| featherjean | Southeast |
    35,376 / 50,000 Joined: May 6, 2008
Location: League City, TX Posts:
11
Posted on:
Oct 7, 2009 - 04 51 |
I was surprised not to see a thread for Southeast Houston! I'm in League City, so I'm hoping there will be meet-ups in the Clear Lake area. I didn't go to any last year, but I think I saw that there were some at the Panera on Bay Area Blvd by I-45. That's nice and easy! So any other NaNoers out here in this part of town? |
Home :: About :: Search :: My NaNoWriMo :: FAQs :: Fun Stuff :: Donation/Store :: Forums :: More from OLL
Privacy Policy :: Terms and Conditions :: Codes of Conduct :: Returns Policy
Copyright © 2009 The Office of Letters and Light :: All posted novel excerpts remain copyright their authors.
Powered by Drupal
36,534 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 09 06
Webster NaNoer checking in! This year I vow to do one of two things: make some meet-up events and get to 50k words. Doing either one of these will make me happy, doing both means I'm going to do something nice for myself at the end of the month.
----------"There is a pleasure sure in being mad which none but madmen know." -Dryden
7,172 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 19 23
Im in Pasadena Clear Lake is a perfect place for me. Theres also a Barnes and Noble on Bay Area. Although I dont know if it has a Starbucks or not. Im so excited! This is my first NaNo and im aiming for 80k! Ive been researching for my book and can not wait to start it! YAY NaNo! lol.
----------A good story should be like a lady's skirt. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check out my blog following me from NaNo to a published book
www.wifemotherwriter.blogspot.com
38,693 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2009 - 23 27
Hello,
I close to each of you. I'm off Beltway 8 and Monroe. Would you all like to meet before Nov. 1? There's a Starbucks at the intersection of South 45 and Bay Area Blvd.
What do you all think?
This is my first year. I'm excited and very, very nervous. I'm wondering what I'm getting myself into. (smile)
----------7,172 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 05 56
Getting together before Nov 1 sounds awesome to me!
----------A good story should be like a lady's skirt. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check out my blog following me from NaNo to a published book
www.wifemotherwriter.blogspot.com
36,534 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 09 30
I'm game for meeting up early! Also, yes, there is a Starbucks in the B&N at 45 and Bay Area. And one on the other side of 45. And probably a few more sprinkled around for good measure :-P
----------"There is a pleasure sure in being mad which none but madmen know." -Dryden
38,693 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2009 - 23 41
Awesome. What day is best? What about a Saturday morning?
I will make a suggestion. Please feel free to comment or make a change.
Date: October 17, 2009
Time: 10:00 am
Duration: About an hour or so
Location: Starbucks inside Barnes & Noble, South 45 & Bay Area Blvd
I am fairly flexible since I work from home. I look forward to your responses.
----------35,376 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 04 31
That sounds good! I'm slightly concerned about using that starbucks -- it looks fairly small to me, and it's not really inside the B&N, just attached. But it's been a while since I've been there so maybe it's a better meeting place than I'm thinking. :)
----------2008 - Whiskers and Wings - Won!
2009 - Safe Haven - ?
113,879 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 06 29
That starbucks is small. But for a before we start meeting it may be ok. I will be working, so I will not be able to attend, but have fun!
I am hoping there will be some sat. or Sun evening meetings and monday or tuesday evening write ins. I am retail this year, but with a stable schedule, unfortunately, not a day time schedule lol.
Anyway, glad we have a great group shaping up this year.
-----------------------
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney
2006 - Leaving Despair - 250+k words - Winner
2007 - Continuity - 425+k words - Winner
2008 - A Time to laugh - 97+k words - Winner (but not to me)
7,172 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 13 12
That Sat is good for me :) Im a stay at home mom, with ready and willing babysitters on hand :) so anytime is good for me really :P lol
----------A good story should be like a lady's skirt. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check out my blog following me from NaNo to a published book
www.wifemotherwriter.blogspot.com
36,534 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 13 15
The 17th sounds great to me. I'm getting so excited about this already... here's hoping it carries through November :-P
----------"There is a pleasure sure in being mad which none but madmen know." -Dryden
9,065 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 20 06
This sounds great! I may be up for a pre-NaNo brainstorming meet-up session before November starts. I like the starbucks you are referring to because it's great for a gathering space. It's a good place to meet and greet but not great for write-ins because its usually crowded and active without good access to plugs and no free wi-fi. Right across Bay Area Blvd on the same side of the freeway is a Panera bread with excellent accommodations for people who want to chill out and write for a long while. So since the starbucks at B&N is not going to be great during November it is perfect for October so we should take advantage.
----------the 17th, then?
take care
love & e-hugs ~ M
7,172 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 21 28
The 17th at 10 am
Starbucks inside the Barnes and Noble
on Bay Are and 45
Yay! cant wait :) Ill post a comment in the general forum for anyone else who might want to meet up.
----------A good story should be like a lady's skirt. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check out my blog following me from NaNo to a published book
www.wifemotherwriter.blogspot.com
38,693 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 23 11
GREAT! I think we should meet there for the first meeting. We can move to another spot for our write ins and I wouldn't mind finding a spot to do the Night of Writing on November 22nd.
Let's plan to meet for about an hour or so. For those of you that can't make it you should post a few available times. Then we can brainstorm and come up with a regular meet up time.
I can't wait. I spent a few hours today going through my possible storyline. I plan to do some research tomorrow and start on my outline by Monday.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I too will come back and post again. Actually, I'd like to know...do you have a story idea? Have you done this before? Any tips you'd like to share with a newbie?
Thanks,
JD
----------35,376 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 04 39
This is exciting! Definitely looking forward to the meetup. :D
I like Melissa's suggestion of Panera for write-ins -- I go to a knitting group that meets there, and it's a great place to sit and hang out, with plenty of room for a lot of people. Plus their food is excellent!
I do have a story idea! I came up with it several months ago at this point. I did the same thing last year -- came up with an idea well in advance and had time to think about it (and reconsider the whole idea a few times, too). I don't have a firm plot, though, much less an outline. I know who three of my main characters are, but there needs to be a love interest or two, and I haven't figured them out yet. I'm nervous about going into this thing with less of a plan than I had last year! So I need to sit down and, well, plan. And do research, because the story is set on Mars 100 years in the future, and I don't know much about the place.
Tips for a newbie: it may seem like you'll need to write in every waking moment, there are actually plenty of hours in the day to get the necessary wordcount. That doesn't mean not to use every bit of it that you can; it just means you can eat and sleep, too. ;) My biggest tip is very specific and unlikely to apply to many people, but it's something I learned. Using a cat (or similar non-human) as your main character is a bad idea. Learned that from experience. Seriously, humans are easy. We think like humans (most of us). Cats? How they move and interact with the world is so different. It's interesting to write but also a pain in the butt!
----------2008 - Whiskers and Wings - Won!
2009 - Safe Haven - ?
80,134 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 05 19
At least you won with cats! If it was hard and you still made it, kudos!
More general tips for the newbie:
1) Find a specific time to set aside for writing. I used the bus going to and from work to jump start my day. That could usually get me 800 words or so (halfway to the goal!).
2) Find a writing place - be it a different place to sit at home or a coffee shop. It helps to not be sitting where you web browse (if you can avoid it) because the distractions there are actually higher from habit than other places, even if internet is still available.
3) Exploit weekends like a fiend. I've kicked out 6000 words and more in a day on the weekend. If you're behind, use these days to kick yourself back in line.
4) Set goals and rewards. This works for some people, at least. Some line up fun purchases that they will only get for themselves (or donations to nano) at a certain word count. This will vary person to person. 30k is not a bad one. If you get into the 30s, you're doing well.
5) Donate! I know it sounds odd, but if you donate, you have a vested interest in finishing. Plus, this is run by a nonprofit that work their butts off. They'll appreciate every dime they can get.
6) Go to write-ins. We won't always be hyper-productive at the write-ins (but we can be). I usually leave them inspired after chatting about what other people are writing. Also, talking about my own story with other people always gets me excited to write more.
7) Have fun.
----------2009 - Destined to Rule (Unverified Winner!)
9,065 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 06 28
Those are excellent suggestions for newbies, Lumos_aeternum! This will be my 5th year writing a novel so I have to agree that the three BEST tips are:
1) to find a place to write that is not your normal hanging out on the internet and facebooking place. Write every day. You can generally write about a thousand words an hour if you have a plan for your scene or you are in the zone. So we're talking about 2 hours a day given to your goal to finish writing a novel draft. Very do-able.
2) don't reread what you just wrote or waste your writing time trying to edit it or looking on thesaurus.com trying to find a better word or deleting sentences you wrote the day before because they don't sound good now. That's really going backwards. It's okay if you don't know something to make it up for now and editing is for the month of March during NaNoEdMo.
3) go to the write ins! You will meet people who have the same goal of finishing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. We have to stick together and hold each other up, encourage each other and drink a lot of coffee together. Write-ins will inspire you. Either you will see the folks around you with a higher word count and it will induce a writing frenzy of which you didn't know you were capable or you will be the person with the highest word count of the day and it will feel damn good! Also, if you discuss your ideas with others you might get suggestions that you like on where to go with a certain plot line. Other wrimos can help you get unstuck should you stumble over a writer's block.
November is a fun, exciting, busy, and social month for wrimos. Immerse yourself in the culture of NaNoWriMo - meaning set aside time to write, write every day and other things that have to be done can get done later or after you finish your 1667 word count goal of the day, attend gatherings like the kick-off, write-ins, & the TGIO party, support NaNoWriMo and get the tee shirt. You are going to have a lot of fun!
I'm so excited for it to start and I don't even have a plot yet! I'm going to hash out some ideas this weekend and hope one of them will germinate. See y'all next weekend at the Webster B&N Starbucks 10am.
----------take care
love & e-hugs ~ M
38,693 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 11 26
Thank you all for the tips. I have a great feeling about this group. I look forward to meeting you all. I have a ton of questions. Some of the information referenced in your responses is new to me. But I'll figure it out.
I'm off to get some research done while my kiddos are occupied. Have a wonderful weekend!
JD
----------5,934 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 15 34
I can make the Saturday meeting at BN! I'll be there. I'm new at this, so I will need some help and encouragement! Hopefully my other writing buddy will be able to make it as well.
7,172 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 19 34
Only one day!! Saturday the 17th at 10 am at the B&N on Bay Area and 45!!! I cant wait to meet everyone and share story ideas!! Im going to need some serious help coming up with a name for my lead male character!! :P
----------A good story should be like a lady's skirt. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check out my blog following me from NaNo to a published book
www.wifemotherwriter.blogspot.com
35,376 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 19 37
I'm excited! Will someone have a NaNo sign or something? I'm always concerned I'll show up for a meeting like this and not know who I'm meeting!
----------2008 - Whiskers and Wings - Won!
2009 - Safe Haven - ?
80,134 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 19 40
if someone has a nano shirt...that's always a good rallying point!
----------2009 - Destined to Rule (Unverified Winner!)
8,648 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 20 00
I live in Clear Lake. First timer. I've got about 150 pages into a novel that I started over 10 years ago. Had twins in the meantime and haven't made any writing progress since. I get stuck with rereading and editing. Can't make it this weekend, but please keep me in the loop for future get togethers.
----------pillboxhat
7,172 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 20 30
Aww I wish I had a NaNo shirt lol I would say you'll notice me by my notebook and pen, but, seeing as its Barnes and Noble that would be a lost cause.
So 8 RSVP'd so far 9 in our area yay!
mpillbox so sorry you cant make it! There is brainstorming going on about the Kick off party, so far it looks like it'll be on the 24th!
Cant wait till Sat!
----------A good story should be like a lady's skirt. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check out my blog following me from NaNo to a published book
www.wifemotherwriter.blogspot.com
19,288 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 20 47
Yes, I'm here also in League City! It's been three years since my last engagement with NaNoWriMo (yes, I did win!) and I'm just toying with the idea of diving in again this year. It's one of those things...seems I already have a lot on my plate, but the Muse is calling me. Should I or shouldn't I? It's like playing with fire. If I decide to do it, I'll meet you out there...
35,376 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2009 - 04 30
Even just a piece of paper with NANO on it would be good! Maybe I'll walk in waving one. ;)
Just a point of clarification -- we're meeting in the Starbucks, right, not the B&N? IIRC, they're connected but the 'bucks isn't actually inside the bookstore the way most of them are.
----------2008 - Whiskers and Wings - Won!
2009 - Safe Haven - ?
7,172 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2009 - 05 20
I didnt know that thats crazy. The Starbucks was what we planned.
----------A good story should be like a lady's skirt. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check out my blog following me from NaNo to a published book
www.wifemotherwriter.blogspot.com
38,693 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2009 - 15 52
I'm still in. I'm excited. I plan to wear a t-shirt and jeans. The t-shirt has "I'm a Texas Homeschooler" or something like that. I am short (5'2), African-American, and my hair is midway down my back. Oh, and I should be wearing my classes.
I plan to get there a little early so I will make a sign. Actually, I'll print it now. I have a little table stand that I use for conferences. It has "NaNoWriMo Writers". Nothing fancy.
Have a wonderful night. I can't wait to meet you all.
--------
NOTE
--------
For people unable to make it. What day and times would work for you? We should consider having two regular meeting days so that we have a choice.
What do you all think? We could discuss it tomorrow.
I'm off to finish dinner and work on my outline.
JD
----------36,534 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2009 - 17 02
I'll be there for certain! I've been looking forward to this all week. I'll be the short woman covered from head to toe in cat and rat hair :-P And wearing a Star Wars shirt, if we're going by probability of what I'll grab first.
Can't wait to meet y'all!
----------"There is a pleasure sure in being mad which none but madmen know." -Dryden
113,879 / 50,000
Oct 21, 2009 - 04 47
Well, I hope everyone had a great time! I am going to struggle through trying to make sure I have SOME of the write in times free, but since I no longer have a cush m-f 8-4 job its hard. XD
Retail has it's own disadvantages, lack of a consistent schedule being one of them. *sigh*
-----------------------
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney
2006 - Leaving Despair - 250+k words - Winner
2007 - Continuity - 425+k words - Winner
2008 - A Time to laugh - 97+k words - Winner (but not to me)
40,064 / 50,000
Oct 26, 2009 - 09 46
Are there anymore designated write-in dates besides for the 1st? I've got a lunch date with my pastor - can't miss that! But I'd love (& will need) to attend a write-in some other time. I tried to browse through the above posts (I'm at work - shhhhh!!!!) but didn't see anything else really confirmed.
----------Defeating Maryland, one crab leg at a time
2009: Blame it on the Weatherman
Trebuchet Club Member 2009