University of Birmingham Novelists!

Hi,

I'm 27 and a NaNo-noob, but I work at the Uni instead of studying. I'm not sure I'd be able to make too many meetings as I doubt my boss would allow me to disappear too often, but if you wouldn't mind a staff member coming along too, then I'd be interested.

Regards,
Ginger :-)

First year at Nano? Best of luck! And yeah, it'd be great if you could come along, everyone is welcome! After all we're all equal when it comes to our November pains! ;)

So, if you're a staff member what do you do? As in, what department are you from?

I would love to, but I commute from Yorkshire, so uni tends to be a 12 hour day for me, just to attend lectures. Hanging around afterwards for coffee and a chat just isn't on the menu, because I'd get home even later. So as much as I'd love to, it's a no from me, unless it falls in the period between my train getting me into Birmingham and my lectures.

That's too bad. I'm from the North (Cumbria) so I totally feel you pain. I mean, I don't commute but I can imagine what a pain it would be to do it. No worries though, it's still nice to meet you online!

P.S I read your novel summary by the way and it sounds like a really fun idea, I hope it works out for you! I'd be interested in seeing what happens...

lol. Thanks. It's completely different from what I intended to do - I had intended to write the sequel to last year's NaNo, but Book 1 is in need of a major overhaul and I didn't see the point in writing Book 2 when I haven't got the plot firmly down. So I honestly have no idea where FWTD is going to be going, so it will be fun to see where it goes.

And yeah; I'm in University on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and I usually hit Birmingham at 12pm or 1pm (depending on which train I get on at Manchester), and as my lectures don't start til 2, I have either 1 or 2 hours before my lecture. Fridays are dissertation supervision, so I'm more flexible, but I'm not in every Friday.

I'm aiming kinda low for my first year, am going for 20k and if I go above that, I'll be chuffed (even though it'll technically be a fail if I don't reach 50k). I work full-time and I'm also an Open University student studying for my Literature degree, so it'll be a busy month for me. But hey, might as well give it a shot (I still think I may have actually gone a little insane, lol)

I work for the School of Education, in a support staff/administrative role. I've worked for the Uni for over a year now, in two separate roles, been in this one for about 6 months now. Its a nice place to work; its the kinda Uni I would have liked to attend if I'd gone down that path in my teenage years.

What are you studying?

20k is a good starters goal I reckon. I failed my first year and through aiming too high ended up with nothing useful. Yeah, good idea to start with something workable.

I'm an Ancient History student, and yes, I think I may be a little bit insane too for trying this, but it's been a good experience every year so far so yeah, I can only do my best. I've still got no plot though (urgh!) so we'll see what happens!

Oh, another history peep! I'm a 3rd Year War Studies student, though I transferred from Ancient and Medieval History back in 2006/2007 academic year. I'm a bit ARGH because I'll be writing my dissertation through December (my supervisor wants my draft in for Dec 11th), so it's gonna be busy, but I don't want to NOT give NaNo a go this year.

Hullo,

I work at the university as well (I'm a cataloguer over at the Main Library) and wouldn't mind coming along, depending on times etc. I may have persuaded a colleague to do NaNo as well this year, in which case she might be along as well (even if she doesn't know her luck yet!).

S.

Hi everyone,

I'm also a student at Birmingham, this is my first year doing Nano and I'm not really sure what to expect, but once I found out about it I really had to sign up, so we'll see how it goes! I live in Leamington, and I'm not on campus that often, but I can do Mondays and every other Friday, if you'd have me :)

"Never stop being angry." - Henry Rollins.

Hello there! I'm another Ancient History student! What year are you in? I've done it a couple of times but only won once, so fingers crossed for this year.

I'm always up for meeting up. Also, just a note to all students there's a creative writing society C.R.A.W.L Soc which we're just starting up again with a new committee. First meeting 3pm this Monday in the Green room. If anyone comes along come say hi to me - just yell our NaNoWriMo and I'll find you :-D

_________

NaNoWriMo 09: The Price of a Stamp (Adventure)
NaNoWriMo 07: Dreaming of Home (Fantasy)
NaNoWriMo 06: Prisoner of Duty (Historical)

No way! What are the chances of finding another Ancient History student doing Nano! I'm only a first year though so it's still pretty much all new to me. This is my 3rd Nano though, so in that sense I'm not a beginner. ^_^

C.R.A.W.L sounds awesome! I'd love to come along! I'll have to go from person to person and whisper conspiratorially that I'm a Nano novelist. It'll be like one of those secret code words in the old spy movies lol. So, where's the green room? Being a uni noob makes it impossible for me to ever find things without a set of idiot proof instuctions >_<;

I was quite shocked too! You're making me feel old now, I keep getting asked for advice for things like study tour which just make me feel ancient :-( (I'm in 3rd year, by the way!)

Lol I'll be one of the people at the front of the room bouncing up and down with writerly excitement :-D As for precise instructions, go into the Guild, up the steps to reception then up again, turn right and it's the first door on the right, hopefully full of crazy writers. Since the group's kind of taken a sabbatical we're going to be talking about what people want out of a writing group. Though at the moment I'll probably be spending the meetings quietly NaNoing in the corner...

_________

NaNoWriMo 09: The Price of a Stamp (Adventure)
NaNoWriMo 07: Dreaming of Home (Fantasy)
NaNoWriMo 06: Prisoner of Duty (Historical)

Aww, I can't make 3pm, I'll be crunching numbers, and I can only take lunch-breaks between 12pm and 2pm. If its for students, I'm not sure it'll be the thing for me, but if fairly young(ish) staff are allowed to come along, then I'd be interested. I'm not sure where the Green Room is, I only know a couple of buildings and the Bratby Bar.

Ginge :-)

I'm not a student there, but I live on the Bristol Road, so dropping by UoB would be a doddle. I don't really have many excuses to do so these days, plus I'm pretty much entirely idea-less. :)

I would LOVE to join a writing society! I was looking for one at the societies fayre this year but couldnt see one :( how often are meetings? I'm in lectures 10-4 pretty much every day :-(

oh, and was wondering whether people have s truggled completing nano and keeping on top of work whilst at uni? First year nursing student so i have an awful lot to do.

Sarah

I'm very, very keen to belong to a novel writing group and hope that something appropriate will emerge from all this. I'm not a member of the University, but I am an old boy as it were having studied, drunk and worked there.

There is such a group affiliated to NaNo: the Burning Quills.

Cheers,

David.

Hi
This is my first year Nano-ing, though I have written a couple of novels and short stories just for the fun of it.
I am a first year Chem with a Modern Language student and LOVE the sound of the writing group, I love writing and have written several stories by myself and with a friend of mine.
When is the next meeting??

Could non-students come along?

Yay people want to join CRAWL Soc :-D Meetings will be Mondays and Wednesdays 4-6pm (because no one could agree on a time, and this way hopefully most people can make once a week! Though I'm going to be sad and turn up to both if I can...). We're also having an AGM this Monday 3-5 to vote on the new committee. Nanomail me if you want to know more about meetings or AGM.

I'm not sure about non-students - I know it's possible if you become an external member of the guild, but I'm not sure if you need to be an ex-Brum student for that. If anyone wants to know then I'm sure I can check it out with the guild next week.

_________

NaNoWriMo 09: The Price of a Stamp (Adventure)
NaNoWriMo 07: Dreaming of Home (Fantasy)
NaNoWriMo 06: Prisoner of Duty (Historical)

I should be free for at least one meeting a week, possibly both, depending on whether I have labs.
The meetings are in the Green Room right?
What is AGM?

An AGM is an Annual General Meeting, where groups and societies tend to do things like vote on the people who'll run things for the next year and making changes to the society, stuff like that. Rooms are changing every week (we booked things quite late so we had to take what we could get!) - the AGM is in Rosa Parks I think, but after that it gets a bit complicated. If people do want to know more then just give me your email address and I can send you the huge email I sent round the other day.

_________

NaNoWriMo 09: The Price of a Stamp (Adventure)
NaNoWriMo 07: Dreaming of Home (Fantasy)
NaNoWriMo 06: Prisoner of Duty (Historical)

Hi just found this thread, I'm a student at Birmingham Uni as well, slightly freaked out by the enormity of what I've signed myself up for... so, hi I guess!

Hi there helen b! It's not as scary as it sounds...really. Not that I'm an expert, but I can at least pretend to be one hidden behind the confines of a beautifully formatted plot :-)

I was just thinking, since there seem to be a few of us at the Uni, or at least within walking distance, does anyone fancy having a mini-kick of party? Maybe on campus, or at the Goose on Bristol Road or something?

_________

NaNoWriMo 09: The Price of a Stamp (Adventure)
NaNoWriMo 07: Dreaming of Home (Fantasy)
NaNoWriMo 06: Prisoner of Duty (Historical)

Hi

So glad that there are a number of you wishing to meet up, I just want to let you know that if you are meeting and that, can you try not to do it on any of the offcial meet ups, since some may want to come to those.

Good Luck on your NaNo Novels!

Sue

Love is Love, who are we to judge if it is right or wrong.

The Burning Quills

2007 - WIN - Death's Messenger: The Journey Starts
2008 - WIN - Death's Messenger: The Journey Continues
2009 - WSS - Kaspia War Trilogy

Oh sorry, didn't mean it to sound like that at all! I want to come to some official meet ups myself, so I did mean on a different day :-)

_________

NaNoWriMo 09: The Price of a Stamp (Adventure)
NaNoWriMo 07: Dreaming of Home (Fantasy)
NaNoWriMo 06: Prisoner of Duty (Historical)

Coolies

:D Everyone seems so active this year, its great! Everyone wants to meet everywhere, it's soooo awsome, :D

HAVE FUN!!!!

sue

Love is Love, who are we to judge if it is right or wrong.

The Burning Quills

2007 - WIN - Death's Messenger: The Journey Starts
2008 - WIN - Death's Messenger: The Journey Continues
2009 - WSS - Kaspia War Trilogy

I heartily endorse this event or product. It's just a question of When. 8D

Meeting up on campus might be good as I'm at the Vale.
Can't wait to get writing!

yeah sounds good, I live in Vicky Halls so it's pretty easy for me to get to wherever...