USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

Write Ins: Barnes and Nobles, every Saturday at 4pm

nekko_rikku — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:40:09 +0000

Trying for some organization.

Try to post here if you're coming the day before or day of the write in!

Meeting place: The sitting area in the back. (I don't know a better way to describe the area)

Bring: Laptops or notebooks!

Feel free to bring candy (lol) and money if you want to go eat out after the meeting.

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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

Wrap up wine and cheese social

zendog3 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:37:28 +0000

Wrap up get-together

I am hereby volunteering to host a post NaNo 2009 wine and cheese social and reading at my house on Saturday, December 5, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

This is what I offer:

I have a nice big house in the forest overlooking a pond. I have plenty of parking. If the weather is nice, you can pet the goats, feed the horses and walk in the forest. Bring your SO and mature children. I am a hobby wine maker and would offer my wines -- which vary from OK to pretty good. I would also offer a cracker assortment and maybe a surprise or two. If anyone has gone completely mad, I have a wireless DSL internet connection in my house. You could bring your own wine (should you not trust my rhubarb supreme, dry pear or Indiana Vidal Blonc) and a favorite cheese. Every NaNoWriMo participant would be invited to describe his or her novel and read a brief representative sample.

There is only one problem... My place is in the woods about 5 miles north of Martinsville. It is a lovely place but if the drive is too far for some of you, my feelings will not be hurt if you decline my offer in favor of a more centrally located place.
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I would rather risk failure than achieve it without risk.

USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

I've figured out the secret! for me at least

rebel09 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:00:28 +0000

So I have been really really behind on my wordcount. Like embarrassing bad. As in, if I go look at the wordcount widgets, the one that shows how you did every single day, every day is coloured red. however, today I figured out the secret. It came to me last night while i was doing some hw, so i couldn't try it then, but I've been doing it all day. I saw on Twitter that Chris would be organising some writing sprints for anyone that wanted to join. It's basically a gaint word war. First off, if you're not on twitter, I would recommend getting on just for nano. So what i do is set a timer on my computer for 15 minutes (Chris was doing 40 last night, but Sara is doing 15 tonight as well) and then I close all other apps on my computer and just write for 15 minutes. Even if i get IMs or emails or text messages during that time, I ignore them until the timer goes off. Each time i've done this i've gotten 500 words or more written, and I've already done 4 today! Talk about a great way to catch up on word counts. Its great because it gives you the freedom to do other things, but you just focus on writing for short periods of time, and then can go back to what you are doing. I even saw Sara announce one on the NaNoWriMo twitter feed while i was in the middle of doing homework and dropped my books and typed for 15 minutes. Added an extra 540 words to the count!

Just wanted to share that with you guys. Happy novelling.

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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

MCPL write-in, Wednesday and Thursday this week?

Marie Deer — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:27:02 +0000

dear people, I want to go write at the library and get a lot of words written on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. (I'll try to be there by 1:30 tomorrow afternoon and if possible, by 1:00 on Thursday.)

I'll bring a sign. I'll either be in the big tables at the back upstairs (if you come in from the parking lot, go basically straight back on the lefthand side) OR over by the graphic novel section.

Come meet me there?! Help me stick to it?!

Thanks!

- Marie
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

anyone else out there feeling the strain?

helixfaten — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:18:03 +0000

cuz, novel-writing or not, life can be a bitch. This has been my most stressful November ever--meeting deadlines, going through financial strain, submitting paper proposals, prepping for recording sessions, applications, dealing with an illness with a close family friend, et cetera and so forth.

Anyone out there feeling the burn? I can give free Internet hugs :(
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boo.

USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

Tuesday the 17--Instead of Wells?

A. Nony Mous — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:36:58 +0000

I got an email from Labrynth Literary Magazine, and there's going to be an open mike night on Tuesday the 17th at 8 at the IMU Starbucks. Shout it out, people, do you want to go there or stick with Wells?
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2006--Blackwing (pitiful, wimpy attempt)
2007--Blackwing--finished at 43K
2008--The Search for ArdRi--winner! and still not finished
2009--The Abolitionist

USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

50K and a second Nano!

nekko_rikku — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:25:09 +0000

Okay call me crazy, but I finished my first novel, so with half the month left, I decided not to waste it. I'm going to start a new novel. It's going great, I think.

It's a love/hate type story with lots of conflict between the two main male characters. I got the inspiration from some friends.

"The Golden Side of the Moon" (Title is in recognition to my friends, Gold, Lunar and Lupin! Anyone get it?)

---

High school, some saw it as a right of passage before growing up, Miles only saw it as pure Hell. Miles wasn't a normal high school student by far. He wasn't a jock, and he wasn't a dork, he was just Miles. He fit in not one group, so where did he end up? The misfits, the odd ones out. That's where. The group of people nobody looked at twice. Usually, they got shoved around, though not totally bullied. No, just shoved out of the way when someone felt it was too much of a bother to step around them.

Miles hated school. He hated everyone, because they were so stupid. He preferred the solitude of silence; of course he wasn't allowed this. Of course not.

“Miles, Miles, Miles!” Eliza yelled. “Drama, drama, drama! Come on!” The blue haired, overweight girl grabbed Miles's hand, despite the look of anger in his eyes and dragged him down the hallways. She barked for everyone to move it or lose it, grinning in satisfaction when they did. Nobody messed with Eliza. She could rip their head off if she wanted to.

“I hate drama club,” Miles told the girl with a sigh. “Can't you get one of the losers to do it?”

“You are a loser, loser,” Eliza taunted, though she wasn't exactly being mean. That was just how they were with each other. In truth, Eliza was probably the only person Miles could almost stand at the school. He had known her since diapers.

“Very funny,” Miles snorted. He wasn't amused. He tugged his hand away from Eliza and glared. “I can walk without being lead, thank you very much.”

“Geeze, all right, little miss sunshine,” Eliza muttered. When they arrived to the theater room, she looked through the windows in the door. She smirked when she saw Ms. Sans trying, but failing to get the younger students to take the play seriously. Romeo and Juliet done the Shakespeare way... Now that wasn't going over too well with the boys or the girls who had wanted on stage roles this year. The girls had to be content with working backstage. Ms. Sans was just so dedicated to the real art of the theater. Eliza rolled her eyes. Miles really would kill her for making him sign up... Well she actually signed him up herself.

“Get in here,” Ms. Sans growled. It was obvious she was having enough of the guys complaining about dressing and acting like girls. Not only that, they were all refusing to play Juliet. The kissing scene, of course.

Ms. Sans eyes landed on Miles. She perked up almost at once. “You! Name, age? Hurry up boy, we haven't got all day.”

Eliza chuckled when Miles sent her a death glare.

“Miles,” he said reluctantly. “Eighteen.” This was his last year, thank God. Well if he believed in God, which he didn't.

Ms. Sans waltzed over to Miles, making the teenager cringe when she started to touch his face, his arms, his hair! “You are perfect. Oh my goodness, pure perfection. The hair, the eyes, oh the skin... Do you model? You should model.”

“Oh Hell no, stop touching me lady,” Miles said, getting a decent jab in the ribs from Eliza, who hissed at him to shut up.

“Oh and the spirit!” Ms. Sans gushed. “Perfect for my personal vision of Lady Juliet!”

Miles's face turned pale, and then it went so red, Eliza was sure he would stop breathing. The guys started to snicker, relief in their eyes that none of them were going to be Juliet. Poor Miles, but who cared? They were safe!

“No fucking way,” Miles said. He looked at Eliza. “No fucking way Liza. I'm so out of here. This is fucking fucked up.”

(OOOh what's in store for Miles? Who is totally not girly at all, so yeah, this will be odd for the poor guy... but what about the guy who plays Romeo? Awkward! )
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

Global Village-ers!

A. Nony Mous — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:18:45 +0000

If you know what the Global Village is and live there, this post is for you. If you're clueless, don't worry; go surf the dare posts or something, because it won't matter.

Turns out we in the GV have an amazing 6-10 novelists! I'm absolutely amazed and delighted.

We had a write-in with pizza Saturday the 7th at 9 pm, with about 5 people attending. We liked it, so we're planning to have another the night of the 22nd and an end-of-November party the first Saturday in December. I've been informed there's a game on the 22nd, so times may be up in the air a bit. If you don't hear otherwise, it's at 9 pm. I'll try to get signs.

Central Council payed for pizza last time--thank your floor representatives! Sadly, the edibles seemed to be more popular with non-nanoers than nanoers, so if we want food next time--and there's no guarantee on a Saturday night--we'll have to scrounge.

If you want me to make up an email listing for this, PM me or leave your email on the door of 114.

R.S., aka A. Nony Mous
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2006--Blackwing (pitiful, wimpy attempt)
2007--Blackwing--finished at 43K
2008--The Search for ArdRi--winner! and still not finished
2009--The Abolitionist

USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

Write Ins: Wells Library, every Tuesday at 8pm

nekko_rikku — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:41:51 +0000

Let us know if you're coming~~

Never been there, so I don't know of a meeting place.

Anyone?
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

The much needed intros!

nekko_rikku — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:20:32 +0000

I thought we might put this to use. Seeing as today we had a meet up with a good sized group, but for the life of me, I can't put real names to user names. It doesn't help that I'm bad with names in the first place. So if you do plan on taking parts in group meets, maybe it's a good idea to introduce yourself so we know who the heck you are!!!

(And I stole this from another thread lol )

Preferred name/nickname: Leigha offline (Lay-ah) and (Nekko or Rikku online)

Age: 25

Previous NaNos: 2007 was my first year. My story was this fantasy gay/slash story that ended up being 50K words of NOTHING but rambling. I didn't get anywhere in that so called plot. In 2008 I tried to do nano by hand and got 3000 words before I quit. That story was about a dragon, and talking animals. My first attempt at a children story.

Recommend a book for us: Anything by Garth Nix, The Water Mirror by Kei Meyer is also a really good fantasy novel. I though it was very original.

More about yourself: I live at home with my mom and step dad (who is the devil!) and my half sister. I have a full time job at a daycare, which is 40 hours M-F, 7am to 3pm. I'm hoping this job won't interfere with Nano too much, because when I get home, I'm basically out like a light for the rest of the day.

I like reading (duh) and writing anything from fanfics to original stories. I like collecting loose leaf tea and I'm now saving up for my first BJD, as that's another of my strange hobbies! I'm kinda boring...

My stories are usually alternative style, aka the main characters are in a same sex relationship. *shifty eyes*

Preferred genres to read/write: Fantasy and modern real life. I'm really into drama/angst and romance stuff.

Your brilliant idea for this year:

I am writing a NOT vampire story. See my page for more details. But the story is going to eventually be about a NOT vampire and human romance (males)

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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

B&N, Friday the 6th at 4pm!

nekko_rikku — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:21:19 +0000

Hiya guys,

I have to do some shopping at Barnes and Nobles tomorrow after work, so I thought I would stick around after and just write for a while. Anyone is welcome to join me. Just let me know if you're coming if you see this in time!

If nobody comes then I might end up spending more money then I should, so come and talk me out of it!!!

Nekko~
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

Writing Programs for Nano

nekko_rikku — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:58:04 +0000

What writing programs do you use for Nano?

For planning/plotting I now use http://www.treepad.com/treepadfreeware/ It allows you to keep all your notes in one place.

For writing with no distractions I use http://www.baara.com/q10/ It's a very simple writing program that has no distracting spell check and lets you write in a full screen. Has the sound of a type writer.

While I am talking to people and writing online, I use openoffice, which I think is a lot better then just using word.

Another program I do use is http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter5.html a novel writing program. It might seem complicated at times, but I think it's rather great for a serious project. It allows you to keep all your chapters and scenes in one document and keeps track of your total word count.

http://www.salsbury.f2s.com/rd_download.htm This is called Rough Draft, which is a program made specially for writers. I sometimes use this to edit in.

Why I can't simplify it and use one program I don't know!

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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

1000+ word kickoff!

nekko_rikku — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:39:51 +0000

So how was your first 1000 or so words?

Go ahead, share and gloat!

2909 words written from 12-2:30. I'm at a part that has no outline and I don't know what's going to happen next! The next part of the outline I have can't happen yet!

(This isn't edited obviously)

---

It seemed like any other day, though when Eian woke up, he just knew something wasn't right. In a panic, he started to kick and scream. He was trapped. There was no light where he was. It seemed to be a small room, no, not a room, a small box that went the length of Eian's body. What was going on? Eian almost swore he couldn't breathe, because there had to be no air in such a small space. When he realized that air wasn't a problem at all, the man became confused.

What's this? He asked himself. He paused all movements. His knuckles were starting to bleed from slamming them against the box. I'm not in any pain. At least not the kind of pain I should be in. That was the truth. Even though his knuckles were completely rubbed free of all skin, and he was bleeding, Eian only felt a prin prick of pain as if someone had poked him with the tip of a pen.

Eian tried to sit up in the small amount of space he had; his head smashed right into the box above him. This did it; he started to panic again. There was no way out and even though he wasn't dying from lack of breath as he should be, he felt like he was going to any moment. He was terrified.

“He's awake,” Eian heard a small voice coming from the other side of the box.

“You take that end, I'll take this end,” another voice ordered.

Suddenly light glared into Eian's eyes. He blinked, trying to see through the brightness. Around him stood a strange group of people. Eian looked around at them, and then around at the room he was in. He glanced down at the box he had thought he was lying in, his eyes going wild when he realized the box was a coffin.

Why would somebody put him inside a coffin? Was this some kind of sick joke? Eian rubbed at his eyes. Maybe everything was a dream. It had to be. It wasn't normal to wake up in a coffin. Only Shadows did that. Eian wasn't one of those undead creatures. They were evil, weren't they?

Besides, Eian figured he'd remember if he died. How could you forget something like that? Though in the back of his mind, something awful tugged at his memory, something he couldn't remember fully, and something he probably never wanted to remember.

“Where am I?” Eian asked, finally finding his voice.

The strange group of people stared at Eian, a mixture of emotions behind their eyes. Eian mostly saw pity. The smallest of the group walked toward Eian. She had to be no more then five years old. Her smoky gray eyes were eerie. Eian shuddered when he looked into them. There was innocents there, though far too much intelligence for a child.

Eian suddenly had the biggest shock since he had woken up. He rubbed his eyes again, as if checking to see if this were a dream for the second time. He could see. Eian had been born blind. All his life he had seen with his other senses, never with his sight.

The child in front of Eian raised an eyebrow. She seemed to know what Eian had realized.

“You'll get used to it,” the girl said. “I was mute and deaf before.” She spoke as if she were years older, yet her voice was still sweet and child-like.

“I don't know what's going on,” Eian said. He looked from the little girl to the other people. “Who are you?”

“Don't be alarmed,” one of the older looking males gently told Eian in a calm voice. “We're friends. You've got to trust what I tell you. We. Are. Friends.” He put his hand over Eian's. Eian flinched at how cold his hand was, though he didn't say anything or pull away.

“I'm known as Syder,” the man continued. He had kind blue eyes. Eian had trouble not trusting him. His eyes were just so kind.

“I'm Lana,” the little girl said. She tilted her head to the side, winking at Eian.

“Lana, Syder,” Eian repeated. He looked at the rest. There was an older woman with long black and gray hair, and a young man with strawberry blond hair, and then there was a young teenager with sandy blond hair. Why had this group came to meet him?

Finally, Eian whispered in a shuddery voice, “am I dead?” That was the only thing that made any sense. He had awoken inside a coffin, he barely felt any pain when he bled, and the scariest thing, Eian didn't think he was breathing.

Lana put a small hand on Eian's shoulder. She had to stand on her tip toes so that she could do this. She was so small.

“Calm down,” Syder said.

“How can you say that?” Eian demanded. He wanted to cry, to scream, but he couldn't find the strength to react at all. He was dead, he was dead, yet he still moved. How could he have died? How could he have become a Shadow? An evil undead being the world hated. Not much was known about the undead race of humans except for their evilness. Eian didn't want to be evil.

“Leave me alone,” Eian said, shifting away from Lana and Syder's hands. He shook, his whole body seeming to spasm, as if he were having some kind of fit.

“We can't do that,” the girl with dark hair said. Her voice was wise and full of understanding.

“Cidney,” Syder addressed the woman, “he's in shock.”

Cidney frowned; Eian just glared at Syder. He wasn't in shock. He knew just what was happening; he just didn't like it.

“You're one of us now,” Lana whispered thoughtfully. “Family.”

Somehow Eian knew this was true and it terrified him.

“What happened to me?” Eian whispered. How had he died?

“That's not important,” Syder said firmly. He had no idea how this boy died anyway. “The important thing is figuring out how you're going to spend your second chance.” He reached out for Eian, offering assistance in getting him out of the coffin. Eian pulled back from Syder at first, fear clearly written in his body language, though he finally let Syder pull him out.

“I don't know. What about my family?” Eian asked. If he really was a Shadow, then his family would fear and hate him like everyone else. He was a being that nobody understood; only a small percentage of humans became a Shadow after their death. Why was he chosen? Just why was he being punished?

“You have to forget them,” Syder said as kindly as he could. His voice slightly choked. Finding a new born was never easy. There was so much they had to learn; so much they had to give up. “We're your family now.”

“You have nobody else,” the young man with strawberry blond hair said, speaking for the first time.

“Robert, don't tell him that,” Lana said, swatting at the man as if she were his mother. It was the most unusual sight Eian had ever seen... not that he had ever really seen anything before this day.

“But he doesn't,” Robert said quietly, though Eian could hear him just fine.

Everything hit Eian hard in the gut and he was finally able to cry. Syder patted him awkwardly on the back, surprised when Eian leaned against his chest, hugging him as if he were a young, frightened child; in a way he was.

---

Syder lead Eian into a large room. It was bare, except for two beds, two nightstands, and a mirror. The walls were white, and the carpet was light green. The room felt depressing.

“This will be your room,” Syder said. “You'll have a roommate, though right now, you will live alone.” He walked over to one of the beds and set down. “This house is funded by silent supporters,” Syder explained. “Believe it or not, there are some who believe we are mistreated and want to help protect us.”

Cidney walked into the room. Her long dark hair was pulled up in a grandmotherly bun. She set some clothes on top of a dresser and then turned to Eian. “We have no need to eat,” she said, “though we do have a fully stocked kitchen. Eating for pleasure is the only reason any of us eat.”

Eian barely paid attention to Cidney; he didn't care about any of that stuff. Everyone he had met so far seemed kind and decent, but what about the reports saying all Shadows were evil, blood thirsty creatures?

“Am I evil?” Eian whispered, though he was really just talking to himself.

With a sigh, Syder glanced up at the ceiling. “Shadows are the same as they were before they re born. We're just like everyone else. Some are good, some are bad. You are what you want to be, Eian. Whatever you choose. Okay?”

He felt as if he understood, but Eian didn't get something. If Shadows were just like everyone else, then why did all the reports on the news say they were evil? Why were there hunts for the undead if they weren't harming anyone?

Going over to the bed Syder was sitting on, Eian set down beside him. He sighed, before looking down at his hands. They were so pale. “Why does a person change so much when they come back?” Eian questioned.

“I don't really know, but I do know that when a Shadow comes back, they are whole. You were blind, now you see, the same with Lana; she was deaf and mute, and as you've noticed, she doesn't ever stop talking now.”

“Angel, the dark haired teenager,” Cidney started, “he had a very destructive personality before he became a Shadow, and now he's a very cheerful, well manured guy.”

“Everyone changes in other ways,” Syder explained. “You might notice something later on about yourself. I think our abilities are one of the biggest reasons the leaders of this world spew such lies about us. They're scared we're more powerful then them.”

“Abilities?” Eian blinked. There wasn't anything in the news about Shadows having super powers. “What can you do, Syder?”

“I can see,” Syder said mysteriously. Eian gave him a blank look. “To be more clear, I see, I know when someone is going to wake up. That is why we were there waiting for you, Eian. I knew you were waking. Sometimes I even see when someone dies, though I know nothing about your death.”

Cidney frowned, silently leaving the room, though nobody noticed her.

“This feels like some messed up fairy tale,” Eian groaned. “Honestly, I might have super powers, I'm dead and the world hates me.”

Syder patted Eian on the head, “we don't like calling them super powers; nobody can fly or walk through walls. Things get easier, I promise. The hardest thing I guess is learning to cope with keeping to our kind only. Every day, it seems as if new hunters are let loose on the street.”

“Oh great, now I have to fear for my life, excuse me, my un-life.” Eian crossed his arms. He was clearly sulking. Syder just gave him an amused look. Eian was taking to this better then others at least.

“Come on, get comfortable, Cidney and I will bring you the things you will need.” Syder stood up and left Eian alone with just his tormented thoughts.

Walking over to his window, Eian looked out. When the others had brought him to this place it had been dark. He had no idea where he was, nor what this house looked like. He felt shocked when he saw how big the yard was; the property was well hidden behind a forest of trees. That made him feel safe at least. Eian opened the window, trying to lean out to see what the building looked like.

“This isn't a house, it's a fortress,” Eian said in awe. From what he could see, the so called house was larger then four houses put together. There was window after window on the side Eian was looking at. “I live in a mansion?”

“You have no idea how big this place really is.”

Eian turned around to see Angel. He never spoke to him before. “How can we afford a place like this if we're not even supposed to exist?” Eian asked.

“I'm sure Syder told you, by silent supporters, mostly very, very rich folks who've been around long enough to know a thing or two.” Angel set down on Eian's bed. “At first when Cidney founded a safe haven for Shadows, she only had an abandoned building to use. How we went from that to this, I have no idea.”

“So she's really old?” Eian asked.

“Depends on what you mean by old. She is the oldest Shadow, at least local to this region. She's been one for twenty years.” Angel glanced over at Eian, watching as the other's eyes widened. It was no wonder that Eian was surprised.

“She seems very wise,” Eian said, because he had no idea what else to say. He felt awkward around everyone.

“She was not yet 40 when she died,” Angel said as he stood up. “You'll learn as you go. Cidney is the founder of this safe haven, though Syder now leads us by a group vote, including Cidney's vote.”

“Oh,” was all that Eian said. Angel got up, patted Eian on the head, and then he left him alone once again. With a sigh, Eian went back to the window. How was he supposed to survive? He had to live in secret, and when he thought about it, he wasn't really living at all. Not like his parents were, not like his siblings.

He placed a hand over his heart, a frown coming to his face when he felt nothing. Was his heart even inside his chest anymore? He had awoke inside a coffin, did that mean his organs had already been taken? But he had bled, right? How could a dead creature bleed? Nothing made any sense. He had no reason to breathe, yet he still made the motion to sigh; he still cried, his chest heaving in and out as if he was going to loose his breath. But he didn't.

Can a human really tell the difference between them and a Shadow? Eian wondered. He held up his hands to the light, taking in the pale appearance. He looked like a ghost. What did the rest of him look like? He had no idea.

It was with that thought in mind that Eian walk over to the mirror. He braced himself for the worst, before he looked at his reflection. He only saw a frightened face of a stranger boy looking back at him. His face was ghostly pale, and his eyes wide and haunted. They were still green, though now they were very pale green and red rimmed.

Come to think of it, everyone was pale, with red rimmed eyes. That had to be what marked someone as a Shadow.

What about these abilities though? Eian focused, trying to make something happen. Of course nothing did and he just felt stupid. Maybe he would be someone who had no ability at all. What a waste. To come back and have to face all this and be unable to do anything amazing.

“I should at least be able to move things with my mind,” Eian grumbled, “or make things shatter.”

I could if I threw the mirror, Eian morbidly thought, though he stifled that thought. He might have been frustrated with his new situation, but he wasn't going to destroy the place. It would have felt nice to break things though...

“What will my family think when they realize I dissapeared from my coffin,” Eian mumbled to himself. He knew it wasn't a good thing to talk to himself so much, but he just didn't feel comfortable venturing out into the rest of the house. The others still creeped him out, especially the little girl. He wondered what Lana's story was.

How long had the child been a Shadow? How old was she? Her wise personality was unsettling.

Eian shuddered.

Maybe that in itself was her ability.

“I'm going to go crazy if I try and analyze everyone I've met so far,” Eian said, scolding himself. He walked to his door, glancing out. The hallway was clear thankfully. Eian wasn't ready to meet anyone quite yet, though he was tired of being cooped up in a room all alone. Strange way of thinking.

Eian walked softly through the hallways, trying to find the way outside, though he had no idea where he was going. The house really was huge. It felt like he was going in circles, though finally he saw light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

2009 NaNo Excel Scorecard

kumarei — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:42:08 +0000

I updated the Excel NaNo spreadsheet for 2009. It can be found at http://indenturedmind.com/nano/nanowrimo-report-card2009.xls.

If you fill in the yellow columns, the spreadsheet will automatically track how you're doing. It has graphs to track your progress and morale through the month. It also tells you how many words you need to write per day in order to finish. I found it really useful last year, so I thought I'd post it so that other people could use it.
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

Daytime write in, MCPL, now (unless I can't edit the title later, in which case ...)

Lucimama — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:51:42 +0000

See, I'm padding my word count even in the title of this post?! I'm not an old-timer for nothing, I tell you.

Anyway, I'm at the library now (9:50 a.m. Tuesday 11/3) and if anybody cares to join me for a writing-intense sprint, you're welcome to. Maybe later we'll catch a cuppa coffee across the street and actually chat a bit to make up for being anti-social as we write.

I'm in a comfy chair overlooking the Kirkwood entry, wearing a red long-sleeved t-shirt that says "Trust your Instincts." There are several comfy chairs still available, some at tables nearby if you prefer a table over your lap.
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

This Beautiful World

Cougati — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:36:28 +0000

Decided to post my novel up here too. Feel free to comment, flame, laugh...enjoy. All those good things.

Warning - will contain:

Cursing, bad puns, worse sarcasm, ooc moments, bad spelling, nonsensical humor, cheesiness, cliches, and a lot of fun at characters' expense.

It's a little silly. I'll just post it Chapter by Chapter as I finish them.

Summary: Eleanor has Dissociative Fugue. Thanks to the actions of one Border Patrol (a shadowy group aiming to control traffic between worlds) she finds out that during her amnesiac moments, she has actually been traveling between worlds and stirring up a whole lot of trouble! She manages to escape the Border Patrol once, but how do you hide from people who know everything about you? (what the heck did I just type? This was supposed to be serious!)

To read this takes a certain grain of salt. Her thoughts (not in quotes) are supposed to be in italics, to make it easier to distinguish them, but italics aren't an option here, so I'm sorry...

~~~
Chapter 1: Eleanor Murray

“Ah. So our guest has finally woken up. You have caused us quite a bit of trouble, Eleanor Murray. Or should I call you Irina? Or Lilka?”

Where am I? Is this an interrogation room? God, it looks like the set up from a bad black and white movie! What the hell is he even talking about?

“Who…who are you people? What do you want with me?”

“That’s cute. This is an interrogation. You aren’t the one asking questions here. But…I think I’ll humor you on this one. We are something like a Border Patrol. We try to keep all of the worlds separated and ignorant, to prevent wars and the loss of cultures.”

Wonderful. I’ve definitely been kidnapped. And not even just kidnapped. Kidnapped by a bunch of nut jobs posing as a government authority. I guess that kid that showed up last week must have been in line with them. A scout or something…

“We do a pretty good job of keeping interworldly traffic to a minimum. Every once in a while, someone who has the ability to travel between worlds is discovered, and hired. But somehow, you slipped under our radar.”

On one hand, keeping him talking gives me more time to untie this rope and maybe escape. On the other hand, I’d rather avoid stereotypical villain-esque monologues and just have him get to the point.

“Yeah, ok. But that doesn’t explain why I’m tied to a chair listening to you ramble.”

“And you have a lot of balls for someone tied to a chair and at our mercy. But playing innocent with us is pointless. We’ve been watching you, and know what you’ve been up too.”

Oh, now that’s just creepy. What a wonderful time to find out that I have a stalker, isn’t it?

“We know about your little forays into the other worlds, and of course, all the trouble you’ve caused in them. It took us a while to connect the dots, and even longer to find you, but now that we have, it’s only a matter of cleaning up the mess. However, it was decided that before we kill you, we wanted to hear why you had done these things.”

They’re going to kill me!? God, what a morning. Okay, think Ellie, how are you going to get yourself out of this one? I don’t have anything to tell these weirdos. I’ve never been to any other worlds, supposing that they do exist. The ropes tied to tightly for me to work it loose and I can’t reach my cell phone. I really am stuck in a bad movie, aren’t I? The start off to some Detective Flick. Right? No, Ellie. Trying to deny this is not going to make it go away. Just gotta stall them. Keep them talking for as long as possible. Tell stories. Like…the Arabian Nights or something. If I make it out alive I will have a new appreciation for that book.

“Well, I’d love to help you ‘clean up the mess’ but I really don’t know anything at all. I don’t know anything about these other worlds, or going to them…unless I’m doing it in my sleep.”

“Yeah, sure you don’t. We have very nice reports from each of the worlds you’ve been too. There is no chance that the person on them was anyone other than you, even though you were at least smart enough to use a different name on all of them. That’s actually pretty impressive for a five year old.”

Five! But when I was five…wasn’t that when…?

“When I was five I was kidnapped for a month. At least that’s what we assumed, because when I was returned home, I had no memories of what happened.”

“Sure. Kidnapped. Wrong. At that time, you were living on the world of Sonnagh, as Aileen O’Marly. And starting wars. You must have been one impressive little girl, right?”

“I’m telling you, it wasn’t me! And what five-year old would be able to start a war anyway? That’s insane!”

All of these people are insane! But if they’re not…then these “forays” would take place during my amnesiac episodes…which actually makes sense. But…if that’s the case, it means that these people are justified, and then…that boy that came looking for me last week was telling the truth. In theory, doesn’t that mean I could escape this by jumping to some other world? I don’t actually know how to do that. Crap. What is it, like multiple personality disorder? My life was complicated enough with just the amnesia! But if it is some destructive personality, wouldn’t escaping to another world cause it to come out? No. What happens will happen. At any rate, it’s still better than being killed right? Even if I cause the deaths of countless- No. Stop this. Just focus on escaping, right? That’s all I need to do is get away. I can figure shit out from there. Just gotta keep them talking…

“We know it was you. We do research all problems extensively so that we can learn how to take care of them, and of course to prevent them from happening again. That is why we are talking to you now. We know what you did, and some of how you did it. But we need to know what to look out for.”

“I can’t tell you anything. I don’t know anything. I don’t remember anything about other worlds, even supposing it is me, and I still wouldn’t be of any help.”

“We already know you were diagnosed with amnesia, it’s in your file. However, anyone can pretend that they’ve forgotten something important like that if it will save them.”

How insane can you get? Okay, they have a file on me. So this fits in the whole stalker thing, but still, I doubt this day can get much creepier. And if they do have a file, don’t you think that they would listen to it? They already know that I have a disorder and they’re still putting me through this? Jerks.

“I’m not faking it! If I can’t remember then I can’t help you.”

“Even if I were to choose to believe that you really have amnesia, we have ways of making you remember, and ways of making you talk. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be telling us all about these events soon.”

That sounded ominous. They aren’t going to torture me are they? Wouldn’t that just take the cake. Alright, calm down. Maybe they are just going try and hypnotize me or something…I’ve heard that can work for memory, although it never really worked for me before. God, after this day is over I am going to need so much therapy. Actually, I doubt it would help, and even if it could, who would believe this? They’d lock me up in a straight jacket. I’ve had enough of that treatment! Right now I’m really hoping for the “Then she woke up and it was all a dream” ending. A total cop-out, but way better than realizing that all of this is actually happening! Oh god, he’s coming back in...Is that a syringe! Oh no, no. Not drugs. Now that’s just not fair!

“Hey! What is that!? I object to strange drugs being in my system.”

“Oh it won’t hurt you at all. It just puts you in a more lucid state. Something like hypnotism, but guaranteed to actually work. Now hold still, Aileen…”

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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

Awakening Shadows-Nekko 2009 NaNoWriMo

nekko_rikku — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:06:55 +0000

Hello Bloomington Land!

This is my place to post my novel for my own backup and for you if you want to comment and read. If you are brave enough, I hope you share your novel as you write it too! Make sure you don't get too distracted by reading too many novels on here!

Warnings:

Not for children, will have homosexual themes, and could possibly have R rated material as the novel progresses. Read at your own risk. Flaming will just be fire for my marshmallows.

Summery:

In a battle between undead and humans, will the undead win? Will the bad guys end up the good guys? Will the living find out the truth before it's too late? Or will innocents have to parish?

Shadows want nothing but to be left in peace and to go on with the rest of their kind. They want to be free to have relationships, love and be loved.

Will a newly born Shadow be able to help prove to the world that they aren't evil? Will he get help from an unexpected place? A human hunter at that. Does love really always find a way?

Here are my first 5029 words!

(Not edited obviously)

---

Eian tried to sit up in the small amount of space he had; his head smashed right into the box above him. This did it; he started to panic again. There was no way out and even though he wasn't dying from lack of breathe as he should be, he felt like he was going to any moment. He was terrified.

“He's awake,” Eian heard a small voice coming from the other side of the box.

“You take that end, I'll take this end,” another voice ordered.

“Where am I?” Eian asked finally finding his voice.

The child in front of Eian raised an eyebrow. She seemed to know what Eian had realized.

“You'll get used to it,” the girl said. “I was mute and deaf before.” She spoke as if she were years older, yet her voice was still sweet and child-like.

“I don't know what's going on,” Eian said. He looked from the little girl to the other people. “Who are you?”

“I'm known as Syder,” the man continued. He had kind blue eyes. Eian had trouble not trusting him. His eyes were just so kind.

“I'm Lana,” the little girl said. She tilted her head to the side, winking at Eian.

“Lana, Syder,” Eian repeated. He looked at the rest. There was an older woman with long black and Grey hair, and a young man with strawberry blond hair, and then there was a young teenager with
sandy blond hair. Why had this group came to meet him?

Lana put a small hand on Eian's shoulder. She had to stand on her tip toes so that she could do this. She was so small. “Calm down,” Syder said.

“Leave me alone,” Eian said, shifting away from Lana and Snyder's hands. He shook, his whole body seeming to spasm, as if he were having some kind of fit.

“We can't do that,” the girl with dark hair said. Her voice was wise and full of understanding.

“Cidney,” Syder addressed the woman, “he's in shock.”

Cidney frowned; Eian just glared at Syder. He wasn't in shock. He knew just what was happening; he just didn't like it.

“You're one of us now,” Lana whispered thoughtfully. “Family.”

Somehow Eian knows this is true and it terrified him.

“What happened to me?” Eian whispered. How had he died?

“You have to forget them,” Syder said as kindly as he could. His voice slightly chocked. Finding new born was never easy. There was so much they had to learn; so much they had to give up. “We're your family now.”

“You have nobody else,” the young man with strawberry blond hair said, speaking for the first time.

“But he doesn't,” Robert said quietly, though Eian could hear him just fine.

Syder lead Eian into a large room. It was bare, except for two beds, two nightstands, and a mirror. The walls were white, and the carpet was light green. The room felt depressing.

“Am I evil?” Eian whispered, though he was really just talking to himself.

“Angel, the dark haired teenager,” Cidney started, “he had a very destructive personality before he became a Shadow, and now he's a very cheerful, well manured guy.”

“Abilities?” Eian blinked. There wasn't anything in the news about Shadows having super powers. “What can you do, Syder?”

“I can see,” Syder said mysteriously. Eian gave him a blank look. “To be more clear, I see, I know when someone is going to wake up. That is why were were there waiting for you, Eian. I knew you were waking. Sometimes I even see when someone dies, though I know nothing about your death.”

Cidney frowned, silently leaving the room, though nobody noticed her.

“This feels like some messed up fairy tale,” Eian groaned. “Honestly, I might have super powers, I'm dead and the world hates me.”

“Come on, get comfortable, Cidney and I will bring you the things you will need.” Syder stood up and left Eian alone with just his tormented thoughts.

Walking over to his window, Eian looked out. When the other had brought him to this place it had been dark. He had no idea where he was, nor what this house looked like. He felt shocked when he saw how big the yard was; the property was well hidden behind a forest of trees. That made him feel safe at least. Eian opened the window, trying to lean out to see what the building looked like.

“You have no idea how big this place really is.”

Eian turned around to see Angel. He never spoke to him before. “How can we afford a place like this if we're not even supposed to exist?” Eian asked.

“So she's really old?” Eian asked.

“She seems very wise,” Eian said, because he had no idea what else to say. He felt awkward around everyone.

Come to think of it, everyone was pale, with red rimmed eyes. That had to be what marked someone as a Shadow.

“I should at least be able to move things with my mind,” Eian grumbled, “or make things shatter.”

How long had the child been a Shadow? How old was she? Her wise personality was unsettling.

Eian shuddered.

Maybe that in itself was her ability.

The door he found lead onto the back porch. Eian breathed in the fresh scent of the air, at least in a sense he did. Everything looked so beautiful. How could the world hate them so much? Just look at how they lived?

Eian wondered into the yard, following a dirt path, until he came to a fountain hidden by trees. There was a man sitting at the fountain. All Eian could see was the back of his head. Dark brown hair... Eain tried to remember who this person was, though when the other turned his head toward Eian, Eian realized it was Syder.

“Hi,” Eian said awkwardly. “I found my way outside.”

Syder cracked a smile. “So I see. How was the journey?”

“Long and boring,” Eian said. He walked over to Syder, sitting down beside him on the edge of the fountain. “Syder do you remember how you died?”

With a frown, Syder glanced at Eian. It wasn't healthy stressing over things nobody could change. “I do remember. Not many Shadows remember their death. I expect I remember because of my ability. I just know things I have no business knowing, and some of them are things I never want to know in the first place. It's a burden to know so much.”

“Is it wrong to ask how someone died then?” Eian asked softly. He carefully pulled his knees to his chest, equivalencing on the edge. Syder hoped he didn't fall into the water.

“Curiosity did kill the cat, but we're already dead,” Syder replied. “That's one thing every one of us has to come to terms with.” He glanced up at the sky, barely seeing it through the tree tops. “I'll tell you.”

His interest sparked, Eian shot a glance at Syder, “You will?”

“Because sometimes burdens can be eased by sharing them, though do you want to share it with me?” Syder asked.

“Sure,” Eian answered. How hard could it be hearing about his death?

“I was thirty when I died.” Syder shut his eyes as he remembered. It was all like it had happened yesterday. “I'd been happily married, though not really in love. That's complicated and not part of this story,” Syder said, shaking his head. “Back on point, my death was simple. I was hit by a car. After that I remember nothing until I woke up. I was found by Angel and she took me to Cidney, whom I knew already.”

Eian gave Syder a shocked look, his eyes nearly reaching his eyebrows. “How could you have know Cidney before?”

“I was sixteen when I met Cidney actually. I had always had second thoughts about Shadows. I didn't like believing what the news always said without having any real proof. One day I literally stumbled upon Cidney and I knew what she was.” Syder grinned, “ and guess what, she didn't eat me or anything. I became a supporter of her “cause”, though at 16, I couldn't do much, but I came around and visited. When I died, Cidney was heart broken, but then Angel found me and brought me home.”

“Wow,” was all Eian could say. “Are there any others like you here?”

“Who knew Shadows before they became one? No, I believe I'm the only one.”

“What about abilities?” Eian asked.

“Quite a few of us have abilities, though there are just as many who don't have any or keep them to their self,” Syder answered. “Like Lana, as you probably guessed she's really young, though she's one of the smartest here. That is her ability. I believe it's her way of adapting. She'll be 4 forever, though her mind has the ability to grow.”

“She scares me to be honest,” Eian confessed.

“Don't be scared of any of us; I'm really careful about who I bring here, Eian. Anyone who would give Shadows a bad name are dealt with.”

Eian shuddered. He supposed those were the ones who were bad before they died.

To change the subject, Eian asked, “how come you got married if you weren't in love?” He winced almost as soon as he asked. Reliving the past before becoming a Shadow had to be one of the hardest things.

“You are a curious one,” Syder said. He didn't seem offended by the question, just thoughtful. It wasn't often that he talked to anyone about personal matters, especially those from his past. “Hynna and I were what you could call high school sweethearts, though in reality we were just very close friends. Best friends even. I loved her of course, but I was never in love with her. Time just continued to pass and I was going nowhere with my life, neither was Hynna.” It did hurt to talk about Hynna, though Syder's face was void of emotions. “We decided to get married, hoping everything would fall into place from there. It didn't, though we were content with how things were.”

“Then you died?” Eian said softly.

“And Hynna left. I never bothered looking for her. That would have been a mistake. To people I used to know I'm dead, gone forever. It should be the same for everyone.” He grimaced. “Those who tried to go back to their family regret it.”

“But couldn't we make them see we're not bad?” Eian asked passionately.

“To your family and friends, probably yes, but to anyone else, no. You can't tell who's a hunter these days. They'd attack first, ask questions later. You see why it would be hard? You couldn't live normally and your family would be burdened with hiding you, and then one day...” Syder trailed off, though Eian didn't need him to finish. Somehow he knew what Syder was thinking.

“They'd die and you'd still be the same age forever,” Eian finished.

“Unless someone puts a stop you and gives you a final death.”

“And how?”

“Head decapitated or destroying our brain is the only way to really kill us. It's only luck that people don't really know that small detail.” Syder rolled his eyes. Shadows were stereotyped like vampires and zombies and everything else that went bump in the night. He could count on one hand how many ways hunters had tried to kill him. Stake through the heart, silver bullets, so-called holy water; the list went on.

“Sick.”

Syder just laughed. “I'm glad you're not freaking out about this. Robert was silent for almost two weeks, and then he shut himself in his room for another two weeks, before he finally joined the land of the unliving. Lana cried forever until her ability kicked in and she could understand everything. Everyone reacts differently. I just knew what I was because of Cidney and the news. Only people who live under rocks know nothing about Shadows.”

“I knew about them... I mean us,” Eian said, “and I believed everything the news said. It's always top news; Shadows did this, Shadows did that, attack on sight, or if you're unable to defend youself, run away. They said Shadows kill for fun, that they need to feed on living beings to survive.”

“All of that is bull. We need nothing to maintain ourselves, especially not human flesh.” Syder stood up, reached a hand down for Eian, and pulled him to his feet. “I don't know how or why we exist. It shouldn't be possible. Is there some higher being playing with our lives, deciding who goes to the beyond and who comes back? Thats the only way to make this make sense.”

Syder pulled Eian's hand gently, “walk with me,” he said, before letting his hand drop. “I have noticed something each Shadow has in common.”

“What?” Eian looked up at Syder.

“Each person wh comes back has lived a hard life before their death or they died in a horrible way.”

“Come again?”

“For example, you were blind, Lana was mute and deaf, I died in a car wreck, Angel was a manic depressive person, and Robert thinks he was killed in a school shooting, though he has no real memory of this, just newspaper clipings of the shooting at the school he taught at.”

“Wow...”

“And everyone else somehow had a bad life. It's the only thing that links everyone together. It's like the Gods are playing with pour souls in order to give them another go.”

“This life is just as hard in ways, isn't it?” Eian pointed out. “We're hunted and killed, hated, and the so-called big shots of this world spreads nasty lies about us so people will think we're nothing but animals. We loose our family as well, plus we'll be tormented, trying to figure out how we died.”

“Yes, that's what I don't get. If we are being given a second chance, then what's the point of making us outcasts?” Syder put a hand on Eian's shoulder to stop him. “We've come to the edge of the property. Nobody is allowed to leave the property without me or Cidney with them. But we do go out, don't worry, we just have to be careful.”

Can I really live this way? Eian asked himself. He supposed he had no choice at this point. He was just thankful their leader was such a gentle person.

“Oh,” Eian had a sudden thought. “Syder do we have to learn how to fight?”

Syder frowned, “Yes. Some of us already know how to fight in various ways. I worked at bookstores before dying, so I had no idea how to defend myself. Cidney taught me a lot. Her body might be nearly 40, but that didn't stop her in life and it won't stop her in her unlife either.”

“Even Lana?” Eian shuddered at the thought. “Does she have to fight?”

A dark look clouded Syder's eyes. “Lana has never witnessed a fight. The child is four years old, and she's only been a Shadow for two years. I believe she knows everything, she just hasn't had to see it herself.”

“She just knows stuff?”

“Yes, do not ask her questions you don't really want answered,” Syder warned.

That night Eian learned had to sleep just like everyone else. He figured sleeping was their way of keeping their bodies going forever. Nothing else was doing it. He dreamed of his family. The first part of his dream was of his funeral. He saw his mother crying, his father looking stern, yet there was a broken quality to the way he was holding himself. His brother and sister were fighting tears. They had always been brats toward Eian, though Eian knew all siblings were that way. It was hard realzing he would never see them again, and shocking how much he missed them.

Then his dream had changed. It was the same scene, except the coffin was empty, yet nobody seemed to notice. Eian saw himself standing near the coffin, waving his arms and screaming for his family to see him, though they looked right through him.

With a gasp, Eian set up. He cried, his whole body shaking. If he still had a working heart, Eian was sure he'd be having some sort of heart attack.

Eian barely noticed when someone slipped into the room and crawled into his bed. When he was hugged by small arms, he jumped, looking down at the blond head that was pressing against his chest. Lana...

She looked up at him with sorrowful gray eyes. “Stop crying,” she said in a voice that sounded like a mixture of sweet child-like innocence and a wise mothering tone. “It gets better. It's the first nights that are the worst. Want me to stay with you?” She smiled up at him, the kind understanding in her eyes almost breaking Eian's heart. How had such an innocent girl died?

“Is it okay for you to stay?” Eian asked. In other words would it be frowned upon if she did? She was a child and he was an eighteen year old boy.

“Yes, why do you like little girls or something?” She asked.

“Of course not! How do you know about stuff like that?” Eian asked, feeling ill.

“I don't know,” Lana said, shrugging her shoulders. “Shut your eyes and go back to sleep.”

Again with the mothering tone, Eian thought.

To be continued, obviously!
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

Possible Write-In November 1st: 1 AM

Titus — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:17:14 +0000

I am planning hosting a write-in for Nano at my apartment. Normally, I'd pick a public place but those do tend to be closed so early. I do have a few ground rules though, described below.

Seating and How Many Can Come

I can probably host up to four other people easily. There are two desks (one for me) and a couch that can probably hold up to three people if laptops are placed on laps. Four would be pushing it. Extra people would get more complicated. The kitchen counter could work but people would have to bring their own seating. My bed, i suppose, is a viable option if we get one or two overflow but writing on that can be difficult. I do have a cat, so anyone with allergies can't attend. Sorry. :(

Snacks and Drinks

Snacks are bring your own. I may have some on hand, but don't depend on it. I'll have apple juice and grape juice in my fridge, along with more cups than people know what to do with. No coffee as I don't drink it. You are welcome to bring whatever non-alcoholic drinks desired and I have an outlet for a coffee machine if someone brings that and coffee.

Considering a good portion of the nano members are under 21, no alcohol will be permitted. A contributing to the delinquency of a minor charge would possibly ruin my career.

You can bring music provided you bring good earphones or we can use my music at a volume I choose.

Timing

We'll start at 1 AM or whenever everyone gets here and is ready, supposing there is enough interest. People are responsible for getting to and from my apartment, but I can give a phone number closer to the date over nanomail in case people get lost. Y'all will have to park in the downtown area as my apartment complex has very little excess parking.

Supposing those rules are acceptable, just post here saying you're interested. If you have a question, feel free to ask as well.
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

The Pioneers - Titus

Titus — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:34:18 +0000

Ok I caved. Here is my thread for my nano. This serves as an excellent back-up site if my computer goes haywire. I'll post each chapter as a new entry. It's all done in third person but focuses on a different person each chapter. Feedback is welcomed via nanomail or posting in the thread.

Working Title: The Pioneers (Definitely will change)
General Story Warning: Has swear words, drinking, violence and murder.
General Summary: The legal team of an auditing firm extorts various firms and reports false information to the monitoring agencies. A CEO, Karen Hill, refuses to play along and recruits a team to stop them. Can they stop the evil firm without breaking the laws or ethical rules themselves?

Chapter Warning: Mild Swearing and Very Mild Violence
Chapter Summary: Pioneer Auditing, Incorporated fires its CEO for not complying with the unreasonable request of falsifying records.

Chapter 1
Third Person POV - Karen Hill

“Book that God damn journal entry!” Karen Hill could not believe that she heard Andrew Knight shout while throwing the ledger for their biggest client, Clark Motor Company on his desk. “You were not promoted to be the CFO of Pioneer for your mind!” Andrew glared at the newest member of the executive team, expecting her to crack and obey. Because Andrew was so laid back, Karen never expected his response.
Still, Karen did not waiver. “This entry is a pure fraud! I cannot do it. It would be a violation of ethics as a CPA, and as the chief financial officer of the company. I’m going to go back and edit this until it is right.” She turned towards the door.
Andrew Knight bolted from his chair and stood in front of the door. “Mrs. Hill. You are not publishing your report. The one our legal office created, the one you should book, is the one that will be published. If you refuse to play nice and book the entry, your replacement will enjoy the BMWs and book the entry. The choice is yours.”
When Karen said nothing, Andrew decided to begin listing off what would happen if she did not book that entry. “If you dare to leave, just remember these few things. One, the good quality suits, like Armani, only fit those who earn them.” He placed his hand on her shoulder and pouted as if his four-year-old daughter had just tried to tell a lie. Then, he grabbed her pink suit jacket and ruffled it.
“Two, we own all of your work even if you thought you did. Those plans you wrote are ours. Of course, any protections for shareholders and employees you had will be removed thus modifying the plan enough so we can call it ours. Besides, hiding imperfections in company books is what we get paid to do. Three, the company is always right due to its size and the legal team we’ve assembled. I am sure you have gotten really familiar with them, especially Mr. Jameson. His wife would sure hate to know you were with him at 1 AM a week ago, ‘working on the audit’.” His fingers bent as he said “working on the audit”, making it clear no one would believe that was the reason, even if though was the truth.
With a flick of her wrist, Karen knocked Andrew’s hand away. “I thought we were people who actually cared to create and maintain a functioning economy, not blackmailers who ruined the economy with a single stroke of a pen.”
“We did not destroy the economy. We are just living like kings for keeping it on life support. These people are going to rob from their companies and going to ruin the economy. We just make sure John and Jane on the street are still employed while they do it. That is something James Dalton never understood while he was alive. His kids understood that the best people to maintain the economy are the ones who understand it best and have the richest tastes.” He stepped in closer to her, and began breathing down her neck. The low-volume of his voice did little to mask the hostility. “I am going to have someone else book the correct entry. Your services are no longer required, Mrs. Mistake. Security will show you to your car.” He pushed her away from him and then stepped out of the way. He would not have done that but for the fact the security button was outside of his reach.
She readjusted her suit, and blinked. Now, she was unable to hide her shock at how they could change James Dalton’s vision for Clark Motor Company so readily. “Pardon me, but you’re just one person on the board of directors. Do you really think you can fire me right here right now? The other directors might decide to fire you instead of me when they hear about your little scheme.”
Andrew whipped out his smartphone from his pocket and dialed Michelle Crowitz, the only female on the five person board of directors. “Hi, Michelle. Karen won’t play ball with us.”
“What do you mean, won’t play ball?” Her voice reeked of concern.
Andrew cleared his throat. “She won’t book a quarterly journal entry for Clark Motor Company as we are required to by law. Your husband can better explain the details. Do you think we should fire her?”
“Absolutely. There are plenty of ambitious women who can play by the rules and still manage to earn a profit. We cannot go around breaking the law. I can have Michael draw up the papers tonight.”
The call ended. Andrew raised his eyebrows and could not contain his mischievous smirk. “Shall I dial the others?”
Karen quickly began heading for the stairs, not even bothering to waste time with Andrew. She knew that security would be escorting her out, and wiping her hard-drive clean. She had seen it happen with too many women before. They would get pregnant, the company would fire them to avoid insurance, and then they would claim that the men were the only ones accomplishing things in the firm. Karen never believed the women until now, but it was far too late to do anything except for maybe save the accounting plan she had developed and the proper books for Clark Motor Company.
She reached her desk, and quickly attempted to activate a remote backup program on her work computer. The program would begin copying selected directories of her hard drive, specifically those that contained her radical accounting ideas, to a website accessible by a good friend of hers. Security would wind up formatting her disk drive, but perhaps her friend would get a copy before then. Karen kept paper copies of her most important ideas but preserving her laptop computer may help prove some of the things Pioneer Auditors, Inc., would say about her would be patently false, or reveal the scheme.
Just as the program started, security approached. Karen hid the icons for the program and began copying personal photos to a USB device. She knew those photos would never leave the building. In fact, she had backups. Yet the files should keep security busy from clearing her hard drive until the files she wanted to send were sent.
A security guard tapped her on the shoulder. “Enough messing with the computer. It is time to go.” Karen pocketed the USB and then they left Karen’s office.
The pair walked past the mostly male, ex-coworkers on the sixteenth floor to reach the elevator. When the pair entered the elevator, the guard grabbed the USB Karen had put in her left front pocket. He took a magnet to it, which fried most of the data on the USB from ever being recovered. “Now, Mrs. Hill, why would you try to steal company secrets?”
“I was just copying some personal family photos off of the computer. I am sure you’re tech wizards will confirm that.” Karen did not believe that the techs would confirm that. They would find tech secrets Karen had no access to but she figured that by now she would be framed for just about anything.
The guard nodded. “Of course. This way we don’t have to ask if the USB is useless.” When the elevator reached the bottom floor, the pair exited the elevator. After a few steps, the guard put the USB into the trash. “Your car is wherever the valet put it. If you are ever seen here again, you’ll be arrested.” He pushed Karen outside.
Karen fell outside the front door, scuffing the pants of her pink suit. Then she walked to the valet who retrieved her 2005 BMW Z4 convertible. Afterwards, Karen drove way leaving her ten years with Pioneer behind her. She did not yet have a plan on what to do, but she had the time and the money to make one.
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

November 1st Write-Off - 5 pm - Barnes and Noble

Titus — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:52:28 +0000

Hey, I'll be writing in today at 5 at Barnes and Noble. Anyone who wishes to join me can. Feedback optional but I am willing to help (in a broad sense, editing you're on your own).
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

Alternate day-before gear-up (MCPL, 10 a.m. Oct. 31st)

Marie Deer — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:46:25 +0000

Dear all,

I think I want to go to the Monroe County Public Library tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 10 and sit at one of the big tables in the back left (if you go in on the upper floor near the checkout desks from the parking lot, turn left and go straight back) and work on outlines and plot things and characters to get ready for November 1st.

Happy for company!

Please note that I'm imagining not a mostly-talking event but rather a mostly-not-talking event, kind of working and thinking and writing side by side.

I hope to stay till at least 1. The library's open from 9 to 5 tomorrow.

I probably won't be able to make the afternoon meeting at Barnes & Noble but I did want to set aside some time for getting ready.

Hope to see some of you there (some of the yous I've met at other meet-ups or some of the yous I haven't!).

- Marie
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USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

A. Nony's Writing Sites

A. Nony Mous — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:39:02 +0000

Yes, I know this list is overwhelming. Here’s my advice: read a bit of each and, if it interests you, follow it. Before you query anywhere, though, read the Anti-Scam sites and Miss Snark. And if you ever need advice, search the archives of these blogs or send in questions to those who take them.

Blogging Agents:
http://misssnark.blogspot.com/
Miss Snark doesn’t blog any more, but she’s got wonderful archives on author-agent relations, querying, nitwittery, scams, and more.
http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/
Blogging and good advice.
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/
Ditto.
http://rejecter.blogspot.com/
The Rejecter answers questions on agents and editors.
http://heydeadguy.typepad.com/heydeadguy/
The bloggers here include people from all areas of publishing.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/
Blogging and good advice.
http://zackcompany.blogspot.com/
Ditto.

Blogging Editors:
http://evileditor.blogspot.com/
Evil Editor and his minions (of which I am one) critique queries and openings (and sometimes synopses), answer questions, and have weekly writing prompts.
http://editorialass.blogspot.com/
Editorial ASSISTANT. Seriously. Good Q&A.
http://heydeadguy.typepad.com/heydeadguy/
See above.

Critiques:
http://evileditor.blogspot.com/
See above.
http://www.critters.org/queue.php
Members give and get frequent critiques.
http://queryshark.blogspot.com/
Honest and useful query letter critiques.
http://crapometer.blogspot.com/
Critiquing everything. No recent posts.

Anti-Scam:
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/
Blogging and good advice on how not to get scammed.
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
Lists of scams.
http://www.sff.net/people/VictoriaStrauss/agentsearch.html
How to find a good agent.
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/agents/
Lists of scams.

Advice:
http://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-for-sf-workshop...
Read this multiple times and share it.
http://www.sff.net/people/Brian_Plante/chronicles.htm
An interesting look at critique groups. If it seems too weird, skip to the end.
http://www.geocities.com/evilsnack/cliche.htm
Overused SFF clichés.
http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm
Is your MC an annoying copy of you?
http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/21/why-people-hate-self-publi...
Reasons not to self-publish.
http://www.holtuncensored.com/hu/the-ten-mistakes/
Writing advice.
http://www.superheronation.com/2008/06/25/five-things-to-avoid-in-fantas...
More writing advice, including things that should be painfully obvious but aren’t.
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2006--Blackwing (pitiful, wimpy attempt)
2007--Blackwing--finished at 43K
2008--The Search for ArdRi--winner! and still not finished
2009--The Abolitionist

USA :: Indiana :: Bloomington

First get together Saturday, the 3rd, at 4pm, Barnes and Nobles (Starbucks cafe)

nekko_rikku — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:26:37 +0000

Thought I'd make this thread since our last one was reset.

So who's all coming?

I'll try to be there!! (Try is the key word. If not, I will be there next sat)
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