Kick-off Redux - a whole lotta info

Ok, so I did promise to do a post about the kick-off so that those that couldn't come, would know what's going on. And though the world seems to be conspiring against me with interruptions every time I log on, I am determined to persevere!

Summary

• Write-ins & Socials
• New for NaNoWriMo 2009
• Word War vs. New Zealand
• Wrimolympics
• Goodie bags & Hipster PDA's
• TGIO-Thank God It's Over

This year is already looking like it is going to be a fantastic year for NaNoWriMo and particularly in Vancouver. We had a great turnout at the Old Spaghetti Factory with about 70 people in attendance. If you want to check out some of the pictures of the event, just head on over to our Flickr photo pool.

Now, what to expect from NaNoWriMo 2009?

First of all, we have a bunch of events planned this year. Here's a brief run-down of what's going on . . .

Write-ins & Socials

• Thanks to a partnership with the Vancouver Public Library we are able to host write-ins at the Central Library Branch. These happen every Thursday evening from 6:30-8:30 pm and are hosted by MysteriousAges. Check the calendar or website for the details.
• Each week will also have another official write-in with a floating location. We asked for suggestions from our participants on locations where they would like a write-in held and so we'll be holding the write-in at a different spot each time. For details on where it will be, check the forum thread (linked above), the calendar (see regional header), or the map on the bottom of the events page of our website.
• Many of our members are also planning their own write-ins so there is something happening almost every day of the week. It is not to late to plan your own, or check out the calendar to see what's already on the schedule. If you want to host a write-in and need it added to the calendar, just pop over to the ANNOUNCING WRITE-INS thread and let us know the details!
• Of course, we wouldn't dream of stopping the tradition of our Sunday Social gathering at the Blenz by Pacific Centre! This is the place to come and chat Sundays starting at 1:00pm
• Returning from last year, we also have our chat room. It's IRC, but don't let those scary mysterious letters intimidate you. It's really quite easy to use. So if you're up for some online chatter and robot run word wars, come by and check out the chat room!

New This Year
We're trying out a bunch of new stuff this year so we'd really love to hear your feedback on any/all of it to let us know how it's affecting your NaNoWriMo experience.

• Transit Write-In For the first time ever in Vancouver, we are going to have a write-in that travels at speeds of up to 90km/hour! That's right, we're taking it to transit on Saturday, November 21st. Bring your laptop or pen and paper and join us for a few hours of writing on the move. The event will go for as long as batteries and bladders will last. and a link to thread for details and RSVP
• Twitter Mostly because of Jenn's love of shiny things, we started a twitter account to try to reach more people, and give us a different way to interact. If you tweet, feel free to follow us at twitter/vancowrimo
• Website We also decided to go ahead and put up a simple website. We thought it would be a handy place to put information about events and such, on the off chance that the NaNoWriMo servers couldn't handle the load this year. So far, it looks like they are doing remarkably well, but if they do slow down or you just need an alternate place to find event info, be sure to check it out --> www.vancowrimo.ca
• Flickr pool As mentioned above, we've also started an online Flickr pool where people can upload their pictures from events. It's already starting to fill up :)

Word War vs. New Zealand
This year we've decided to have another word war and we're taking on an entire country! The war is already underway and you can see more details in the Regional Word War thread. If you aren't on the team, please feel free to give support and encouragement to our team members (or pop over to the New Zealand forums and let them know that we're not afraid of them!)

Wrimolympics
In honour of the 2010 Olympics being held just a few months away in Vancouver, we thought that it would be fun to hold some Wrimolympics for those participating in NaNoWriMo. So, if you attended the kick-off party, your name-tag also doubles as your 'event pass.' The idea is to complete as many of the Wrimolympic events as possible in order to win a Wrimolympic award! We have some awards that you may be eligible for just by attending one of the Official write-ins or Sunday socials. Some of the other challenges involve feats of writerly bravery and daring! If you want to try to participate, but didn't come to kick-off, you can always print out the list linked above and start bringing it with you to get us to check them off.

Goodie Bags & Hipster PDAs
One of the things included in our Goodie Bags that kick-off attendees received was a 'Hipster PDA.' For those unfamiliar with the term, it's basically a collection of index cards with helpful advice and worksheets printed out on them, specifically for NaNoWriMo. Jenn still has a few assembled ones that haven't been claimed left, so bug her if you want one. If you ask very nicely, we may just make the source file available for download.

TGIO Party
What? You want ANOTHER party? We can totally do that. Because of the high turnout at kick-off and the fact that the 1st of December is a Tuesday, we thought we might split it up into 2 events, one mid-week and one on the weekend following. That's pretty much all the details we have right now, but if you're keen to help us plan or have a great location in mind, feel free to send us a message!

Ok that's it. If you're reading this, thanks for sticking with me this long! If I missed something or you'd like more clarification, etc. Feel free to reply here, send a PM, start another topic, tweet, . . . you get the idea!
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I'm only happy when I'm plotting!