Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

{STICKY} Word War Signup Skye & Elsewhere Region.

Marie Rex — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:42:58 -0700

[Edited to combine Skye with Elsewhere, it is just easier for me to track.]

This sign up is for anyone in Scotland. Some of the regions are doing this separately but this is for everyone else. We'll be teaming up, since we are all scattered.

Please post ONLY ONCE to say you are in.

Please include in your post that you have read and understand the rules.

Rules are here:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3046018

Everyone is welcome, I hope new folks will be willing to give it a go and I would encourage everyone to join the mentor thread as well. The more support we give each other the better we all will do.

Banter and name calling, in the most positive of ways of course can be found here:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3046039

So I am the first to sign up. I have read the rules and I'm ready to write

Anastasia
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Important things to remember during NaNoWriMo:
You can still do this! Trust me, I know you can.
You don’t have to spell check
Grammar is optional
Editing comes later
And a plot is used for gardening

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Regional Word War Leader Table Update

Loriba — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 04:46:40 -0800

Hi,

Thought I'd start a new thread for posting when updates have taken place as it's easier to just cross-post across all the participating forums.

The results from the 4th November have been calculated and can be found here:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3095947#comment-3239799

If anyone sees any mistakes (and there were several in the last one) please PM me to let me know. :)
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*Hugs*
Lottie
ML for Europe::England:: Cambridge
http://www.nanowrimo.org/mlcontact
2005: Dreaming of Jack - 83k+; 2006: An Ordinary World - 84k+; 2007: Rising Angels, Falling Apes - 121k; 2008 - White Shadows - ??.

Europe :: Wales

Stirling meet ups

Katy Gordon — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 01:56:57 -0700

Hi guys

I'm the regional ML who is covering the Stirling area, and I'm just creating this post to give people the space to discuss locations for the pre-Nano meet-up, the weekly meets and the post-Nano TGIO party.

I was thinking the weekly meetings could be on a Wednesday evening.
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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Scottish nanowrimoers living abroad

Peggy — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:07:23 -0700

is there anybody else out there? i am in frankfurt
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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Progress report

TheHornedOrc — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:10:28 -0700

Just bored and thought I would start the usual progress report thread a little early to vent some spleen about my as yet very insubstantial and vague characters.

So far I have a setting(ish) and rough plot with character sketches. However, I had planned to have all my suspects murder my victim, and then add obstacles and alibis later as I'm writing to eliminate them one by one leaving only one perpetrator, so that hopefully through the whodunnit there won't be any obvious killer as even I won't know as I'm writing it. The characters, being the self-centred things that they are, chose otherwise. They are all equally guilty still, but not quite as I had intended. They all have motives, but none of them did it.

I think I'll give up planning things in advance. I thought it would control things a bit better, rather than start the rebellion against the plot even before the book is started. At least I still have a few days to get things back in order, though I doubt there is any chance of that. I can't even threaten to kill them off as it won't work that well if I keep reducing the pool of possible suspects.
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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Writing tips

alairduk — Fri, 3 Oct 2008 03:17:34 -0700

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/fiction_rule_of_thumb.png
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The trouble with the world is everyone is a few drinks behind

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Carrots and Bribes

Marie Rex — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:34:31 -0800

Hi folks,

I'm big on offering positive reinforcement. So to follow up with my recent email.

Scotland Elsewhere is slipping down the Word War table. I think I need a better bribe.

To the Word Warrior with the highest count (excluding myself) I will post one of the new NaNoWriMo posters and other surprises.

Speaking of bribes, I’ve got a few others to offer.

In an effort to get folks to donate to the site so we can keep it going and get enough equipment to cure the technical blues. I’m going to have an informal raffle of everyone who lists Scotland as home and has a halo. On December 1st, I’ll put all the names on paper and have the Captain of my Support Team choose one. I will post it to the winner.

One box of Thornton’s Classic Chocolates will be posted to the first year person who lists Scotland as home with the highest word count.

As well as another box of Thornton’s Classic Chocolates to the person who lists Scotland as home with the highest word count who is on their second year or more.

If you don’t want to be included feel free to say so. I’m excluding myself.

Also I have a good supply of this year’s NaNoWriMo sticker.

So if you are not close enough to meet up with one of the ML’s and would like one. Please PM or email me your address and I will stick one in an envelope for you. I also have NaNoSkye magnets, if you’d like one of those tell me and I’ll include it with a sticker, until I run out. (Optimistically I ordered 100)

PLEASE if you are under 18, do NOT give your address out until one of your parents has sent an email saying it is ok.

Don’t put your address on the forum, it is an open public place and that just isn’t a good idea for anyone. I can be reached by private message or email at: nanoskye@gmail.com

Cheers.
----------
Important things to remember during NaNoWriMo:
You can still do this! Trust me, I know you can.
You don’t have to spell check
Grammar is optional
Editing comes later
And a plot is used for gardening

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Anyone in Falkirk?

Ashfae — Sun, 9 Nov 2008 04:17:23 -0800

That question about sums it up really. =)
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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

A playlist with only Gaelic Music.....

Aisling23 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:09:45 -0800

I'd like to write my novel to only Gaelic music. Are there any Gaelic songs or artists that you particularly like?

Writing Blessings

I wonder how you say Your Novel is going Fabulously, Well Done in Gaelic?

Slainte
Aisling
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http://www.symbolicbridging.com/
http://www.aislingnano.wordpress.com/

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

INVERNESS AREA

Marie Rex — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:01:55 -0700

Hi Folks,

I'm trying to see how many people are in the Inverness area that would be able/willing to attend meet ups.

I am willing to drive over on Saturdays, as long as there isn't snow. I don't like snow.

I need to know how many of you there are and if you want meet ups.

If I get enough response I'll contact the folks at Starbucks in Borders about letting us use a corner for a couple hours once a week.

It is unlikely I could get over earlier than 1 pm and I'd want to leave by 4 pm.

If anyone is interested, please let me know here or send me a private message.

I can also be reached by email at:

nanoskye@gmail.com

Thanks
Anastasia
----------
Important things to remember during NaNoWriMo:
You can still do this! Trust me, I know you can.
You don’t have to spell check
Grammar is optional
Editing comes later
And a plot is used for gardening

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Word War Banter

Marie Rex — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:46:51 -0700

This Thread is the place for people from different regions can get together and offer one another gentle 'encouragement'. :-) Please emphasise that this thread is supposed to be light-hearted and a certain amount of jibes and name-calling is to be expected, but participants should still follow the main site rules about behaviour on the boards and the use of smileys to emphasise the jovial nature of insults should be actively encouraged.

I will be watching and I expect you all to play nice. The basic site rules apply.

However if you plan to call the competition a bunch of candle wasting Sassenachs, be sure to follow it with a *grin* or :)

I throw down the gauntlet, prepare to be clobbered.

Your Fearless Leader,
Anastasia
----------
Important things to remember during NaNoWriMo:
You can still do this! Trust me, I know you can.
You don’t have to spell check
Grammar is optional
Editing comes later
And a plot is used for gardening

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Anyone in Dumfries & Galloway?

Scottish Diva — Sat, 1 Nov 2008 05:12:06 -0700

I'm looking for any writing buddies in my region of South-West Scotland..anyone out there want to add each other to buddy lists to spur each other on?

Let's get South-West Scotland on the NaNo map!

We need a region in Sount-West Scotland, I'm sure there are lot's of us out there...

Good Luck everyone, I did my first 760 words before I went to sleep in the early hours of this morning...*yay*
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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

The Monster in Data Heaven and how to keep your novel out of its belly.

Marie Rex — Fri, 3 Oct 2008 01:35:49 -0700

Good Morning folks,

As many of you know there was a major system crash here that brought the site to its knees. Now thanks to a good back up system and a lot of hard work from dedicated staff we are back on line with a minimum of data loss.

Computers are wonderful tools, but like any tool they have their short comings. Things happen and data goes to the Monsters in Data Heaven, never to be seen again.

Trust me when I say it can happen to anyone, yes even YOU.

So think about how to save YOUR precious novel and how to stash it in other places.

For myself, I move between a laptop and a desk top. Every time I stop for the day I take a few moments to copy the file to a floppy disk, then move it to the other computer. So I have it on the laptop, the desk top and a floppy disk. (A sad note here is that all 5 1/2 of my novels fit on a single humble floppy disk and there is still room for more)

Think about ways to keep your words safe. Because if they get gobbled by the Monsters in Data Heaven before you submit it, your hard work is gone and no one can help.

Trust me this happens to folks EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

There are lots of ways to protect data. The most important is some kind of back up.

Put a copy on a floppy

On a flash drive (if you can wrestle it from the cat)

On an external hard disk

You can email it to yourself as an attachment or it to you mom (encrypted first maybe)

It is so important that you have a back up and every time you add to it, update the back up.

A good rule of thumb is to back up ANY data you do NOT have time to recreate. Trust me, November will push your time skills to the limit. You don't have time.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE BACK UP YOUR NOVEL.

Let the Monsters in Data Heaven go hungry this year.
----------
Important things to remember during NaNoWriMo:
You can still do this! Trust me, I know you can.
You don’t have to spell check
Grammar is optional
Editing comes later
And a plot is used for gardening

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

New Wrimo Mentor Matching

Marie Rex — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:27:45 -0700

Hi folks,

This thread is for first year Wrimos to match up with more experienced folks for mutual help and encouragement.

I'd like anyone who had done NaNoWriMo at least once, even if you didn't win, to volunteer to team up with one or more first year folks.

This is about POSITIVE encouragement, so no name calling, no put downs and no rudeness. No one is required to either be a mentor or have one. This is about helping each other do your best.

I ask Mentors to be willing to keep track of New Wrimos on a daily or every other day basis. Send private messages, add as a buddy to keep track of word count.

I ask the new folks to be willing to ask for help and to be positive in return.

Please post here as either a Mentor or someone wishing to be connected. It is also perfectly fine for experienced folks that would just like a buddy to keep them motivated.

----------
Important things to remember during NaNoWriMo:
You can still do this! Trust me, I know you can.
You don’t have to spell check
Grammar is optional
Editing comes later
And a plot is used for gardening

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

anyone from boness, didnt think so

ironlord — Fri, 7 Nov 2008 05:21:25 -0800

anyway is anyone here from the blessed area of falkirk council?
this includes:
Boness, Falkirk, Grangemouth, Linlithgow, Polmont?

as you can probably guess I am and want to know if any other NaNos or WriMos are?
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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

procrastinators of the world untie (no, hang on, thats dyslexics)

dreadfulscathe — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:05:05 -0800

but anyway (and apologies if this has been mentioned already)

this is great for those moments when everything else seems more interesting than your novel

http://lab.drwicked.com/writeordie.html

its "write or die", simply set your desired wordcount for the session in the box at the top of the page - click WRITE and start typing - if you stop for long it will...er....MAKE you start again...

brill
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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Yes, your ML is nuts.

Marie Rex — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 06:30:28 -0800

Hi Folks,

I followed this link from the Home page yesterday.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3004454#comment-3251994

"The Ultimate 5 hour, 10,000 word challenge. No Turning Back."

The idea is to set a timer, write for 5 hours and try to hit 10K or more.

My husband has offered to let me order a box of my favorite See's chocolates if I do it. He's a good sport, since this means he is on his own for the afternoon. I have coffee, I have chocolate.

So starting at 2:45pm until 7:45 pm GMT, I am going to write like mad.

My current word count is 15,311

Wish me luck!
----------
Important things to remember during NaNoWriMo:
You can still do this! Trust me, I know you can.
You don’t have to spell check
Grammar is optional
Editing comes later
And a plot is used for gardening

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Non-Scot seeking insight on everyday Hebridean details

evelyn — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:44:34 -0700

It's kind of a dumb thing to do: I'm writing a novel set on Mull and the Treshnish Isles, and I've never been anywhere near Scotland. But that's where the story I want to tell takes place.

(If any of you are using a setting in Seattle, Washington. or somewhere else in the western half of the US, I'll do whatever I can to help you out.)

I've been doing all the research I can so as not to just be another American writing another "Bonny Kilts in the Heather" ersatz-Scots potboiler. (For instance, since the late 1400's time period pre-dates even great kilts, it would have to be "Bonny Brechans in the Heather. :) )

The thing I can't seem to find are the little details that one uses to give readers a feel for the place: is heather slippery when wet, like fallen leaves? Can you ever get a building without central heating comfortably warm in the winter (without burning it down)? How tall is a tall tree? (Around here, "tall" is about 60 m.) Is Inner Hebridean mud black, brown, or dark red; or does it vary?

I don't really need answers to these specific questions (although those would be nice :), so much as your perceptions of the sorts of things these questions bring to mind.) Please don't spend too much time on this (unless you really want to :). And if you happen to know of a book or movie or something that seems to have gotten it right, please do point me that direction.

Thanks so much.

- Evelyn

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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Welcome Folks

Marie Rex — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 03:42:43 -0700

Hi Folks,

Anastasia here to wish you a hardy welcome to NaNoWriMo 2008 and the new website and forums.

Of course at the moment I am confused as all get out and trying to find stuff.

So for the moment I'm going to keep in mind the words of Douglas Adams: "Don't Panic"

Cheers
Anastasia

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Anyone in Lanarkshire?

Kerianth — Sat, 1 Nov 2008 04:53:57 -0700

I was just wondering if anyone on the 'Elsewhere' forums was living in the Lanarkshire area, either North or South? I'm in South Lanarkshire - Strathaven, to be precise - does anyone else live nearby? I'll post this on the Glasgow forum too - I signed up there as well - just in case other folk have done the same.

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NaNoWriMo - the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Kick Off Party Inverness

Marie Rex — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:33:13 -0700

Hello Folks

Just to let anyone who is interested know that I'll be at the Starbucks in Borders in Inverness tomorrow from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Bring your laptop, bring your notebook but most important bring yourself.

I'll be there the whole time in a rather frightening yellow/green shirt that says "Yes, I am in Charge Here!"

Cheers
----------
Important things to remember during NaNoWriMo:
You can still do this! Trust me, I know you can.
You don’t have to spell check
Grammar is optional
Editing comes later
And a plot is used for gardening

Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Non NaNo achivements gained during Nano.

Issac Sierra — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:13:46 -0700

I thought it might be nice to have something for those of us still at school who have exams and NAB's durring November
so we can post here things like test results to show to the rest of you how we are doing outside of NaNo, also good for gloating about superior intelligence and the likes of that.

So to get the ball rolling I got 26 and 1/2 (out of 30) in my Chemistry unit 1 NAB, which was the highest in my class :P
(wasn't during NaNo but close enough to it and gave me reason to start thread.)
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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

What's your challenge this year?

Quisitor — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:12:51 -0700

Every year is different and the challenges are different.

Last year my challenge was that my Father died very suddenly at the end of September. I really didn't feel like writing but I didn't feel like doing anything and at least when I was writing I wasn't thinking about my Father, except that I was and it came out in the writing.

This year the challenge is that I've had gastric surgery and for the next six months I can't have any caffeine, anything fizzy or any chocolate.

ARRRRRRRGH! No Beer. No Chocolate. No Coffee!!!!!!!!

So what's your challenge this year? Is it enforced or is it something you've chosen to take on?
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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

First timer.

Neavers — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:32:34 -0700

Well, I need all the encouragement I can get. It's my first year and I've signed up without really knowing what I'm going to do. Oh, and I also have a bad case of procrastination. I should have really planned this, eh?
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Europe :: Scotland :: Elsewhere

Help with character's military background?

Spa-Town-Girl — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:38:10 -0700

Hello again :)
One of my Bad Guys, currently going under the working title of 'Crusty Old Laird' [COL] is probably in his early 80s and apart from his being a Crusty Old Laird with an annoyingly bossy daughter [Lucy Van Pelt but grown up, I've just realised!] and an EMO grandson, all I have figured out about his history is that he was an officer in the army following a Public School/Oxbridge education.
I know zero about the army, so I am hoping I can pick some brains :) I've got some specific questions below, but would really be grateful for anything that occurs to anyone!
I assume he went into the army in his early twenties, which would be about 1946-8
-What regiment might a reasonably wealthy lad from the lairding classes in Wester Ross join?
-What ranks are available for a commisioned officer (and am I right in assuming he would have a commission?)?
-where might he have been posted?
-Assuming no injuries etc, what age might he leave the army given that it was his career?

Whoever said you should write what *you* know? lol

Thanks in anticipation

Anne
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