales of it are doing relatively good.
I'm a crazy insomniac who is always on the computer, so if you ever want to get in contact with me, its very easy to do so.
I enjoy making lists, driving around in my car when the gas prices are less high, parties, and writing. When you combine writing parties, that really makes my day. I enjoy all types of music except country and most rap. I have been guilty of only listening to soundtracks and then singing along really loud with them.
I'm not sure what I'm writing this year, which distresses me greatly because I usually have everything planned out by August. Hopefully that means I'll come up with something amazing this year!
You'll probably see me at all the meetings, so I will see you guys there. I know I'm ready to have some fun!
37,000 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2009 - 16 48
Hey, guys!
I'm Gwen. I'm 14 and this is my third year of NaNo. I won last year for the first time, which made me really happy! :)
If I recall correctly, I live down the street from merrihart (that is, unless she moved! :P) and I'm a sophomore in high school. I don't work. I usually write realistic fiction, but this year I think I'm going to try my hand at fantasy--I've always wanted to create my own world, where I can do things however I want. I've planned them out a couple of times, but it's never really worked out that great.
Last year, I did a science fiction/romance novel about the zombie apocalypse. This year, I'm going for something a teensy bit different! :P I'm not 100% sure what I'm gonna do yet, though. Gotta get my brainstorming going.
I'll probably be able to go to the meet ups, too, if they are near me. I know last year we went to the Starbucks in Doylestown, and that was good for me, because my mom could get a coffee and hang out and read while we wrote. :P And this year, I have a laptop which I can bring! EXCELLENT. We can all word war.
Hope to see you all around! :D
P.S. If anyone's a Tamora Pierce fan, I just joined an awesome RPG that could totally use more members. ;)
10,560 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2009 - 04 01
Hi Gwen!
Nope, I haven't moved. Still in the same place I was, but I've heard rumors that an elementary school might move in next to me. O.o
Welcome back to your fourth NaNo! You can do it again! World building is tricky, but for a first draft certainly doesn't have to be perfect, or even that detailed. A lot of people get hung up on world building. The hardest things to watch out for are language building and magic systems. These get unnecessarily complex and convoluted.
We're here if you need help or have questions, or just need a hug.
:)
merrihart
------------Merrihart, ML for P
37,000 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2009 - 08 47
I think I'm gonna actually construct my world pre-nano, and then do the story so I won't have to worry about so much detail. I mean, if I have basic maps/culture/religion/language/etc. then I won't have to stress over that as much, and I'll be able to focus on the story more... (:
Only 1,667 words every day, guys! We can do it!
33,525 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2009 - 08 48
Hi, I'm Laura, but please call me Rue. (Long story. If you'd really like to know, ask.)
----------I'm 21 and I've won the last two years for NaNoWriMo.
I'm around the Dublin area (if any one of you have any idea where that is), and am up until the wee hours of the morning most nights.
Also, hoping to get a netbook before NaNo this year. My main computer is a 17 inch laptop.
Talk about a pain in the arse to lug around!
I'm not sure what else to put here, but feel free to ask me anything.
0 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2009 - 06 07
Hi there, I'm Robert...
Apparently I'm one of the elder statemen of this group, in my late 30s. I live in Morrisville, which is the last stone's throw down route 1 before heading into Trenton. I'm a technical writer working in Philadelphia. So on my delusional days, I tell people that I'm employed as a writer (even tho it's for end-user documentation and technical specifications).
The biggest challenge for me, writing a novel, is my (soon to be) 3 year old kid, and trying to pry away the laptop from my facebook addicted wife. (my addiction to Farkle doesn't help either).
My plan is to write a story about a defunct Philadelphia cover band whose members get back together when the lead singer gets sick. The premise is cliche, but hopefully the inner details are richer and more fun.
This is my third time signing up for NaNoWriMo, but never even got going the other times, due to real life concerns.
Maybe I'll try to make one of the events, but it will depend on 100 other things.
Cheers!
Rob
24,566 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2009 - 14 45
Hi, I'm Emma!
I'm almost 14 and a freshman in highschool. I turn fourteen in November, so hopefully I'll be writing like crazy on my birthday!
This is my first year here, so I don't know how I'm going to do... we shall see. I'm a veeeeery self critical person, but I hope to vanish that from being in November.
About me: I enjoy flap hats, running barefoot in the rain, writing, reading, and fall. I'm in my second year of spanish and I love it! I also love music. I posess no talent in that area, however. I cannot sing. Nonie nonie no. I play cello though. Kind of. This is my 6th year. But I'm taking a break... we'll see if I ever get back to it. I tried to play guitar once. HA.
So mostly, I just listen to music. Like, The Beatles, soundtracks, spanish speaking songs, and I am obsessed with the free singles of the week on itunes. Mainly because they're free...
Well. That's me.
Gwen, I haven't read any of Tamora Pierce's books, but I've heard they're good. Whats your favorite? maybe I'll read it.
2,245 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2009 - 15 23
Hey all.
This is Net, or Prominence12 if we're being internet-formal. This is my second year doing NaNoWriMo. Sadly, I did not win last year because quite honestly I got lazy and gave up. I'm a high school senior who lives in Bensalem who does NOT go to Bensalem HS.
I want to major in art in college, but minor in creative writing. I really love coming up with stories, but I just can never find the time to write them all down. This year I'm between four or five novel ideas, my main two being 'dollPARTS' and 'Alice in Horrorland'. My two favorite genres to write are fantasy (such as Alice in Horrorland) and disfuntional romance (such as dollPARTS).
My computer consists of the tower, keyboard, and moniter of a Windows 98 with the hardrive of a Windows XP that is located in my parents room. Yeah. And people wonder why I didn't get alot of writing done last year...
I really hope I can make it to meets this year, guys! It's gonna be fun!
-Promi, the Girl who Tried to Write 50,000 Words.
----------1,799 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2009 - 15 50
How did I not know there was a Bucks County group??!!!
I'm Scarlett, Environmental Science major @ Bucks County Community College! (WOOOO!!! ^_^)
I live in Yardley, went to Pennsbury High School! (GO FALCONS!)
I'd love to meet you guys!
@cricket Get back on that cello! ...11 years here :)
----------24,566 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2009 - 17 22
cool, I go to bucks for spanish! they let you take classes in high school sometimes... yup.
1,799 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2009 - 17 49
yeah, i took spanish there in 7th grade. who's your professor?
----------24,566 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 04 27
Arlene Toro.
1,807 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 11 35
Hello all. My name is Karen. I live in Morrisville and I'm 25. I did NaNo last year for the first time and won. (Yay! :D) I had a lot of fun and sleepless nights, but in the end, enjoyed it immensely. I look forward to doing it again this year. It'll definitely be a challenge since the company I work for is having a big merger on 12/1. November will be busy, busy, busy! By the end, I expect I'll be incoherent. Wish me luck with my sanity. :P
----------2008: Blue Soul (first year & won!)
2009: Blue Soul (continuing w/ rebel-status :P)
1,799 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 11 41
@cricket Oh ok, I don't know her. I had professor Nissly, but that was years ago.
----------37,000 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 12 59
Emma, what school district are you in? If you're in Centennial, let me know and we'll meet up at school (;
My birthday's in November too, which makes me about a year older than you~
Ummm. Wow, we have a LOT more people than last year... :D Good luck to all!
200 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 13 56
Hola, I'm Grace! I'm fifteen years old and a sophomore in high school. I've been a writing freak since I was little, but I really started getting into it when I was about eleven. I tried NaNoWriMo a couple years ago, but it didn't work out because I was a perfectionist and thought that everything I wrote had to be 100% beautiful.
I'm really into the Twilight series (but I hate the movies). I also love Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, Unwind, almost anything by Gail Carson Levine, The Host, Elsewhere, My Sister's Keeper, The Outsiders, The Secret Life of Bees, The Chronicles of Narnia (particularly The Horse and His Boy), and a lot more that I can't remember at the moment. Some people classify me as a nerd, as I'm a bookworm and I'm also pretty smart (not to brag or anything... don't worry, I'm not that type of person, haha).
I'm also a music geek. I like Switchfoot, Regina Spektor, Relient K, Owl City, The Beatles, Nickel Creek, and sooo many more random bands/singers. My musical interests are extremely heterogeneous... lol. OH! And I play the piano. I love it. I took lessons for about seven years.
Other interests of mine include baking, photoshopping, acting/singing (I'm not very talented though, haha), history, Spanish, and photography.
That's all for now... =)
0 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 14 40
Hey, I'm Abby :P
cricket is one of my best friends, and iBegtodiffer is my sister XD
This is my first NaNo. um. yay. I've always loved writing and started innumerable tales, but have never gotten past the sixth or seventh page. Hopefully, I'll be able to motivate myself...? But even if I don't finish, it'll be a great experience ;)
I'm thirteen. I have a lot of favorite books... The Book Thief, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, A Wrinkle in Time series, The Declaration, THE HUNGER GAMES AND CATCHING FIRE!!! and Harry Potter <3 to name a few. My two favorite hobbies in the entire universe are drawing and singing, and I practice these hobbies constantly. I draw eyes on every single piece of paper I get at school, and at home, I sing loud, annoyingly, and obnoxiously. Heehee.
I used to be homeschooled until seventh grade, when I went to public school. I think I like them equally.. Currently, I am obsessed with Social Studies. Yay.
I love being in musicals so much <3 But only when they're sort of relaxed and not like "YOU HAVE TO BE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING TO GET A GOOD PART!!!!!!"
As you may have noticed, I am overly random. I tend to ramble, and I hope that this doesn't get incorporated into my story too much...
So that's me. :D
10,560 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 15 42
Wow, lots of you guys in high school yet!
Welcome! Those of you who are worried about reaching 50k, don't! If you take care of your daily count, the monthly count will take care of itself. And for the month of November, don't try for perfection, just get into the flow and let your characters speak!
------------Merrihart, ML for P
39,716 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2009 - 08 45
Hi everyone! I'm Aurora Lyren, and this is my first Nano in Bucks Co. - I was in Morgantown, WV for school during my previous two Nanos.
I'm a 22 year old college graduate, living with her parents and trying not to go nuts (not really, I like my family and it beats paying rent). I was hoping that finally being out of school with no extra-curriculars taking up my November would make this year a breeze, but now I've got my first real-world job (I work with kids who have behavioral disorders, mostly helping them learn to function in daily life) so I think juggling that with writing 50K will be a challenge.
For this year's novel, I'm rewriting my 2007 Nano project, a young adult fiction novel about friendships in high school, which is currently around 100K of awful. I thought the story was a goner until I visited my old high school, which has been refinished to the point that I can no longer claim to having attended that same school - and luckily it shed some light on where the story needs to go. This isn't going to be a mere second draft - this is a complete redo. I have worries. But we'll see how it turns out.
Other than writing, I enjoy listening to music (pretty much anything), playing life-stealing computer games such as The Sims, making music videos out of home movies, dream analysis, psychology, doodling, and eating pretty much anything sugary. I can't wait for November and I wish everyone the best of luck with their novels!
----------2007 NaNo: We All Fall Down (won)
2008 ScriptFrenzy: It's Spin, Not Twirl (won, with Trulyyou/Major7th38)
2008 NaNo: Ruby Dreams (won)
1,807 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2009 - 18 16
I know right? I feel so old!
----------2008: Blue Soul (first year & won!)
2009: Blue Soul (continuing w/ rebel-status :P)
24,566 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 09 49
I'm not in Centennial... sorry. I'd be in Council Rock North. Right now, I'm homeschooled though, which is awesome because I have a more free schedule. I went to school before, but came back because I liked homeschooling better.
:P. I hate saying I'm homeschooled. People always think homeschoolers are dweebs! (he. he. *guilty*!) No. I'm not THAT nerdy!
40,038 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 10 24
:P. I hate saying I'm homeschooled. People always think homeschoolers are dweebs! (he. he. *guilty*!) No. I'm not THAT nerdy!
WOOHOO GO COUNCIL ROCK NORTH! *is a graduate from there* But homeschooling is cool. I did that for a year. Nothing wrong with it!
0 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 13 30
I must say that homeschooling is quite awesome. I did it for six years!
Emma you're going to high school?!?!? :O
16,333 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 14 10
Hello everyone!
I attempted NaNo two years ago and utterly failed, then tried it again last year and I won! I was very, very proud of myself. It was my first completed novel ever! However, as it turns out, it was not something I was interested in editing and revising, but rather a very extensive 50,000 word therapy. So this year I'm out to write something for my second completed novel that would be fitting to fix up, make pretty, and send out to publishers. (This is a big deal for me, as I have a phobia of publishing my writing and letting others read it.)
I'm 16 years old and a junior in high school (CR South). I'm in my school's bandfront as a rifle, and I love it. I'm also a complete language nerd; I speak French on an intermediate-advanced level and am currently working on memorizing hiragana so I can learn Japanese. I hope to get to a kickoff party if there is one, but I don't drive, so that's up to my parents; I really want to get to a write-off sometime this WriMo!
Unfortunately, I still only have a vague idea of what I'll be writing. It'll be fantasy-- that's about all I know. I ought to get planning. XD
37,000 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 15 52
You all suck. CR for the lose. Tennent FTW.
just kidding. :P
14,413 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 15 57
Hello everyone! I'm Aaryn, and I'm fourteen.
I play violin, read and write (I bet you're shocked.), draw, procrastinate an enormous amount....
My favorite books are The Book Theif, The Outsiders, Unwind, Tangerine, the Warriors series, Inkheart, My Sister's Keeper, and many, many others. Right now we are reading Lord of the Flies in school, and I think it's fabulous (I just got up to the part where Simon dies. D= I loved him). Um...I'm part my school's literary and arts magazine, which is by far my favorite extracurricular thing.
This is my second year of NaNo, and I fully intend to win this year, seeing as last year was a complete failure. The fact that I have no plot or characters, though, is worrying me a bit...
I can't wait to get to know all of you. (: Hopefully I'll be able to make it to at least a few of the write-ins.
128 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 21 11
Hello, just dropping in to say Hi. Born and bred in Bucks (not Buck's) County, lived over half my life there. I've been participating the last four years but never even gotten close to 50K. Maybe this year. Maybe this year my accumulated count for all five years will break 50K!
----------"I'm as eloquent as an elephant" –Sanctus Real
"The shadow proves the sunshine" —Switchfoot
16,333 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 06 48
just kidding. :P
ew, Tennent, get out! xD
I'm gonna be seeing your marching band today in competition and we're gonna OWN YOU. =P
33,525 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 22 15
I look forward to meeting all of you. :D
----------1,764 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2009 - 16 17
Hi everyone! I'm Beth, 17 years old and I live in Quakertown.
I'm currently senior, so that means I'm stressing about college apps and the SAT and all that lovely stuff. My dream job is to be a librarian or maybe a historian. I haven't decided yet. :P
I've only done NaNo once before, that was last year, and I barely made it to 2000 words! *blushes* I hope to do so much better this year. I remember that I met up with you guys once at the Starbucks-I'll have to see if I can meet with you all again. My parents do love shopping at Wegmans, so maybe I can convince them to take me there. (I don't have my license, or even my permit, yet.)
I have general ideas so far, but I'm enjoying browsing around here to find some ideas. Does anyone remember the "Dare" thread(s) from last year? Is there something like that this year? Like, "I dare you to include a scene entirely spent on picking flowers". Anyone know what I'm talking about?
I can't wait to meet the rest of you!
----------