Thanks to speculator, we are booked in for our Kick-off event at Blick Shared Studios, Malone Road, Belfast, on Friday October 30th from 7pm till 9pm.
And I'm pretty damn excited about this, as we have plans for things-to-happen at the kick-off.
In fact, we have Plans with a capital P.
First up, I'll be driving up from Derry, leaving about 5pm - which means that I have car-space for up to 4 people (although that would make it a squash in the back seat) if anyone wants to come along. It wouldbe great to have as many people as possible there from all over Northern Ireland.
Drop me a NaNoMail if you're interested in a lift; I can promise that I don't bite and I do drive safely, and hopefully Larys will vouch for that.
Secondly, please do feel free to bring friends and family and supporters, even if they're not taking part in NaNoWriMo. (Maybe we can convert them.)
Thirdly, there will be games played - beneficial, writing-related ones. With prizes.
Bring a notebook and pen, and hopefully at least a vague idea of what your novel's about. There won't be any actual writing done of course, since it'll still be October. But there will be talk about plotting and probably some actual plotting.
Fourthly, we are trying to raise as much money as possible this year, both to cover our costs and to donate to NaNoWriMo. There will definitely be a raffle happening (as well as a collection pig being passed around) - if anyone has any suitable writing-related prizes they'd be happy to donate, drop me a NaNoMail. I already have some good ones, including a collection of vintage official swag, and a copy of Chris Baty's The NaNoLand Chronicles: Bedtime Stories.
PLEASE RSVP to me or Speculator or by commenting here or by RSVPing on Facebook, and let us know that you're coming. If you don't let us know at least the day before, then you probably won't get a goodie bag.
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- Northern Ireland Municipal Liaison | WriMo Ireland | NI NoWriMo Facebook & Twitter
- Moderator for the Polling Booth
22,214 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 14 34
[i]Friday October 20th[/i]
But the 20th's a Tuesday! ...I think...
10,801 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 14 36
...Do you mean the 30th? O.o Because the 20th is a tuesday...
I would totally be interested in coming, but I'd need more than a day's notice to convince someone in my family to drive me to Belfast late in the evening, so I really do hope you mean the 30th. XD
----------35,184 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 14 36
Well spotted - I meant 30th, of course (and have edited it accordingly) - I was just so excited that I was typing too fast!
----------(At least that's my excuse. I failed to spot it when I proof-read, too.)
- Northern Ireland Municipal Liaison | WriMo Ireland | NI NoWriMo Facebook & Twitter
- Moderator for the Polling Booth
35,184 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 14 39
See above, JayElleBee. :)
And if you can make it to and from Derry, then I could give you a lift - although you're very welcome to bring family with you to the kick-off (and all parties).
----------- Northern Ireland Municipal Liaison | WriMo Ireland | NI NoWriMo Facebook & Twitter
- Moderator for the Polling Booth
10,801 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 14 43
I'd take you up on the offer, but imagine the most neurotic person you can, then times that by ten and you have my mother. If I suggested to her that I got a lift from someone I didn't know to Belfast, she'd immediately go into YOU'REGOINGTOBEMURDEREDTODEATH mode, and it isn't a pretty sight. Thanks anyway though. :D
(Plus, I'm debilitatingly shy, so being in a car with strange people for however long it takes to get from Derry to Belfast would probably cause me to start hyperventilating or something. D:)
----------35,184 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 14 54
I can completely understand that, JayElleBee. On both counts. :) Still, would be great to see you there - and if not there, then at Derry write-ins.
[On the OHMYGODMURDER thing, a friend of mine came to stay this summer. She and I had known each other online for 11 years, but never met. To people's (valid) concerns, she pointed out that if I had managed to maintain the same persona convincingly for 11 years, then I deserved to be able to axe-murder her. I didn't do it, of course. I don't even own an axe.]
----------- Northern Ireland Municipal Liaison | WriMo Ireland | NI NoWriMo Facebook & Twitter
- Moderator for the Polling Booth
35,184 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2009 - 10 49
For anyone coming in by bus, the 8B and 8C (but not the 8A) Metro buses go past Blick Studios. Either get off at the Botanic Inn stop and walk up, or the next one and walk back. They're pretty frequent even in the evenings.
----------- Northern Ireland Municipal Liaison | WriMo Ireland | NI NoWriMo Facebook & Twitter
- Moderator for the Polling Booth
44,160 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2009 - 14 56
Just wondering, have many people RSVPed? I don't live in Belfast so it would be a bit pants to pay bus fares and find I'm the only one to show up. ;)
Edit: I'll dip into the Halloween candy bucket if that tempts anyone. ;)
----------Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane.
- Philip K. Dick
35,184 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2009 - 14 58
We're up to 5 people RSVPed on Facebook, plus at least another 2 I know are coming, plus some maybes... Looks like we might get a reasonable turnout!
(But yeah, I have a permanent fear of nobody showing up but me to events, and it has been known to happen. At least in November I just use it as an excuse to do some writing.)
The Pumpkin of Sugary Doom is prepped and ready, and as I said earlier in the chat room, lurking in my study like a dentist's worst nightmare.
----------- Northern Ireland Municipal Liaison | WriMo Ireland | NI NoWriMo Facebook & Twitter
- Moderator for the Polling Booth
44,160 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2009 - 15 08
Well, you only live once! I'll come for a laugh, but I'll leave the candy behind. This pumpkin sounds very ominous, yet compelling...
Maybe bring some antacid for the inevitable dodgy tummies. ;)
----------Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane.
- Philip K. Dick
10,097 / 50,000
Oct 26, 2009 - 14 19
Aaargh, I'm in Dublin that day, and will be back too late :(
I'll miss the pumpkin of doom!
But I shall meet you all at the write-ins...
----------What do you mean, this is just wool? Are you sure? Do you really know what's in your knitting bag?
35,184 / 50,000
Oct 29, 2009 - 09 01
Kick-off is tomorrow and we've had lots of RSVPs on Facebook and otherwise.
Please do RSVP to make sure you get a goodie bag.
Feel free to bring friends and family and supporters along - we've got plenty of room (and crisps and biscuits).
----------- Northern Ireland Municipal Liaison | WriMo Ireland | NI NoWriMo Facebook & Twitter
- Moderator for the Polling Booth
40,000 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 12 19
I was ready to leave my house when an emergency cropped up and I couldn't make the kick-off after all.
I hope that everybody had fun and I should be able to make one or two Monday nights over the month as I will need that incentive to keep me motivated.
----------My LJ is here: http://wardrobewitch.livejournal.com/profile
Just keep writing, just keep writing, just keep writing, just keep writing, just keep writing
35,184 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 16 24
Guys, thanks to everyone who came to the kick-off this evening. Hope you enjoyed it and had fun/found it useful/overdosed on sweets.
(Shame you couldn't make it, wardrobewitch; hope everything's ok now.)
We played the Genre Quiz, Pimped Our Plots, sealed away our Inner Editors, held a raffle with bookish prizes (thanks Joanna for your donation), and prepared Plot Prompts. And ate too many sweets from the Pumpkin of Sugary Doom and his minions.
(Joanna! You left your Pimp My Plot sheet behind. I can save it for you, or transcribe the suggestions (if you want them).)
----------- Northern Ireland Municipal Liaison | WriMo Ireland | NI NoWriMo Facebook & Twitter
- Moderator for the Polling Booth
44,160 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 11 30
If you're going to be at the Belfast write-ins then just hang on to it. If not, then a transcription would be lovely (but not at the expense of your novel writing!).
Sorry to rush off early, I have no trust for Translink, especially when it's the last train. I made it alright, no thanks to Metro. :P At least I got a nice good walk. ;)
----------Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane.
- Philip K. Dick