Hey, guys! Life's gotten in the way so I'm a little late in the game this year, but I am ready and rearing to go!
My name's Delia, and I'll be your ML this year. Unfortunately, I'll be leaving for New Zealand in the summer, so if anyone else wants to step up and take the neon shirt next year -- for those who remember the horror of the neon shirt -- go for it.
Our numbers are small, but I see lots of new faces (er... usernames). And hey, if we've only got 25 people this year, that means More Swag For Everyone. I always ask for the 50-pack so that means double the stuff, plus the extras from last year. Does anyone remember the temporary tattoos? Aaaw, so many memories, guys! I'm gonna miss you!
Newbie Vocab Quiz!
Last Sentence Game, The - n. At the end of Mini Word Wars, the group will read aloud their last sentences, or favorite sentence, if you are not comfortable saying inappropriate things in public.
ML or Municipal Liaison - n. A regional figurehead who plans meetings and dishes out official NaNoWriMo swag and candy.
Word Wars, Mini - n. Periods of ten minutes to an hour in which participants write as much as they can in the designated time. At the end of the war, you stop, even in the middle of a sentence.
Word Wars, Regional - n. Battles between two or more competing regions of similar size or skill,
Write-Ins - n. Scheduled or spontaneous events outside of participants' homes in which multiple writers get together to brainstorm, eat candy, and write.
Regional Word War!
Bambier, the ML of Cedar Rapids, pitched an idea to me the other day. We haven't had a regional word war, not since I've been around, and I think we should battle Cedar Rapids. They've got a few handfuls more Wrimos than we do, but we're in the City Of Literature, so I think we're prepared to do some serious butt-kicking.
Introducing Coralville
I remember seeing a few Coralvillians (Coralvillites? Coralvillains? !!! Is that a great baseball team name or what?) in previous years. Do we have any this time around? I spend a lot of time working up there, so I was thinking about having a weekly write-in at the Coralville library's coffeeshop. Would there be any interest in that? I'm shooting for Tuesday nights around 6ish or Thursday afternoons. Coralville: Y/N?
Iowa City Write-Ins
Tentative weekly write-ins: Fridays at 7 or Sundays at 5, at T-Spoons on Market or The Haunted Bookshop. Which works best for you guys?
Midnight Kick-Off
What are your thoughts on a Getting Started kick-off at midnight on the 1st? I know it's a Saturday which means it's a game night which means lots of drunk people around, but I'm hoping they aren't at the coffeeshops. And just think of all the novel fodder you can acquire on the trek through hoardes of alcoholics!
I know there were other exciting things but I have been working on this post for a good three hours (woooooork, boooooo) and there are abandoned children in the library so I've completely forgotten.
Delia!
[It took me an embarrassingly long time to find the Edit button, guys. Anyway, I saw a lot of talk about a pre-November meetup (I knew I forgot something). I think that's really cool, but I'm not sure I'll be around enough to be there myself. But don't let my lack of participation stop you! I can still supply candy and swag at other times (noticing a candy trend yet?).]
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33,104 / 50,000
Oct 17, 2009 - 16 41
Yay! Hello!
A: Midnight Kick Off - I would love this. I would -definitely- attend. Wherever. I suppose the when is pretty pre-determined but in theory I'll be working days, in the morning, and not on the weekends, so I should be wide open which I'm very excited about.
B: Coralville - I'm in for Coralville write-ins. I live in Iowa City but am in Coralville often because I spend a lot of time with my Coralvillain (this is win) Grandfolks. There is also a very nice coffee shop called Terrapin not far from their house, lots of plugs and tables (I'm a fan of plugs. And tables).
C: Iowa City write in locations - I live within walking distance of all that stuff, so I have no opinion whatsoever. I've only been in the Haunted Bookshop once or twice and only for books; I assume if it's in the running it has seating? Do they serve coffee things there? I like coffee >.>.. a lot <.<...
D: Can't wait to get rolling! And meet everybody! How far in advance do people want to do a pre-November hang out? I, again, have little to no opinion here because my evenings are pretty wide open so I can do whatever works for folks.
31,419 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 20 00
I vote for T-Spoons for the write-ins. If I'm in the Haunted Bookshop, I'll never get anything done, I'll talk to people. Or the cats. I love their kitties. Besides, T-Spoons has a fireplace. I think I vote for Fridays.
As for a midnight kick-off, I would love to, but I'm throwing a Halloween party that night, and can't possibly get away, and I'll need the next day to catch up on homework, too, I think. (Grad school puts such a crimp in my social life!)
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Oct 20, 2009 - 07 50
I live in Coralville, and am acually free on Thursday afternoons, so I am all for it. Plus I'm a volunteer and Coralville (have been since 2006) and I can definely say they are very cool there.
After living with me as long as I have, I've learned that I am NOT a nighttime person. A midnight kickoff is out for me, I'm afraid. But I'll be thinking of those of you who are night-owl enough to do it!
----------I reject your reality and substitute my own!
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Oct 20, 2009 - 15 15
I'm literally bouncing around in my seat in my excitement. My roommate has fled. I should feel bad, but I'm too excited :-D :-D!!!!!!
Okay, so I would LOVE a midnight kickoff party, I would totally be there!!! I will definitley come to the Iowa City write-ins as well, since I live on campus (I vote Sundays at 5 at the Haunted Bookshop, because i love the kittycats). I'll try to make it to the Coralville write-ins, but I am a sadly car-less college student, so this may not be possible everytime. I'm also completely new to Iowa City, so I won't know anyone, but that's never stopped me before :-D. I reeeeeeeaaaaaaaaalllllllyyyyyy look forward to meeting everyone!!!!!!!!
xx bookworm557 xx
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Oct 22, 2009 - 12 05
Hey, I'm really excited about starting this year's NaNoWriMo!! I have never been to any of the write-ins or anything like that in previous years, but I'm really open to coming this year. My vote for the write-ins would be probably at T-Spoons, but I'm pretty open to whatever. Coralville write-ins would be out for me, as I would have no way to get there.
I can't wait to get started!
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Oct 27, 2009 - 14 29
Hi, I'm new to this site and everything. I've never been to a write-in, but the Coralville one on Tuesday nights sounds good. The Sunday evening Iowa City meeting sounds good too, since I am in walking distance to most of those places.
38,457 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2009 - 15 20
Hi, I'm new too! I considered doing this last year, but didn't have the guts..but this year...bring it on! Midnight kick off party sounds great! I'm getting so excited!
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Oct 27, 2009 - 16 17
I'm extremely excited for this, mostly because somehow I have never heard about it before. I'm thrilled to try it out this year! The write ins sound like a fun time too! T-Spoons works for me, but Coralville might be a bit tricky because I don't have a car.
31,419 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 10 22
Anybody interested in meeting up at T-Spoons on Sunday (the 1st) to bang out that critical early wordcount? I know it's not an official write-in, but I think I'm going to camp there in the afternoon after cleaning up from our Halloween party so I can get some writing done. I can't make the midnight kick-off thanks to said party, but if anybody else is in the mood, I'll be there around 3:30, I think.
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Oct 30, 2009 - 12 27
I might be there winterbloom, depending on how I feel the day after the kick off party. Right now I'm in the process of trying to kick the flu's ass, so things are up in the air for me.
----------Every stink that fights the ventilator thinks it's Don Quixote
-Stanislaw Jerszy Lec
http://friendlyhobo.livejournal.com
33,104 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 15 49
Hobo: Get better. O.O
Winter: I'd love to meet you there.
17,887 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 19 52
I was definitely planning on having a write-in on Sunday! I'm still trying to get my Google Calendar to sync up with the NaNo site (it thinks I set something at midnight on Wednesdays, and I don't see anything about it on my own calendar). I have to work until 5, so I'll probably be around at 5:15 or so.
0 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 00 04
Why did no-one mention Prairie Lights as a possible venue?
(However, I must say, I'd be very compelled to spend me money there.)
31,419 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 08 08
Sweet, so we'll see you there, Delia! That is, if the Halloween decorations I'm trying to take down don't eat me first, bloody spiderwebs...
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Nov 1, 2009 - 11 36
I don't really shop there, so I'm not sure if Prairie Lights has enough outlets for us (we learned last night that two is not enough) and they a lot of in-store events that I don't know the schedule for, and I don't want to interrupt their regularly scheduled programs.
7,964 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 13 41
Please try a Coralville write-in again. I'm new to NanoWrimo and have only just today discovered this regional board-- I din't even know about the local write-ins. While Tuesday and Thursday evenings will not work for me, sadly, due to Kirkwood classes in CR from 5-9, I'm open to Friday or Saturday or even Monday nights (although I have a hard time being motivated to do anything on Monday nights).
And I agree, I the library coffeeshop is quite nice as a venue.
For those of you in IC, the CV library has the added benefit of being right on the CV bus line (with the blue buses), which runs to the Old Capitol in IC and TRANSFERS to the IC buses. So if you already ride the IC buses, you can just tell them you need a transfer. If not, you can ride out for a mere 75 cents on either the 10th street or Lantern Park routes. You do have a bit of a walk around the corner to the entrance, though, since they're doing construction there for the next 6 months or so.