Write-a-thon Fundraiser

The November 17th Write-a-thon was a huge success! Thanks to all the authors who came and packed the house and wrote like the wind and ate an unwise amount of candy! Together, we raised over $11,000 for NaNoWriMo and our Young Writers Program.

You can see some photos from the event on our blog and our Flickr pool.

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Behind on your word count? Need a mid-November extravaganza of food, drink, and lots and lots of noveling? Looking for a great excuse to come out to San Francisco? Well, we've got an event for you: the first-annual NaNoWriMo Night of Writing Dangerously.

We stole this idea from the fantastic New York Writers Coalition, and here's how it works:

1. You raise $200 in sponsorships from family or friends. You can do this via your fun, personal Write-a-thon sponsorship page waiting for you at www.firstgiving.com/lettersandlight. (This is what NaNoWriMo Director Chris Baty's Write-a-thon profile looks like.) Or you can just donate $200 your own bad self! There are many roads to the Write-a-thon.
2. As soon as you've raised at least $200, send an RSVP to donations@nanowrimo.org. The ballroom we've rented at the Women's Building in San Francisco can only seat 200 folks, so we have to cut off attendance to the first 200 people who RSVP.
3. Come to the event, which will be held from 6 PM to midnight. Eat dinner. Drink great drinks. Take part in writing challenges and sprints with fellow participants and the NaNoWriMo staff, or just plug in the headphones and lose yourself in noveling abandon for six delicious hours.

The top three fundraisers will walk home with one of the following:

• A brand-new Dell Inspiron 1501 laptop provided by BetterWorld.com
• An AlphaSmart Neo, provided by Renaissance Learning
• A three-day pass to the San Francisco Writers Conference and a pass to the Central Coast Writers' Conference

Everyone who comes to the Write-a-thon will receive:

• A Night of Writing Dangerously tote bag
• A NaNoWriMo 2007 poster
• A copy of Storyist creative writing software (Mac only)
• A copy of PageFour creative writing software (PC only)
• An on-site author photo by photographer Ken Goudey
• A vegetarian pasta and salad dinner by Brett from Rickshaw Stop
• A lively dinnertime talk by Chris Baty entitled "NaNoWriMo: Why do we do this to ourselves?"
• Peets coffee, Mighty Leaf tea, Fuze drinks, Red Bull, and Lagunitas beer and wine
• Oat Cuisine granola snack
• Fresh fruit from the Fruit Guys
• Candy, chocolates, and sweets

And everyone will have a chance to take home:

Eats and Drinks

• Dinner for two at Velo Rouge Café's Radio Africa event in San Francisco

• Lunch for two at Café Madrid in Oakland
• Dinner for two at Olive Restaurant in San Francisco
• Ten $5 gift certificates from Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco
• Tasting and tour for four at Charles Chocolates in Emeryville

Books and Writing Adventures

• Ten subscriptions and issue bundles to the Believer Magazine

• Admission to two writing workshops for adults at 826 Valencia
• A novel-pitch coaching session from Tara Austen Weaver
• Chronicle Books book bundle
• $50 gift certificate from Black Oak Books in Berkeley
• $30 gift certificate to Mrs. Dalloway's books in Oakland
• Subscription to Publisher's Weekly
• Subscription to Writer's Journal
• One journal from Little Otsu
• Ten copies of the No Record anthology, featuring NaNoWriMo authors
• Two sets of writing pajamas and two noveling robes from the Cat's Pajamas
• $50 worth of gift certificates from Best Buy

Experiences

• Day pass for two to Great America Amusement Park

• Day-use pass for two to Vichy Springs Resort in Ukiah
• Tour and tasting for six at the Hangar One vodka factory
• Eleven yoga classes from Yoga Tree
• Bay cruise for two from the Blue and Gold Fleet
• Bay cruise for two from the Red and White Fleet
• Tickets for two to a show at Rickshaw Stop nightclub in San Francisco
• 18 holes of golf, including cart, at the Little River Inn
• Soaps and body goodies from Lush

Culture

• Pass for one to an art class at Root Division

• Admission for two to a Shotgun Players play
• Two VIP passes for two to the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco
• Twenty video rentals from Reel Movies
• Movie passes for two at the Red Vic Movie House in San Francisco
• Movie passes for four at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland
• Movie passes for four at Camera Cinemas in San Jose, Los Gatos, and Campbell
• Membership for two to the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley
• Four movie passes to Landmark Theaters
• Two passes to the Exploratorium
• A Family membership to the de Young that includes unlimited free admission for four adults and children under 18 to the permanent collections of the de Young and Legion of Honor for one year
• Signed picture of San Francisco Giants infielder Pedro Feliz
• Puck signed by San Jose Sharks player Craig Rivet

Write-a-Thon FAQ:

What time is the event?

The event will begin at 6 PM and end at midnight.

When will dinner be served?

7 PM - 8 PM

What is the venue's address?

The Women's Building is located at:

3543 18th St #8
San Francisco, CA 94110

Where can I get directions to the event and where can I park once I'm there?

You can type in your address here to get directions. The Women's Building's website offers parking information.

I would like to carpool. How can I let people know and organize a carpooling schedule with them?

If there isn't one already, create a post in your regional forum about it to coordinate carpool schedule with other local Wrimos.

Is the event close to BART? If so, how late does the BART run?

Yes, the Women's Building is just a few blocks from the 16th street BART station. Check a map of the area to plan your route. Check here to see if the train you need runs late enough. If the train you need leaves too early for you, make sure to check out the All Nighter Bus Service schedule to make sure you can make it back to your destination when the evening is over.

Does the event have an age restriction?

No, the Write-a-Thon is open to all ages.

I've raised my $200, how do I RSVP?

Contact Tavia with a link to your Firstgiving page and let her know you'd like a spot.

I've already donated $200 directly to NaNoWriMo this year. Do I need to raise an additional $200 to attend the Write-a-thon?

No. You're already in! Just RSVP to Tavia.

Will I get the donor goodies, including my halo, offered through the store for my donation level in addition to a spot in the Write-a-Thon?

Yes. The halo will come in December.

How many tickets do we get for the prize drawings?

You automatically get 4 tickets upon entering, and will receive an additional ticket for every $50 raised above your initial $200.

If I leave early, and my name gets drawn for a prize in the raffle, will I still get my prize?

Yes.

Will people be talking loudly at the event?

Possibly. Bring headphones or earplugs to help concentrate on writing dangerously.

The Cheese Board	Grand Lake Movie Theater	Tara Austen Weaver

National Novel Writing Month is a project of the Office of Letters and Light, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations to National Novel Writing Month are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.