Why?
Because we've got to get back into the habit of 'filler' somehow... ;)
Copy and paste (or quote) the questions into a reply and go...
=====================
Name/Handle:
Hometown:
Gender/Age (optional):
Years Done Nano:
Years Won Nano:
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano:
Technology / Method of Writing:
Genre:
Title (if known):
Favorite Self-Bribery Food:
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please):
Favorite Music to Write To:
Favorite Place to Write:
Favorite Procrastination Method:
Best Nano Moment:
Worst Nano Moment:
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above):
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano:
Script Frenzy Veteran: Y/N
Suggestion for the Co-MLs (Municipal Liaisons / Real time event hosts / Cheerleaders):
ADD A QUESTION:
A) Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
B) Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
C) Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday)?
D) What kind of characters do you like to write?
E) Why Nano?
F) How do get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time?
G) Have you ever had a dream about NaNo?
H) Is there any single author you would like to emulate?
I) How many years have you started plot / storyless and just hoped for the best?
J) How do you avoid bogging yourself down retooling and "fixing" as a procrastination device?
K) What do all of you fine Nanotobans do for a living?
L) Have you ever gotten published and if not do you plan to someday?
M) In 25 words or less, please explain the fascination with vampires.
N) If you were a kind of book, what would you be and why?
O) What do you do to keep fit and (relatively) sane during November?
P) What other creative outlets do you have besides Nano (music, painting etc.)
Q) When November ends and all is done, how will you release thirty days of boiling tension?
R) Do you ever have certain characters/places/themes that stick with you, ending up in multiple stories?
S) If your NANO tale could be a religion what would it be? (If you're a Nano virgin, use the last story you wrote)
T) How do you get over writer's block?
U) You are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realize its past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?
V) Preferred Beverage Stimulus for the ongoing campaign against word deficit?
W) How long have you been writing?
X) Favorite novel?
Y) What's your favourite horrible thing to have happen to a character?
Z) Ever have a character flat-out refuse to do what you intended them to?
AA) Have you, or would you ever use NaNoWriMo as a method of "trying out" a new style or theme, or otherwise challenge yourself. This can be by your choice of subject matter or genre. Or do you stick to things you know, in the spirit of being able to pump out your 50k words as quickly as possible?
AB) What is the first thing you want to do once NaNo is over?
----------
Participant / Winner: 03, 04, 05, 06, 07... 08
Winnipeg, MB Municipal Liaison: 04, 05, 06*, 07* ...08*
* with help
Forum Co-Mod: Nano Technology
-=-=-=-
Reach the Winnipeg co-MLs at
http://www.nanowrimo.org/mlcontact
50,340 / 50,000
Sep 28, 2008 - 20 07
Name/Handle:
HeartWeaver (Heather) co municipal cat herder... um I mean liaison
Hometown:
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Gender/Age (optional):
Female, 29 (but I feel a heck of a lot older most days I tell ya...)
Years Done Nano:
this will be my fourth year
Years Won Nano:
1 :( despite my efforts there have been 2 short years..
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano:
2 if they follow through (pokes Katie and Bev with a big stick)
Technology / Method of Writing:
My spiffy laptop
Genre:
Fantasy general.. but knowing for sure would involve actually having a plot...
Title (if known):
no.
Favorite Self-Bribery Food:
Chocolate, I like to share (gives me an excuse to buy variety)
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please):
movie/shopping (thankfully i am cheap skate so results in sale hunting) *Heather Sale Foo!*
Favorite Music to Write To:
Eveanescence, Dave Matthews (and other random artists)
Favorite Place to Write:
Coffee shop, or library if I can get a comfy chair (get more done)
Favorite Procrastination Method:
Gaming/computer/sleep (oh wait the last one is a need...oh well)
Best Nano Moment:
winning my second year
Worst Nano Moment:
not completing the other two despite co-workers best efforts to support me and just no time/story line.
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above):
that would be trying not to laugh in the library when I re-read a line and realized I had my character do something improbable... "she sat on the rock, she lifted her knees up to her chest and put her feet behind her" *lol*
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano:
Ness baptiste food bank and Musique Magique and sewing
Script Frenzy Veteran: Y/N
No
Suggestion for the Co-MLs:
For the ML's remember to take it easy on yourselves, you are volunteers and you can only give so much...
For participants, please keep in mind we are unpaid volunteers who are expected to also complete a novel while working and hosting events :) so bear with us if we get cranky and for those of you who have volunteereed in the past and will volunteer again thank you from the bottom of our twisted little hearts (oh wait that's only me...heh)
ADD A QUESTION:
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
I had a character (silly me only had one main character) and he got a sleep spell put on him, and damned if I could wake him up again :) it's kinda funny now but believe me at week 3 stuck at 25,000 my first year I was not amused
51,867 / 50,000
Sep 28, 2008 - 20 20
Name/Handle: Kylie “Fin"
Hometown: Winnipeg
Gender/Age (optional): Female/19
Years Done Nano: 2006, 2007
Years Won Nano: 2007
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: One, I think
Technology / Method of Writing: Laptop, pen and paper if I have too
Genre: General Fiction
Title (if known): remember yourself
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: Tea
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): I might not have one. I’ll be using writing to bribe
myself to do my homework faster xD
Favorite Music to Write To: Sad stuff
Favorite Place to Write: My room
Favorite Procrastination Method: Interneting, making NaNo banners
Best Nano Moment: A midnight shot of inspiration last year for a really random scene that I loved.
Worst Nano Moment: The days I got only get 100 words out[/b]
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: School and work, it’s all I have time for
Script Frenzy Veteran: Attempted this year, but it was during exam month so I only made 10 pages
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: Keep up the good work ;)
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?: I can’t really remember my 2006 novel, and that was the crazy one, so maybe xD[
53,478 / 50,000
Sep 28, 2008 - 23 58
Name/Handle: Janell/Audreidi
Hometown: Winkler; in the Peg for schoolings.
Gender/Age (optional): Female and 21, last I checked.
Years Done Nano: '05, '06, '07
Years Won Nano: '05, '06, '07
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: Maybe three...?
Technology / Method of Writing: Brain vomit.
Genre: ...Ummmm.
Title (if known): Today Is Thursday (maybe! Or maybe it'll be something else! I don't knowwww!)
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: Edible things! Wait. Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers. I'm half-convinced they bake some kind of addictive illicit substance into those. Also, chocolate things.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): Webcomics, or just sitting around/wandering and wasting time doing nothing whatsoever. That's nice, too.
Favorite Music to Write To: Dark ambient/electronica/SPACE DISCO.
Favorite Place to Write: I've really warmed up to the Richardson Terrace and the library in general.
Favorite Procrastination Method: ...Sitting around... or wandering... doing nothing whatsoever? And pondering things. Often, they are things that don't really require any pondering.
Best Nano Moment: The exhilarating point(s) in time where I realised I had absolutely no clue, at all, ever, of what I was doing or where I was headed or what I had even done five seconds ago.
Worst Nano Moment: The exhilarating point(s) in time where I realised I had absolutely no clue, at all, ever, of what I was doing or where I was headed or what I had even done five seconds ago.
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above): The exhilarating point(s) in time... erm... (coughs)
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: Shoot, guys, I'm in school. Well, no, I still write outside of Nano. And stuff.
Script Frenzy Veteran: Yes. As far as bishie space pirates and megalomaniac extraterrestrial penguins are concerned.
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: I LOVE YOU GUYS KEEP BEING AWESOME.
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story? Well, I have had characters completely destroy any possibility of me continuing as I had intended, so maybe that almost counts...
THE ADDED QUESTION: Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
53,255 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 11 18
Name/Handle: Dana
Hometown: Winnipeg
Gender/Age (optional): Male; 35.
Years Done Nano: 03, 04, 05, 06, 07
Years Won Nano: 03, 04, 05, 06, 07
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: Two or three. A couple of times at writing events I've helped recruit random strangers, which was totally awesome.
Technology / Method of Writing: I expect most of it will be done on my trusty macbook pro. My writing program of choice is Scrivener.
Genre: I guess it's sorta fantasy this year. I've been calling it fiction with fantastic elements, but that's a bit of a mouthful.
Title (if known): NaNoWriMo '08 (I never think of good titles for my nano efforts)
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: I tend not to have to self-bribe, but I expect I'll consume a lot of cookies in coffee shops throughout the month.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): See above.
Favorite Music to Write To: My ipod on shuffle. I've got a pretty varied mix of stuff on there.
Favorite Place to Write: Coffee shops or the library. I find I'm way more productive out of the house.
Favorite Procrastination Method: The Internet, or reading. I usually plough through 2 or 3 books in November which is quite a faster pace than I usually do.
Best Nano Moment: When I realized I was on the home stretch during my first year.
Worst Nano Moment: I haven't really had a bad nano moment.
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above): Many hilarious typos and nonsensical sentences written while falling asleep.
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: Hobbyist coding, between last nano and this I've been trying to write a short story every week (I've been posting them here: http://pixelenvy.ca/cgi/fff.cgi)
Script Frenzy Veteran: Nope! Maybe next year. I'd like to write a Fringe play someday.
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: Nope!
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story? Nope. My characters tend to be dolls/action figures that I play with. I find it neat and amazing how some of you guys basically get into arguments with your characters.
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire? Hmmm....my novel last year relied on flashbacks and this year I'm going to tell some of my MC's history in what I guess are flashbacks. But I have strong opinions about them otherwise.
Oh, but the flashbacks in Highlander were always totally awesome.
THE ADDED QUESTIONS: Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday). My answer: Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!
0 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 11 58
Okay looks like to get a new username you have to actually make a new account and wait for the old one to be purged. This post will become obsolete very shortly, so would somebody be able to delete it?
0 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 12 49
Name/Handle: Jonah/Galactic Tomahawk (formerly Dread Pirate Roberts)
Hometown: Winnipeg
Gender/Age (optional): Male/21
Years Done Nano: '06, '07
Years Won Nano: Zerooooooooo
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: None
Technology / Method of Writing: Computer
Genre: Adventure/Comedy
Tentative Title: Orestes (no particular connection to the mythology)
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: None.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): I could probably use one of these.
Favorite Music to Write To: JAM Project
Favorite Place to Write: Computer
Favorite Procrastination Method: Heh, just about anything. Websurfing and videogames in particular.
Best Nano Moment: Getting a whole chapter done.
Worst Nano Moment: Barely getting past that.
Funniest Nano Moment: None yet really.
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: Currently taking a couple of theater classes, and volunteering on a movie set.
Script Frenzy Veteran: N
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: Sorry I eternally fail at remembering acronyms. What's Co-ML again?
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
Not really. But I haven't really gotten far enough in a story for it either.
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
Entirely depends on how their used. I've seen just as many brilliant flashbacks as I have tedious ones.
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday).
Possibly! Depends on whether I need to wake up early or not.
NEW QUESTION TIME NEW QUESTION TIME
What kind of characters do you like to write?
I personally have a pretty large leaning towards supernatural or superpowered characters, particular ones themed after weird animals, mythology, folklore, fairy tales, urban legends, horror or just about anything like that. Personalities can be just about anything but I try to veer away from excessive angst and prose, and "generic good looking" characters.
0 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 15 36
Name/Handle: Stacey/Gardengnome7
Hometown: Brandon
Gender/Age (optional): Female/32
Years Done Nano: '02, '03, 04, '05, '06, '07... oh, wow
Years Won Nano: '02 & '06
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: Over the years, probably 6 or 7. Number participating this year? I'm going to say 1.
Technology / Method of Writing: My year old iMac.
Genre: I'm going to say 'fiction' for now to cover all my bases.
Tentative Title: Milk & Honey. This will likely change.
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: I will be almost 7 1/2 months pregnant by Nov. 1, so who knows... right now, I'm a big fan of chocolate chocolate chip cookies, green grapes and hot chocolate.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): TV. And Spore.
Favorite Music to Write To: Whatever I put on my 'Nano' iTunes playlist.
Favorite Place to Write: My living room. Although if I'm put on bed rest, that will change to 'bed'.
Favorite Procrastination Method: TV. And Spore. Wait a minute, those are also my self-bribery mechanisms... I need to rectify this.
Best Nano Moment: Finishing in '02 and '06
Worst Nano Moment: Last year's astounding 1900 or so word 'novel'.
Funniest Nano Moment: Every year, explaining to people what I'm doing and why.
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: Does napping count?
Script Frenzy Veteran: No. I forgot this year and moved last year :(
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: Stickers!
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story? I don't think so. I've usually been the one to pull the final curtain on my stories.
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire? Useful, depending on the context. Otherwise, completely annoying.
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday). If my sleep schedule is the same then as it is now, yep!
What kind of characters do you like to write? I tend to base them on people I know - not necessarily a specific person, but an amalgamation of people I know. That way, if I ever let anyone read what I've written, my friends can't say 'hey, that's me!'. And because I lean towards writing dystopic-like fiction, they're usually quite flawed.
New question:
Why Nano? I started Nano-ing way back when after a couple of friends of mine did it in '01. I keep coming back year after year not only to challenge myself, but because the whole community is quite unique. I like how we're all here for basically the same reason - to write and enjoy doing it.
37,658 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2008 - 17 58
Name/Handle: Mikaela/HipposAreHip
Hometown: Steinbach (aka Mennoniteville)
Gender/Age (optional): Female/15
Years Done Nano: 2007
Years Won Nano: 2007
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: I'll probably get 1 into it this year. :)
Technology / Method of Writing: Computer.
Genre: Fantasy.
Title (if known): Alas, I do not know my title yet.
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: Chicken noodle soup, Turtles ice cream, mozarella cheese sticks.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): Sleep. :P
Favorite Music to Write To: Iron & Wine, piano solos, Animal Collective, Voodoo Economics, just really calm stuff.
Favorite Place to Write: In my room, but I can only do longhand there so for Nano I don't write there often.
Favorite Procrastination Method: The Internet! Even though it's not asked, for least favorite I'd say homework. D=<
Best Nano Moment: The 14,000-word stint that ended my Nano novel last year. It made absolutely no sense, didn't go at all with anything I had previously written in the story, and had the 99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall song.
Worst Nano Moment: When I came back from a three-day trip in which I had done abolsutely no writing. It was so stressful.
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above): Ha, I'd say my funniest moment was my best moment. I just wanted to finish it.
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: I'm in grade 7 for piano.
Script Frenzy Veteran: I guess you could say that. I only got into it like 10 pages then I just gave up. Script writing isn't my cup of tea.
Suggestion for the Co-MLs (Municipal Liaisons / Real time event hosts / Cheerleaders): None that I can think of at the moment.
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire? They're good when they're not completely boring and are extremely relevant.
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday)? Nah, I'm probably going to be out late on Halloween, and then a friend of mine will stay over for the night. Even if she wasn't staying for night I'd probably feel way to tired to do some writing anyway.
1,666 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 12 42
Name/Handle: Amanda/Sprite username is always Sprite or Eastpath on everything
Hometown: Winnipeg
Gender/Age (optional): F/29
Years Done Nano: 2007
Years Won Nano: none
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: none, I was recruited by prairiecrow however.. lol
Technology / Method of Writing: handwritten & computer (I have a mac!)
Genre: most likely fantasy-ish
Title (if known): not known
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: sweet sweet chocolate. Cadbury Dairy Milk please!
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): not sure yet
Favorite Music to Write To: anything mellow, non-distracting
Favorite Place to Write: probably on computer or couch depending on hand strength at the time lol
Favorite Procrastination Method: serious internet surfing and wiki-hopping
Best Nano Moment: none yet, but seeing prairiecrow hit the win last year was cool :)
Worst Nano Moment: none yet really, i hardly actually tried last year
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above): not yet involved... can't wait :)
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: I'm rather quite the indoors person. I like to read though!
Script Frenzy Veteran: Y/N ......what?
Suggestion for the Co-MLs (Municipal Liaisons / Real time event hosts / Cheerleaders): nothing yet!
ADD A QUESTION:
A) Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story? not yet!
B) Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire? can serve a purpose if done correctly...
C) Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday)? well not sure, may still be jet lagged after my flight back from New Orleans. O_O
2,168 / 50,000
Oct 2, 2008 - 20 10
(Re-posting)
Name/Handle: Jodi/Jodi-Lee
Hometown: Miami
Gender/Age (optional): Female/36
Years Done Nano: ‘05, ‘06, ‘07
Years Won Nano: ‘05 & ‘07
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: 3, I think
Technology/Method of Writing: MSOffice Word on PC with XP
Genre: Paranormal thriller/horror.
Tentative Title: Untitled as yet.
Favorite Self-Bribery Food:
Coffee, Pizza Hotline
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please):
A book for every 12,500 words.
Favorite Music to Write To:
All kinds, depends on what I’m writing.
Favorite Place to Write:
The part of my room that suffices for an office right now.
Favorite Procrastination Method:
Pogo Games. Forums. Reading.
Best Nano Moment:
Having the novella extrapolation from my first NaNo published.
Worst Nano Moment:
Totally going overboard for my sophomore year, and totally flaking out on it by not verifying in time.
Funniest Nano Moment:
Overwriting the goal without realizing it, and not verifying in time.
Hobbies/Volunteering Outside Nano:
Reading, editing, first-reader stuff, writing, spiritual group.
Script Frenzy Veteran: No.
Suggestion for the Co-MLs:
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
Yeah, but then I killed him, so it all worked out.
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
Depends on the flow of the novel. If they move the story forward, they’re great. If they take the story backward and lose the flow, they suck.
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe’en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday).
Yes - I have a gathering the next day that I must be at. ;)
What kind of characters do you like to write?
I actually don’t like to write characters, but since they’re sorta necessary - I try to cover all the bases, all personality types.
Why Nano?
I had just been fired in 2005, and one of the other women fired had been suggesting NaNo as a therapeutic method of working out the angst. So I worked it out all right… the parts of the NaNovel that weren’t extrapolated for the Echoes anthology were brutally nasty. But every one of the managers of that company were skewered. ;)
NEW QUESTION:
How do get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time?
Most of my friends and my daughters know that November is NaNo and I’m working. Other family members need repeated reminders in the form of being hung up on, ringer on the phone being turned off, doors being locked, etc. But they’re used to that - I work from home, and some of them just don’t get that I can’t entertain them when I’m supposed to be working. As for my co-workers, they generally harass me to make sure I’m writing, not off playing something at Pogo… ;)
31,819 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 09 43
Name/Handle: Gord/Algolei
Hometown: Transcona
Gender/Age (optional): Male/43
Years Done Nano: ‘05, ‘06, ‘07 (I think)
Years Won Nano: Never!
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: "Friends??"
Technology/Method of Writing: I throw Alphagetti against the wall, then copy down the best parts
Genre: Pfft! Alphagetti has no genre!!
Tentative Title: PFENTIMINI (I'll work on it with the next can, I promise)
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: Anything that isn't Alphagetti
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): Sleep!
Favorite Music to Write To: Bird song, if I can find it.
Favorite Place to Write: The room with the whitest wall.
Favorite Procrastination Method: Sleeping and cleaning the walls . . . not at the same time though
Best Nano Moment: Making coffee come out my nose.
Worst Nano Moment: Failing at the final moment, as usual.
Funniest Nano Moment: Forgetting the meaning of the word "the" because I had used it too many times in one sentence.
Hobbies/Volunteering Outside Nano: I try not to do anything twice.
Script Frenzy Veteran: What?
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: Sell Gold, buy Microsoft!
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
- All my characters die my stories.
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
- They make me sleepy.
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe’en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday).
- No, I tried that last year!
What kind of characters do you like to write?
- Ridiculous ones.
Why Nano?
- It puts the lotion in my basket.
How do get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time?
- I don't. They use my time like it's free, then complain when the Alphagetti hits them.
NEW QUESTION:
Is there any single author you would like to emulation?
- Yes. I wish I knew who it was so I could read something they wrote, though!
58,481 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2008 - 21 05
Name/Handle: Kat/Fuin_elda
Hometown: Winnipeg now, was Swan River
Gender/Age (optional): Female/22
Years Done Nano: 2006, 2007
Years Won Nano: 2006 2007
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: Dunno yet we'll have to see how that works out. *wonders if Narv will show up*
Technology/Method of Writing: Mostly Computer, I have however used pen and paper to do most of my writing and then retype (and expand, always expand editing) onto computer
Genre: Thus far Fantasy, this year though I's getting a story drawn out of my hat so it could be: Fantasy, Sci-fi/cyberpunk, Modern Fantasy or something different if I come up with another freaking story idea.
Tentative Title: Depends which one gets drawn from the hat on the kick off!
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: Jelly Bellys, Picapop, and any left over halloween candy I can get my hands on.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): Sleep is good... Also time on Lotrplaza.com (Which is of course currently broken..WHat the heck they were thinking when they made ME a technical admin is beyond me. I blow computers up (Macs primarily) by touching them....
Favorite Music to Write To: Depends on the story I'm writing I have a play list for each plot thus far pretty much... Most involve Jenkins, Mansell, and several other random bands/singers that go with the story
Favorite Place to Write: Write ins...normally at the library I get load done there...except when the computer decides to try to wipe my flash disk randomly. (that computer has been put down we think it had rabies)
Favorite Procrastination Method: lotrplaza.com, or any online game
Best Nano Moment: First year, when an ending for the story popped into my head (I think Betty commented on my small evil cackle of laughter and a strange gleam in my eye at the final write in where it happened)
Worst Nano Moment: Realizing that last years Nano novel was just not going to make it with out sever filler, due to a lack of plot, a set conflict, or way to resolve said conflict... It was bad...
Funniest Nano Moment: having the mac users shrink away from me after they found out what I do to macs..
Hobbies/Volunteering Outside Nano:Technical admin of Plaza, art and film makeup
Script Frenzy Veteran: Nope didn't have time... hopefully will next year
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: I suggest the MLs remind me what days write ins are on... (I'm thinking Thursday and I have Wushu on Thursdays now)
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
Yes it's name was Shira... and it was a horse... and he ended the story... fortunately this was after 50K and it was suppose to happen (he also killed all the other characters not just the story)
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
Fill! We's need more Fill! (I uses em for fill)
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe’en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday).
No. I'm sorry I will likely be partying dressed up in a costume if I can finish the darn thing, if I can't then I might.
What kind of characters do you like to write?
Mostly tragic.
Why Nano?
The question is why not Nano?
How do get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time?
They try not to give it to me however doors with locks and insufferable amounts of mess behind them (all hail messy rooms) that can stop a door from opening fast than you can say poop dictates I get my time.
Is there any single author you would like to emulation?
No not really. I adore Tolkien but I'd have to be a hell of a lot smarter and likely unwilling to do Nano.. and dead, to emulate him.
NEW QUESTION:
How many years have you started plot/stor-yless and just started writing hoping for the best?
2 both finished though last years was torture to do.
1,641 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2008 - 05 39
Name/Handle: Lauren/redvalkyrie
Hometown: Winterpeg, formerly Thunder Bay
Gender/Age (optional): Female/28
Years Done Nano: 2006
Years Won Nano: None!
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: None.
Technology/Method of Writing: Computer, although I will jot down ideas and forget what they mean by the time I get back to my laptop.
Genre: Mostly fantasy (easier to make stuff up than research!), but I'm toying with the idea of historical fiction this year.
Tentative Title: Hahaha! Depends how this thing ends up: if it dies, it doesn't deserve a name.
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: Coffee, peppermint tea, frozen peanut butter cups.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): Internet goofing, embroidery, leaving the house.
Favorite Music to Write To: I listen to everything. If I randomize my song list, then I get built-in tone varience!
Favorite Place to Write: Dining table. I'm not a social writer.
Favorite Procrastination Method: I find WoW more interesting when I should be doing something else. Ditto the cats.
Best Nano Moment: None. I suck.
Worst Nano Moment: When I realize I have nothing NOTHING! to write about.
Funniest Nano Moment: Signing up.
Hobbies/Volunteering Outside Nano: Society for Creative Anachronism (Sundays at UofM, join us!)
Script Frenzy Veteran: Nope. No chums to do it with. (Ouch, puns this early. Sorry.)
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: Keep on truckin'.
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
Nope.
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
Depends on the situation. If they're framed right and used as a positive plot direction, they're alright. If they're used as NaNo filler, then ew.
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe’en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday).
Probably not.
What kind of characters do you like to write?
Full, complex, grey-area characters. For NaNo, anyone who dances through my head.
Why NaNo?
Because I'm a masochist.
How do you get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time?
"Sweetie, I'm doing something stupid again this year." "Do I have to help?" "Nope." "Have fun!" See? Marriage is easy!
Is there any single author you would like to emulate?
No. Stealing from a single author is plagerism. Stealing from many is research!
How many years have you started plot/story-less and just started writing hoping for the best?
One. Didn't work out so well, obviously.
IN WITH THE NEW:
How do you avoid bogging yourself down retooling and "fixing" as a procrastination device?
I don't. Hence the question.
50,600 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2008 - 07 21
Name/Handle: Tina / Smiling_Girl
Hometown: Winterpeg!! And proud,
Gender/Age (optional): Female/14-turning-fifteen-in-December
Years Done Nano: None!
Years Won Nano: None!
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: One, I think.
Technology/Method of Writing: Computer, usually, but with school and such probably a notebook & my **awesome** pencils. (They have unicorns on them. ^__^ )
Genre: Eih... historical fiction-y fantasy but also slightly sci-fi thing? I'mma go with "Other".
Tentative Title: "A History of Worlds".
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: 7-11 Brownies. I luff them so. =)
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): Facebook-goofing, freading te 'NaNoisms' thread.
Favorite Music to Write To: Anything, as long as it's steady noise, but particularly The Wall on repeat.
Favorite Place to Write: The computer, or at school with the notebook hidden under my desk. >__>
Favorite Procrastination Method: Facebook-goofing, MSN-ing my friends, reading threads. *headdesk*
Best Nano Moment: None, yet.
Worst Nano Moment: None, yet.
Funniest Nano Moment: None, yet, but I get the feeling it will involve a typo, a cup of juice, and very little sleep.
Hobbies/Volunteering Outside Nano: School, studying to be a lighting techie at PTE (Prairie Theatre Exchange), hopefully working at a bookstore soon.
Script Frenzy Veteran: Nope.
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: I'm excited to meet you!
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
Unfortunately, yes. *headdesk*
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
Useful when employed well, I think.
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe’en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday).
I plan to, but maybe not.
What kind of characters do you like to write?
Characters with personalities, and occasionally gossips.
Why NaNo?
Because it sounded awesome.
How do you get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time?
I told them all right off, fsmily-wise, friends... I don't know...
Is there any single author you would like to emulate?
Not as of yet...
How many years have you started plot/story-less and just started writing hoping for the best?
None.
How do you avoid bogging yourself down retooling and "fixing" as a procrastination device?
I don't know yet... x-/
50,357 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2008 - 12 27
Name/Handle: Brock / shnoz_shnoz
Hometown: Winnipeg. Born in the Yukon, but of course moved away before I was... conscious
Gender/Age (optional): Male / 18
Years Done Nano: '05, '06, '07
Years Won Nano: '06, '07
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: heh. almost kinda got one last year!
Technology/Method of Writing: Brand-spanking-shiny-new laptop. Macbook.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Tentative Title: darned if i know.
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: Self-professed chocolate fiend. That and apfelschorle.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): Music-making, tennis-playing and friends-with-hanging.
Favorite Music to Write To: For creativity, nothing beats Kevin Quain. For getting in the zone I like classical stuff like Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven. When I'm in a funny mood, Herb Alpert or Django Reinhardt.
Favorite Place to Write: The dock at my cabin. Given that November fast approaches with nasty weather, I'd have to say on a couch by the fire.
Favorite Procrastination Method: Playing bass.
Best Nano Moment: First time I won. I was freaking out, and it was great.
Worst Nano Moment: First year, the realization that I wasn't even going to come close. Ugh.
Funniest Nano Moment: Typing in a semi-conscious state with my eyes closed. I was reading that stuff over the next morning, had no recollection of writing it, and it was INSANE. The main character switched genders, and the tagalong took up the nose flute.
Hobbies/Volunteering Outside Nano: University (first year science), music (bass, particularly), tennis, teaching swimming.
Script Frenzy Veteran: No.
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: You guys rock so much. We're so lucky to have you!
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
Came close a few times but no, actually.
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
Meh. Very hard to pull off well, without getting all cornball and narsty. I don't like reading 'em, so I don't write them a whole lot.
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe’en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday).
Haha. Midnight on Hallowe'en I shall be otherwise occupied, I believe. I'll make up for it on the 1st.
What kind of characters do you like to write?
Generally, I think of a trait I want to instill and then try to figure out how to make it as wacky as possible. Eccentricity is my love.
Why NaNo?
Cause it's the only way I ever get a book done.
How do you get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time?
I get grumpy-frumpy.
Is there any single author you would like to emulate?
If I could somehow fuse Vonnegut and Vanderhaeghe, that would be sweet.
How many years have you started plot/story-less and just started writing hoping for the best?
All. Kinda hectic, really, but lately it's worked itself out.
How do you avoid bogging yourself down retooling and "fixing" as a procrastination device?
Turn off the spellchecker and resolve to ignore the "backspace" key. One year I nearly tore the little bugger right out of my keyboard.
Add a Question:
Think I've asked this every year. What, pray tell, do all of you fine Nanotobans do for a living?
I'm a student, and when I'm not at that I'm a swimming teacher.
0 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 20 15
Name/Handle: Jenn/Azzie
Hometown: Thompson
Gender/Age: Female/16
Years Done Nano: '07
Years Won Nano: '07
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: ONE. ;D [I think... xPP]
Technology / Method of Writing: On MS Word... on my laptop... on my desk... in the street... JAY KAY. No. In my room. :T
Genre: Literary fiction? I think? MAYBE? ;-;
Title (if known): AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Fer srs? :T
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: I don't have any. 83
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): xDD The PG-13 thing mad me laugh... OH NO MY SELF-BRIBERY MECHANISM OTHER THAN FOOD HAS A WAY HIGHER RATING THAN THAT.
No.
Actually.
It does not.
Because
I don't have one of those either.
Favorite Music to Write To: Depends what I'm writing. My current novel/thing that I'll probably also be doing for NaNo... Aha... I can't write it unless I'm listening to Coldplay or Death Cab For Cutie. (And after listening to them for all of September... actually I'm surprisingly unsick of them. But still.) PAIN. No. Not fun to write to.
Favorite Place to Write: Not my room. xP
I really can't think in here, but I can't write without multitasking on MSN/the interwebs. So it's pretty much the only place I write. u_u;; (Maybe I should go somewhere and bring a book...? OR GET ONE OF THOSE MYSTERIOUS DEVICES THAT almost EVERY OTHER PERSON ALIVE HAS ALREADY (a cell phone)).
Favorite Procrastination Method:
Best Nano Moment: When I realized how much I could suddenly write without getting bored and needing to move on to a new idea/setting/chapter. And also when my friend decided she was the official fangirl of one of my characters. x)
Worst Nano Moment: When I realized how absolutely stupid my novel was and gave up novel-finishing it. (I MIRACULOUSLY managed to puke up enough words to win NaNo, though. xPP)
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above): I... can't... remember...
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: PARTYING.
AHANO.
Mm... drawing, working at bingo and Staples, high school and... other things. Procrastination. Woooot. .-.
Script Frenzy Veteran: N. :T
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: DID SOMEONE SAY CHEERLEADERS?
We need some.
GET US CHEERLEADERS.
With pompoms and such.
Cheerleaders with pompoms and such that will do EPIC CHEERS during write-ins.
And with crazy uniforms.
Like... goths.
Yes.
Goth cheerleaders. At write ins.
CHAOS.
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
Hmm...
I don't think so...
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
Depends if they're done right. If it's a character reminiscing or getting told about something that happened before then they work.
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe’en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday).
No.
Maybe.
I'll be writing before that, probably. Unless I think of a better idea.
I'll just start counting then. xP
What kind of characters do you like to write?
I... don't... know?
I write lots of different characters, I think.
My favorites, to write I'm not sure... xPP
My favorite characters I've made up are girls... xP They're sensitive people deep down, but on the surface they're tough. They can stand up for themselves but their actions are heavily influenced by other people.
Why NaNo?
Because... ever since I heard of it I wanted to do it (but I can't remember when that was... xPP) and then I just remembered it last year a couple days into the month. And then I wrote more than I ever had of one thing and couldn't wait for it to happen again. x3
How do you get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time?
I don't have to. xD
I just stay up late like I always do and write instead of doing pretty much nothing.
Is there any single author you would like to emulate?
Holly Black.
I love her writing to death.
How many years have you started plot/story-less and just started writing hoping for the best?
None.
Unless I end up doing it this year.
But last year was my frist NaNo. ^^;
How do you avoid bogging yourself down retooling and "fixing" as a procrastination device?
I don't.
Editing gets me more words
and the way my paragraphs looked last year like the GIANT CHUNKS and TINY TINY TEXT was a pretty huge turnoff from that anyways (I didn't do it on purpose; I like typing in small fonts). xD
I would die if I turned off spell check. Those red lines drive me crazy.
What, pray tell, do all of you fine Nanotobans do for a living?
I'm a student. But I also work at Staples sometimes.
ADD A QUESTION:
Have you ever gotten published and if not do you plan to someday?
My answer is... NO.
When I was little I loved writing but then when I mentioned wanting to be a writer when I grew up to my parents the lecture I got turned me off writing for a while. So as opposed to depressing myself, I prefer to just write because I like it and not think about that.
26,561 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2008 - 12 48
[Name/Handle: Kim Hruba because I can't be bothered with aliases. I can't even remember the "special spots" I have in my house for stuff. I'm still looking for those little flossing things. And last week it took me two days just to find my MOP.
Hometown: Warroad, MN - not an official Nanotoban, but warmly welcomed regardless. Thanks folks!
Gender/Age: Female/33
Years Done Nano: '07
Years Won Nano: '07
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: Trying to recruit 2 this year
Technology / Method of Writing: Laptop, or archaic computer when I have to share computer w/ hubby.
Genre: Mainstream Fiction/ Women's Lit
Title (if known): "Miss Manners" or something like that
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: At this point I just chow through the entire cupboard.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): I don't get much beyond food...
Favorite Music to Write To: None
Favorite Place to Write: Any quiet spot.
Favorite Procrastination Method: None because I don't have time to procrastinate! No wait...I always check my email first.
Best Nano Moment: People reading and enjoying my novel.
Worst Nano Moment: Recalculating my necessary daily word count each day and cringing if it got bigger.
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above): At the mid-month Nano party in Winni-P when the group laughed and liked my fart scene. I guess you had to be there...
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: Too many to mention, and do you really care anyway?
Script Frenzy Veteran: No
Suggestion for the Co-MLs: Nope.
Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story?
Last year's character Tony needed to exit the scene, but otherwise no deaths to characters or story.
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire?
Flashbacks worked for me, but should always have a purpose.
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe’en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday).
No. I have 3 kids! I need my sleep, but will try to get to Winni-P for Nov. 1
What kind of characters do you like to write?
Smart yet neurotic, because...well, aren't we all?
Why NaNo?
Nano is a great liberating experience that requires you to "JUST DO IT"
How do you get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time?
Perhaps this isn't a PG-13 answer, but it's the truth: Have sex with hubby first THEN write. Hubby much more tolerant. Kids watch lots of TV in November (otherwise hardly anything the rest of the year) and no one else lives with me, so it's not a problem for them.
Is there any single author you would like to emulate?
I think my writing is influenced in small ways by any author I read during Nano.
How many years have you started plot/story-less and just started writing hoping for the best?
So far none. This year I only know who my main character is and have no plot...so should I start hoping for the best?
How do you avoid bogging yourself down retooling and "fixing" as a procrastination device?
Don't deny it, embrace it. I consider it a sort of warm up to get back into the groove of the story.
What, pray tell, do all of you fine Nanotobans do for a living?
Stay-at-home-mom, which is a title I find so inadequate that I've decided to leave all "Occupation?" questions blank.
Have you ever gotten published and if not do you plan to someday?
Not yet, but my nano 07 was a solid effort and I will give it a shot.
ADD A QUESTION:
In 25 words or less, please explain the fascination with vampires.
My answer: none except when extremely good looking men..er...male immortals...are involved.
Nurture your inner compost. One day flowers may grow.
53,478 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2008 - 13 43
ADDED QUESTIONS UPDATE (because I didn't want to miss all of them)
Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday)? Oh, yes, quite probably.
What kind of characters do you like to write? I have a particular affinity for neurotic/twitchy types. They must generally have exploitable flaws. My fanfiction years strengthened my aversion to Mary-Sue types; I suppose some of you might know what I mean by that.
Why Nano? Yes.
How do get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time? I hardly have a social life as it is, and spend a fair amount of time at home crunching homework or fiddling around with other things, so basically it becomes a question of reshuffling the fiddling bits. Of which there are not too many, but I've managed to pull it off alongside school for the past couple of years. And this year, I have an instructor who's taking particular interest in the whole idea, so that should help.
Is there any single author you would like to emulate? I don't know about single author. If I could take Frank Herbert's political/existential bent, Neal Stephenson's snappy dialogue, Terry Pratchett's amusing characters and assemblies, plus a few other authors' traits mashed in there, it would be happy o'clock.
How many years have you started plot/story-less and just started writing hoping for the best? Hmmm. Last year, I thought I had an idea but it completely tanked within the first fifteen minutes. So that taken into consideration, I'm gonna have to say every single year.
How do you avoid bogging yourself down retooling and "fixing" as a procrastination device? ...Well... I... don't?
What, pray tell, do all of you fine Nanotobans do for a living? Currently in school for graphic design. I trust my occupation will follow, or I'll be pretty peeved about dumping all that money.
Have you ever gotten published and if not do you plan to someday? Unfortunately, I haven't yet. There are intentions, oh yes.
In 25 words or less, please explain the fascination with vampires. Like whether or not I have a fascination? Or everyone else's? As far as Twilight is concerned, for example, I've got to be honest: I seriously do not know. But okay, here goes.
The love of the tragic angsty figure, or the power-hungry (sex/murder) maniac, or either/both as a satirised figure. Hilarity ensues!
50,436 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2008 - 15 06
Name/Handle: BarbPFC
Hometown: Winnipeg (Whazzup Peg City?!)
Gender/Age (optional): Over 30, under 40
Years Done Nano: 2007
Years Won Nano: 2007 (yessss!)
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: 1.5
Technology / Method of Writing: Microsoft Word
Genre: Not officially defined; although leaning towards chick lit.
Title (if known): Still working on it. I'm hoping for a breakthrough over Thanksgiving.
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: Coffee and cookies.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): Fresh air.
Favorite Music to Write To: Dave Matthews Band or whatever best suits my character-in-the-moment. Last year, it was Frank Sinatra.
Favorite Place to Write: Home office
Favorite Procrastination Method: Pathetic excuses like working or sleeping
Best Nano Moment: Finishing early in 2007. AND reading Chris' book. It really got the juices flowing.
Worst Nano Moment: Panic setting in after missing 3 days of writing - not due to procrastinating or laziness, just being away from the computer.
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above): Hasn't really happened yet.
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: TV.
Script Frenzy Veteran: Nope.
Suggestion for the Co-MLs (Municipal Liaisons / Real time event hosts / Cheerleaders): Keep on truckin'.
Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire? As I generally write in the present, I think flashbacks are great and I do use them to create back stories.
C) Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday)? I may start at midnight, but it won't be an all-nighter unless the adrenaline is crazy. I'm better to pace myself.
24,000 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2008 - 17 51
Name/Handle: Cassandra Stone (AKA Emily Lamontagne
Hometown: Thompson, MB
Gender/Age: Female, 16
Years Done Nano: 06/07
Years Won Nano: 07
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: 4
Technology / Method of Writing: (soon-to-be) Laptop!
Genre: Fantasy
Title: Wings of Stone
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: My super-expensive chocolate-covered Mocha-spresso beans imported from Peru
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food: Every 5000 words typed, I get to buy myself a $10 coffee from the new local Starbucks
Favorite Music to Write To: An ecclectic mix of Bob Dylan, Coldplay, showtunes, and anything else that catches my fancy
Favorite Place to Write: Curled up in a chair of some sort, in some sort of warm place. I dun care, so long as its warm and cozy, really.
Favorite Procrastination Method: Pretending I have a life and refusing to go on the computer until somebody calls
Best Nano Moment: Completing my last NaNo novel 3000 words above my goal, and a full week early.
Worst Nano Moment: My first year doing NaNo - my computer crashed and I lost all of my work
Funniest Nano Moment: Looking at my first chapter and realizing that all it was was a single sentence re-typed about fifty bajillion different ways, and none of them spelling or grammatically correct.
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: Volunteer Stage Director/composer/costume designer/costume creator/makeup artist/anything else that crazy old Drama teacher needs done that nobody else wants to do
Script Frenzy Veteran: Yes
Suggestion for the Co-MLs (Municipal Liaisons / Real time event hosts / Cheerleaders):
ADD A QUESTION:
A) Yes, and that's the only reason last year's novel ended.
B) Flashbacks? The mere thought of adding a flashback to any of my stories, no matter how bad they may be, boils my blood!
C) Hells yeah!
Fascination with vampires? Who doesn't want to be snuggled by Dark Adonises?
I love writing new-ish characters who are confused or stunned about something, while another, more experienced character takes them in hand and guides them along in the right direction. Wrong path, but the right direction, definitely.
Why NaNo? I'd never write a full story if there wasn't something pushing me to Git 'er Dun!
How do I get people to give me my NaNo Time? Um, I don't. I usually write in the really dark darkness of Thompson nights, or the really Dark early mornings when nobody's up yet. Nobody takes that time away from me 'cause their all diurnal.
The single author I want to emulate most is really the writing duo, David and Leigh Eddings.
All of them have been fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stories. No Plot? I got no problem with that.
I don't bog down or procrastinate.
I'm a new Starbucks coffee barista, so in November, I'll have discount Macchiatos as my rewards!
I've been published in local newspapers, but nothing hugely exciting.
My Question:
If you were a kind of book, what would you be and why?
50,803 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 00 17
Name/Handle: Jen McLeod / JMcLeod
Hometown: Austin
Gender/Age (optional): 31 year old babe
Years Done Nano: newbie
Technology / Method of Writing: PC
Genre: historical fiction
Title (if known): Not Your Average Joe
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: dark chocolate and white port
Favorite Music to Write To: utter and complete silence
Favorite Place to Write: home office
Favorite Procrastination Method: dogs - they need fed, let out, let in, cuddles, played with, break up fights.
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: baking, cribbage
Script Frenzy Veteran: /N
Suggestion for the Co-MLs (Municipal Liaisons / Real time event hosts / Cheerleaders): Do something in Portage La Prairie so us countrybumpkins can attend.
ADD A QUESTION:
A) Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story? no
B) Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire? all of the above.
C) Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday)? yes indeedy
50,803 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 00 43
If you were a book what kind of book would you be and why?
I'd be a a military book - people hug their books, and as a book, I'd like a hug.
50,803 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 00 43
"Is there any single author you would like to emulate?"
Diana Gabaldon - she writes historical romance with alot of drama and gory ugly battles, and her stories are funny as hell!
0 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 05 27
Name/Handle:Allison/ali2010 (the year I turn 40, not the Olympic year)
Hometown:Winnipeg
Gender/Age (optional): F/38
Years Done Nano: this is my first
Years Won Nano: 0
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: 0-though my son will be doing the Young Writers project alongside me
Technology / Method of Writing: mostly by hand
Genre: ? My plan is to start writing at Midnight and see what happens
Title (if known): nope, see above
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: I work in a restaurant, the bribery foods will be all too many
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): naps
Favorite Music to Write To: right now I'm reliving my teenage 60's psychedelia phase
Favorite Place to Write: in bed
Favorite Procrastination Method: watching tv
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: I knit, do yoga and serve on my co-op's board, man do I sound middle aged
Script Frenzy Veteran: No
ADD A QUESTION:
C) Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday)? I plan on starting at midnight and going till I fall asleep. I'm just hoping to last more than 15 minutes
10,038 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 19 16
Name/Handle:
Cara / black-markers
Hometown:
Winnipeg
Gender/Age (optional):
Female, 18
Years Done Nano:
1.5 (2006, quit halfway through 2007)
Years Won Nano:
1 (2006)
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano:
1.. ish
Technology / Method of Writing:
The ever so crappy laptop (mine SUCKS)
Genre:
I haven't figured it out yet.
Title (if known):
The Doll House
Favorite Self-Bribery Food:
Dairy Milk chocolate bars (just the plain milk ones)
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please):
Watching my shows! (One Tree Hill, America's Next Top Model, Priviledged)
Favorite Music to Write To:
Classical especially. Or just listening to Hot 103 lol
Favorite Place to Write:
My room. That's the only place I've got. lol
Favorite Procrastination Method:
NaNo forums, RP sites!
Best Nano Moment:
Actually suceeding my first year.
Worst Nano Moment:
Quitting! That was sad.
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above):
Being absolutely exhausted and having people stare at me like I was crazy when I told them what I was attempting to do.
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano:
Writing in general, manging several RP sites... um... stuff *shrugs*
Script Frenzy Veteran:
Nope
Suggestion for the Co-MLs (Municipal Liaisons / Real time event hosts / Cheerleaders):
Nothing that I can think of right now...
ADD A QUESTION:
C) Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday)?
That's the plan!! =D
51,389 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2008 - 14 49
Name/Handle: Betty / Bets (bpunkert)
Hometown: Winnipeg (although Creighton, SK might also be arguable)
Gender/Age (optional): Female / 34
Years Done Nano: 03 04 05 06 07 (*stares at gardengnome and bows in awe - wow... I think you're the longest running Nanotoban of all, Stacey... that rocks)
Years Won Nano: 03 04 05 06 07
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: I'm the co-ML That's my JOB. *grinning* Um... at LEAST nine that I can immediately name? Probably more if you allow for cross-contamination
Technology / Method of Writing: Home desktop, 10 year old laptop (with no semicolon key at the moment), Palm Tungsten T3 with folding keyboard
Genre: *blank look* Satirical dark fantasy?
Title (if known): "Bad Blood"
Favorite Self-Bribery Food: M&Ms. Yeah, they're bad for me. Just hand 'em over.
Favorite Self-Bribery Mechanism Other Than Food (PG-13, please): Console gaming - because some days you just get fed up with it all and want to kill stuff with a really big sword; but that's frowned on in real life.
Favorite Music to Write To: Whatever's in the Karmic Jukebox [tm] although I do have a decided tendency to lean to instrumentals and soundtracks (Delerium, Danny Elfman etc.)
Favorite Place to Write: Coffee shops. If I pack up the gear and go out, I get more done. I am FAR too easily distracted.
Favorite Procrastination Method: The Internet is evil. But probaly reading other people's fiction when I ought to be writing.
Best Nano Moment: Finishing Jackal (no, it's still not edited). Possibly the year we had 18 people at the first write-in and I was expecting SIX.
Worst Nano Moment: See above about the first write-in. *lol* Also, realizing 10k into my first year I hated my story, hated my characters and pretty much wrote what was left as a string of dares to make the word count.
Funniest Nano Moment (if not above): Sitting and reading writing samples out loud with my sister in the Starbucks when we were both working our way through an erotic scene in our respective novels and freaking out the normals. (There were no kids, else we wouldn't have done it). Having to lock my laptop every time I went to check the machines the same year so the kids in the laundrymat would read said story was also funny.
Hobbies / Volunteering Outside Nano: Musique Magique, Winnipeg Harvest, Osborne Village Resource Center, (Spirit's Call - on sabbatical right now), CBCF Run for the Cure, knitting, Tarot, gaming
Script Frenzy Veteran: Y/N - No
Suggestion for the Co-MLs (Municipal Liaisons / Real time event hosts / Cheerleaders): Just please remember we're merely human. We're not going to be able to host events outside of Winnipeg, so if you want something to happen in your own city or town, start a location thread and start planning. Really.
ADD A QUESTION:
A) Have you ever had a character just stop/die/sleep/leave or otherwise completely kill off your story? I've had characters leave at random and not come back, but I've never had anything that I would consider having 'killed' my story.
B) Flashbacks: are they fun times, are they useful when employed well, are they generally annoying, or should they all burn with much fire? How about all of the above? :) Retconning someone's brain can be funny or moving if it's done well - the problem is the doing it well part.
C) Are you going to start writing at midnight on Hallowe'en and pull an all-nighter (since Oct 31st is a Friday)? One way or another I probably will, if only for a couple of hours. If the all-nighter happens here in town, I'll be at that for at least part of it, otherwise I'll probably just see if the chat room has been killed off ChanServ yet.
D) What kind of characters do you like to write? Sarcastic, tormented, self-involved, imaginative - basically, writing people with some sort of neurosis gives you a lot of cannon fodder and my sense of humor (or lack thereof) does tend to leak into my characters.
E) Why Nano? Originally, I'd just been laid off my job and was really frustrated with the job hunt. It seemed like a way to do something radically different than getting rejected fifty times a week by companies who didn't know what they were missing. I come back to it year after year because it's a way to force myself to tackle prose in large blocks and have a daily writing practice for a period, even if I don't maintain it.
F) How do get your friends/family/co-workers to give you your NaNo time? (There will be more pointers on this in one of the pep-talk e-mails.) Basically everyone I know who matters to me understand that I drop (at least partially) off the radar in November. There are days when carving out an hour to write feels like I'm etching Revelations into my arm with a butter knife. I screen calls. I often will not answer e-mails until December unless they're critical or Nano related. I go hide in coffee shops to write on my Palm where there's no Internet to distract me. I live alone with my cat, so it's not as difficult as it is for people with partners or big families.
G) Have you ever had a dream about NaNo? I've had nightmares about events where nobody showed up... oh wait, that was the first year I MLed. Never mind. *grin*
H) Is there any single author you would like to emulate? There are few 'single' authors I can think of whose style per se that I would like to emulate, however, I'm thinking somewhere between Tanya Huff's personability with her fans and Neal Stephenson's 'if you want me to write books, then quit bothering me dammit' talk-to-the-hand. :) My reading tastes are so broad that it's kind of hard to explain - I like everything from John Ringo's tongue in cheek sarcasm to Diana Gabaldon's battle scenes. :)
I) How many years have you started plot / storyless and just hoped for the best? Only the first year. Well, I started out with an idea and abandoned it because it sucked. Oh my god, was that a hard year. :( Now I try to at least have a concept going in - it helps. I'm not a real big planner though.
J) How do you avoid bogging yourself down retooling and "fixing" as a procrastination device? (Again, more on this in the pep-talk e-mails.) It's a combination of a learned behavior not to edit, and deliberate use of tools like the Palm Pilot or EditPad on the computer that made errors less 'obvious' than Microsoft Word does (and thus compelling one to fix them).
K) What do all of you fine Nanotobans do for a living? I work for a major transportation manufacturer as an Excel wizardlet in training, mostly doing data entry and number crunching. It eats my brains. *sigh*I
L) Have you ever gotten published and if not do you plan to someday? Define published. :) College and University newspapers, corporate newsletters and the like probably don't count. Have I had my fiction published? No. Have I had any of my novels published? No. Is it something I'm working towards? Yes.
M) In 25 words or less, please explain the fascination with vampires. (Twenty-two)
Western society's repression of the human sexual identity combined with the commercial deification of eternal youth and external social measures of beauty
N) If you were a kind of book, what would you be and why? The sort of book that has handmade paper pages with bits of leaf and flower petal trapped in them, a heavy silk ribbon bookmark, a loop for a fountain pen and a heavy embossed saddle leather cover with hand-stitched binding. Something unique and beautiful and full of potential, valuable for the sheer amount of love and time that went into creating it.
=Bets=
50,156 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2008 - 23 09
Name/Handle: Kaeren / Astreja
Hometown: Winnipeg
Gender/Age (optional): Female, 51
Years Done Nano: 2005, 2006, 2007
Years Won Nano: 2005, 2006, 2007
Number of Friends Recruited Into Nano: 1
Technology / Method of Writing: The desktop computer in my study is my primary tool. On workdays I'll frequently write a section in longhand, then transcribe it when I get home. And this year I have a digital recorder and a laptop computer at my disposal.
Genr