Kick off party!

Well, do we want more party or more writing? Mellow Mushroom is more party than writing... The Open Book or Coffee Underground's backroom or any random coffee shop would be better for getting some writing done... Just something to consider.

-gnosis

The Kick-Off party has usually been more party than writing, and we have four more Saturdays for write-ins (not to mention any weekday write-ins we might schedule). So for me, it's more about the party - at least for that day.

Any other opinions?

I would prefer that if we do a party it be BEFORE the first day of the competition... If we do something on Saturday the 1st, it should be a writing gathering.

I won't be able to come on the 1st. It's my husband's birthday and we'll be out of town. But ya'll have some pizza for me!

The afternoon of the first works for me, and I don't have much preference regarding where it's held. If we end up doing something before the first, I'll have to consult my schedule, seeing as how I may not be able to make the party. However, I think I've got the 24th off (Saturday before Halloween), so I could make anything scheduled then.

Mostly, I just go along with the flow. ^_^

I'm open to whatever... within reason. I'm back in school but my practicum is done on Oct 24th so I'll have more free time after that. I'm all for Coffee Underground (love the place and the coffee :D) I'll go with the flow though

Oooo a kick off party sounds great. I kind of agree about having it the day before if you want a party party, but hey whatever works. I think I am getting my boyfriend into wanting to do this too >< I will keep an eye out for scheduling!

I'm for having the kickoff party anytime between 1 week prior to 1 week after Nov. 1st. And I think it should be a get together/party, not a write-in. I don't have any specific date suggestions (other than Halloween night wouldn't be a very good idea for those of us that have kids or still are kids). I'll try to make whatever date we set for the KO party, if I'm unable to make it, no big deal I'll make other meetings.

If it's a Saturday, the earlier in the day the better. I have to be at work by 8 PM in Haywood (so a party in that region would be awesome). I like Mellow Mushroom, but I recall from last year that it can be quite crowded and busy. Mind, I suppose most places will be on a Saturday, but it wasn't very conducive to conversation.

I'm fine with the 1st! Mellow Mushroom is fun but loud. It is too bad we can't find a place that will just let us adopt it for a month or so.

If we don't have it on the 1st itself, I'm leaning toward the Thursday before (Oct. 30) or the Monday after (Nov. 3). I specify Thursday because my hubby gets paid on Friday, and it actually shows up in the account Thursday after 5 (I'd really like to have money for this party!).

I'm also leaning toward a coffee shop instead of the Mellow Mushroom. As several people have said, the MM is busy, and noisy, and it's hard to hold a conversation there. So, perhaps a spot downtown like Coffee Underground or maybe Spill The Beans? I'll have a look this weekend when I have money again... and the car. See what can be arranged. If there's any place else you can think of that's centrally located (Haywood Road maybe?) I'd like to hear what you have in mind.

Just so you all know, I'm coming from the Sans Souci area of Greenville, just a little bit NW of downtown - think Cherrydale. I'm very flexible as to where we hold this party, though I'll admit my hubby absolutely hates driving on Woodruff Road.

Just a few suggestions, there's also places like Belaccino's and Atlanta Bread. I can't really remember quite what else, but thought I'd throw those out there. Only thing is they're on main street, so you'd probably have to park away from the street. Still, anything's fine for me, so long as I know the date ahead enough that I can ask it off just in case, otherwise I'll be pulling teeth if I get scheduled that day XD

Back in Ohio and Maryland, I was always a fan of places like Panera. You can call in advance and reserve their side room and they have a number of power outlets and free wifi. There's more food variety than most coffee shops, etc.

Though this might be just me being selfish. I'm allergic to coffee, so I'm always in favor of a place that will have a broad selection of non-coffee items. ;) I won't care once the write-ins start, since I have no chance of making them, but I might be able to make a party or two. :)

I'm with him on that. I take any backroads I can to avoid driving on Woodruff. >>

I don't really know what dates are good for me at this point, so I won't weigh in on that front. I remember Coffee Underground and ABC being good places, though -- not too quiet, not too loud.

I would prefer to have the party before the first, but it's no big deal either way.

Hah, such a shame I never opened up that Coworking idea of mine.

I am flexible as far as location, time not so much. I'd rather have the party before the first, but if we do it the night of October 31st it will cut out everyone with kids, including me. Can we come up with some other time?
-Ashley

I'm flexible for location too but I can't do anything before November 1st. The last week in October is Wade Hampton Week and I'm a Newspaper/Yearbook photographer so I have to be at the Oct 31st game. Yay.

Ah, I'm with you on the allergy thing. Coffee makes me sick, but then I stick to tea and chai usually anyway, and I can't eat bread, because I can't have yeast. So I prefer places with broad selections. I can USUALLY find something almost anywhere I go, though sometimes it's a game of give and take ^.^

I think there are enough ppl worried about having it the first of Nov or the last of Oct for it to not be on those days. At least for a kick off. I'd probably say a day or two before the end or a couple of days after the beginning, though I'm not sure if people would feel all right about taking up writing time. The benefit of that would be we've all ready started so no changing your start up, so everyone would be able to talk about what they're doing and gather info and ideas from other people. Could still be done before too, though ^.^

I think the Mellow Mushroom is kind of pricy and very noisy. Conversations can't be heard at all. If I could make it to anything on the 1st, I'd opt for somewhere that is a bit quieter and maybe that we can do some writing. My problem with the 1st being on a Saturday is that my work just changed my payday policy starting with the 1st of November. Up until this month, the policy had been if the 1st and 15th fell on a Saturday, we got paid the Friday before (which would have given me a paycheck on the 31st of October); if they fell on a Sunday, we would be paid the Monday after. But apparently this was causing some people to be penalized by some sort of system because they received three paychecks in the month (which is dumb because the next month, they would only receive one anyway). So they decided to change the weekend policy in favor of regardless which day the 1st or 15th falls on (weekend days only), we would be paid the following Monday. So November I won't get paid until November 3 and November 17th. I'm game wherever we go but I at least opt for somewhere that conversation can be heard.

I will encourage everyone but won't participate in writing (I've got a full schedule already in November - scheduled a blog book tour, plus work is piling on me and right before the Holidays, I definitely need it; and I've got two book signings on the same day; and it's the tail end of band season and I don't know what all they are involved in during the month.)

sonsofswait has offered his bookstore in Greer for Saturday morning write-ins (I will be there on the 15th from 3 to 5 doing a book signing for State of Wilderness and launching State of Quarries. I believe the store is called The Silver Chair - so if you are in the area and can make a couple of write-ins, I encourage you to do so).

I will still add the word count widgets to myself so that everyone will know what is going on and I'll do my daily postings to encourage everyone. I hope to make it to some of the scheduled write-ins but I have to play everything day by day and week by week - - see you all in the postings - E :)

Ok, in fairness to Mellow Mushroom. The KO parties the last two years have occurred mid-day when hardly anyone was there. There wasn't a noise issue (correct me it I'm wrong). So if we do mid-day, then IMO that issue is moot. As for cost, a sandwich cost less than $5 there. So, I don't think it's really fair to MM to claim they're too pricey. The TGIO' parties have occurred in the evening and yes, it's loud and crowded. I've still had a good time, but I understand the complaint there.

It doesn't really matter all that much to me where we have the party is held. I don't want to decide. I want to be told :). Then I can try to make it.

My bad - I haven't been to any kick-off parties since I've had something going (like band) and they have usually occurred in October - the week before the 1st or something like that before.

It's been awhile since I've been in MM but I don't remember sandwiches being under $5. Either way, that's not my issue this month - My paydays won't fall on the 31st of October and the 14th fo November as they would normally have had the company not switched payday policies.

I think the biggest thing is settling on a time to do the kick-off party - The Friday night before won't work since that's halloween and a lot of folks have kids that are into halloween (my teenagers still are but not so dependent on me any more - and they are in marching band and have a football game that night anyway). The week before would be difficult for some folks to make a party (I will be out of town that weekend, which is the 24th through 26th). The 1st seems to be creating problems for people being it's on a Saturday.

So I think we need to have a definite date in mind to do the kick-off party (if the 1st is settled on already, then no big deal) and then given a couple of options and decide from there -

Linda, this is your area. November 1st is two weeks away and plans need to be made. Maybe the question should be - how many can make a kick-off party on the 1st of November at MM or wherever is decided upon? - Do a poll/vote/count of all that can make it - so you know what sized area you need to accommodate everyone -

I kind of agree with Tony - just let me know where and if I can make it, I'll be there - E :)

Elysabeth Eldering
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I think we should leave it up to our ML. That's why we have one! Those of us who can make it will and there will be other opportunities to meet up throughout the month! We can't move it too much earlier than the 1st, that wouldn't make sense and Halloween creates conflicts all over the place.

I, like jokerman, don't think MM is a problem mid-day, as long as we weren't planning on writing.

Okay. I'm going downtown today to check out some of the venues that people have suggested and that I'm not familiar with personally. I'm doing this not only to see about setting up the Kick off party, but also some write ins. I'll be back later today with a report, and hopefully a decision on the kickoff party.

Hi everyone... I think it is a great idea for a kickoff party, and I've seen alot of places tossed around as ideas... I'm going to have to add a shameless plug here...

I work at Liquid Highway (the new one in Taylors, on Old Spartanburg Rd.), so if a coffee shop is the way you want to go, can I add that as an idea? We have one downtown on Main Street at the Hyatt now, but depending on how large a group we're talking, it might be a little small, so we could have one at my store! :)

I don't know at the moment if I will be working day or evening on Sat. the 1st, but either is good for me that day...

Okay! Am back from traversing the countryside, and have a date, time and place!

Date: November 1, 2008
Time: 2-4 p.m.
Place: Panera Bread on Woodruff Road (across from the Barnes and Noble there).

They're reserving their "Tower room" for us. Free wifi, menu of breads, coffees, teas - very nice place! Bring your laptops as we'll spend an hour just hanging out and getting to know each other, then an hour of quick write-in challenges.

Let me know who can and can't come so I have a general number to work with. I told them 15-20, as I remember that as being a number that sticks in my head.

Hope to see you all there!

Eeeeexcellent. Right up my alley! I'll definitely be there.

I will definately try to come! I'm supposed to go to the zoo that day with a friend but I shall try and meet you guys. :D

I've put that in my cell phone so it can remind me...

I'm new to this (NaNoWriMo) and I'm a bit nervous but also excited.

I've got to go work on the other novel I'm trying to finish up so I can free myself for November :)

OMG it's almost here! I'd like to know who stole the last 2 weeks of my time. Give it back please. LOL

Already have it schedualed. :)

Looking forward to meeting y'all!