USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

[sticky!] The Naperville wordcount graph!

NewMexicoKid — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:27:23 +0000

Please reply to this post if you want to be included in the following wordcount graph:

Include a brief summary of your novel, please!

Note: it may take a little while for you to appear on the graph; the word count API updates hourly.

--Tim

----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

[sticky!] Write-in logistics - updated 11/10

NewMexicoKid — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:18:20 +0000

What should I bring to a write-in

Your competitive spirit--to win the word wars and a friendly smile to see who else is writing this month
laptop if you have one (if you're coming to a Sunday write-in, contact Tim if you want to use my spare laptop)
extension cords and power strips (useful if you have them)
snacks and drinks (purely optional)

There are three official write-in locations and quasi-official ones at coffee shops or restaurants or ... (feel free to schedule you own--just try to give people a couple of days notice so they can plan for it ;-)

Naperville
The 95th Street Library room A (except for November 1st, when the write-in will be in the Children's Program Area at the back of the children's department) is the site of the write-ins from 1-4 pm every Sunday in November (Nov 1, 8, 15, 23, 30). I (NewMexicoKid) will be the ML host for all of these.

Warrenville
The Warrenville City Hall (main chambers--really cool space) is the site of write-ins from 1-4 pm Nov 7, 14 and 21. Directions: Located southeast of Butterfield & Batavia. From downtown Naperville, go north on Washington St. turn left onto Warrenville Rd (stop light--Washington ends.) Right turn at second light (Ferry Road is straight) to stay on Warrenville Road. Right turn on Batavia (no stop required if going right.) Turn left on Manning Ave (street before Butterfield Rd.), one block, then right on Warren, left at round-about and City Hall is on the left (before the library.) Katherine (KatherineWriting) is the host usually (but CorruptedFlame will be hosting on 11/14/09)

Plano Library
The Plano Library hosts sessions Nov 7, 14 and 21 from 12:30 pm-3:30 pm. Dave (TRRDEDEAN) is hosting these.
They even have spare computers!

Caribou Cafe (near Dominick's) (Wednesday evening, 6:30 pm) map
We've had over a dozen people per time so far. We start occuping tables near the back starting a bit before 6:30 (some people get there an hour early), and work our way across the room. Katherine is hosting.

----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

[sticky!] Introduce yourself (the 2009 edition)!

NewMexicoKid — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:19:29 +0000

Come introduce yourself in this thread! As a reminder, this is a public forum--don't share personal contact information (e-mail addresses, real life address, phone numbers) in your posts.

I am Tim aka NewMexicoKid, one of the three volunteer co-MLs for our great region. I've been participating in (and succeeding with) NaNoWriMo since 2003; and I have been a co-Municipal Liaison since 2005. Mostly I write fantasy novels; and several of these, including this year's, center on a protagonist I originally based on my daughter (who coincidentally also has participated in and won NaNoWriMo).

I am not a published author (yet) but have aspirations of one day doing this. Be sure to ask about the Journey (formerly called the Pledge)--this is our year-round writing group.

In real life, I am a software engineer at Alcatel-Lucent.

Oh, and I enjoy drawing (you can see some of my designs at at our regional cafepress shop).
----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

[sticky!] Affiliating with Naperville (and making it your Home Region)

NewMexicoKid — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:40:58 +0000

Yes, I can tell what some of you are thinking. What does Affiliation entail and why should I do it? Ditto with setting a Home Region. Why?

Affiliation
Affiliating yourself with a region

Adds a region to your My Regions page (available in the drop down menu under My NaNoWriMo)
Potentially subscribes you to receiving regional e-mail for that region (under Manage my settings). We tend to send mail about once or twice a week in November.

Setting a Home Region

Go to the Home Region tab
on the My Regions page.
Select Naperville and click the Set Home region button

Note that you must be affiliated with a region before you can set it as your Home Region. You can be affiliated with many regions but you only have one Home Region.

Why go through this?
During November, it's fun to compare our region's progress against all the regions in the world, both in word count and donations. Please help us by ensuring your successes are included in our regional total. To do this, you need to affiliate with Naperville AND set Naperville as your Home Region.

Thanks!

--Tim

----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

[sticky!] Welcome to Naperville!

NewMexicoKid — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:20:33 +0000

Welcome to Naperville, the rough geographic center of this patch of the western suburbs of Chicago (and including established cities like Aurora), the fifth year of our region's separate existence (prior to 2005, our region existed only as part of Illinois::Elsewhere).

MLs
KatherineWriting, TRRDEDEAN and I (NewMexicoKid) are your co-Municipal Liaisons, volunteers who somehow enjoy making your NaNoWriMo experience an enjoyable and (hopefully) a successful one.

Local Events
We have a full slate of October events (two prep sessions plus an October 31st pot-luck lunch kick-off extravaganza), a few nice goodies to hand out (at our events), and not one, not two, but three official write-in locations this year:

95th Street Library in Naperville - 1-4 pm, every Sunday in November
Warrenville City Hall - 1-4 pm, Saturday, Nov 7, 14, 21.
Plano Library - 12:30-3:30 pm, Saturday, Nov 7, 14, 21

Please do RSVP for the October events. Our TGIO (Thank Goodness It's Over) pot-luck lunch party will be December 5th at the Naperville Municipal Center!

Affiliation/Homing with Illinois::Naperville
Read the how-to (and why)

Websites
You're welcome to visit our NaperWriMo websites:

Our blog has helpful articles
We have a wiki site chock-full of useful references
Visit our cafepress shops (proceeds help defray local costs; anything above that goes to NaNoWriMo).
Visit our jabber chatroom (see the instructions here)

Word War
We are planning to challenge a region sometime in the 2nd week of November...
It will probably be an average wordcount word war with the same bet we've
made the past four years--losing region has to sing the song of the winning
region and record it to mp3 to be posted on a website. Note: we've never lost :-)

See http://writing.teiru.net/nano and http://naperwrimo.org/france2008 for some historical records.

Questions?
Please let us know if you have any questions!

----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Embarrassingly Behind

Whitey — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:08:15 +0000

I have fallen embarrassingly behind and have brought shame to myself and my region. With such a short time left I have only just passed the halfway point. There are a great many reasons for this, some beyond my control (father-in-law in the hospital cost me a week), some totally in my control (hated my first 8000 words so much that I hit the delete key-classic NaNoWriMo error-I like my opening chapter much better now though).

With shame, I post my word count which I have so far kept to myself so as not to face my shame. Since we are in a tight word war, I fear that our competitors will think we're padding the numbers. Oh well, I hope it helps

I'm still pushing on. Things seem grim but I'm going to give it my best. I keep thinking about going back and adding all the a's, the's, at's and and's I have forgotten to type - I can increase my word count by at least 500... maybe. Then again, if I went back, I might have to change all the passive voice errors I've made and lose 500 words. Ah...the struggles!

If anyone else is hiding under rock like I've been, come on out, join me and let us all know how far you're behind so we can encourage you to keep it up! Sometimes reading what everyone else is going through helps.

Keep going everyone!

P.S. Katherine...Red Bull and ephidrine aren't good for your heart..you can stop already,,,really...
----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

light-hearted banter: Naperville vs. Birmingham-West Midlands

NewMexicoKid — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:09:42 +0000

Seeing that (as of November 14-15), Naperville has clawed its way into a lead, at least for the moment, I thought it might be an appropriate time to post a light-hearted (and, at the core, fairly civil :-) ) banter thread for our respective regions to help motivate each other (and themselves ;-) ). This thread is being published in both regions.

Tell me the truth, our resurgence makes this a more interesting regional word war, doesn't it? And maybe you won't have to work so hard at putting together a regional song this year :-) ;-) ;-)

--Tim
----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Strangest Bit You Didn't Expect

KatherineWriting — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:51:53 +0000

Having just wrote about a character tagging a baby penguin with her son's name on Facebook, I figured it was time to start a post--
what's the strangest thing you've written so far that you totally didn't plan on writing?
(50 words or less.)
Once the character did that, she can now have vague images of penguins (and you do know what baby penguins eat, right?) in her brain for the next several days. I had no plan on writing about penguins, but it's making me smile.

Katherine
----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Saturday, Nov 28 Write-In

AmaranthMuse — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:35:08 +0000

28 November:
As there will not be a write-in at Warrenville City Hall next Saturday, I'm proposing a meet up/write-in nearby at Danada Square in Wheaton. This is intended to be a social meeting as much as a friendly write-in too. The recommended location for next Saturday is Seattle's Best Coffee at Borders (in Danada Square), which features big comfy seats, free wi-fi, coffee on demand and a large central table we could all settle around. We can also meet up for lunch for friendly chatting, moral support in those last three days, and the like!

Suggested time is 1:00-4:00 (same as Warrenville), possibly meeting for lunch at noon. Is anyone interested?

----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Milestone Words

elbakerone — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:37:28 +0000

So in an effort to procrastinate after I passed 30K, I realized that my 30,000th word was "him". Then I wondered what my 25000th word was, and looking back I discovered it was "her". Pretty mundane, but interesting that my last two 5K marks produced a matched set. I wonder if my 35000th will be "them"...

Anyone else want to celebrate a recently passed milestone by sharing their word that brought them to a golden number?
----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Strangest Place You've Been Writing

elbakerone — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:05:30 +0000

I suppose the subject of this thread could refer to a bizarre setting of your story (and by all means, share that with us too) but I'm more curious about odd locales for pulling out your laptop or pen and paper to get a few words plugged out.

For me, I've been typing away while seated on the stairwell of a Metra car, a crowded CTA bus, and on the floor at Union Station in Chicago (there's a reason I keep a sample size of Purell in my backpack).

Just me or does anyone else have strange places where they've found themselves writing?
----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Smack Talk! Holland & Belgium vs Naperville

unspeakable — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:22:27 +0000

In short, the Naperville region issued a challenge which the Holland & Belgium region accepted. The region with the highest avarage wordcount at the end of NaNo wins. The losers will be forced to sing the other region's song. There is more information on this in a seperate post in the regional lounge, however...

In the interest of friendly competition and communication here's a chance to talk or talk smack with the enemy.**

"Opens fire"

So Naperville... I'd call you Napervillans but really that would make it look like I'm intimidated and I'm not. Besides I'm sure you are all great people and awesome wrimos. Not awesome enough to be beat us of course ;) Well I wish you all the best of luck. And if you have some time in between the writing, try practicing those some notes. You'll need it for when you sing for us.

**Please limit the interregional smack talk to this thread.

----------
"Writers plot, the muse laughs!"
Municipal Liaison Holland & Belgium
Forums moderator!

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

RSVP thread for TGIO party on December 5th

KatherineWriting — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:58:34 +0000

This is the planning page for the December 5th TGIO party and pot-luck lunch.
11:45 - 3:00 on Saturday.

Whether you win or not, please plan on celebrating with us.
Naperville Municipal Center (map below) in the Lunch room.
Lunch Room is in the lower level; just to the right of the entrance from the parking garage--so park inside and be close to the room.

RSVP and planning
Just post below whether you're bringing a friend and what dish, snacks, drink, ice, etc. you're volunteering to bring. We can usually use main courses, but volunteer for whatever you'd like.

I'll summarize as people reply.
Katherine

Summary as of 11/18/09:
Yes: (10)
NewMexicoKid, Books, and Nan -- potstickers and noodle dish,
plus plates, napkins and plasticware (from Kick-off)
KatherineWriting, Bookgrrl, FinBarMcG -- main dish and a dessert
Wordrebel -- will decide later what to bring
Trrdedean -- chicken
Jennifer_Ryukage + husband -- decide later what to bring

Maybe: (1)
Squiddish -- brownies (if work schedule allows attendance)

No: (0)
elbakerone
JVal

Google map to the Naperville Municipal Center

Located at 400 S Eagle St, Naperville, IL, the Naperville Municipal Center is one block south of the Nichols Library in downtown Naperville. We will be in the lower level in the Lunch room.

----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Making up character Names

cfrech — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:22:49 +0000

I find I have a hard time coming up with unique names, or in other words not using the same names over and over again. I have a new method of naming peripheral characters, my SPAM email. I get so much crap mail that I finally noticed the names are actually rather interesting. So I now have a file where I save the names from all those trying to sell me little blue pills or help a person get their money out of Nigeria or whatever and next time I need a name, there were have it a nice list ready made. I am even going to start mixing their first and last fictional names to get an even better mix. Especially in case you start using my new found method and we are getting email from the same fictitious Ernest Saldana or Lela Brewer.

Hope your writing is going well, half the month is gone but better than that half the month is still there!

cheryl
----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Caribou write-in on Wednesday

KatherineWriting — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:58:19 +0000

Feel free to indicate if you're coming (or wish you could) to the write-in this Wednesday, or just drop in. We're aiming for the back of the place, and working our way out, so if you can get there earlier, start grabbing tables at the back.

Wednesdays, at 6:30 at Caribou Coffee on 1523 North Aurora Road #107 map here

If possible, set out something obvious to indicate you're with NaNoWriMo. A sticker, a word chart, a piece of paper that says, "I'm with NaNoWriMo." Don't be subtle.

I used to think that I wasn't that fond of write-ins, since I tend to write more when I'm on at home. But last week's was a blast and I'm looking at the calendar, going, seriously, it's only Tuesday? (I'm also trying to talk myself out of my plan to only drink decaf in the evening. Seriously, espresso anyone?)

Katherine

----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

And Naperville takes the lead...!

NewMexicoKid — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:09:47 +0000

I am sure it is transient; we wrote an awful lot of words today--but Naperville, as of 9 pm on Saturday, November 14th, is in the lead by a slim 33 words vs. Birmingham-West Midlands and by 319 words vs. Belgium 'n Holland!

Woot!

Keep up the pressure!

Write, write, write!

--Tim
----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

An apology

NewMexicoKid — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:19:30 +0000

A few wrimos gave me the honest feedback that my e-mail this morning had a fairly insensitive title (We are at war!) on such a solemn day that honors our veterans. I humbly offer my apology; it was a completely unintentional juxtaposition of words/concepts. I do respect and honor our veterans for what they do/have done for us and for our country. I definitely recognize and appreciate their valor and sacrifice.

--Tim
----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Which stuffed animal are you bringing to the Write-In this weekend?

ZaNeesee14 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:40:32 +0000

Or are you bringing your wrimorock? I don't have a rock, but am thinking I will bring one of my beanie babies with as my writing buddy. If I can't find a wolf, which would be the best one, I will bring one of my horses or a unicorn.

Just wondering what everyone else is bringing!
----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Illinois - all-state write-in!

NewMexicoKid — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:21:17 +0000

TimSimms, one of the MLs for Chicago, is organizing this year's (and the second annual) all-Illinois-state write-in. It will be November 14th, Saturday (which conflicts with two of our own write-ins) but promises to be lots of fun (we hosted last year and it was electric):

See the all Illinois state write-in RSVP thread in the Illinois::Chicago forum.

--Tim
----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Who is all going to the Plano Library Write-in this Saturday?

ZaNeesee14 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:49:59 +0000

I noticed that there were two different write-in-s scheduled for Saturday the 14th around the same times, and just wondering who might be going to the Plano Library? I live in Oswego, so the Plano location would be closer than the Warrenville write-in on that day. Just curious who all I might see at Plano. :)
----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Writer's Block remedies!

KnitChick1979 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:59:11 +0000

Hi all!!

I am struggling with writing, didn't write ANYTHING yesterday, so I thought I'd put it out to all the smart people here: how do you stave off writer's block?

(or if you have plot twist suggestions for me, please throw them out!)

~MJ~
----------
http://knitchick1979.livejournal.com

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Neat free application!

NewMexicoKid — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:34:19 +0000

Just ran across this free Adobe AIR-based application called freebooster. It is essentially a software timer (!) designed to boost productivity. Three guesses of what else it (running on OSX, Windows and Linux) might be good for timing!

Give it a try--I think this will be a great tool for pushing your writing productivity.

--Tim
----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Tech disasters - 2009

tregina12000 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:58:44 +0000

It's not "if" but "when." Computer breakdowns, blackouts, file erasures - we will all have them sooner or later. And we will all need to vent about it. Post your disasters here!

Let me begin. At 10pm Saturday night, two hours before I had planned to start typing away, our house computer's monitor died a horrible death. It's not a hard drive crash or anything, but it did mean taking the monitor off of my NaNo computer and putting it on the main computer. I am now computerless until Tuesday, at which point I will have some crazy catching up to do. In the meantime, I'm sneaking on the house computer when I am able.

Oh yes, and by the way, everyone, PLEASE remember to back up your novel!!!
----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

Challenge #2 has been Issued: To Holland & Belgium

FinbarrMcG — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:59:52 +0000

Apparently, one entire country last year wasn't enough for Tim.

The following challenge has been issued to Europe:: Holland & Belgium (the challenge thread, google-translated from Dutch to English):

I don' t spreekt het Nederlands, en mijn Franse isn' groot t, maar dat won' t houdt me van het uitgeven van deze uitdaging tegen.

Les ecriveurs de Naperville, nous souhaitons de vous challenger.
Ca sera une guerre de mots, et la locale qui gagne ira
l'opportunite d'ecouter les autres chantant la chanson des gagneurs.

S'il-vous plait, excusez-moi ma Francais casse.

The writers of Naperville (Illinois::Naperville), we wish to challenge
you (Europe::Holland & Belgium).

It will be a word war, and the winning region will have the opportunity
to listen to the losing region sing the song of the winners.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The region of Naperville (United States:: Illinois::Naperville)
hereby challenges you to a Regional Word War with the following terms:
1) Winner to be defined as the region with the greatest average word count for all active*, non-ringer **
members who are homed to the region, taken at the end of November in each region
2) The losing region is to provide a recording of themselves singing the anthem of the winning region

We have, in the past, defeated Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and France.

Are you up for the challenge?

Issued by Finbarr McG,
on behalf of the Naperville Nanowrimo Region

* definition of active to be worked out by mutual consent, and subject to available tool support.
The goal would be to define a member as active if
they have reached 50,000 words or have updated their
word count statistics in the last 10 November days.

** non-ringer would include those members who were active and homed to the region prior to November 16th.
Also subject to available tool support, as noted in (*) above.

All rights reserved. Offer void where prohibited. Some conditions may apply.
Viewers don't try this at home. Store in cool dry place. Your mileage may differ.
Subject to change without notice. Past performance provides no indication of future results.
Smoking kills. Subject to change without notice.
May have been processed using equipment used with tree nuts.
Batteries not included.
Disclaimer does not cover misuse, accident, lightning, flood, tornado, tsunami, volcanic eruption, earthquake, hurricanes and other Acts of God, neglect, damage from improper reading, incorrect line voltage, improper or unauthorized reading, broken antenna or marred cabinet, missing or altered serial numbers, electromagnetic radiation from nuclear blasts, sonic boom vibrations, customer adjustments that are not covered in this list, and incidents owing to an airplane crash, ship sinking or taking on water, motor vehicle crashing, dropping the item, falling rocks, leaky roof, broken glass, mud slides, forest fire, or projectile (which can include, but not be limited to, arrows, bullets, shot, BB's, shrapnel, lasers, napalm, torpedoes, or emissions of X-rays, Alpha, Beta and Gamma rays, knives, stones, etc.).

Mahalo.

All litigation costs incurred in enforcement of this document are to be borne
by the legal and legitimate legates of the lawyers and their leprous lemon-loving lemurs.

----------

USA :: Illinois :: Naperville

[auto poll] How many years have you participated?

NewMexicoKid — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:54:36 +0000

Instructions
Please answer the following question by submitting your answer with the form

VOTE="number of years"

Question
How many years have you participated in NaNoWriMo? Include this year (so if this is your first year, answer with:

VOTE="1"

Options

VOTE="1"
VOTE="2"
VOTE="3"
VOTE="4"
VOTE="5"
VOTE="6"
VOTE="7"
VOTE="8"
VOTE="9"
VOTE="10"

Note

This tool uses the auto poll tool
If you reply after you submit your answer, include your VOTE="..." line in your reply or else it will erase your vote.

----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources