We do this every year not only to welcome our new writers in to the fold (the hazing rituals start at the kick-off party, newbies!) but also to find old friends from previous years and give a big ol' pat on the back to the returning crew for still being so masochistic.
So let's start, shall we?
Name: Ellie.
Age: 25 years old
Locale: Living out on the bayside.
Genre: This year, as every year, my story is going to change genres. I'm heading towards Suspense/Thriller this year so please remember to keep all sharp items away from me at the kick-off =P
I'm returning, yet again, as one of the Municipal Liaisons for Brisbane, Australia. That means if you have any problems with something or someone in the region, if you want a thread stickied, you want help setting up a write-in or social meet etc... you can ask me or one of the crew :)
I'm also going to be the big bad wolf in some respects, deleting threads if they're considered inappropriate and handing out warnings if need be. (Keep in mind, we've NEVER had to do that in this region but it is something to keep in mind).
Neeeeeeeeeeext? :)
----------
---------------------
Ellie
co-Municipal Liaison for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Writey Ducks aka TEAM 3!
NaNo Title: tba
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
60,167 / 50,000
Sep 26, 2008 - 22 25
OK...I'm a NaNo newbie - just love the idea of writing with wild abandonment...and 50,000 words would be great as an end result! I have begun many novels over the years and am yet to finish one. Somewhere in the middle they all seem just plain boring...I'm hoping the focus on word count will get me over that hump.
Name: Karen
Age: 33
Locale: Browns Plains area (30km south of CBD)
Genre: Usually picture books (!)...but as there are no 50,000 word picture books circulating I will be attempting to write a grown-up novel...probably loosly defined as Christian chick-lit - self-discovery, relationships - all that stuff.
Not sure if I'll be able to make it to any gatherings as I have 3 kids aged 3 and under, including a set of 4 month old twins. Even attempting to write at all is a big deal! Leaving the house may be out of the question... :-)
----------Locale: Browns Plains area
Genre: Mainstream fiction
50,045 / 50,000
Sep 27, 2008 - 05 00
I'll lump myself in as a NaNo newbie as well. No use in hiding it. Especially when it forgives me for being unusually excited about participating.
Name: Kieran
Age: 23
Locale: Brisbane CBD
Genre: I'm used to writing short fiction and the occasional flash fiction. You can check out my stuff at kieran-tales.blogspot.com. I tend to write stories with a twist and find myself skipping genres. Although I might think of myself as a Sci-Fi writer, I usually write from real life.
I'm usually able to attend get togethers. I'm especially keen to meet fellow brisbane based authors at the moment.
Best of luck to all and I hope everyone has fun.
----------Websinthe (Kieran)
My work: http://kieran-tales.blogspot.com
My Blog: http://websinthe.blogspot.com
My Comic: http://websinthe.thewebcomic.com
Genre: Suspense/Sci-Fi
52,317 / 50,000
Sep 27, 2008 - 05 39
My name is Naomi
I live in the CBD and I love it, surburbia cages my soul
I'm 24
I write teenage girl fiction and have been since I was seven - novels only (even as a seven year old I was writing books with 24 long chapters)
There is nothing particularly original in the stories I write, but I believe I write the overused plot lines ten times better and more meaningfully than most other YA authors - this is because I am a perfectionist and I edit the novel ten + times before I can bring myself to even be remotely satisfied with offering what I have written.
I never write my novels in chronological order - I write each scene as it is inspired to me (even if it means writing some of the final scenes first) and progressively all the gaps are bridged up in between as random plot moments strike me. This works well because it then means that the earlier scenes can have seemingly innocuous happenings that end up being crucial and meaningful for a future moment to turn out the way it did.
I have only written one short story in my life that I actually thought was good. I do not enjoy short story writing as I find it almost impossible to introduce the character (and make you give a damn about what happens to them) and have a complex plot in only a couple of pages.
I am also a philosopher (as defined by "Sophie's World" - an amazing book by Jostein Gaarder - he is fantastic at squeezing out meaning from even the most ordinary everyday sentences in his writings).
0 / 50,000
Sep 27, 2008 - 14 21
Name: Carole
----------Age: 47, but counting down to 48 *lol*
Locale: Toowoomba
Genre: Well, I actually haven't decided yet and am toying with a few possibilities. Hopefully I'll have narrowed things down a bit by the time we start.
"A cat spends her life conflicted between a deep, passionate and profound
desire for fish and an equally deep, passionate and profound desire to
avoid getting wet. This is the defining metaphor of my life right now."
50,586 / 50,000
Sep 27, 2008 - 14 54
Hey Ellie, good to see you back for another year! :-)
Name: Pete. Usually one of several, and definitely not to be confused with Peter... ;-)
Age: 40. And feeling every minute of it at the moment.
Locale: Redcliffe (30+km North of the CBD)
Genre: The last three years I have been writing my SF crossover parody trilogy -- and, in fact, never quite finished the third one, so I'm hoping to get that finished before November -- but this year I'm thinking of trying something new. Of course, the story I want to write has been knocking around in my head, gathering momentum, for 18 months now, so it's possible that once I actually attempt to write it down the whole thing will evaporate -- or turn out to be as confusing and nonsensical as any other dream -- in which case my plans will change (and I'll probably end up writing the fourth novel in my trilogy...) For now, though, I'll say I'm writing a zombie-apocalypse geek-gamer romance comedy and leave it at that! ;-)
The intended title for my new novel is Half Life Zero: No Life!
I was actually really busy with work last November -- one of the reasons (but not the only reason) why I only reached 43,000 words. That crazy-busy streak continued all the way through to June/July, so I've only recently managed to start looking at what I did write and make an attempt to finish the thing off. This year should be a little less crazy -- although the way things are going, I wouldn't be too surprised to suddenly find myself unemployed instead... :-( Anyway, hope to see you all at the various meetings and parties, and at the finish line! :-)
----------2005 to 2007 - The Array Wars Trilogy!
2008 - Half Life Zero: No Life
12,011 / 50,000
Sep 27, 2008 - 16 26
Name: Ashlyn
Age: 16
Location: Ipswich :( Don't make fun of me
Genre: Normally I'm a fantasy girl, but this year I seem to be favouring a sci-fi idea! Hoorays for something new :D
This is my third year of NaNo, and hopefully my third year of winning it (fingers crossed, knock on wood). I'm glad we have our awesome ML Ellie back- does anyone know if Peter going to be an ML this year too? It looks like we've gained yet more people, so I reckon we'll do pretty well at the region word count competitions this year :3.
Good luck to everyone ^^!
-------------
Nano '06: Waking Dreams :~: Won
Nano '07: Lines Drawn In Red :~: We'll see
217,155 / 50,000
Sep 28, 2008 - 00 43
Name: Jess.
Age: 15.
Location: One of the general suburbs around Brisbane... don't want to get too specific here x]
Genre: I think I've come up with an idea, but it's still in the early stages of plotting. Seems to be running along the lines of horror, like most things I write seem to.
This is my first NaNo, though I participated in JulNo, AugNo, and SeptNo this year. I fail at introductions, so that's all I have to say. xD
----------++
50,188 / 50,000
Sep 28, 2008 - 14 17
This is my first NaNo - have been aware of it for some years, but have just not in the past felt up to even attempting this (having a family with 4 young children does this to you). But the suppressed author within me has been begging for an excuse for some time to do some serious writing, and this is as good an excuse as any - maybe better. And now that I'm a polyphasic sleeper, too, I have a bit more time on my hands for this kind of stuff :)
So, here's a brief bio
Name: Gabriel
Age: 33
Locale: Birkdale, in Brisbane's bay side :)
Genre: Sci fi. I've had an epic sci fi/fantasy epic series kicking around in my head for nearly a decade, but recently I came up with an idea for a standalone sci-fi adventure save-the-universe kind of stuff which should be fun to write.
There is a (diminishing) chance that sometime during November I may be heading to the US for 4 months, which may or may not disrupt things somewhat (although I would have a lot of time on the plane to write!). If not, it is possible I could host some write-ins at my place - we have plenty of room in our "shed" in our back yard (it's a 50 sq m home-schooling room equipped with kitchenette and toilet and desks and broadband internet access).
About my handle for those who may wonder - it's the name of a rather minor character in the David Eddings fantasy series The Belgariad. Worth a read if you've never read Eddings before!
50,045 / 50,000
Sep 28, 2008 - 16 44
Belmakor, I read the Belgariad every year, It's such a wonderful read - I felt like I grow up with Garion and C'nedra.
Also to Ellie, I grew up on the bayside. I went to Guardian Angels and Iona, anyone else here in the same boat?
----------Websinthe (Kieran)
My work: http://kieran-tales.blogspot.com
My Blog: http://websinthe.blogspot.com
My Comic: http://websinthe.thewebcomic.com
Genre: Suspense/Sci-Fi
50,247 / 50,000
Sep 28, 2008 - 22 21
Name: Jess (Jess Two since I didn't get here first this year. Grrrr.)
Age: 16 years old
Locale: Another from Ipswich.
Genre: I was thinking a Drama/Fantasy. Possibly with a splash of Dark if I can manage it. We're looking to have some creepy characters floating around.
Returning once more for my second year to hopefully win again.
Don't forget to join the trebuchet club everyone~!
----------Jechocochan
68,078 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 01 50
Hello everyone!
Name: Melanie
Age: Just turned 30 omg
Locale: Bayside!
Genre: Crime/mystery type thing. It's a rewrite of a previous idea, which I'm having another stab at following some actual research and planning work.
This is my second year taking part in NaNo, and my second year as an ML! This time last year, I was in the UK, frantically trying to organise fun and frolics in a writerly theme. This year, Ellie has kindly accepted my (slightly insane) offer of assistance. So feel free to toss questions and such my way, and I will do my best to help out!
Hope to meet you all soon!
----------~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
11,253 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 03 29
Aloha fellow NaNoWriMo-ers!
NAME: I'm Jason Nash, usually referred to by my surname or my alias Mujubius.
AGE: 26
LOCALE: After three years of NaNo-ing from Toowoomba, I'm finally in the Brisbane area!!! In... errr....
...
...
... *sigh* in Wacol. Not incarcerated, just residential! And for those who are snorting into their pre-coffee coffees bear in mind that it's only a "yo" short of "Way cool"... think about it...
GENRE: Haven't the foggiest yet - I think dark fantasy, probably YA oriented - but I'm honestly not sure. I think I'll just start scribbling on November One and hope some kind of story takes place!
I have yet to attend a single NaNo event (no excuses this year, I'll be at everything I can now!), and have never won a NaNo... heck, I've never made it halfway. Will this year be the year for me? I really bloody hope so! If not - well, such is life. I can hardly complain when I have such a great time with the pittance that I usually do get onto the page!
----------"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx
13,160 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 06 47
Jess, you remembered the Trebuchet Club! You're my hero!
Enough about other people.
Name: Logan.
Age: 30.
Locale: China. (Shh. I'm really a Brisbane writer, I swear.)
Genre: Contemporary fiction? Nah, I'm just kidding myself. I always tend towards either sci-fi or fantasy in the end. I just can't keep real life, well, real.
/me runs off to make the Trebuchet Club thread (Plot Doctoring, everyone).
3,552 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 06 55
Name: Dimi
Age: Nearly-nearly 24
Locale: Indro!
Genre: Probably fantasy- if I can whip the plotbunnies into submission and pick one before Nov 1...
This'll be my third NaNo, fingers crossed third time's a charm XD I made it to the launch last year, and then by sheer coincidence to the end party (what? I just happened to want pancakes that night...). Hoping I'll make it to a few more events this time around :P
----------Needs more WOMBAT!
22,446 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 13 37
Hi all! I'm back for my second year. And this year hope to not fail so miserably - shouldn't happen as I'm not finishing highschool and start my uni holidays on November 1. :D
We have a lot of baysiders this year. Good to see. I'm a Wynnum girl myself - SJV (for the primary school years) and Wynnum North State High School until last year. But intro!
Name: Elle (yes, it's a little confusing with both Elle and Ellie from the bayside.)
Age: 18
Locale: Bayside
Genre: Basically I'm ripping off Power Rangers. A lot of teen angsty drama goodness. (It was my idea for last year and never got down - but I'm sorta in love with it. So starting with it again this year.)
How many Liaisons do we have this year?
----------07: ... *fails*
08: Twisted Fate (genre: YA spec fic)
The Writey Ducks! (TEAM 3)
51,282 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 20 28
So good to see so many people doing NaNo this year <3 Brings a tear to my eyes *sniff* Almost ;)
If TheZaniak (aka Peter) is coming back this year we will have 3 MLs for our region (myself, Kess and Pete...r). So plenty of us to hold the fort and kick the crap out of this years parties and meet-ups!!
Plus, with any luck, we'll have some press this year as well to get some more writers on side ready to pump out novel after novel with us.
Good luck all!
-------------------------------
Ellie
co-Municipal Liaison for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Writey Ducks aka TEAM 3!
NaNo Title: tba
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
5,002 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 04 18
hey im de in fro browns plains too....i love writing, im 17 and this is ma second year of nano, add me as a nano friends lol xoxoxoxoxde
----------xoxo princess de xoxo
0 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 09 08
Heya guys!
I'm Peter, with a most distinct (and, if it helps, piratey) "r" at the end! I'm one of the MLs, after helping out a heap in 2006 and then doing a terrible ML job in 2007, I'm hoping to get back to my "being useful" roots this year.
Name: Peter
Age: I turn 21 on the 8th of November. It kind of sucks but kind of rocks, being a Nano birthday boy. It makes it quite hard to convince people to come to birthday parties.
Locale: I live up at Chermside, on the northside.
Genre: I've been struggling with this one. I suppose that "modern fantasy" is the closest descriptor; the book's kind of in a children's book style, with the characters having a different adventure in each chapter with a vaguely over-riding plot, but it's not a children's book. It's set in a universe I've been working on for a few years now. I only just decided what to write about an hour ago, so it's still all a bit blurry in my mind!
My goal this nano is to turn up to every single event, and also to kill another participant and wear their skin.
It should be a good year!
----------2005 - "Trevor James: Space Actor"
2006 - "Writing a Novel"
2007 - "Basil Turret and the Prisoner of Algebra"
2008 - "The Black Handle Club"
51,282 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 16 59
Good thing I'm a ninja and not a pirate =P
-------------------------------
Ellie
co-Municipal Liaison for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Writey Ducks aka TEAM 3!
NaNo Title: tba
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
22,446 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 18 10
You're protecting me Ellie.
----------07: ... *fails*
08: Twisted Fate (genre: YA spec fic)
The Writey Ducks! (TEAM 3)
0 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 19 25
Breast-Implants for Chickens?
And now that I have your attention, I'll introduce myself.
Name: Gavin "Hard" Core. AKA: Yav
Age: 20. I too am a member of the "NaNo Birthday Club", as I am turning 21 on the 25th. Can we make the TGIO party a combined 21st for me? Pretty Please?
Genre: I currently have two ideas kicking around in my head. One's an Urban Fantasy which uses the same laws of magic that I invented for last year's failed attempt. The other is a Science Fiction story based around a combative comptition where the prize is your life.
I'm a returning NaNoer, and I have the dubious "pleasure" of being the cousin of one of our Liasons, The Zaniak.
Looking forwards to seeing everyone at the Kick-Off party, last year's was a blast!
----------2007: Wizards Don't Cry (failed)
2008: TBA
22,446 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 19 31
I remember you! :P
And I reckon we do combine it - as long as you don't expect presents. :D
----------07: ... *fails*
08: Twisted Fate (genre: YA spec fic)
The Writey Ducks! (TEAM 3)
59,957 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 19 58
Hi Team!
I'm Norm, and live at Narangba. I've written all sorts of stuff from poems, song lyrics, nonsense, short stories, autobiographical thingies, and I think it's time to write something more sustained.
0 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 21 03
Yay! I gets a party! Perhaps this time I won't be in hospital!
----------2007: Wizards Don't Cry (failed)
2008: TBA
51,282 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 23 09
Yes, but remember how everyone could tell us apart last year?
You were 'Lovely Elle' and I was 'Crazy Ellie' =P Nice to have you back this year!
BTW, we have THREE MLs this year :D Because seriously.... 2 isn't enough ^^;
-------------------------------
Ellie
co-Municipal Liaison for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Writey Ducks aka TEAM 3!
NaNo Title: tba
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
51,282 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 23 09
Don't I always protect you? >:D
-------------------------------
Ellie
co-Municipal Liaison for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Writey Ducks aka TEAM 3!
NaNo Title: tba
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
51,282 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 23 10
TGIO = Celebration of words and Mr.Poxy :) YES!
----------Which means you kind of HAVE to come to this one, Sir :P
---------------------
Ellie
co-Municipal Liaison for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Writey Ducks aka TEAM 3!
NaNo Title: tba
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
51,282 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 23 11
Hey Norm, welcome to BrisNano :) I think most of us started out writing poems, lyrics and the like. Must be some sort of epidemic that people want to write something longer and/or with plot :/
-------------------------------
Ellie
co-Municipal Liaison for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Writey Ducks aka TEAM 3!
NaNo Title: tba
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
3,967 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2008 - 02 09
Hey everyone,
I'm Sasha, I'm 23, and currently living in Forest Lake, i.e. MILES away from anything interesting except for the lake itself.
Genre: Uhh I'm not too good at classifying writing, so I'll say "Alternate History/Fantasy".
No birthday for me in November, but I am moving house on the 6/7/8th (somewhere around that date) and my boyfriend is releasing his first game around then (big exciting times).
To the person who mentioned (Pete?) that they're planning to write their novel as a 'zombie-apocalypse geek-gamer romance comedy' - that sounds awesome and, coincidentally, similar to the game the BF is making. Although his creation doesn't involve much romance, more like blood, guts, gore, and parody. Linking to a video is probably the easiest way to demonstrate what I mean by 'similar':
http://www.tempyra.com/?p=559
(Not pimping my own site; it's just easier to link there than Youtube or Vimeo)
50,586 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2008 - 02 24
Zombie bishop was a nice touch! :-)
I can't actually guarantee much romance in my novel either ... but we'll see how it pans out! :-)
----------2005 to 2007 - The Array Wars Trilogy!
2008 - Half Life Zero: No Life