Howdy!
One of my favorite NaNo traditions is staying up till midnight on Halloween and hammering out a few thousand words at the first possible second. I tried to drum up some interest in such an event last year, but got no takers, so I decided to just stay up at home and write. Wow! That was a mistake! I ended up watching old reruns of "Little House on the Prairie" and getting depressed.
So, this year I have promised myself that I will be out and about writing at midnight, whether anyone else does or not!
I have no preference for location, but someplace in Winchester (or nearby) with free WiFi and affordable munchies would be great! I am thinking the IHOP on Hwy 522 across from the Costco, but I don't know whether or not they have WiFi. There is also a Waffle House just down the street at the intersection of Hwy 522 and 50 that does have WiFi, but I am not positive that they stay open 24 hours...
Any other suggestions? Or is someone already planning something like this? If so, let me know, I will be there.
Many words to all!
----------
Tweetywill
The Piker Press
Tired of messing with my siggy!
54,300 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 11 20
I would LOVE to do that cause I was really hoping to be writing at midnight as well. Thing is, hubby will be out of town and *sigh* since we're out in Gore I have no one to watch the kids that late. If something happens and I can figure out a way I will definitely let ya know! If not, I'll be up, online, writing, and I'll have coffee and snacks in front of me so I'll be joining you in spirit. Ooh, spirits on Halloween! LOL Yeah, I'm tired...
Peace, Love, and Giggles,
----------Deanna
"I've waited for you. I trusted you...fought for you and I even fell in love with you...and for what?" Ray to Neela from ER
50,223 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 12 44
Thanks for posting this Tweetywill! Okay, LaMishia and I have been discussing this already and we weren't sure how much interest there would be on Halloween. I guess this is a good place to find out! I think it would be fun. Let's see what others are up for. Hey Wyntermoon, will your five little goblins be in bed by midnight? hehe Chime in everyone!
Susan
----------2006: The Scrapbook - I did it!
2007: Leaving Lucy (working title) - Success!
2008: Undecided, but it might start something like...He was a dark and stormy knight....
50,221 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 15 11
As Susan said, she and I were contemplating planning one of these so OF COURSE we'd be down!!! I do believe Ihop is a good location as well. Deanna i hope you can find an overnight sitter. :-) for a couple hours.
-----------MASTER NOVELIST IN DISGUISE-
www.thelonephotographer.com
2007- "Not on My Watch" (Winner!)
2008- "Shattered" (a work in progress)
50,020 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 05 55
Sweet! I will try and find out about WiFi at IHOP.
I am going to write my novel on Google Docs this year, to avoid lost, corrupted, destroyed, or just plain ornery storage media, so Internet access would be nice to have. (Not vital, I can always upload later, but you know...)
----------Tweetywill
The Piker Press
Tired of messing with my siggy!
50,221 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 12 42
im just glad that we might finally get to meet you in person tweety!!!
-----------MASTER NOVELIST IN DISGUISE-
www.thelonephotographer.com
2007- "Not on My Watch" (Winner!)
2008- "Shattered" (a work in progress)
51,334 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 13 11
I'm up for it! Waffle house probably isn't the best place for it because the tables are pretty tiny and more than 2 people might be crowded. Not sure if IHOP has Wifi though.
50,223 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 16 55
Got the lowdown on the WiFi at the iHop for the Kickoff?
Say that three times!
----------2006: The Scrapbook - I did it!
2007: Leaving Lucy (working title) - Success!
2008: Undecided, but it might start something like...He was a dark and stormy knight....
50,020 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 17 23
Well, I am glad to be anticipated! And looking forward to attending an event. Last year didn't really work out too well for that!
And, I do not have the low-down on the wifi at the ihop yet, I should be able to call tomorrow or run by there and see.
Stand by for news! (ala Paul Harvey... oh nevermind.)
Laters!
----------Tweetywill
The Piker Press
Tired of messing with my siggy!
50,221 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 17 39
ok :-( its a NO GO on WI FI at the IHOP. They dont have it. So we need a back up space. I wonder if we could talk Borders into it???? OR ohhh crap whats that place that starts with a P.....AHA I FOUND IT! It's Perkins here in Winchester and they do have it...but damn it....they arent a 24 hour restaurant here.... they were in Bristol when i was in college. So we are still looking for a plan B. sowwwy
-----------MASTER NOVELIST IN DISGUISE-
www.thelonephotographer.com
2007- "Not on My Watch" (Winner!)
2008- "Shattered" (a work in progress)
12,819 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 18 07
They should be dreaming of skulls and pumpkins by midnight! Hey, let's see if we can find a deal on a haunted house. ;)
----------stacey
http://staceyigraham.com
50,020 / 50,000
oct. 10, 2008 - 10 15
Hmm... if IHOP is without wifi, it is not necessarily a deal-killer.
However,
Your post did lead to some pondering on my part ( a frightening proposition by any account...)
It can be awkward and crowded trying to fit several laptops on a table along with chili-cheese fries, assorted sodas and/or strawberry waffles.
(hmmmmmm.... waffles.....)
Where was I? Oh yeah... awkward.
So any suggestions for places with a little more elbow room would be enthusiatically endorsed by this wrimo at least!
Does anyone know someone at the library in Winchester? That place is just such a great old building, I bet it would even be spookier at midnight on Halloween. If we could bribe someone to let us come and hang out there until about 1 am... Or some other old creaky building downtown. (And I know there are plenty of them!)
In the end though, IHOP would still be a good emergency fallback position if nothing else comes up. In my Ever Humble Opinion of course! :-)
----------Tweetywill
The Piker Press
Tired of messing with my siggy!
60,405 / 50,000
oct. 10, 2008 - 10 29
Hmmm...A group of amateur writers locked in an old library at midnight on Halloween...
Excuse me, I have to go chase a plot bunny.....
50,221 / 50,000
oct. 10, 2008 - 12 31
I agree J.L. i like the old library idea....and Tweety, I agree, we can just write....you know...old skool like with pens and whats that thin sheaf that they used to write on....oh..ummm...errr Oh yea! Paper! we could definitely still do that as a back up. i dont think i know of anyone at the library but it cant hurt to ask. i'll keep pondering on this....
-----------MASTER NOVELIST IN DISGUISE-
www.thelonephotographer.com
2007- "Not on My Watch" (Winner!)
2008- "Shattered" (a work in progress)
50,223 / 50,000
oct. 10, 2008 - 14 15
I sent the following to the Librarian at Handley and included my full name and contact information:
Hello! My name is Susan and I am a Municipal Liaison for the Shenandoah Valley region of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month http://www.nanowrimo.org/.) National Novel Writing Month begins November 1st, 2008 and writers have 30 days to write a 50,000 word count novel. In 2007 there were over 100,000 participants with over 15,000 of us crossing the finish line. Several of those finishers were from the newly formed Shenandoah Valley region. This is our second year as a region and we now have several participants from in and around Winchester. We are hoping to find a location to begin writing at midnight on November 1st. One of our participants suggested that we contact the Handley Library to see if you were willing to host our event. To date we have about ten writers interested in attending. We would only require about three hours of your time from 11:00 p.m. on October 31st until about 2:00 a.m. and a small area with seating for all and wireless access to the internet to post our word counts. I can imagine that this might seem a bit out of the ordinary and you are probably inclined to say no. But we thought it couldn't hurt to ask. We are a small group of budding novelists ranging in age from 17 to 70 and we promise to behave! I do appreciate your consideration of our request and if the answer is no we completely understand. But perhaps you might have another location to suggest? Thank you again.
Best regards,
Susan
----------2006: The Scrapbook - I did it!
2007: Leaving Lucy (working title) - Success!
2008: Undecided, but it might start something like...He was a dark and stormy knight....
50,020 / 50,000
oct. 10, 2008 - 16 01
Excuse me, I have to go chase a plot bunny.....
That is funny! I hadn't even looked at it that way! If it works out, maybe we can all have a challenge to put a group of amateur writers in an old library at midnight on halloween in our novels...
****************************************************************************
Battling the soul-stealing weasels of despair!
Tweetywill
----------Tweetywill
The Piker Press
Tired of messing with my siggy!
50,221 / 50,000
oct. 10, 2008 - 17 16
great email susan!!! lets see what they have to say. in addition i'll go visit personally since i frequent there.
-----------MASTER NOVELIST IN DISGUISE-
www.thelonephotographer.com
2007- "Not on My Watch" (Winner!)
2008- "Shattered" (a work in progress)
12,819 / 50,000
oct. 11, 2008 - 13 50
I say we lock ourselves in the old West Virginia Pen. all night with the assorted ghosts and record...wait. Some of us already did that. Nevermind.
----------stacey
http://staceyigraham.com
50,223 / 50,000
oct. 11, 2008 - 14 09
Yes, some of us already did do that! But I am not opposed to doing it again. Of course, there is always the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, formerly the Weston State Hospital.
Susan
----------2006: The Scrapbook - I did it!
2007: Leaving Lucy (working title) - Success!
2008: Undecided, but it might start something like...He was a dark and stormy knight....
50,020 / 50,000
oct. 13, 2008 - 03 51
Wow! Either one of those sounds awesome... much better than IHOP!
----------Tweetywill
The Piker Press
Tired of messing with my siggy!
54,300 / 50,000
oct. 13, 2008 - 09 01
I have my kid situation all figured out! *does happy dance* They'll be spending the night at my parent's or my sister's house! They actually live like 100 yards from each other so they'd still be close and that way I'd end up just staying at one of the houses myself so I don't have to go all the way out to Gore and then come all the way back to town to get them! *wicked grin* Or I might convince the kids to be fantastically wonderful and then I can go on home, write as much as possible in the peace and quiet for 24 hours and then just get them on Sunday! Which is a new idea I just thought about sitting here typing this!
My second reason for posting. Another place that is open 24 hours is Denny's on Martinsburg Pike. My aunt used to work there and as I've been discussing NaNo stuff with mom *finding and begging for a sitter in case hubby goes away for work again* she said "well you know when your aunt worked at Denny's they were open 24 hours and they have coffee." LOL Bless her heart! So I called and yes, they are in fact open 24 hours and I asked about wifi and she said sort of...which if you know where it is located, you'll know where that wifi might come from if it isn't actually in the restaurant!
Just throwing that out there if the library doesn't work out and if we didn't want to do IHop. Although, I don't know if the tables at Denny's might be any bigger than at IHop or not since I have never been to the IHop.
Peace, Love, and Giggles,
----------Deanna
"I've waited for you. I trusted you...fought for you and I even fell in love with you...and for what?" Ray to Neela from ER