Introductions

Hola!

My name is Deborah, and I'm a freshman right now at UMich. This is my... Fourth year of Nanowrimo? I haven't won since my first year though (the other two years I failed at just under 30k words), so I'm trying to win again!

I currently have uh, the start of a plt, so I guess as I write, I'll see how things turn out.

Yo,

I'm Jordan, and I'm actually in Ypsi (in the EMU dorms ^_^) but since there isnt actually a region for Ypsilanti, MI, I decided to join the Ann Arbor region. I'm a freshman, this is going to be my fifth year doing NaNo, and hopefully my fourth win! The first year I didn't do so well, but we'll forget about that....

I have absolutely no plot or characters, but I heard a song the other day I may decide to loosely base the novel around... lol we'll see. I'm totally pumped for November as well, and if there are any other EMU students, be sure to give me a shout! ^_^

Hi, I'm Mike. I've been living in Ann Arbor for a little under a year. I've done NaNo for 3 of the past 4 years and failed every time. Of course for some reason I keep signing up anyway.

In previous years I've mostly tried to wing it based on a general story idea since this is how I usually work on short fiction. Of course this doesn't translate well to 50,000 words. This year I intend to be more diligent about outlining plot and character points before November 1st so I have a better skeleton to work with.

Hello NaNoWriMo's!

I'm Kelly Jo and I live in Whitmore Lake. I tried and failed last year to write a novel, but this year is it! No more procrastination! Really, I *swear*. ;)

I already have some framework for my novel and have a few scenes drafted already because they popped into my head and I had to get them down.

I look forward to chatting and perhaps meeting with some of you as we get to work!

---Kelly Jo, ecrivain mere

Hi, I'm Sharon and I live in Whitmore Lake. (Sounds like a confession at a 12 Step meeting!)

This is my first time giving this a try. I looked into it last year, but since I normally write poetry or just journal about my life, I did not have the confidence to try writing a novel. This year, I say, "What the heck!"

Have a very loose idea of a framework for a story. Extremely loose, bare bones 2 x 4 framework, yes, I know. But I have made no promises to myself that this has to be quality writing, so let the writing begin.

Looking forward to this! :)

Hi!

I'm Jo and I live in Whitmore Lake. I fell in love with telling stories through words from the time I actually use a pencil and paper. In fact, throughout grade school and high school, I wrote everything from poems to short novels to my very own newspaper. But after college, I became so immersed in my job, I completely abandoned what used to make me so happy. At work, I crank projects out like a robot. But creative writing and I have a love-hate relationship. Nothing produces the kind of satisfaction that a completed story brings but the journey is hard and I guess I've been scared to put on my writer's cap now that I'm a grownup.:) I need this deadline to force me out of my comfort zone and just write!! I guess it was easier to bury myself in work than tackle writing and other personal goals. So, this month, I made my mind up. Now I leave the office at a reasonable time, reminding myself that it will all be there tomorrow. And you know what? Forcing myself to finish projects so there’s no opportunity for late night or weekend work has actually improved my productivity on the job. I’ll always pour a lot of myself into my work but now I’ve realized that I can’t let it sacrifice my own goals. I'm so looking forward to the support of this group to push forward to achieve our goal!!

I'm Jess, and this is my 6th NaNo. First two years--EPIC FAIL! The last three have been okay. In '06 I even finished the novel, making it to my very slim folder of completed works. This year, I want to finish something again. ...I just don't know what to write.

Deborah, are you in Animania?

Hey,

My name is Jacky and I live in South Lyon. This is my fifth year of NaNo, and I'm hoping to make my average a little better this year by winning 2 of 5 instead of 1 in 4.

Right now, I'm just trying to figure out some semblance of a plot so that I'm not completely in the dark come November 1st.

I'm looking forward to meeting at least some of you at some write-ins. Good luck to everyone

I'm Tiffany and I live in Waterford, but I spend an awful lot of time in Ann Arbor when I'm not working.

This is my I-don't-knowth year of NaNo, and I've only managed the full count once. I plan on making that twice with this year. However, I have like no plot ideas at all that I think I can pull into 50K. Still got a little time, so keep your fingers crossed. ^_^

Hi

My name is Rishi, and I lived in Ann Arbor until last year, so I thought it would be good to join the Ann Arbor group. This is my first NaNoWriMo, so I'm kinda nervous... Anyways, I hope to at least get to 20 K words.

Hi, I'm Jeanne. I took the plunge and signed up today for the first time. Seems like it could be just what I need to get my butt moving. I'm hopeful that making this commitment, knowing that thousands of others are doing the same, will give me the push that I need to get beyond all the fears, critical voices, middle-aged angst, blah blah blah.

Hi everyone,

I'm Thomas; I'm another freshman at UofM (go Blue!). I did NaNo in 2006, but didn't dedicate enough time to it. Despite a busy schedule this year, I think I have a better chance of succeeding.

Hi, I'm Glee. I live outside Ann Arbor between everything. I've been a NaNo-er for a while now. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes "real Life" intervenes. It's OK as long as I'm writing. I have a two-novel epic in progress. I hope to use NaNo to get volume I finished and a start on Vol II. I've been the Municipal Laison for a number of years. This year I thought I would take a rest and let someone else enjoy the pleasure. If no-one volunteers, I will resume.

Glee
author of Code Word Haven and New City

I'm Jessi. :) This is my third year doing NaNo and I think I'm finally ready to connect with people who are close to me. I'm looking forward to write-ins and kick-off parties.

My novel idea is the same as last year - I scrapped it and kept building all throughout this year. I'm finally excited about it and can't wait to write.

*nerdy* =P

Hi!
I'm Shiru and I live in Ypsilanti, MI.
This will be my third year doing Nanowrimo and hopefully the year I win! First year I got aBOUT 4k Lat year I got about 28K, so if the trend holds- I'll be winning!
I've got some ideas about what I'll be doing- it'll be a continuation of last year's novel. ^^ First, I have to go over last year's novel and figure out what I actually wrote. But I'm excited. ^^

To Jordan (fotwini)
I'm Shiru and I also live in the Ypsi area. ^^ (Not an EMU student though. Went to CUAA, but now I'm taking some time off.)
Maybe we could have our own Ypsi meet/write-ups?

Hi, on line I tend to be known as JD, my real life name seems to be Mom. I live in Ypsi and I'm old old old, my daughter is thinking of signing up this year.

I have never done this before. My husband hate the idea but my friends told me to go for it. I have never finished a book. I have been writing for 33 years. Not well.

So we will see. Oh, I'm in Ypsi too. Seemed more reasonable than joining Detroit group.

Hullo all,

I'm Sharon. This will be my second year of NaNoing. Last year I got to about 35k on my novel. If I'd been able to count all the writing I had to do for my senior thesis that month, I probably would have gotten a lot closer. It was still way more novel than I had ever written before, so I was quite pleased with myself. I also met cool people along the way and throughly enjoyed myself. This year there is no school (I graduated, whoo!) just a crappy job to suck time. I am hopeful.

Last year's story was a sci-fi epic about two cyborgs that got lost somewhere in all the details and descriptions. This year I might start it over again, using last year's version for reference. Alternately I may take up the cast and setting of a short story I wrote earlier this year and write something new about them. It was a Victorian era based fantasy/mystery story, my first foray into who-dun-it land, and a lot of fun to write. Or I may still come up with some other idea before Nov. 1st. Time will tell.

Hi,
Since I'm on the east side of A2, I'm glad to see some Ypsi folks, and would happily come to any meet-ups in Ypsi.

Hi, I'm Jaydin. This is my first year at NaNoWriMo, but I hope it won't be my last. I'm thirteen - so I don't quite think I'll make 50,000 words but...hey, I can try, right? I'm in 8th grade, and I live in a suburb between Detroit and Ann Arbor that's so small we aren't even on the weather map. I just joined both, but I go to Ann Arbor more than Detroit, since my aunt is currently staying in Ann Arbor.

Nice to meet everyone, it seems fairly friendly.

Hi! My name is Andrew. I'm in tenth grade at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. This is my first year of NaNoWriMo. My girlfriend, who participated last year, encouraged me to do it too, but I didn't get around to it until this year. I have a rough idea of where my novel might go, but I'll probably end up making most of it up on the way. I hope I come somewhere close to 50,000 words by the end of next month. I'm looking forward to November 1st!

as above...

Hi everyone!

My name is Misty and this is my third or fourth 'official' NaNo. I tried it a couple of times when a friend was doing it, but never really joined up until a few years ago.

I tend to write screenplays more than novels, but find that I just like to write in general. It's fun and therapeutic and frustrating all at once. I'm the ML for Script Frenzy! which is the screenplay version of NaNoWriMo. They do as great a job with that as they do with NaNoWriMo.

By day I work at U-M in Ann Arbor. I actually live about 40 mins outside A2, but I'm there more often than not. I have the best 'me' time on weekend mornings and for the last couple of years arranged the weekend morning write-ins with some others who only had that time available, so please let me know if you're interested in that. We were meeting at the Washtenaw B&N, which was good because it's right on a bus route, but if anyone has suggestions, that's cool too.

I also run the Ann Arbor Adobe User Group, which I guess makes me more of a complete dork than I should admit to being. My hair sometimes changes color for no apparent reason, ranging from blonde to fire engine red to cotton candy pink. I do some acting in local indie films and have appeared in a couple of the feature films that have been shot in the area. In fact, I'm thinking of doing a fluff story about the movie industry. Something lighthearted and amusing that'd make more of a trashy summer beach read. Typically I write sci-fi/thriller/horror. I've written a couple of novels based on my screenplays but want to get away from doing that this year if I can.

So. Hi everyone! Glad to see so many familiar names back!

I was actually hoping to find people both on campus and off campus that would be able to get together for stuff... i found in my hometown that i write better with a group, but i dont know anyone else at EMU who's going to be doing this, and as i dont have a car, getting anywhere off campus will be a little hard...

^_^ thats def. a good idea tho

Hi, my name is Deanna, I'm from Dexter and I'm back to try again. I have three unfinished nano novels on my hard drive. I've never won a nano but I have three more stories that are farther along than they would have been if I hadn't tried nano at all... so I think I still won even if I didn't finish the word count in that month.

This year I plan on finishing one of those novels. I will pick up where I left off and let that start as word #1. Then all I will need is 49,000 more of them.

About me: I am 40 years old, the mother of 5 kids and my eldest will have his own child soon. I used to run a drop in daycare, and this is my second year (since I was 18) when I don't have a preschooler in my home. I think I want to be a writer when I grow up. I've founded an online peer-review workshop where we also have a novel writing section to cheer each other on at www.notebored.com.

I've never been one to do much meeting during nano, and that may have had a hand in why I haven't finished one yet, I don't know. This is the first year that I might be able to try a meet though.

In anycase, I'm happy to meet you all and look forward to the breathless race that is coming.

Hi! My name is Alaina, I live and Ann Arbor and this is my first year. A friend of mine alerted me to NaNo and I decided to get my feet wet and give it a try. I'm hoping to get close to the 50,000 words. I'm a screenwriter and have written 4 screenplays in the past 7 years (working on my 5th now), but I've always wanted to attempt a novel. The structure, obviously, is very different, but I'm excited about the freedom that novel writing allows.

I'm slightly nervous about this entire process, but I think it's going to be an awesome challenge. I'm planning on doing a little bit of outlining prior to keep me focused during the writing process, but if anyone who has done this in previous years and has any tips, I'd love to hear it.

Good luck, everyone!

Hi - My name is Marion and this is my first year. Glad to see others attempting this for the first time. I have completed one romance novel, edited with the help of a published author. I will be actively submitting this one to publishers. But for November, I am excited to begin a new story. I've sketched out a few of the characters and a very loose outline.

I would love to meet a few others in Ann Arbor at some point if a meeting is arranged.

Why is my screen name "Meryl" -- that's my blog -- www.merylsmusings.blogspot.com -- if anyone wants to check it out.

Good luck to everyone.

HI! Kay, so my name is Heatehr, but online most people call me Snow, cuz of my username for a roleplay that I do. Umm, I'm actually a Junior at Milfod High, out by Hartland, but, alas, there is a mysterious lack of groups closer than Ann Arbor, so. You guys get the blessing of me :P Okay, so I'm not THAT good, but I sure do wish! This is my first year doing this, and I heard about it from some of the people I roleplay with. And my mom says roleplaying is bad... its actually a text based roleplay, as opposed to something like Guild Wars, where you go into a fake world.Anyway... I've got this cool idea that my physics teacher gave to me, of all people! Umm... I love to read, so if my novel sounds like something you read, that might be why, but I'm trying for originality here...Does anyone else ever find that their writing seems simliar to what they've read?
~kdskid007

This is my 2nd year of NaNo; I've lived in A2 all my life, and this year I hope to win yet again. Maybe. I'm a freshman at Community High, and my novel is...doomed. Uhm. Yeah.

I haven't joined regions before or really posted anything...ever, so I have nothing to say. Yaaay.

Oh, and I'm known as either Lydia or Taryn, depending on who you are. I will respond to both. Most of the time.

Eric here. 4th year of nano and ypsi-ite. I hope to continue my streak with a 4th finish. I tend to flitter between this group and the detroit group. I am organizing write ins at the corner brewery (theres a thread for this already in this forum) on tuesday nights - the first meet up, because of the election, will be on wednesday the 5th., however

I write mostly trashy fantasy in nano land. it's fun. this year I hope to write the sequel to my pre-prequal that I wrote last year in regards to the opus I have wanted to write for 15 years now. and if that makes sense to you, then... i dont know. maybe I love you or mayby I am scared of you. I also hope to not have to crank out 47k in 15 days like I have had to do the last 2 years.

good luck everyone!