Hi! I just moved (back) here from Yorkshire, I'm Welsh but spent most of my life in England, blech. Which will explain the Yorkshire accent I will no doubt be displaying. I now live in Cathays, in a student hall, and I miss my old NaNoWriMo group (York & Leeds) so I hope you'll all be amenable to meet ups!
My name's Nikki, I'm nineteen, I'm doing English Lit as my BA, which means in my first year I'm also doing Medieval & Renaissance Literature and Philosophy. It's not a heavy load in terms of lectures and tutorials: 7.5 hours all in all. But there's a lot of reading. You'd think all this literature would be inspiring me to great heights, but I think I'll be writing fanfiction -- a Final Fantasy X-2 cyberpunk AU. I could just write cyberpunk in general, I guess, but I've been meaning to write this specific story for a while. So why not for NaNoWriMo?
Good meet up days for me right now are Wednesday afternoons, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but that will probably change when I get a job. Obviously the city centre is fine for me, or somewhere on campus if it's a group of students. Anyone up for it? In York & Leeds we used to have a meet up in October to get to know each other, a kick off party as close to November 1st as we could all arrange, and then weekly meet ups during November, and then finally a Thank God It's Over Party which I invariably couldn't attend, haha!
I thought a place as big as Cardiff would have its own forum and ML, but apparently not! Maybe I'll volunteer next year.
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72,987 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 07 34
Hi Nikki,
Good to see you here - I'm Cardiff Uni too, 2nd year PhD student in the archaeology department. I'm in the Humanities building a lot, so we may well have crossed paths!
Meeting up sounds great - I think there are quite a few Cardiff people around, so it shouldn't be too difficult to get a group together. Most days are good for me except Mondays. I was pretty surprised that the South Wales board didn't have a ML, but I'm sure we can organise ourselves. People who are up for it, shout on here and we'll see what happens.
Hope your degree is going well so far. Have you decided on a plot for NaNo this year?
65,119 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 07 40
We don't have an ML this year???
Twittering NaNo: http://www.twitter.com/WelshGirl
Blogging NaNo: http://chicklitwritergirl.blogspot.com
NaNo 2006: The Perfect Man - 91,549 words!
NaNo 2008: ... ... ... ... ... ... .
72,987 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 07 56
I assumed not cause I haven't seen any posts from anyone saying they're the ML, but maybe they haven't got round to it yet?
Any way of finding out?
65,119 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 08 01
I don't know. I just looked around the regional settings bit and can't see anything. I thought that every region had to have an ML... Maybe they haven't had the chance to log on yet?
A lot of people wouldn't have known the site was up early and not come on until now anyway, and the site has been down for a couple of days...
72,987 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 08 10
True. Maybe they'll show up soon.
*waves at ML, in case they are here*
20,265 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 08 22
HI to all,
Im not in Cardiff uni, (too old!) but I am in Cardiff.
We usually have quite a few meetings during October and November, usually in Cardiff, then some on the outskirts.
Wanda is usually our Moderator, - cant remember her screen name...she's usually sent out her first motivational email by now - maybe shes running late, or not running at all...hope not, shes a great motivator!
Hopefully she will pop up soon, otherwise, we all sort of organsied the meetings...
Christine
20,265 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 08 25
Just remebered her screen name....WitchyBelle4u2
:-)
65,119 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 08 27
Witchy was the ML in 2006. JayWalker was last years... I think!
73,456 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 08 29
S'good to know! Just seems weird to me that a city like Cardiff doesn't have its own section when York & Leeds alone had one.
I've got a plot, I think. I'm doing fanfic as I said, and I'm basically going to take the background of a certain group of people in a technologically unadvanced world and put it into a technologically advanced world, and see how I go. Should be fun.
51,674 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 10 04
Hi,
I'm Dani. I'm doing a PhD in bioinformatics with the school of computer science. I'm originally from Luxembourg but have been living in Cardiff for six years now. This is my third NaNo - I'm hoping for three times lucky because I got ill half-way through November the last two times and didn't manage to finish.
I haven't seen last year's ML, JayWalker, around yet, although I'm sure if at all possible, she won't miss out on NaNo. The last two years, we met up in the last week of October, ideally on weekend to accomodate working people and those coming from further afield, then a meet-up half-way through and one at the end, beginning of December. No real parties so far, we'd normally meet at the Prince of Wales (it's large and has wheelchair access).
On the "further afield" note: I think it's stupid that "Wales" counts as a single region. I don't think whoever made the list of regions realised just how huge Wales really is. There should at least be a North and South Wales division. Although there's of course nothing stopping smaller local groups from organising themselves.
Last year, some friends and I met up at "A Shot in the Dark" (coffee shop at the bottom of City Road) a few times for group writing sessions. It's a lovely place, reasonably central, not too expensive and it's open until 11pm (or thereabouts). Anyone interested in a similar thing this year? Maybe on Wednesday afternoons as they are lecture free for all students?
72,987 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 10 09
Hi Dani,
Both Prince of Wales and 'Shot in the Dark' sound good - I'm not far from City Road so that's very convenient for me. Seeing as NaNo starts on a Saturday this year, we might want to consider meeting the previous weekend, or during that week (27-31 October, although I'm away on the 30th).
Maybe if we give it a week to see if one of the previous MLs is around, and if not, we can try and organise something ourselves.
51,674 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 10 18
Sounds like a plan :) Oh, except I'm away the weekend before NaNo so I'd prefer a weekday meet-up. But whatever works best for most people. It's sadly inevitable that not everyone can make every meet-up.
0 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 14 22
I'm not from Cardiff uni either, but l would definitely be up for meeting up with everyone.
2,054 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 16 28
I'm at Cardiff Uni, my first year :) I'm hoping that this time I'll actually get to 50,000 words but I'm not really that positive at the moment, my first placement starts the second week of November and I'll probably be too tired to write much :(
73,456 / 50,000
oct. 4, 2008 - 01 44
City Road doesn't sound like a bad idea, I'm not far from there. I'm sure I can find my way to most anything, though.
1,000 / 50,000
oct. 4, 2008 - 03 13
I'm not in uni and not in Cardiff, but I'm based in Newport and so Cardiff is easy to get to. I'd love to meet up - just as long as I know a week or so in advance so that I can book the day off work! :)
50,009 / 50,000
oct. 5, 2008 - 01 47
Hey all,
Im based near blackwood, anyone localish who fancies doing some write-ins? x
0 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 01 56
I'm in Cardiff!
I studied English Lit & History at Cardiff Uni, and did some Creative Writing modules, and completed Nanowrimo last year. I now work for the university part-time. I live up in the Gabalfa area, but work near the city centre - City Road would suit me well, but I can get to most places in the city by bike as long as they're not too far out.
This year I'm not going to be "officially" Nanowrimoing, but I'm planning on doing a Nanowrimo-style marathon to get the first draft of my current novel finished by 30th November. I'll be frequenting the boards and maybe turning up to some meet ups, as long as no-one objects to my tagging along to get myself in the Nanowriting mood! :)
72,987 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 06 55
Of course not - the more, the merrier!
0 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 15 45
I'm in cardiff, not at the uni, but I'd be all for meeting up as well!
235,678 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 22 42
Hi Everyone,
Apologies for not being first on the board (Wow - you bunch are keen!)
I've posted an initial meet-up here : http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3018827
Once again, Prince of Wales, 'cos we know it's good. Sunday 2nd November, 12:00 start - ends when we want it to (not before 2 o'clock, if you can't make it for the start).
I agree with the surprise of others commenting that there aren't many MLs in Wales, but there haven't been many NaNo-ers (compared to other regions) and even less volunteers for ML-ing. If anyone's interested in volunteering for next year, let me know and we'll have a chat at a meet-up.
I have some (little) freebies for those attending the meet-ups and a few silly writing games we can play if we want to.
Look forward to meeting you all - familiar faces and new.
Let's show 'em why we're the land of the bards!
Jay
0 / 50,000
oct. 14, 2008 - 08 10
Not in Uni, but I've been living in Cardiff for 4 years. Any pub is good for me, but if you want to make it the Crwys Inn on Crwys Road then I could practically jump out of my window into the beer garden. I could even stay inside in the warm and we'll converse using walky talkies!
Seriously, though, the Prince is a good place. Big too. And no music! Always a good thing.
See you all there.
72,987 / 50,000
oct. 15, 2008 - 03 37
Crwys Inn is about 45 seconds from my flat, though I've never been in. Any good?
See you at the Prince in any case.
17,160 / 50,000
oct. 15, 2008 - 17 09
Hi all! :) Glad to see everyone's excited! Sorry if there was any confusion about the ML thing...JayWalker was a star to take over when I got a bit overwhelmed and she did a terrific job of it! :) Glad to be back nanoing this year. Cardiff has always been such a hassle to get to for me but they just rebuilt the train station in Crosskeys this year! Hooray! :)
50,009 / 50,000
oct. 16, 2008 - 00 59
Im in newbridge :)
11,272 / 50,000
oct. 18, 2008 - 05 36
*waves*
Hey I'm Lauren! I'm a first year psychology student. This is my second year attempting NaNoWriMo. Last year I failed miserably... but this year I'm determined! Even though I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to write about....
I'm going to try and come along to the meet up :D Sounds like fun!
235,678 / 50,000
oct. 18, 2008 - 09 50
#waves back#
Hi Lauren. Good to hear you're so determined - I'm sure you'll make the 50k this year. Hope to see you at the meet-up!
0 / 50,000
oct. 22, 2008 - 09 18
I'm from Cardiff, but too young to be attending the University just yet. (I'll be 17 come November 1st)
This is my first nano. I've always wanted to try but I've been too scared to try. This year I'm going to throw caution (and school work...) to the wind and give it a go. :)
235,678 / 50,000
oct. 24, 2008 - 20 31
School can wait for a month - well, most of it! Welcome to NaNo.
4,132 / 50,000
oct. 26, 2008 - 01 44
I'm Jon, 3rd and final year Ancient History student, I tried to NaNo last year, but then my parent was very ill and I had to drop-out. I'm returning this year, and hopefully might get more done. I as yet, however, have no idea what I am actually going to be writing about. Blagh.
I am not sure what I can do meet-ups, although I would suggest MILGI as a fantastic location to meet, and the owners and staff would be very interested in NaNo.