Midnight Kick-off

Are most ABQ Nanowrimos UNM students?

Is there a more central location for meetings (i.e. better parking?) I'm just thinking the distance for people on the Westside/near RR is a bit much.

This sounds like fun. It's a little early for me to say for sure, but it's a strong possibility. Frontier works for me.... I'm coming from the south end of the North Valley.

Sounds like fun - but it may be a bit of a drive for me

I'll try to follow along on the boards!

I would try to make it!

Since my birthday is Oct. 31, I've always been up at midnight to start writing. It would be cool to have a get-together at the Frontier to launch this year's NaNo in unison.

Carol Anne

04: The Magnificent What?
05: Murder at the Community College
06: Murder at the Yacht Club
07: Murder at the Family Reunion
08: Murder at the Little Theater
09: Murder on the Sports Desk

I would definitely be interested!!

We can arrange write-ins throughout the city. We've had them downtown, uptown, north valley, UNM area. Midnight, though, probably limits our choices for the kick-off write-in.

I agree with Jim on the venue. Plus, the Frontier has tasty, relatively inexpensive food!

2009: The Circumstances of Kenneth Valerie
2008: The Rabbit Effect
2007: Megrez
2006: The Indecent Career of Anchises Tanille
2005: Tomato Soup

one of the bunny folk said;

ABQ Nano has ALWAYS held the mtgs in the UNM area. It's a 7 - 8 year tradition. Maybe Rio Rancho folks should get their own ML and have westside mtgs. Just a thought.......

Frontier is the hallowed nano ground. yes, I will come at Midnight! I love it!!! (just remember, it's also Halloween. We may see some super freakies.)

ZenWoman (aka, ej of ABQ)
04 - "14th Club" - rebel "win"
05 - "the Delphi Technique" (c) 2005
06 - "AKS, Redux" (legit win)
07 - "AKS III: The Quest Continues"
08 - "Copyright 2008" (c) 2008 / semi rebel win ;)
09 - "it's about time!"

I sadly will not be making it to this kickoff. When I made Halloween plans this year, I totally forgot about NaNo, so maybe I can sneak off to the side and get some writing done at midnight, but I will most definitely be on the Westside at that time.

Oh well. Maybe next year.

NaNoWriMo '08: Ashes of an Empire (win)
ScriptFrenzy '09: Mikara Falling (win)
NaNoWriMo '09: Missing

I forgot about Halloween, too. I'm kinda hoping I'll have plans. Nonetheless, it sounds like several people can make it.

Surely you're not saying that ALL the NaNoWriMo meetings for the whole month need to be held near UNM? I can see the kick-off party, because of the late hour.... but it seems reasonable to me to rotate the other meetings to different parts of town to meet everybody's needs. Or maybe those who refuse to meet elsewhere should form a UNM area group on their own? Just a thought....

Since I'm not a city person to begin with, I stay away from the Downtown/UNM area. It's the only place in the city where I get claustrophobic.

I'm going to head to any of the libraries in town that are open later (only 8pm, but still) and that way if I need to grab a book for some quick research, it's right there. I know Erna Fergusson has a nice "talking zone" with big tables and plenty of outlets. And it's open on Sunday afternoons as well.

The meetings do often center around the UNM area. My first one was at Winnings Coffee Shop. It's usually the easiest area to find your way to. But from what I can remember in 2007 (I didn't participate in 2008) There were write-ins in Bernalillo, Tijeras, Mountainair, at Borders, you name it. And I'm thinking about having a write-in at the Flying Star downtown. It's still early, I imagine as people start signing up and checking the boards the write-ins will start popping up everywhere.

Gaynel

Libraries are a great idea. Even if they're not open super-late, their wi-fi signal (at least at my favorite branch, Tony Hillerman, fka Wyoming) is on 24/7 and reaches outside the building. The Hillerman branch has an area with tables where we might work if we're quiet, but weather permitting, the rose garden outside is a very pleasant place to work.

Yeah, I know, we're talking November, when things get chilly at night ... but daytime in the rose garden might be nice.

Carol Anne

04: The Magnificent What?
05: Murder at the Community College
06: Murder at the Yacht Club
07: Murder at the Family Reunion
08: Murder at the Little Theater
09: Murder on the Sports Desk

That's a very interesting point about the libraries wi-fi signal! The Flying Star on Rio Grande also has a very nice outdoor patio and wi-fi. I'm sure we'll find lots of places to meet. Since my last year's effort has just gone up for sale, I am pretty psyched about NaNo!

Midnight's a bit late for me. I'll try to come, but I may just fall asleep.

Hi Gaynel! I was just speaking of the Kick-off (since that was the thread.) Of course write-ins and other events can be held anywhere. The UNM area was considered central -- there were Wrimos who lived in Cedar Crest, far NE Heights, S and N Valleys, so UNM was (and still is) the most central location. Frontier and Winnings were about the only place then that welcomed the writerly types to camp out. Didn't you ML once or twice?? I got a fun tweet tonight from Chris Baty... so it will be hard to knock me off my cloud for now ;) Hope it's a good year, regardless where folks meet!

ZenWoman (aka, ej of ABQ)
04 - "14th Club" - rebel "win"
05 - "the Delphi Technique" (c) 2005
06 - "AKS, Redux" (legit win)
07 - "AKS III: The Quest Continues"
08 - "Copyright 2008" (c) 2008 / semi rebel win ;)
09 - "it's about time!"

I think a midnight kick off sounds good. If some people are worried about parking think about it. It's midnight. There's bound to be lots of parking. Last year we met at Borders @ uptown, which has lots of parking and worked really well. Since it is on Halloween we should all come in costume! I will! i don't think i have anything planned that night. If we meet i will try and come. I didn't know Frontier was open 24 hours.

NaNo 2008: Satyr's Freedom (Finished)
NaNo 2009: Yellow Tail

i'm all about a midnight kick-off. i'm not sure frontier is the place for it. but since i have no better suggestion, i will be there, wherever "there" is.

woo woo!

and... tra la la.

byronicwoman

~mad, bad and dangerous to know~

Oxlahun, Frontier used to be open 24 hours -- for security reasons, it cut hours a couple of years ago, but it's still open very, very late, well past midnight.

There is a recent development that may influence the decision. Frontier doesn't have its own wi-fi, but rather, has enjoyed a signal coming from UNM's School of Architecture and Planning just across the street. A few months ago, UNM began requiring a username and password to sign onto its network. I have been told that my CNM username and password will work, but I haven't had a chance to test that. For those who don't have either a UNM or CNM username, but who want the kickoff to be someplace with wi-fi, the Frontier may no longer be ideal.

Carol Anne

04: The Magnificent What?
05: Murder at the Community College
06: Murder at the Yacht Club
07: Murder at the Family Reunion
08: Murder at the Little Theater
09: Murder on the Sports Desk

I think lack of open wifi is a major issue. I don't think it would give me any problems, I don't think I'll have a need for Inet. But there may be many others who need it and don't have a CNM or UNM uname and pass. Perhaps a few people can bring extra laptops, and just set them up for those that need internet, kindof a communal terminal. If that works, I can try to get my second laptop working. I plan on being there.

The Code Demon Rises.

This may be a silly question, but... What's the need for internet while we're writing? Isn't it more of a distraction than anything else? Even those using google docs or whatever can easily cut-and-paste from a Notepad file when they're around an access point again, right?

Not that I begrudge anyone being jacked in at all times. I'm just wondering why it's a big consideration.

For me, it's sort of been a tradition for kickoff ... I start writing at the dot of midnight, and after I've tossed off a paragraph or two, I immediately update word count, just to prove that I'm real.

Otherwise, I don't actually use the Internet while writing. But I do sometimes take a break from writing to see what's new on the Mystery and Suspense forum.

Carol Anne

04: The Magnificent What?
05: Murder at the Community College
06: Murder at the Yacht Club
07: Murder at the Family Reunion
08: Murder at the Little Theater
09: Murder on the Sports Desk

I will say i have finally found a plot for this year.

for that plot i will be needing to do alot of research, for which the INet is best. Understandably that research isn't probably necessary on the first day, but INet during the kickoff would at least be great to have.

I have a TMobile G1. I'm always connected, and don't know what i'd do without internet. I am the INet generation. (being a computer guy might also have something to do with it)

PS for my plot and research, if anyone has ties to old eastern European culture (russian and eastern block countries), i want to talk to you.

The Code Demon Rises.

I will be there!

I'm feeling hesitant about the kick-off. Granted, I'd love to meet all of you literary folk, but I also really appreciate sleep (especially the night before I work a double). Perhaps a later rendezvous would be best for me...I'm really torn. Frontier at an inappropriate hour or sleep???

For those who do not have a username for the UNM wireless, what you do is log into Lobo Guest rather than Lobo Wifi. It is open to anyone to log in. The connection is slightly slower, but it eliminates the whole password issue. And, if you don't have the security software UNM now requires for the access of its wireless, the log in/acceptance of terms page (depending on if you are on Lobo Guest or Lobo Wifi) will give you a pop up to install it, which is quick and painless, if a touch irritating.

I may actually end up dropping by, though I will definitely be in costume and shivering my bum off if I do. x_x

NaNoWriMo '08: Ashes of an Empire (win)
ScriptFrenzy '09: Mikara Falling (win)
NaNoWriMo '09: Missing

Wow, thanks Kysis for the lobo log-in info!! That seals the deal for me. YES, I want to come to the Frontier, bring my laptop and after writing some kick-off words, log onto the site and update my word count. WOOT! I don't know of another place with WiFi that will stay open til 2 or 3 am. I say "game on." Costumes, that's even better! Maybe I can dress up like some novel character. (that offers a lot of options for everyone.) Those craving sleep can always meet anywhere, anytime and as often as you'd like the rest of the month!

ZenWoman (aka, ej of ABQ)
04 - "14th Club" - rebel "win"
05 - "the Delphi Technique" (c) 2005
06 - "AKS, Redux" (legit win)
07 - "AKS III: The Quest Continues"
08 - "Copyright 2008" (c) 2008 / semi rebel win ;)
09 - "it's about time!"

Not yet sure if I'll be there. As Oct. 31 is my birthday, my husband and/or parents may have other plans.

But if I do show up, I'll probably be in costume as my main character ... a community college English instructor.

Carol Anne

04: The Magnificent What?
05: Murder at the Community College
06: Murder at the Yacht Club
07: Murder at the Family Reunion
08: Murder at the Little Theater
09: Murder on the Sports Desk