North Valley

Borers is noisy, it does have several places to set up computers and plug them in. There is the Banes and Nobles in Desert Ridge. 90th and Shea isn't bad, a little farther than I would like to go, and depending where I'm coming from might be out of the way.

We could always schedule different times and days at the different places so that any who couldn't make it to one place could make to another. That way all could write with support.

I live in the North Valley and would love to meet some fellow NaNo writer's this year. I tried desperately to make it to some of the Desert Ridge Starbucks meetings last year but was unable due to family/time constraints. Can't say that my life will be any less hectic this year, but I would still like to try and come. In terms of meeting places, Desert Ridge still works best for me. 90th and Shea would definitely be a bit too far for me to drive this year. Where are people driving from? The North Valley is such a large area now. There is a Borders on Bell somewhere around 7th Street too. Maybe that would work?

I'm hoping we have more than four North Valley writers, this year! A couple more weeks until November, I guess...

Something in the Desert Ridge area is probably a good idea. I know the Starbucks in DR is pretty small, and you're saying the one across from there is, too... (I haven't been to that one...) Maybe the Barnes and Noble, if there really are only 2-4 people showing up.

What times / days work best for people?

I'm pretty much available all day every day except Sunday, so... whatever works.

I am better on M/W afternoons or evenings, Saturday in the late afternoon, or Sunday. But, whatever works best for the majority and I will work my way around that. I would just like meeting other local wanna=be writers!

There's also a Starbucks at Scottsdale and Mayo, which is only about 5 minutes from Desert Ridge, so if anyone knows if that's bigger, that could be an option too. If there are only 2-5 people, though, I think either Desert Ridge-area Starbucks would work fine. But hopefully as November draws closer, we'll have a few more North Valley folks popping in.

In terms of when to have the write-ins, I think we should pick a weekday late afternoon/evening and a weekend afternoon. If enough people want to, we could do two weekdays-- I know I got a large portion of my word count at the write-ins, so I'd be happy to do a ton of them, but it's not as much fun if no one else shows up :-)

One other thing to consider is if we have a lot of people planning to go to the main Phoenix write-ins as well. If so, we should probably pick different days so people can go to both if they want.

Hey I'm in the North Valley. If - and this is a big if - I can find any free time at all whatsoever, it would be on Monday/Wednesday afternoons/evenings and possibly some Saturdays. The one at Desert Ridge would probably work best for me, mainly because I have no idea where Mayo is at the moment. I'm also really tired though, so I'll probably remember where it's at tomorrow. :-D

I know where Mayo is and that would work fine for me as well. I wasn't able to make any write-ins last year and would really like to try and meet up with you guys at least a couple of times. Right now it looks like M/W are the better of the weekdays to meet, right?

So it looks like the Starbucks on Scottsdale and Mayo is a bit bigger than the one at Desert Ridge, so I think it will be a better fit in case there are more than 3 of us who show up :-)

Seems like Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday are the best fit for most people. Does anyone have a preference for times? I'm guessing maybe 6-8 on M/W and sometime in the afternoon on Saturdays would be the most convenient schedule.

Only 10 days left, yay!

Hi - I'm at Cave Creek and Bell !! I'm north valley too!!! :D

Any thoughts on the Borders or Barnes and Noble at Kierland?
Weekdays I couldn't be anywhere earlier than 7, but I don't suppose I'll get kicked out of Starbucks ;)

Also, if you're still taking votes for preferences, I'd personally like to try to stay out of Starbucks-I have no will power around pumpkin spice lattes, and it was a hard December in the gym for me last year..
Trade off, of course, is that public libraries usually aren't open very late..

Regardless, wherever the 'write-in's' might be, I'm looking forward to attending them and meeting you all and using your presence to keep me focused and WRITING as opposed to EDITING; hopefully I can return the favor... ;)

Cheers,
Inger

Only 9 days left?!?!?! EGAD

*pops in* Yay, sounds like we have more North Valley-ers this year!! Monday/Wednesday evenings sound fantastic.

If the Scottsdale/Mayo Starbucks is the one I'm thinking of (in the same complex as Borders right, by the 101?), I think it might actually be smaller than the one across the street from Desert Ridge. There's also the Starbucks at Kierland Commons as well as a B&N. The B&N at Desert Ridge is nice but completely lacking in power outlets, which are usually a necessity for laptop folks. :-) Does anyone know how late the coffee shop on Greenway and Tatum is open?

Oh my gosh, nano is coming up so fast!!

Kierland would work fine for me, but power outlets are definitely key :-) Intatto, the coffeeshop on Tatum and Greenway, is only open 6-6, so it could work for a weekend afternoon, but otherwise not really.

How do people feel about different locations on different days (e.g., Starbucks on Monday, Kierland on Wednesday, etc.)?

I think I'm going to scope out some of the places we've mentioned on Saturday, since I'm going to be in the area anyway, and get a definite sense of the sizes, the state of power outlets, and other such vital information. I'll post whatever I figure out here, and hopefully that will help us figure out the best location(s).

I'm kind of bummed that I haven't been able to find any non-Starbucks cafes in the area that are open late, though. I miss living in college towns!

That sounds great, Calante! Different locations for different nights sounds like a plan--shake things up a bit. And yeah, I'm bummed about the lack of non-Starbucks in the area, too. Lame!!

So I went by a couple of the places we've mentioned today, and here's what I found:

*Starbucks across from Desert Ridge
-2 armchairs with table inside
-7 two-person tables inside
-3 tables outside, but only one has umbrella/shade
-plenty of outlets inside, none outside

*Starbucks at Scottsdale/Mayo
-2 armchairs with table and footrest inside
-6 two-person tables inside
-6 tables outside, all with umbrellas or on shaded patio
-plenty of outlets inside, none outside

*Borders at Scottsdale/Mayo
-6 four-person tables
-4 two-person tables
-5 armchairs with side tables
-a few outlets on one wall

*Starbucks at Kierland Commons
-2 large six-person tables
-10 armchairs with side tables
-9 two-person tables inside
-14 tables outside, most with umbrellas
-plenty of outlets inside

*Barnes and Noble at Kierland Commons
-plenty of tables and chairs, but no outlets

*Intatto: I think this is out of business. I drove past all the stores in the strip mall where it's supposed to be, and the phone number on its website is disconnected, so I think this one is a no go.

The Starbucks at Kierland Commons is by far the largest, but when I went in today at about 3, it was packed, so I think if we choose that one, it should be on a weekday, not a weekend. Since the Borders at Scottsdale/Mayo has some outlets, that may well work for a weekend, since it was relatively quiet in there today. The other two Starbucks seem about equal in capacity, so I don't think it matters too much either way on them.

What does everyone think about the following schedule?

Monday: Starbucks at Kierland Commons, 6-9 pm
Wednesday: Starbucks at Desert Ridge, 6-9 pm
Saturday: Borders at Scottsdale and Mayo, 2-5 pm

Obviously, if people would prefer different days, times, or have other suggestions for places, then keep them coming :-)

OH MY GOSH!!! These posts are really getting me excited! I cannot believe we are only a week away from starting. I think the schedule calante made is great-- I will definitely try hard to make it to some of these, I so want to meet you all! I am posting the schedule on my weekly calendar and am preparing the family for the month of NaNo!

Hi,
I didn't make it to the Starbucks last year but some of us met on Wed. nights at Borders. They had at that time a table set up in the back of the store where we could all plug in as long as one of us remembered a power strip.
I'm gathering a bunch of friends to join this year. I think we would like a daytime.

I probably won't make starbucks again but would like to do a daytime or maybe Wed. night so if somebody wants to do that you can add it to the list.
RIta

That sounds fantastic, calante, thanks for scouting things out for us!! So, first meetup will be Nov. 3, right?

EXCITED!!! :-)

Heh, I totally forgot a start date, didn't I? Looks like it could either be Saturday 11/1 or Monday 11/3. Anyone have any preference?

I'm excited too! Especially since it seems like there's a few more people this year :-)

Edited to add: Rita, when you and your friends decide when and where you're going to meet, definitely let us know. I wouldn't be able to make many daytime write-ins during the week, but I'm sure there are other people who would be interested.

I won't be able to be there 11/1, but don't let that stop the rest of you!!

Sorry not to pop back in here for a bit; been busy trying to get my other novel edited and done *before* November starts.

Yes, sadly, Intatto is closed. The sad part, as y'all noticed, is that there isn't enough support for local, independent/family-owned coffee shops in the area. I'm going to check out Mocha Bianca this week and report back on hours/outlets/space; they're a little further from Scottsdale, at Bell & 40th, but I prefer small & local to Starbucks, when possible. Anyone know any others? Inza closed... I thought there was one at Scottsdale & Thunderbird, but they close pretty early...

I'm trying to convince my wife to do NaNoWriMo, but if that doesn't go through I probably won't make many evening write-ins. Daytime write-ins are fine by me (I do this full time), and I'm sure to be at a few evening write-ins, wife or not - though I may split my attention between N. Valley & Central PHX write-ins.

Glad to see plenty of interested writers, this year!

If they're at Mocha Bianca I can probably make more write-ins to be honest. I went to PVHS so I almost literally lived at 40th and Bell last year, and I'm now attending and working at PVCC. With my class and work schedule I could possibly make an evening write-in at Mocha Bianca any weekday except Thursday. If that doesn't work out, I still like meeting up at Desert Ridge or something. If we go too far into Scottsdale, I probably won't make any, because that's a little bit farther than I want to drive. I mean I've only had my license three months, got into one accident already (wasn't my fault), and don't really live all of that close to Scottsdale. I mean I live eight miles or so from my high school.

I have never personally gone to Mocha Bianca, but I have several friends who go regularly and love it. None of them are writers, but at least we know the food/coffee are good. : )

There's also a Starbuck's at 40th and Greenway, that connects to Gelato Spot. There's some nice tables outside, and though the inside of Starbuck's is small, Gelato has some nice tables inside, and sitting area with a couple of couches a chairs. My tennis team met up there last year and played Clue after a match. The only things I'm not sure of are WiFi, and outlets.

I do like the idea of having write-ins at different locations on different days though. It just ensures that everyone can attend at least one if they want to.

Count me in, all. I'm about 30 minutes north of Scottsdale/Mayo, so that will be the closest place for me to attend. Cya soon!

Jay

Mocha Bianca is open M-F 6AM to 6PM and weekends 7AM to 5PM. Lots of tables, plenty of outlets, the staff seems friendly; they even said that - if we requested a particular time/date (presuming there were several of us, of course, and eating/drinking) - they would gladly stay open for an evening write-in.

Otherwise, they'd only be available for daytime & weekend write-ins.

Hrm. 1/2hr north of Desert Ridge? Maybe we should have a write-in at that coffee shop in Cave Creek I keep hearing about (what's it called?) - it sounds like we have a couple/few people that far north, we should split the driving, maybe?

Thanks for checking Mocha Bianca out, Ted-- it sounds like it could certainly work as a daytime and/or weekend location. Opening later for us during the week is a great offer, but I think it would be wise to see how many people actually show up to write-ins before we ask them to do that. I know that last year there were quite a few people who expressed interest, but then only 2-4 people would actually show up, so if that pattern holds true, I don't think it would be worthwhile to ask them to stay open later. So let's see how the first week goes, numbers-wise, and from there decide whether or not it's feasible to ask Mocha Bianca to open later on a weeknight. How does that sound?

Even if we don't use it for a weekday evening, however, I think we would certainly work it in, since it seems like that location would work somewhat better for a few of you. The way I see it, we have a couple of ways to do that:
1) use it for a daytime write-in. I'm not available in the daytime, so those of you who are, chime in with preferred days/times and we'll add it to the list.
2) switch back and forth between it and the Borders on Saturdays (so we would have two Saturdays at each location, plus one extra if we do meet on 11/1)
3) use it for a one-off write-in, for the halfway mark, the 30th, or a pre-Thanksgiving marathon to preemptively make up for days wasted on cooking/eating/watching football :-)

Thoughts?

As for meeting on 11/1, I also won't be available that afternoon. If people are planning to go, then by all means; otherwise we can "officially" start the North Valley write-ins on Monday 11/3.

I'm also planning to go to the midnight kick-off at IHOP-- it was a lot of fun last year, even though it's a little out of the way. So maybe I will see some of you there!

I won't be able to make the M/W evening write-ins as I have classes those nights. I can make the Saturdays though. I would definitely be interested in daytime during the week.

Just as a reminder, our first North Valley write-in is tomorrow, 6-9 pm, at the Starbucks at Kierland Commons. I will be there around 5ish, because I want to give myself some breathing room so I can completely ignore my novel on election night, so if anyone else wants to go a little earlier, you can keep me company. And keep me from spending $4 on a coffee...

Hope to see some of you there!

So trying to follow all this along but I am DEFINITELY in the North, this is my first Nanowrimo and would love to meet other writers......however, I am a fair trade practice/green geek so Barnes and Noble and Starbucks are both part of the Evil Empire........but I am a big fan of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Borders and they are all over this part of the valley. That being said what times and places were actually decided on...I mean I can still show up and be inspired by the group energy and all that.

Hey all,

Sorry this is coming in a bit late, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in:
I work at the Mesquite branch of the Phoenix Public Library, which is located right by PV Mall (the exact address is 4525 E. Paradise Village Pkwy N.), and I know my co-workers and I would be glad to have everyone there. We're actually working on getting a display up about NaNoWriMo with some books that might help if you start having trouble keeping up somewhere along the way... I know I always do.
Just thought I'd throw that out there! I'm there mostly nights & weekends, so look for a tall redhead if you ever decide to pop in for a visit! (;
Also, Thursday nights are generally the most dead evenings of the week, so that might be a good time to do a write-in. It's nice and quiet.

Happy writing!

Jessica

Edit: I neglected to mention the lack of WiFi in our library. They've been planning to get us going on that for about two years now, and it hasn't happened yet...
If you're lucky, and you sit in the right spot, you can piggyback on the free WiFi in the food court of the mall across the street, though! Haha. And there are outlets under each of our giant tables, so that's good.
Thanks!

Just popping in to say that I'm planning on being at the Desert Ridge write-in tonight, but I'll probably be a bit late. Hope to see you all there!

That sounds great. I don't know who all would be available, but since we've already got M, W, & Sat write-ins scheduled, why not pencil in Thursday afternoons/evenings for anyone who can make it to the Mesquite Library. We'll have to see if we're available this week, but that's my branch of the library anyway (I have books due back Friday, so that'll probably work out fine), and it doesn't hurt not to have those tempting expensive (in $$ and in calories) drinks always available.

The library is open Thursdays until 9, so how's about - after work (or whenever... 5 or 6) until close at Mesquite?

-Teel

(WiFi is just distracting, anyway - I get a lot more written when not distracted by the internet!)

Hey guys,

It seems like even though there's been a fair amount of interest in write-ins expressed here, we're still only seeing 2-4 people actually showing up. If the times and locations don't work, then by all means, let us know what would be better. You don't have to actually partake in any overpriced beverages to enjoy commiserating with fellow Wrimos and bouncing ideas off one another :-)

I may actually head over to the Mesquite library tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon/evening, since I tend to get much less done at home with internet, tv, and people around to distract me. I had contemplated it suggesting the library as a location, but thought it might be a bit too far south for many people. But if anyone else is up for it, I will be there. If not, hopefully Saturday we'll see some more people!

Happy writing!