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 <title>United States :: California :: Central Valley</title>
 <link>http://www.nanowrimo.org/nl/node/128</link>
 <description>NaNo talk and gatherings in the sweet, sweet Central Valley.</description>
 <language>nl</language>
<item>
 <title>Bakersfield!</title>
 <link>http://www.nanowrimo.org/nl/node/3010573</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;Hey!  There&#039;s no topics here anymore.  Gather together, writers of Bakersfield!  Tell me about yourselves; maybe we can all meet up and crit each other&#039;s works.  Although, I am really, really shy about showing people some of my work.  But I need a lot of help and I am willing to listen!  Plus, I&#039;d love to meet more writers.  I just don&#039;t seem to know enough. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;All right, about me!  I am 24 years old, I live around the Harris Ranch area, and I write YA fantasy stories (sometimes modern paranormal type things, too).  I prefer reading YA to other fantasies because they&#039;re easier to digest, cuter, and take themselves a lot less seriously.  I read a lot of other genres, too; I am guilty of reading romance, YA novels in general, a little sci fi and some manga (but I am really picky about it.)  I love Diana Wynne Jones, Vivian Vande Velde, Orson Scott Card, and others.  I love The Last Herald Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey, but I think she is much too melodramatic.  I work in daycare and secretarial work.  Both part time.  I own four guinea pigs and two cats (or do they own me?)  I love animals.  Other than writing, I also like to draw.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I&#039;m told my writing strengths are in dialogue and character development.  My weak points are sufficient description and plot.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My NaNo story is about a young man who contracts a curse and in his desperation, takes off with his friend to find a cure.  They travel north to the famed magic academy--thinking they can learn healing magic--and on their way, they are entangled in a case against a serial killer, the detective on the case, and their own developing feelings for one another.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The main character is indeed male and into males, but please don&#039;t let that deter you.  It&#039;s not erotica or anything like that.  The story doesn&#039;t even fully focus on their relationship.  I just happen to lack faith in my ability to create a likable female character, and this is just how the story and the characters ended up flowing.  I can&#039;t see it any other way, now.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Anyway, I am looking forward to meeting fellow writers in Bako!  More power to us!    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;----------&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img&gt;http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/KibaGetsNoGlory/33li7p1.jpg&lt;/img&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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 <comments>http://www.nanowrimo.org/nl/node/3010573#comments</comments>
 <group domain="http://www.nanowrimo.org/nl/node/128">United States :: California :: Central Valley</group>
 <pubDate>Thu,  2 Oct 2008 20:25:46 -0700</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Rastaban.Zozma</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">3010573 at http://www.nanowrimo.org</guid>
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<item>
 <title>Fresno Area Anyone?</title>
 <link>http://www.nanowrimo.org/nl/node/3016227</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;Just looking for anyone in the Fresno area. I did Nano last year on the central coast but between my class and work schedule I couldn&#039;t do any of the meet ups. I moved here in May and am wondering where the meet ups took place last year. Anyone out there?&lt;br /&gt;
----------&lt;/p&gt;
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 <comments>http://www.nanowrimo.org/nl/node/3016227#comments</comments>
 <group domain="http://www.nanowrimo.org/nl/node/128">United States :: California :: Central Valley</group>
 <pubDate>Mon,  6 Oct 2008 11:21:22 -0700</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>coffeemug</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">3016227 at http://www.nanowrimo.org</guid>
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<item>
 <title>Modesto/Stockton area, anyone??</title>
 <link>http://www.nanowrimo.org/nl/node/3015284</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;Seeing as how Bakersfield seems to be so populated (4 or 5 people already!), is there anyone else out there from the Modesto/Stockton area?  I&#039;m in Ripon, so I&#039;m sorta sandwiched in between the two bigger cities.  As for my Nano stuff, I&#039;m a MG/YA fantasy writer mostly, and currently in the process of deciding which plot I&#039;m gonna do for this year&#039;s nano.  The first year I did nanowrimo was 2006, and I won (woohoo!), but last year I got really sick about a week into it and never even came close to finishing.  So this year I&#039;m more determined than ever to win!  Anyone else out there??&lt;br /&gt;
----------&lt;/p&gt;
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 <comments>http://www.nanowrimo.org/nl/node/3015284#comments</comments>
 <group domain="http://www.nanowrimo.org/nl/node/128">United States :: California :: Central Valley</group>
 <pubDate>Sun,  5 Oct 2008 19:17:09 -0700</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>tylerpolo9</dc:creator>
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