Ok folks, it's time I divulged some of the plans which have been not only fulminating but also formulating and fermenting in my mind (it's a scary place in there, I tell ya!) regarding this year's BKO party.
November the First is being extremely convenient and kind to us this year, by falling on a Sunday. Since the traditional times for the write-ins are Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons, I'm planning this year's kick-off event for the first of November.
I reckon most of the region's Nanowrimo regulars already know where the Watershed is, and since it's helpfully located in an easy-to-find location in central Bristol and a mere 15 minutes' walk from the train station (for those heading in from out-of-town) it's the ideal location to carry on holding write-ins. Besides, they've got used to us over the years, and are now very amenable to our presence. Pretty decent food is available, from small snack-foods to proper meals, and there's an abundance of beers, ciders, wines, and soft-drinks and hot beverages., They also have nice cakes. It's a very relaxed place, with an atmosphere conducive to write-ins.
So - Sunday, the First of November for this year's kick-off, from about 2pm and running unitl everybody's decided to head home and get their heads down to some serious writing.
This year, to make things even easier, I'm trying to persuade their events team to let us use one of their meeting rooms. I don't know whether it's going to happen though, because they normally charge for the use of the rooms, and since we're not an organisation that's exactly rolling in cash (or even an organisation, really) I'm relying on them having an attack of kindness and throwing us a freebie.
For those who haven't been before, here's a link to the location of the Watershed - http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&cl...
A vague indication of numbers would be helpful, so if you're planning to come along, please sing out!
Cheers,
Russ.
----------
ML - Bristol & Bath Region, UK.
Procrastinating madly since 2004
0 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 05 23
I shall be there!
----------so it goes...
35,070 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 09 13
Should everything go to plan, I shall be there! :)
----------35,070 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 09 13
Should everything go to plan, I shall be there! :)
----------32,600 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 11 21
Woohoo!
0 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 13 14
Count me in (unless you hear otherwise)!
0 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 13 24
I *might* be there... I'm pretty scared about this whole thing though. This will be my first nanowrimo, and there's still time for me to chicken out of it, seen as I still haven't really got any idea what I'm gonna write about, and I'm not even a *writer* anyway; I haven't even tried to write anything fictional since, like, school, when it was compulsory... Part of me thinks it might be fun, but I'm a bit worried I might just end up writing something I'll hate, which won't be much fun at all:-( *en-ni-way*, on the subject of "write-ins",, what do you do; does everyone actually sit around and write? Or is it more like sitting around and chatting about writing/ whatever else? Either way, I live in Bristol and am fairly familiar with the Watershed, so if other Nanos might be meeting there I could maybe come down and say hi...?
51,342 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 13 25
I'll be there.
I can't believe how close November is now. I'm feeling slightly under-prepared.
14,702 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 13 32
Number me amongst the vague!
S
----------"Don't get it right - get it written" - Mrs Mills
14,702 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 13 52
@ cloy_boy
"I still haven't really got any idea what I'm gonna write about, and I'm not even a *writer* anyway;..etc."
Welcome to NaNoWriMo! 8-)
Seriously though - have a look around the site, jump into the forums, read some of the pep-talks (I recommend Neil Gaiman's, for around Nov 15th!), chat with some people, surf ye webbe, ideas will come to you, and you'll find advice on everything!
What's to be scared of? At worst, you'll find out that you don't want to do it again - at best, you'll create something you're proud of, meet new friends, gain a new and lucrative career, and change the course of human history for the better! 8-)
Cheers, S
----------"Don't get it right - get it written" - Mrs Mills
37,558 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 14 33
I expect you can cajole me into making a brief appearance ;P.
31,881 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 23 08
Due to complete lapse in Judgement I have booked myself to be in Kent on the the 1st November, and will have to content myself with writing on the 5 hour train journey back to Bristol instead. Writing whilst waiting for the tube should be the most interesting part I think...
----------'An interesting character' - Russ Dallen (Bristol and Bath ML)
'Just as weird as the rest of us' - Chris 'The Skoot' Hill
43,362 / 50,000
Oct 13, 2009 - 01 39
On past experience it's about 25% of the former and 75% of the latter. Usually there are a couple of conversations about writing, plot points we're stuck on, how annoying our characters are, or what "amusing" websites we've seen lately, and a couple of folks busily typing away as inspiration strikes before joining in with the conversations again when it runs out.
It sounds inefficient, but it does seem to work :-)
I'll be there on the 1st, in the absence of unforseen circumstances!
Elizabeth
28,286 / 50,000
Oct 13, 2009 - 06 26
I will be there! Looking forward to it and am amazed at how quickly it's come around to that time of the year again. I managed 25,000 words (or thereabouts) last year and I intend to win this time.
Hi everyone!
7,664 / 50,000
Oct 13, 2009 - 08 14
As long as I'm not working, I'll try to make it. I really do need to get to write-ins and such this year.
----------30,818 / 50,000
Oct 13, 2009 - 14 08
I've got a church social happening on that day and might end up with a work shift if I'm unlucky, but I shall try and get there at some point - can hardly miss the beginning of this prestigious calendar event!! ^_^
----------"It's not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache."
0 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 07 05
Hi there
This is my first NWMO so it's all new to me!
I should be able to come on 1st November, so count me in - looking forward to meeting you all (Gulp!)
xxx
13,006 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 12 59
I think I'll come. Will be a total newcomer and be all glassy-eyed, probably, with panic over the prospect of actually having started. Would be nice to meet people mad enough to do this too.
Plus! - it's a rare occasion I get to spend time in the Watershed which is mad considering it's on my walk home from work.
Rich.
27,342 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 04 57
Well, I have to say that it's great to see so many people getting involved in Nanowrimo for the first time, as well as so many people who did it last year and are
mentaldedicated enough to be doing it again this year.Getting to Bath meets isn't really that practical for me on a regular basis, as I live on the other side of Bristol and already getting into a 50-mile round trip for the write-ins, but if there are enough of you in Bath who really can't make it to the Bristol sessions and manage to get something going in Bath, keep me posted, and I'll do my absolute best to get along to at least one of them, to meet you all and hand out some of the free stuff which should already be winging its way to my office from the Office of Letters and Light. :-)
Russ.
----------ML - Bristol & Bath Region, UK.
Procrastinating madly since 2004
45,002 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 05 42
Sounds cool. I'd love to come along. This is my second wrimo but I wasn't particularly social last year (remind me not to start a new job in November ever again).
21,613 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 11 45
I'm 14, can I still come?
(:
----------35,070 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2009 - 08 47
That's a good point- how suitable are the meetings? I'm 17, so it's not necessarily so bad for me, but just in case...
----------27,342 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2009 - 14 49
I'm pretty sure you're ok to come to the Watershed - although it's a bar, it's also a cafe, and it seems pretty relaxed. I'm sure I've seen people around your age in there before now, with families and stuff. I'll ask, just to be on the safe side, but you should be ok.
They won't serve you alcohol, of course (unless you look older than you are and have really good fake ID), but that's not really the point of the write-ins.. ;-)
Russ.
----------ML - Bristol & Bath Region, UK.
Procrastinating madly since 2004
27,342 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2009 - 14 51
Yep - I'm sure you're ok at 17 for the Watershed, although as in the reply above, you might not get away with buying alcohol. That shouldn't be an issue though - it's a cafe, a restaurant and an arts centre as well as a bar, and I can vouch for the fact that they have a really good selection of delicious non-alcoholic drinks (I have to drive home afterwards!).
Russ.
----------ML - Bristol & Bath Region, UK.
Procrastinating madly since 2004
2,690 / 50,000
Oct 16, 2009 - 15 20
I'm strongly tempted, but I think that it might be the only local group meeting that I visit. I don't know how much time I'll need for writing. This is not only my first NanoWriMo, but also the first time that I am going to be writing any length of... well, anything, since my GCSEs (which were 10 years ago), so I'm very much uncertain as to how things will go.
69,313 / 50,000
Oct 17, 2009 - 03 09
I am tempted - this is my first NaNo, and it would be great to meet fellow writers in Bristol - BUT this also seems more like a social event rather than writing time, and I really want to make a strong start with word count since the month begins on Sunday, because from Monday, it's work time. So I guess I will decide closer to the time.
From those of who you have been before, do you guys ever get together for NaNo writing time?
----------Writing Blog - www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
Journaling Blog - www.journal-addict.blogspot.com
35,070 / 50,000
Oct 17, 2009 - 04 46
Alright, that sounds great! (Not that I was intending to attempt to purchase alcohol, I have the sneaky feeling that it would interrupt my word count...) As for trying to beef up word count before attending the write-in, I intend to write as much as I can from midnight onwards on November 1st! I'll try and get 1667 and then go and sleep.
----------31,881 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 00 29
During Nano our meet-ups are multi-function. We tend to chat or work as the mood takes us. It's quite often to find us tapping away on our laptops in silence. It must look like a highly unsociable social function to everyone else in the watershed, like a support group for nerds, but I reckon we kind of like the attention.
Sometimes some of us rest our fingers and chat for a bit, or share the truly appalling line we've just written, and often people stop to discuss the hilarious web page they've just been using to procrastinate, but there's almost always at least 1 person beavering away at any one time. We tend to get quite a lot of writing done. In fact last year several of us hit the 50,000 word mark whilst sat in the Watershed ignoring each other, and eating chunky chips. Chunky chips make everything easier..
In short, though: Yes we do write at the meetings, so you should be able to use the time towards your word count.
----------'An interesting character' - Russ Dallen (Bristol and Bath ML)
'Just as weird as the rest of us' - Chris 'The Skoot' Hill
31,881 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 00 33
God, it took me like 20 minutes to edit that lost post to my satisfaction. I am seriously in need of a month of writing pure-unadulterated rubbish...
Roll on November.
----------'An interesting character' - Russ Dallen (Bristol and Bath ML)
'Just as weird as the rest of us' - Chris 'The Skoot' Hill
69,313 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 06 47
During Nano our meet-ups are multi-function. We tend to chat or work as the mood takes us. It's quite often to find us tapping away on our laptops in silence. It must look like a highly unsociable social function to everyone else in the watershed, like a support group for nerds, but I reckon we kind of like the attention.
Sometimes some of us rest our fingers and chat for a bit, or share the truly appalling line we've just written, and often people stop to discuss the hilarious web page they've just been using to procrastinate, but there's almost always at least 1 person beavering away at any one time. We tend to get quite a lot of writing done. In fact last year several of us hit the 50,000 word mark whilst sat in the Watershed ignoring each other, and eating chunky chips. Chunky chips make everything easier..
In short, though: Yes we do write at the meetings, so you should be able to use the time towards your word count.
Thanks Freelancecynic. That sounds fab.
Writing Blog - www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
Journaling Blog - www.journal-addict.blogspot.com
----------Writing Blog - www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
Journaling Blog - www.journal-addict.blogspot.com
2,616 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 10 40
I am hoping to attend as well. Watershed cake is lush!
K.
----------*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´ * Kelly*