United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

[STICKY] Weekly NaNo Write-Ins!

Andy Faraci — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:25:15 -0700

Announcing our weekly NaNo Write-In's!

We've got two locations this year:

The Rowley Public Library on Wednesdays every week in November, from 5:30pm to approx. 8pm. The library is accessible via Route 1a / 128 (which its located on) and also Route 1 and 95.

We have use of one of their smaller meeting rooms that can hold around ten people, but I've spoken to the librarians there and they've agreed to let us "sprawl out" a little in case more room is needed.

Nearby are a bunch of restaraunts like Mcdonalds, Dunkin' Donuts and the Agawam Diner (which has great pie!) in case you get hungry or feel like bringing food with you to meets.

It's a beautiful and quiet library with a great children's area if anyone has to bring their kids and a quiet reading area with internet access if we have SOs or rides that have to stick around while we write.

Our second weekly meetings will be at the Panera Bread in Beverly every Saturday from 2pm to 5pm. This is where our Kick Off Meeting was held on November 1st.

Here is our Google Regional Calender in case you'd like a print out or visual representation of when and where our Meet Ups will be held. You can also search for it under "North Shore Mass NaNoWriMo Monthly Meetings".

If you need directions, help, or need to arrange a ride with one of your fellow NaNo Writers, please post here and I'm more than happy to help you guys out.

Here's to a great November!
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

I Wrote A Novel - Now What? and post-NaNo discussion

Andy Faraci — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 18:52:12 -0800

It's December 1st everybody, and that can only mean one thing: it's over. A month of hard work and dedicated brow sweat, and here you sit with a fifty thousand word novel on your hands and no clue what to do with it. So now what?

Thankfully, NaNoWriMo is as helpful as ever. They've put together a web page full of information for the post-November year, which includes advice on what to do next (Editing! Re-writing!) a free code to get a published copy of your book sent to you, and other events going on through the year. You can find it here and on the front page of the NaNoWriMo homepage under the title, "I Wrote A Novel - Now What?".

What about us North Shore folk?

Our Thank God Its Over Party is this Saturday, December 6th, 2pm to 5pm at Panera Bread. It won't be a formal affair, I swear! The only plan is to relax, celebrate our accomplishments (because even working on a novel is worth accolades!) and have a little fun. It's a lot of work to stress out your brain muscle to try and get it to write some creative fiction, so by golly, we're going to give it something to celebrate too.

I would like it if people could RSVP me either through NaNo mail or my regular email; a headcount will be useful in determining how many people I should be watching out for :)

After that, the North Shore group will be taking its time away to, well, relax, focus back on the other important aspects of our lives, and go back to doing whatever it was that we did before this madness called NaNo started up. If you have any questions over the course of the year regarding NaNo, writing, or chatting about your book, I'll be checking my email and watching over these boards just in case.

This has been a great experience for me and I hope that it was the same for all of you. You were a great bunch of people to write with and I'm excited to see where next year will take us. I've discovered that we have a few Young Writer directors in our midst and I'm hopeful to maybe see if we can work things out with them for next year, as well as maybe getting some of the local libraries involved as well. I know that when I spoke to the librarian at the Rowley Library, she was really excited to have us using their library for such a beneficial project.

I hope to see you guys on Saturday! And I hope to see you again next year! Thanks guys!

Andy
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

NaNo Complete for 2008

Andy Faraci — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 04:05:55 -0800

Well, how did it go guys? How was the last month for you?
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Last Chance Write Out and Thank God It's Over Party Announcement!

Andy Faraci — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 09:10:56 -0800

It's the final push everyone!

I hope that you're all doing great with your novels! I've been looking at your word counts and I'm excited with what I'm seeing! You guys have been making great strides at getting to that 50k goal - I'm hoping to see lots of you hitting the mark before November 30th.

I just wanted to do a quick email to give you all an update and an announcement regarding the last write in for the month as well as our Thank God Its Over Party (TGIOP).

We're blessed with a Saturday right before the end of the month, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to declare the last Saturday Write In as a Last Chance Write Out Party. Maybe your word count is low or maybe you need some encouragement to get over that last five thousand word count hump. Come down on Saturday where I'll be hosting word wars and lots of silent writing time to help you hit your word goal. Or, at the very least you'll be able to add some padding to that novel you've been working hard all month on...

And the Saturday after that will be our Thank God Its Over party, celebrating the end of a month's worth of hard work. This time we won't be writing though - I'll be bringing down some board games for everyone to enjoy and passing out some prizes to you hard working souls that really put your hearts into your month long work. I'll be there from 2pm until around 5pm, or whenever we finally decide to drift off on our own.

I'm really hoping to see a good turn out for both of these events. The Write Out will help get you over your hump - the Party will help de-stress you afterwards. Think of it as seeing the finish line just up ahead and the spaghetti party going on right after it!

Hope to see you guys there!

Andy
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Keep pushing everyone and TGIO Party question

Hindsight80 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:13:21 -0800

Hello fellow NaNoWriMo's on the North Shore!
I just wanted to wish you all the best on this final push weekend! I hope that many of you do get to go to the last group write in event today. I won't be able to make it. In fact, I haven't made it to one, despite the fact that you meet right down the street from me at Patnera in Beverly. I'm in Danvers, close to the line.

Yet you are all with me in spirit. I feel the energy! I made my 50K on Nov 25th and am now at almost 57K. I typed The End this morning! Today is the Big Day when I have my most biased yet honest reader, my husband, take a gander at my work.

I've loved every minute of this month, and I'd rather have a Lets Looks Forward to NaNoEdMo party in February than a TGIO Party- because I'm not glad it's over!

In any event- I hope you all do finish today and I'm sending huge thought waves in the direction of Beverly so if any previously unsought after words enter your brain zone, give them a try! They are from me!

I did read the post about the party, but I'm not sure if it is at Pantera or the Rowley Library? See, when you miss the meetings like me, you have to ask the questions later! I'd love to try to be there! Next question-- are spouses allowed to attend or is it only the actual writers? My husband would want to bring me, but I can always make him go sit in a corner and drink coffee and eat on his own!

Keep on writing!

Laura
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Celebrating for nanoers 21+

e minor — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:48:08 -0800

Thank you to our ML for all the encouragement and organizing the write-ins and everything.

I am personally absolutely shocked that I have gotten to this point in my book in less than a month. My total page count last year= 6. I broke 100 pages this weekend! Did not know I had it in me! I would love to meet up with some of you all next week for a celebratory adult beverage, if anyone else is interested in such things after our hard work. What do you think?

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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

The kids are writing too!

SweaterGrrrl — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:57:22 -0800

I wanted to show off the awesome Young Writers group that are participating in NaNo in my library. The kids are totally excited about writing, and want to continue after November. See pics here:

http://www.newburyportpl.org/teen_loft/photo_gallery/11-nanowrimo/detail

Sorry for the dizzying array when you scroll over the photos--I think the web designers were showing off their skills.

The grown-up in the purple shirt is me, and I'm usually a lot more enthusiastic, but it was the day after Election Day and I had stayed up pretty late the night before.

SweaterGrrrl
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SweaterGrrrl

United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

NaNoWriMo Rebels

Andy Faraci — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:41:03 -0800

Okay you bad boys and girls of the North Shore region, plugging away at novels or cookbooks or what have you that don't exactly fit into the whole scheme of NaNoWriMo, listen up:

I don't care if you're rebelling. I'm not going to pressure you, especially right now, to change it up and make it "fit" into the NaNoWriMo rulebook. Rules are a great way for you to get creative, trying to "fix" your vision into whatever parameters are set up. Some of the world's most interesting art has been created simply because a painter was missing a particular shade of paint, for instance. But as the saying goes, some rules are meant to be bent or, when need be, broken.

So write your cookbooks, your non-fiction books, don't worry about your word count, *whatever*, just work as hard as you can at it. As I said at one of the write-ins, if you can pull off a whole cookbook in a month (which includes throwing together ingredients and urgently flailing away at a notebook as you do) congratulations. If your word count comes anywhere near 50k, or it's a finished story, or again, whatever, just show it to me by the 30th and we'll be all set, okay?

I only say this because I've talked to two of you over the course of the last week regarding it, and I thought that I should make it clear in case other people are being silent about what they're writing. I support the act of writing, and that's all that really matters to me.

Now get back to work :)
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

I know that it's been quiet..

Andy Faraci — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:55:58 -0800

So how is your writing going? We've been silent for a couple of days now so I'm hoping that it's because people are putting their noses to the grindstone and working hard on their novels. There was some good writing done last night at the library, but that's about it for news on my end.

What's everyone been up to? How is the word count coming? Any frustrations, problems, or blocks in the way?
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Writing at Jaho's in Salem

luciendesar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:13:15 -0800

My gf and I will be at Jaho Coffee & Tea 197 Derby Street Salem, MA on Thursday 11/20 @7:30pm. Not sure if any of you are in the area or not want to meet. I like the vibe of the place and I have been doing some writing there. I'll be wearing a black t-shirt and jeans (trying to pretend I am Neil Gaiman ;) )

-Lucien

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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Anyone else starting to freak out? What are the challenges you're facing?

sararoth — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 17:49:14 -0800

Hi guys,

I come check the boards often, but we haven't really been talking to each other very much. I'm hoping that maybe we could change that.

I picked the North Shore group as my home region instead of Boston specifically because I wanted a smaller group. I thought that with 200 people instead of 2000 we would have more of a sense of community.

So, I'm going to start an new topic and hope some people join in. :-)

It's 11/6. By the end of the day, we are supposed to be at 10000 words. I am over 12000 now and hope to be at 13000 before midnight. This may seem like I'm ahead of the game, but I just realized that I am barely going to have any time to write after I get back from my vacation, so I am officially freaking out.

So here is the challenge I'm facing. I'll be leaving for NJ on 11/17 (my birthday!) and flying to St. Maarten on 11/19. I'll fly back to NJ on 11/26 just in time for Thanksgiving. I won't be back in my own home until 11/28, with only 2 and a half days to go. All of a sudden, 3000 words ahead does NOT seem like enough.

I know I shouldn't be bitching about a Caribbean vacation, and I am totally excited about it. But it is the reason I'm currently freaking out.

So why are you? :-)

Sara
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Greater Newburyport

SweaterGrrrl — Wed, 8 Oct 2008 08:32:07 -0700

I would love to meet with any other writers at a coffee shop or whatever in the Newburyport area.

Best times for me are:
Friday afternoon and evening
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday evenings.

Anyone up for it?
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SweaterGrrrl

United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Mid week meet to write Peabody location

CailinL — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:33:18 -0800

Hi all,

Anyone interested in meeting up for some writing time at either Barnes & Nobles or Borders in Peabody.
Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday evening for a couple of hours?

Let me know

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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

For those of you interested in having a hardcopy of your NaNo books...

Andy Faraci — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:02:07 -0800

Did you guys check out the NaNo homepage this morning? In it they've announced that through Createspace, you're eligible to receive a free proof copy of your book in paperback form. Which is pretty awesome, because I know that a few of you guys have asked me about this earlier this month.

So. Keep an eye on the Special Offers page and I'll keep you updated if I can anything official through my channels.

Keep up the good work everyone!
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

So, who's going to Beverly tomorrow?

sararoth — Fri, 7 Nov 2008 15:07:26 -0800

Hi all,

I said I probably wasn't going to come to any of the write-ins, but I've been thinking that maybe I'll go tomorrow. I usually need quiet to write, so I'm not sure I'll be able to get anything done, but it would be nice to meet some of you.

So, who's in? :-)

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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Lets introduce ourselves!

Andy Faraci — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:29:57 -0700

Okay. I spent some time looking around at our region, and I noticed that we have a whole lot of people who have themselves assigned to the North Shore - but I don't see many of them posting on here!

One of my goals as ML this year is to build a network of North Shore writers that can rely on each other when we need a little encouragement or someone to help us get over a rough patch in our novels. One of the first steps should be that we introduce ourselves to each other - it'll help connect everyone together and get everyone *excited* to start writing on November 1st!

I already introduced myself in my ML introduction post (ironic :)) but I'll give a summary: my name is Andy, this is my third year participating in NaNoWriMo, and I enjoy writing fantasy, romance, and horror. This year I'm trying something new by straying as far away from my comfort zone as I can and writing something far and away from anything I've written previously. And this year I'm going to not just hit the 50k word goal, but to actually finish a novel for once!

So how about you? What are your goals for this year's NaNo? Is this your first year? Your second? Third? Have you finished NaNo before? Struggled every year?

If you're new and not sure exactly where to get started, please use this thread to introduce yourself to everyone. If you're a seasoned veteran of the NaNo scene, what brought you back to NaNo and what advice can you give to the new folks?

I'm really hoping that over the course of November we can help each other achieve not only the 50k word mark, but whatever other writing goals we've set for ourselves by the end of the month. I know we can do it - we've got a great group of people in the area - so let's try our hardest to make this a successful year for the North Shore!
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Wil Wheaton suggests...

Andy Faraci — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 04:16:23 -0800

Reading my morning blogs (hey, it's what I do) I found that Wil Wheaton's got a list of resources that I found useful in encouraging myself to keep motivated all the way through NaNoWriMo. So I thought, "hey, my NaNo folk might enjoy this too!" so I figured I'd put the link to his blog out there and let you guys think it out. It includes links to Neil Gaiman, John Scalzi, and a bunch of other people that are trying to tell you that hey, this too shall pass.

Here's the link to his blog.

But who's Wil Wheaton? some of you may be asking. Well, for the older among us, you may remember Wil as one of those cute kids in Stand By Me. If you were a Trekkie, you might remember him as Wesley Crusher from Next Generation. Currently he's actor doing small parts in larger shows like Criminal Minds and Numb3rs and basically doing a bunch of voices in animated cartoons.

More importantly, he's a thrice published author who's also written a *ton* of stuff all over the place, from poker commentor to editor to column writer to novelist and I've followed his stuff a lot since finding his blog a few years back.

Wow. This got longer than I think I wanted it to be. Summation: You should read this post. I found it very enlightening and encouraging, and it's the sort of thing that I think my fellow NaNo folk would enjoy.

So - enjoy!
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Another Update Post

Andy Faraci — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 05:18:01 -0800

Good morning fellow North Shore NaNo folk!

Saturday's Meet and Greet slash Write In was a great success! There were a lot more people than I expected, and it seemed to go off pretty well once we figured out a seating arrangment . I'm happy that the location seemed to really work for everyone, and I was very excited to meet all of you.

Because of that success, I've decided to make the Panera Meet Ups weekly, same time, same place. In fact, you can check up on when all of our meetings are on the handy Google Calender I've set up for reference!

Notice that I've had to make two slight alterations to two of our meetings though. The Panera meet up on the 15th has been moved to November 16th, same place, same time (2pm to 5pm). Also, the Rowley Library meet up on the 19th has been moved to the 18th to accomodate the holiday.

And I know that there's also interest in holding a meet up for southern North Shore folk at the Borders in Peabody. I probably won't be able to attend these, but I know that it would be helpful for those of you that find Rowley too long a drive. When would you like to have the meetings? I'll set it up on the calender when we get something hashed out.

I still have to plan our Thank God Its Over party at the end of the month; watch for an update regarding that soon.

I'm sorry to hear that some of you came to Panera on Saturday but were unable to find us. This is my fault; my only signage was a hard to see sign written on an index card in blue pen. So! More signage next time, and just remember that I'm going to try and keep the group in one of the front corners of the store, by the windows. Really, just look for the Nicktoons wrapped box and you'll find me sitting near it.

There was also a problem with power outlets for laptops, so if anyone has a power strip that they could kindly lend us for the duration of the meet ins on Saturdays, that would be really appreciated.

I mentioned free publishing through lulu.com for NaNo writers on Saturday; I'll put up information on this later this afternoon.

Finally, I'd like to start up an email list so that I can send information out to people when and if needed. This way I won't be so reliant on the NaNoWriMo website and won't have to abuse the ML mailing list. Please post an email address that you check often or email me at ravensmuse@gmail.com. My first email will involve the list of names we wrote up on Saturday.

I think that's about it. I'm excited to see everyone at our next meet up on Wednesday at the Rowley Library!
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Creative Break that could unlock something?

kimeepower — Sun, 2 Nov 2008 23:04:58 -0800

Hi there:

This year I am going to incorporate my favorite thing to do with my writing. I figured I would share with you in hopes that maybe this will help you too. I create SoulCollage cards. This year I am writing a story from the perspective of a few of my cards. Ok SoulCollage cards - um, think a Tarot deck, but your own, made up of your own essence. You make a card for each aspect of yourself. Some parts are suppressed & don't get to "talk" much. That is the case with me. That is why I thought I would go with that concept.

If this sounds interesting, knowing full well that it is even better since I didn't explain it too good, then I'd love to talk to you. On November 12th, I am hosting a Meetup in Malden (Oak Grove T station). It might be the creative break you need. For more information you can go to the Meetup site, http://collage.meetup.com/106/, or http://www.soulcollageworkshop.com to find out about other upcoming events.

Kimee

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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Panera Bread Nov 1st meet

CailinL — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:37:43 -0700

Hi Andy,

I've never been to Panera in Beverly and I'm planning on maybe getting there a little early to relax, do some writing. I have a bunch of errands I have to do in the morning, so I figured just head over there after and fit a little more writing time in
Is there a particular section inside we are supposed to be sitting?

Cailin
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Online Meet And Greet (Another Update!)

Andy Faraci — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:02:32 -0700

Tonight will be our online meet and greet, from 5pm to 8pm or whenever people stop chatting :)

Unfortunately, not everything was working the way I wanted it to with the NaNo chatroom service, so instead I've moved our Meet and Greet over to a chatservice on *another* website, Chatzy.com. I've been testing this out this afternoon, and it's easy to use.

How to Log On:

1. Click this link.
2. GIve yourself a Login name. This does not have to be your forum handle, but please introduce yourself when you come in.
3. Click "Enter" and you'll see the chatroom, but won't be able to speak.
4. Click "Login" and from there, you should be all set to start chatting!

I've tested this service on Internet Explorer, Firefox, *and* Google Chrome, so there shouldn't be any problems.

And that's it! The room will be open from 5pm to 8pm like I said, and we'll be spending the time chatting and getting to know one another.

Any questions or concerns, I am easily contacted through here, through my NaNo mail, through my gmail (ravensmuse@gmail.com), or by AIM at arist raven.

Hope to see you guys there soon!
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

It's only a few days away...

Andy Faraci — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:20:19 -0700

How's everyone feeling? Excited? Nervous? Scared? Got all of your outlines ready, your character guides all alphabetized, your index cards indexed?

I know that I'm going crazy trying to pack a whole bunch of different things into the last few days so that I can focus wholly on NaNoWriMo. How are you guys handling these last few days?
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Advice from a literary professor friend

luciendesar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:17:53 -0700

After I decided to participate in NANO I sent an email to a friend of mine who is a professor of literature at SUNY. This was the advice he gave me (perhaps it might help you):

"So LUCIEN, You've Decided to Write a Novel in a MONTH? I do have a few suggestions, but adapt any that don't fit you.

First, congratulate yourself for committing yourself to the labor.

Second, plan your writing schedule. Depending on the person, mornings are best if you procrastinate. If you need to write 50,000 works for the contest, that 1,600.666666666666667 words a day, then knowing they are done is what you want most. Revision takes a lot of time afterward, so Git-R-Done! Evenings are OK ... for non-procrastinators who apply material from the day. Someone like George Saunders (and I've known others) wrote at work in his cubical. Be ruthless! Those words are why you eat breakfast in the morning!

Then plan your story, and by story, I mean characters and setting. You must know these people and places well not daydream them on the spot. Remember why others might want to meet these people and live in these settings--this does not mean others will have to like them. People like to watch the troubled souls in ... the world often more than the common person. (That's partially why Aristotle said, Kings should be protagonists. Kings tend to make a lot of mistake!)

Next, plot. Writing a novel is like running a marathon! You will hit the wall where you have no energy left. It usually happens around 50-60 pages. So write out your dramatic questions before you start. A dramatic question is a YES/NO answer that will be answered by the end of the story. For example, will the ... boy find his mother? Will the widower marry her childhood sweetheart? Will your character(s) save the world (from a nuclear explosion)? [This is the NBC Heroes question.] Conflict and complications will come from the interesting obstacles that get in your protagonists' way and can be added while you write. Remember, BE MEAN to your characters: don't be a protective parent. Instead, trust that THEY WILL BE OK in the end. Even when characters die, if they come to that plot point through their own efforts and not simply accident, they are heroes! They don't have to save the day or themselves, but act to the best of their abilities.

When in doubt about plot, review your dramatic question, and return to characters, setting and description. Fiction is a symphony with different pacing and different sections. Don't save your best stuff; use it early to push the drama. You can always go back and add details and description as long as it follows two basic rules: Write to show character or advance the plot.

Make sure you are connected to a writing community. Checking a message board, listserv, or posts from a fellow writer working on their own project is motivating, but don't do it instead of writing. Writers do not really write in isolation. They write in collaboration with words and the world. Other people can provide friendly or fierce competition. Whatever level you need, set it up in advance.

Final thought... —a month is not realistic, and that's the point! Many writers could write a "good enough" novel in their lives, but don't because their imagination doesn't match their daily tools and progress. The first novels were picaresque, so pick something episodic. If you want to align your work with current events, all the better! Let your character begin his/her life at the start of the worst economic times since the depression (or better yet, the Revolutionary War). Fictionalize daily details into your story, then each day the newspaper feed to the NY Times can become relevant material for your 1,666.66666666666667 words.
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

Writing Genre's

CailinL — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:45:12 -0700

Hi All,

Just curious, what genre others are planning to be working on for this, and what genre everyone writes in general
I write historical romance. Currently have been working on a revision that is taking me forever, but this is giving me a good reason to take a break from it and write 50,000 new words to a new story.

I've had this time travel that starts in the Bermuda triangle in 1809 and jumps to 2008 or 09 haven't decided yet.

Love to hear what everyone else is going to be working on.

Bobbi
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United States :: Massachusetts :: North Shore

outlining

CailinL — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:42:04 -0700

Hi All,

Where this is my first time doing NaNO, was curious how many outline vs seat of pants writing.
How many of you do detailed outlines before the November 1st start date of actual writing?
I'd be interested in hearing people's thoughts and opinions

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