Are you new and unsure you can write 50K? Or even just 30 days in a row (or most of them)? Or have you tried once or many times and need a little more team in your work?
Have we got a deal for you.
Unlimited time offer, try it before you buy it, no money down, no obligation....
There are national adoption threads, but I've always thought that someone you might sit across from at a write-in - or someone who won't believe that you're snowed in and aliens have landed in your hometown (because they live nearby) - those mentors may have better luck at keeping you on task, motivated, and help you scoot across the goal line.
I know there have been many winners in our midst, and there are many ways to skin a cat (though cats tend to dislike pretty much all of the ways). There are a lot of us out here that are willing to be your personal cheer leader (or yell leader if you respond to that) or someone to race to some milestone or someone to ping you every couple of days to make sure you are making progress.
If you need a mentor - post something about what you want to write (if you know) to try to match up someone with similar genre interests.
If you had a mentor in previous years and it was beneficial (even if you didn't win - if you got further than you would have...) let people know this is a good thing.
If you are mentor material - you've won before and are willing to do your best (or ask for help from other mentors if it isn't meshing well) - post that you are willing to help.
PM (personal message) the person you think might make a good match. exchange some notes back and forth and then if you think it will work well - post back that you have been adopted, so the rest of us won't worry.
Counselors will be standing by to make sure that everyone has a good match, and that everyone is satisfied.
We are all stronger than any one of us alone.
-MentorMike (looking for a few good recruits who have the desire, but are just not sure they can get there alone)
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15,513 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 05 31
I will say this, mentors are a great thing. Last year I had 2 really good ones that always provided encouragement, then by the end of the month I was providing support to 3 or 4 other folks who got stuck in the dreaded mid-November black hole of 28k.
Mentors = Encouragement = Support = Awesome
----------DIG£ST FOR FR£AKS 小林丸
50,101 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 07 07
Do I qualify as mentor material if I have only done this one year? I do have extensive experience making sure children get their butts in chairs to get their homework done. I think that applies here... Anyway, I'm game for giving a little encouragement/ prodding to a newby. My genre is YA.
B
76,974 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 08 25
I had a mentor last year. Even though I didn't win, he was the definition of awesome-ness! The whole getting further than you would have thing. . .absolutely. I give him credit (blame?) for, oh, probably about 75% of what I eventually churned out in November. Perhaps more telling, upon re-reading the manuscript several months later, I still think there's a lot of good story there and I'm currently working to finish it.
I didn't win last year, but I have every intention of going over 50k this year and I'm more than happy to help prod others along! I can be nice or mean, depending on what you need :D
----------[url=http://dragcave.net/viewdragon/mj1l][img]http://dragcave.net/image/mj1l.gif[/img][/url]
[url=http://dragcave.net/viewdragon/FCu4][img]http://dragcave.net/image/FCu4.gif[/img][/url]
Sexy is indeed a word. ~Luke
53,492 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2008 - 20 35
*bump*
It probably goes without saying, but I'm willing to chat with anybody, and anybody is welcome to pm me about writing, worries, or wonderfulness.
For an adoption with ongoing attention, I can probably only do 1 or 2 right now, and with the understanding that there will occasionally be slow turnaround on messages. You can bounce prep ideas off me; I do pep talks (not that they're very peppy, but they help); we fight crime [waitaminute...]. Let me know.
130,270 / 50,000
Oct 17, 2008 - 03 14
Two weeks to go and all we have is caring adopters.
Breezyday is awesome and I think she'd do great things for someone who needed a push.
I think a single win (as long as it was convincing is enough) as long as they feel mentoring someone would fit into their strategy for the month. New plants need attention at critical moments on their timetable, not ours.
Yasaibatake is ready to help.
inkwet_image wants someone to help her help you, she's all about afixing your butt to your chair and getting the work done - she herds cats IRL, so she knows what she's doing
I'm manning the phones and ready.
Who had doe eyes or those anime kid eyes and wants a buddy to help them hit the ground running the first weekend and with pep of talk and all the rest to help them on this journey?
If this is too public a place to ask for help - say, you're male and have that disease where you can't ask for directions or a ride to the airport, pm one of the people on this list directly - or someone you admire from afar - and get the ball rolling. We are all stronger than any one of us is alone.
thank you for your support.
50,101 / 50,000
Oct 19, 2008 - 17 35
Ahhh, flattery will get you a free package of Girl Scout cookies and not much else.
Doe eyes? I thought only my husband used that phrase... hmmm must be man-lingo.
Still waiting for my adoptee...
B
10,033 / 50,000
Oct 21, 2008 - 14 12
OK, I guess I will jump in and offer myself up...only been writing about 4 months, but feedback from family and friends is positive, and encouraging. Have taken a few online classes, have my MC, outline and my genre switches from chick-lit to romance. I think chick-lit sound more fun, but I don't know, we'll see.
Anyway, if ya'll want someone to adopt, you are more than welcome to me!
130,270 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2008 - 18 12
egh34,
I'm arm wrestling Breezyday to see who will have the honor of cheering for you.
Hold the phone, I'll get right back to you.
sorry for the delay.
mike
92,302 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2008 - 19 20
Friendly, house trained budding wordsmith seeking willing mentor type for tips, encouragement, and random insanity.
I guess the best way to characterize what I'm going to write this year is mainstream fiction that is desperately trying to be literary fiction but is constantly aware of its inadequacies as such. Lightly sprinkle fantasy and romance elements on top and voila!
I realize beggars can't be choosers, but I would like someone who...
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Where will NaNoWriMo take us?
0 / 50,000
Oct 24, 2008 - 00 19
Meowtime - I might be the oldest person in this group, but I am a former high school English teacher who has years of experience of working with younger writers, encouraging them to get things down on paper and editing them after they have a rough draft. I am a bit daffy in my dotage, but my grandchildren all seem to love me and hang out here when they have a good reason. I am talkative in this medium and probably have experienced all the difficulties that can plague a writer. I've been doing this in some way or other for about 60 years. I am not competing to write the world's greatest novel, and I've read more than my share of literary novels though I can't say I've produced one myself. Most of my teaching days were spent in an inner city high school, so I can handle stress. I probably won't show up at the write-ins as I no longer drive and can't picture my husband at a place that faintly resembles the Writer's Place even if I could handle the stairs. As a former teacher, I work cheap!
I check the messages often and if you think I'm a person you'd like to get to know better, send me an SOS. I'll be watching for it.
----------SunflowerSage aka Grandma Marge
15,513 / 50,000
Oct 24, 2008 - 02 57
I realize beggars can't be choosers, but I would like someone who...
I offer daily NaNoMail encouragement with a random fact or motivational insane poem each morning. Send me a Wiring Buddy line or a NaNoMail!
----------DIG£ST FOR FR£AKS 小林丸
50,101 / 50,000
Oct 24, 2008 - 08 18
Anyway, if ya'll want someone to adopt, you are more than welcome to me!
Sorry, I was away from this thread for a while... orchestrating Halloween party for kids and trying to figure out how to make 'real looking' brain jello...
I'll adopt you, Egh34. We are both northlanders, right, so we have something in common. Besides, I don't think Mike knows anything about chick lit. (whispers... not that I do either, but at least I'm a chick!)
More later, the jello is oozing all over the table...
B
92,302 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2008 - 14 21
After exhaustive and painstaking consideration, I have decided to become Surlaw the Mai's NaNoBaby!
Unfortunately, from the looks of it, neither Surlaw nor SunflowerSage are frequent participants of the write-ins. Will any frequent write-in-ers volunteer to be my write-in NaNoGuardian?
----------Where will NaNoWriMo take us?
10,033 / 50,000
Oct 26, 2008 - 05 40
Breezyday:
I am truly honored, and pleased that you have decided to take me on, and happy that you are a northlander also. Are you going to the kick-off tonight?
76,974 / 50,000
Oct 26, 2008 - 10 03
Oh, oh, pick me, pick me Meowtima! I didn't really go to many write-ins last year, but this year I'm planning on at least two a week. Maybe three.
Does language count on those foreign films? As a student of French, I refuse to turn on English subtitles (or listen to the English dubbing, for that matter) if it's a French movie. Of course, for German or whatever, subtitles are fine :)
----------[url=http://dragcave.net/viewdragon/mj1l][img]http://dragcave.net/image/mj1l.gif[/img][/url]
[url=http://dragcave.net/viewdragon/FCu4][img]http://dragcave.net/image/FCu4.gif[/img][/url]
Sexy is indeed a word. ~Luke
15,513 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2008 - 06 40
Unfortunately, from the looks of it, neither Surlaw nor SunflowerSage are frequent participants of the write-ins.
See, what a good time to work on some mentoring of ME. You can persuade me to get off my old bones and go out into the brave/scary out-of-door's world and meet new people...
----------DIG£ST FOR FR£AKS 小林丸
92,302 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2008 - 08 40
It is unexpected to see you expect so much... audacity out of your pupil, o great sensei, but I will try my best to pester the hell out of you.
----------Where will NaNoWriMo take us?
50,101 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2008 - 17 16
I am truly honored, and pleased that you have decided to take me on, and happy that you are a northlander also. Are you going to the kick-off tonight?
Boy this site is slow tonight. I wanted you to be sure and check your nano mail.
B
9,800 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2008 - 13 56
I'm waffling whether to to NaNo this time around. Two boys, ages 4 and 14, both homeschooled. Most of my writing mentors and supporters are in California. Maybe if I had a local, experienced hand to point the way...
Let's see... my hours are very flexible. I make great mochas and other goodies. In fact, I'm working on a batch of homemade butterscotch as we speak... I hated the artificial flavor of the commercially available butterscotch chips, so I'm making my own. This probably tells you a lot about me right there... unafraid to sail into uncharted waters when there's something I want.
I'm old enough to know that if I think I know how to do something well, I really don't know anything about it at all.
I've got one chapter of a YA novel written. It sprang from my forehead Venus-like a few months ago, except her name is Ondine. I'm not sure, but I think I might let her take the reins for NaNo. I certainly don't have anything else waiting in the wings.
Should I do it? Could I do it, with your well-aimed butt-kicking helping me sail down the path?
50,101 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2008 - 14 31
Mama,
As a fellow "mama" to four kids, I challenge you to get on the bandwagon and take it for a ride. Let Ondine (is that pronounce Ondeen or Ondine as in eating?) pull some other characters from your forehead and see what develops. I'm venturing a guess that we have just the support that you need here in good old KC, not to mention the fact that Nano is country wide and your Cali. friends could participate as well. (I even have 2 of my kids participating this year-- now that's competition)
I write YA too, and I can tell you for a fact that we need more YA writers on the KC scene. So, will you take my challenge??
B
53,487 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2008 - 14 57
I, VirgoMaiden, will take this offer up to become an adoptee. I'm brand-spankin' new to NaNoWriMo (As in, just learned about it WITHIN THE MONTH) but I am more than interested in having a mentor type person... I think, personally, that it will be beneficiary to me, and I have heard nothing but good stuff about this program so far.
VM
20,852 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2008 - 15 29
...I'm offering myself to get adopted. I know it's super last-minute and all, but I really think that I could benefit from a mentor. I currently have about three ideas that I'm juggling around to use for my novel, and this my first time doing NaNoWriMo, so I don't know which one will be best to use. To know a little about me, I'm a complete band geek at heart with an alter-ego who likes to write. It's very Jekyll & Hyde-esque. (Band geek is Dr. Jekyll. The writer is Mr. Hyde.) I'm looking for someone who I can bounce ideas off, and who will give me feedback on concepts along with giving good pep talks when I'm writhing on the floor on November 26th wondering why I signed up for this.
----------Marching band is like coffee--it's great as long it's not too hot or too cold.
15,513 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2008 - 16 12
VM
If you guys haven't been spoken for, I still have open spaces for active encouragement! Let me know with a NaNoMail message or something... but be warned, I seldom (unless Meowtima browbeats me until I attend) go to Write-Ins... I don't want people to realize I am actually an advanced AI.
----------DIG£ST FOR FR£AKS 小林丸
92,302 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2008 - 16 50
/browbeats Surlaw the Mai
I'm not the coercive type really. Instead, I believe in positive reenforcement. I'll buy you something to drink if you come to Sunday's write-in Surlaw.
----------Where will NaNoWriMo take us?
130,270 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2008 - 03 11
Mamagotcha,
I couldn't tell if BreezyDay was offering to mentor you - she has the new and exciting egh34 (and brainy jello about). If she wasn't, I will throw my invisible hat into the ring. I've written YA a year or two and I can get you across the finish line if you have the will. And anyone who can make their own butterscotch has will.
I learned a lot from BreezyDay last year and if she is your mentor, I'm sure you will do well.
Either way, I think you should definitely go for it. November is for crazy challenges and cranberry (homemade, not that crazy can stuff (though the helpful ridges do make slicing a dream)) dreams.
mike
130,302 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2008 - 03 25
You're pretty convincing, Meowtima--I hope he's not leading you on!
(psst, Surlaw, I think you should be there for him, at least once! Come on out--you can do it! You can sit off to the side a little away, if you don't acclimate quickly to the group climate. It'll be great! Really!)
---
For sure, on-line encouragement is great. But there really is something to be said for face-to-face support and accountability. If you're an adoptee who definitely plans to attend any write-ins, having someone across the table from you urging you on when you're stuck or down, or challenging you to a 10-minute all-out word sprint can make a huge difference in getting that story written. Keep that in mind as you shop for your mentor!
And of course, if you really can't get to a write-in, then on-line is a great way to go. (SunflowerSage has a lot to give!) We just want compatible matchups to help everyone go the distance!
----------poetT / Teri
the ML in the black hat
United States::Missouri::Kansas City metro area
50,101 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2008 - 04 35
I couldn't tell if BreezyDay was offering to mentor you - she has the new and exciting egh34 (and brainy jello about). If she wasn't, I will throw my invisible hat into the ring. I've written YA a year or two and I can get you across the finish line if you have the will. And anyone who can make their own butterscotch has will.
mike
I was merely issuing a challenge from one busy mama to another who sounded like she was sitting on the fence. I'm full up with my adoptee, the great ehg34, not to mention that I am also doing behind the scenes mentoring of my 2 YWP participants. Go for it Mike!
B
15,513 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2008 - 04 35
I will honestly try, that much I can commit to...
----------DIG£ST FOR FR£AKS 小林丸
0 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2008 - 04 57
Okay - I hope I'm not too late. I would be grateful for a mentor, too.
My name's Liz, and I'm a stay at home Mom, but I teach a couple of writing classes each week and I tutor several high school kids. I've been writing for a long time, but my achilles heel is length. I have never managed to get anything over 20 pages finished. The irony is that I have helped/encouraged/guided several other people through novel-length projects, and two of them have gone on to be published! But for myself I always end up letting other things take my attention away, and after a couple of days of neglect anything I come back to looks old and stale and not worth any further effort.
So here I am.
And I would love to have somebody to give me a forehead-flick every once in awhile to spur me on. Or tell me to keep going even if it does suck. (Because it always looks better a couple of months later. Writing is like the opposite of binge-drinking.)
I'm planning on a novel that will be aimed at adults (although I'm jealous of you YA'ers out there - such a great genre.) The structure is kind of Cisneros-ean, which is a term I just made up to mean fractured and episodic but hopefully with a unifying theme and tone. Who knows, though? Maybe on word 1,687 I'll decide to just write until I can't see straight. God, I hope so - that would be great.
Anyway - will anyone take me on? I'll make it to some of the write-ins, although I can't promise which ones. My husband hasn't mastered the bedtime routine yet. I do get two hours to myself every Tuesday night, and I usually leave the house to write because I'm so much more effective away from the siren call of laundry.
0 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2008 - 04 58
Oh - and I meant to add that I know Mamagotcha from another online board, and her baked goods and mochas are LEGENDARY.