USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

See how you rank with other StL Wrimos!

etoiline — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:56:58 +0000

If you want to see your word count charted against other Wrimos in the St. Louis region, please reply to this post.

(give it a few minutes to show up--some things have to go on under the hood first!)

In your reply, why don't you give us a wacky quote from your main character? Please, no profanity: this is an all ages forum. Your characters can curse all they want in your novel, just don't post it here. If your post is deleted you will have to post again to show up on the graph.

~j
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Municipal Liaison for St. Louis, MO
Previous NaNovels: King Arthur, angels, dragons, the Forest Lord, and prostitutes. Apparently this year it's folks rising from the dead.
aspirations: http://etoiline.com

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

RSVP--TGIO Party

etoiline — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:17:44 +0000

Yes, I know December seems like a long time away. But we've got to start planning for the TGIO (Thank Goodness It's Over) Party now!

We'll probably have it on December 4 or 5, since November ends on a Monday and not too many people will want to party on a Tuesday. It will probably be in the dinnertime range, but could be early or late depending on when we can get space. Many places will not take reservations for the weekend.

The place we pick will also be dependent on how many people come. You guys surprised me at the Kick-off with how many of you wanted to come (and since over 45% of you are new this year, I bet you'll surprise me at the TGIO too).

SO. Please post at this thread if you think you can make it to the TGIO (DO NOT EMAIL ME. Please make it easier on me and don't scatter your replies. POST YOUR RSVP HERE.). If you have a suggestion as to space, post that as well. Keep in mind that we are looking for a place that can handle 30-50 people, during dinnertime, on a weekend, that will not charge us $$ just to be there or require a minimum spent by our group. It also has to have sufficient menu options for those in our group who are vegetarian or vegan.

FYI, in the past we have gone to Houlihan's, which is easy to plan for and centrally located; I love their food. We've also gone to a TGI Fridays. Hacienda has been suggested, with its large party room, but it is pretty far out in West County and a little harder to get to using public transportation. Racanelli's Cucina really wants us to come back-I would make sure we go on a night that there is no DJ. If we can't get a DJ-free night, come tell me and we'll get the music turned down.

Do you guys want activities planned? Usually the TGIO is just a celebration time with nametags so you can match the usernames to an actual person, so tell me if you want something more.

POST YOUR RSVP HERE. Thank you. Details on final TGIO place to follow when we have them :)

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

FREE SEX (or ways to spend money during NaNo)

InjunJoe — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:06:26 +0000

Ha! Got your attention!

Now on to a topic near and dear to my heart *pulls out soap box and steps up*

As most of you know, NaNoWrimo is a "Not for profit" organization and exists solely through the donations of people, well, like you and me. It's not a corporate sponsor dropping a $5k check in that keeps the servers running and the lights on, it's 10,000 wrimos donating $10 each (that would be $100k, for those too caffeinated to do the math). Last year I think St Louis, with about 700 affiliates, managed to generate about $1000 in total donations. Pathetic. The minimum donation is $10. $10 is about as much as lunch at a fast food restaurant (twice if you don't eat much), it's less than the cost of catching the premier of the next Star Trek movie when you include munchies, it's about the cost of 2 of the half caf soy light Venti green tea double shot espresso latte thingamajiggers that we all drink during NaNo to keep the words flowing. In short, even most poor college students can afford a $10 donation. If you absolutely can't, then please do not, but many of us can and should donate. Besides, the halos are just too cool.

DONATE! please?

InjunJoe
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As kids we fried ants with magnifying glasses. Now that we are adults we fry characters in far more interesting ways with plot twists

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Official Write-ins for 2009

etoiline — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:24:16 +0000

Hi folks, your ML Jen here...

Here's the details on the official write-ins for 2009:

The official weekly write-ins during November will be on Sundays, at the Bread Co on S. Central in Clayton, 2-4 pm (10 S. Central Ave, 63105--map: http://bit.ly/stlnano). This Bread Co is a few blocks north of the Clayton Metro center and has a huge (free-on-weekends) parking lot to its south. Some people arrive as early as noon, others only show up for an hour--you're not required to come or stay very long, so do whatever works for your schedule. If you use a laptop, you might want to bring a power strip because we use up the available outlets very quickly. There is free WiFi in the cafe, and they have really good bagels. Please stop by for writing, word wars, friendly competition, socialization and NaNo goodies. Also, since we're patronizing their restaurant and using up quite a bit of space, please consider buying a coffee or food in appreciation, since they let us use the space for free.

I also hold a write-in on Wednesday nights, 7 pm, at my house in University City (7550 Ahern Ave, 63130). I have WiFi and a cat. If you'd like to bring food or drink that would be appreciated but not required.

It seems like a long way away, but please give me suggestions on where you'd like to have the TGIO (Thank Goodness It's Over) party, which will most likely be in the evening during the first weekend in December.

As a general note: everyone in the St. Louis region is invited to these parties. No one is required to come. They will all be kid/family friendly, but may be held in venues that serve alcohol. I expect that attendees behave themselves in an appropriate manner for the venue, and I will ask offenders to leave. Depending on the event you may be able to bring guests.

There are lots of other write-ins. If the official ones are too far from you, take a look around the forums and see if someone has posted one closer to you. If there isn't one, start it! Make a new topic on the forums and see if there's interest. Good luck, and I hope to see you Sundays!

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

StL Newbies, Read This! Also, Ask Questions Here!

etoiline — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:19:36 +0000

Hey all you new StL Wrimos! I'm your Municipal Liaison (ML) Jen and I'd like to welcome you to our region.

I know lots of you have questions about NaNo and how the site works, so to avoid multiple postings asking the same thing, why don't you check out the site FAQ: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/faq . This should give you most of the answers you need, like "How do I update my word count?" or "How do I donate to such a worthy cause as NaNoWriMo?". There is also a Newbie NaNoWriMo e-book available (http://nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3266866) which welcomes you to the insanity that is WriMo November.

For region-specific questions, read on:

Q: What's a write-in?
A: A write-in is a gathering of Wrimos. There are official ones (organized by me, your ML, and where you get your nifty NaNoWriMo goodies and maybe some extra prizes, depending on the monetary situation of said ML) and unofficial ones (organized by anyone else--including you!). A write-in is an event where you bring yourself and writing materials (paper & pencil, laptop, cuneiform stylus & clay, whatever you wish) and you write. We will have word wars and dares and other silly competitions to help you reach 50k. You could also socialize, because you'll be surrounded by people doing exactly the same thing. Some of them may be finished with their word quota of the day and want to chat; others may just want to procrastinate. You are not required to go to a write-in, but everyone is invited. If you can't make the official ones, it's not a big deal (though you won't get your official NaNoWriMo sticker unless you get to an ML-planned event). Start your own if you want to--make a post on the forum (one post! once! you can edit your own post if dates/times/locations change, or if you'd like to add status reports. one post!) and see who shows up. If you have questions about starting a write-in, contact me.

Q: Where are the write-ins?
A: The official weekly write-ins are held Sundays from 2-4 pm at the Bread Co in Clayton, 10 S. Central Ave. A bus line runs right in front of the cafe, the Clayton Metrolink stop is just down the street, and there is ample free parking in the lot to the south of the building. There is free WiFi in the cafe, and they have really good bagels. Please stop by for writing, word wars, friendly competition, and NaNo goodies. Also, since we're patronizing their restaurant and using up quite a bit of space, please consider buying a coffee or food in appreciation, since they let us use the space for free.

I also hold a write-in on Wednesday nights, 7 pm, at my house in University City (7550 Ahern Ave, 63130). I have WiFi and a cat. If you'd like to bring food or drink that would be appreciated but not required.

Q: What's a word war?
A: A word war can be interpersonal, intra- or inter-regional, or just something to help you make words during NaNo. All you do is set a time limit and see how many words you can write during that time. You can make a bet with yourself that you can write 500 words in 10 minutes, or you can go up against one of your writing buddies and see who can write more in 7 minutes, or our lovely Word Wrangler can put our whole region's word count up against the word count for another region (heck, another country, even) and we'll see who wins. There are no prizes, but it will definitely ratchet up your word count and it will probably give you a little bit of a workout as your fingers fly over the keys. There are also a few sites out there that force you to write for a certain period of time, like Write or Die (http://lab.drwicked.com/writeordie.html).

We will have word wars at the official write-ins on Sundays to help you fatten your word count. There is an entire topic on the main forums (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/forum/183) where people say, "Okay, I'm starting to write at 10:15, anyone want to war?" and you can join in and then post your final count when time is up. Usually there are people in NaNo's official chat room that will be willing to war with you. You could also use an instant messenger client for a word war: IM your friends, set a start and end time, and see who writes the most.

Lots of people write better with a deadline, and a word war makes a mini-deadline to help you reach your word count for the day, which helps your region move up in the word count challenges!

There are Word War Widgets designed by St. Louis' very own Paul Hawke which make keeping track of word wars easy. Find them on the NaNoWriMo site at Fun Stuff>Word War Widgets.

Q: What is a word war challenge?
A: As mentioned above, the St. Louis region can challenge other regions in a test of writing might. You need to set your Home Region to make sure your words count to the collective St. Louis total!

Q: How do I set my home region?
A: If you're reading this forum, you probably live in St. Louis or you want your word count to contribute to the St. Louis overall word total (which is useful when we're challenging other regions in a regional word war). So please please take a moment to set your Home Region to St. Louis: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3271164

Q: What's this about kick-off parties/midnight write-ins/TGIO? Can I come?
A: There is always a kick-off party just before NaNoWriMo begins (usually the last weekend before) where the St. Louis Wrimos can meet each other face-to-face, chat about what they will write, eat something, and generally have a good time. This is also where you can get your NaNo goodies (but not the only place; if you miss the kick-off, just come to an official write-in). Just to be clear, there is no writing at the kick-off party. You can't write your NaNovel until November! I will send out an email with all the details.

This year I am having a midnight kick-off party at my house. Since the party will run from Halloween into November 1st, please feel free to bring All Hallows themed food or drink. Costumes are not required but sure would be fun. I will have WiFi access and outlets for you to plug into, but you might want to bring an extension cord to be safe. Again, I will send out information about this in an email.

And I know it seems like a long way away, but please give me suggestions on where you'd like to have the TGIO (Thank Goodness It's Over) party, which will most likely be in the evening during the first weekend in December.

Q: How do I edit my posts?
A: As long as you are logged in, there should be an "Edit" button underneath each post you make. I don't believe there is a total delete button, so if you accidentally double post, just edit the extra one with a joke or something. I can only delete complete threads, not individual posts, and I will not do that unless you specifically ask me.

Do you still have questions, regional or NaNoWriMo? Ask them here. But please please read the site FAQ first. My exploding inbox thanks you.

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Municipal Liaison for St. Louis, MO
Previous NaNovels: King Arthur, angels, dragons, the Forest Lord, and prostitutes. Apparently this year it's folks rising from the dead.
aspirations: http://etoiline.com

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Get Friendly: Contact Info

etoiline — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:55:14 +0000

Hey all...since I want all of us to be good good friends this year, please post whatever contact info you're comfortable with so we can keep in touch outside of write-ins. Using instant messengers or the NaNo chat rooms are good ways to start word wars and up your word count! And if you need to bounce an idea off a friend, just check this thread for your backboard :) It might be nice, if you don't normally sign your posts with your actual name or name that you would answer to if someone shouted it across the room, to put a name that we can address you by in real life.

How to reach your ML:

NaNoMail me: it's easy. Click "My NaNoWriMo" on the menu bar and choose "Check and Send NaNoMail."

website: http://etoiline.com
email: jennifer[dot]shew[at]gmail[dot]com (I'm also on Google Chat)
AIM: etoiline
twitter: http://twitter.com/etoiline

You can find my almost anywhere with 'etoiline' or 'calenhiril' so feel free to look me up. My real name is Jen if you can't figure out how to say my screenname (and yes, there is a story behind it, but you'll have to ask me in person to find out what that is!)

Let us know how to reach you!

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Word Wars!

quantum tea — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:07:36 +0000

We need to think about our Word Wars for 2009.

Last year, Paul, Injun Joe, and I invaded the write-in of Columbia MO, and they were very good sports and a fun bunch of people. Also they met in a restaurant with the biggest portions of fried chicken you've ever seen. It would be fantastic to repeat the performance with a bigger raiding party, while simultaneously rocking their world with the "words per wrimo" statistic for our regions.

So Columbia is in our sights. Lyra suggested we pick a fight with Texas, how do you all feel about that? Are there any other regions, or countries even, that you think we should take one? We're a mid-sized region, but there's always the "per wrimo" stat we can fight on.

(For the newbies, a Word War is a friendly challenge with another region over who can write the most words. There should be bantering between the regions, but it never gets nasty. It helps motivate our guys to write more, ad that's a good thing. If you have to paste in a few song lyrics, so be it, all's fair in Word Warring.)

(For the not-so-newbies: I have the Pointy Stick of the Word Wrangler in the garage, waiting to motivate you all. Promise not to hit anyone on the head on purpose.)
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http://www.quantumtea.com/blog/

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Your ML's list of handy links

etoiline — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:56:01 +0000

There are a few helpful links in the regional header, but I can only put four there, so here are the rest. I reserve the right to edit this at any time, and not all of them will make your writing easier--because you have to work in some time for procrastination, am I right? ;)

Our regional stats, to keep you motivated: http://alison.caffeinatedbliss.com/nano-challenge.php

Write More/Faster/Help Me Find A Plot:
Daily Writing Prompts: http://www.toasted-cheese.com/webcal/webcal.cgi
Write or Die Makes You Write (your own personal word war): http://lab.drwicked.com/writeordie.html
They Fight Crime! (need some characters/plot?): http://www.theyfightcrime.org/
Write faster: http://www.cuckleburr.com/seven-ways-to-write-a-book-faster
Writing Quotes: http://7quotes.webs.com/
Character Questionare: http://www.eclectics.com/articles/character.html
All sorts of name generators: http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-name.php
Another more robust name generator: http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/
Excel spreadsheet to track your progress: http://www.truckpoetry.net/search/label/NaNoWriMo%20author%20resources
Resources for NaNo Nuts: http://notenoughwords.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/handy-tools-for-nanowrimo...

Generators:
Feath's Bookcase: http://www.feath.com/idea/idea.htm
Name Generator: http://www.namator.com/index.php
Lots of generators: http://nine.frenchboys.net
Story idea generator: http://www.carlsbadnm.com/ronjones/words.htm
36 (plus 1) Dramatic Situations: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/CALLIHOO/ideagen2.htm
The Speculative Fiction Muse: http://www.katfeete.net/writing/specfic.php

Procrastinatory:
Procrastination Station: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/1000words
Keep up with NaNo even if the site goes down: http://twitter.com/nanowrimo
NaNo icons, for your life outside the forums: http://community.livejournal.com/nano_icons
NaNo on Livejournal: http://community.livejournal.com/nanowrimo

I haven't checked all these out, but looks like some fun links: http://onlineschool.net/2009/10/26/100-tools-to-turn-to-when-you-have-wr...

Miscellany:
NaNo Wallpapers: http://shatteredbyrain.110mb.com/
NaNo Cookbook: http://www.lightwp.com/?p=2170
Fantasy Author Kate Elliott's blog on Borders Media: http://bordersblog.com/scifi/author/kateelliott/
Word count script for blog posting: http://allfreelancewriting.com/word-count-tracker/
How to use an apostrophe: http://apostrophe.me/

Have fun, write fast!

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

How to Set your Home Region to St. Louis

etoiline — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:07:07 +0000

Please be sure to set your Home Region to St. Louis. This allows your word count to go towards the region's word count
total, and we need every word we can get in order to win our Word War Challenges against other regions in the country and the world. Here's how to do it:

You'll come to a page with this info:

Quote:

Joining a region gets you updates on NaNoWriMo events in that area directly from your Municipal Liaison and lets you see see the Regional Lounge for the area on the bottom of your forums page. You can join one (or several) regions on the Regions tab above. Just scroll through the list and then click "Join" next to your desired region/s. Once you have selected one or more regions you can make one of them your Home (the tab on the right). Your word count will apply towards your Home region's cumulative total.

So, once you're on the My Regions page, click on the Regions tab, choose whichever regions you want to be affiliated with (you can choose as many affiliations as you want--i.e. join United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston if you want to keep tabs on your cousin's region in Beantown in addition to your own region) and click "Join". Then when you've picked your affiliated regions, go to the Home Region tab and choose which one you want your word count to go to, and click "Set Home Region".

You're set! Now your precious words will make our region strong and capable of trouncing, say, France. Or Indianapolis. Or Columbia. Or Boulder. Or whatever region(s) we choose to challenge this year.

Ask if you've got any other questions!
~j

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Post your milestones here!

etoiline — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:11:59 +0000

Whenever you pass a milestone in your writing, post it here. I don't just mean passing one of the multiples of 10--you found your plot twist, you finally killed off that character you had been trying to do away with since Chapter Three, you managed to make word count AND pass a test all in one day--whatever is a big deal for you, post it here and we'll cheer you on!

Me? I just made it to 5k, hopefully along with a bunch of you. *cheers*

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

RSVP--St. Louis' Night of Writing Dangerously

etoiline — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:55:34 +0000

Who wants to write for six hours straight while supporting NaNo and one of our local coffeehouses? We're going to be just like the folks out in San Francisco and will start our region's Night of Writing Dangerously this year. Don't know what we're talking about? Read: http://www.nanowrimo.org/writeathon for details on the official one (which you have to raise $200 for NaNo just to think about attending, not counting any airfare).

On Sunday, November 22, we're going to be taking over MoKaBe's (http://www.mokabes.com, 3606 Arsenal St, St Louis, MO 63116-4801) from 5-11 pm. Just look for the table tents, we might be upstairs or down, it will depend on the situation when we get there. Please be sure to patronize the establishment, because they are nice people and we'll be taking up a good amount of room.

This is a fundraiser for NaNoWriMo as well as a way to pad your word count before the holidays. Since this is our first year, we are not making donations mandatory, but it would be really generous of you to bring $5 and put it in the jar. Next year we will probably make the event donations-only, so save up your cash. After the event we'll submit the donations, either as a lump StLNoWD sum or add it to the collection we've got so far.

Please RSVP here (even if you have done so already on the other thread) so we know how many tables to grab.

Also think about where you want to go for the TGIO Party!

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Crestwood/Sunset Hills Write-In Wed, Nov. 25

jsights — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:50 +0000

Because Wired Coffee closes early the day before Thanksgiving, our write-in will be at the Bread Company in Sunset Hills that night. They are open normal hours, until 9:00PM (I just called to verify). Hope to see you all there for some pre-turkey day word count padding!

Jen
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Reading and weeping opens the door to one’s heart, but writing and weeping opens the window to one’s soul. – M.K. Simmons
http://www.jenniferksights.com

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Is December National Novel Editing Month?

phoebe wright — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:17:37 +0000

Wow. This is painful. If anyone sees a plot randomly walking the streets of St. Louis, please send it home.

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USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Parking for Mokabe's (Night of Writing Dangerously)

omegawolf — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:58:25 +0000

For those who aren't familiar with the area, I suggest not trying to find parking on Grand. Turn down Arsenal and try to park on that street instead.
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- Robert

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

PC mishap cost me 2000 words!

Belinda_DaytimeDiva — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:22:49 +0000

Even thought I have been backing up every other day I am now way behind!

Words of caution, writers BACK IT UP every day!
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USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

NoWD St. Louis - Need a Ride!

Raglan — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:28:54 +0000

Hey everyone,

I've come to a bit of a problem. The positive part is that I will be in St. Louis for the NoWD on Sunday, closer than I usually am in Alton, IL area. The bad part is that I'm still way out in the boonies, and don't have a way to get into town unless I want to pay a ridiculous amount for a taxi.

I'm going to be staying in O'Fallon, MO, but specifically, Dardenne Prairie, and would love a ride from anyone who could offer it that is coming from around that area. I'd be more than happy to pay part of your gas bill in thanks.

If I get a ride in, I'd need one back out when everything is over as well, to the same location. I've never been to a write in since I've been going to school in this area (3 years) and have had no interaction with anyone else NaNoing. If anyone is able to provide a ride, I would be very grateful!!!

If you are coming out from this way and could offer me a spot in the car, please contact me at genesisstrain [ at] gmail ..... com, or my NaNoMail, but would prefer email.

Thank you!
Raglan
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USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

The Travelling Shovel of Death

quantum tea — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:43:38 +0000

Go to this thread and read about the Travelling Shovel of Death:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/node/3266137

To my knowledge, the shovel has visited at least three St Louis novels. It left my novel 1132 words richer, and minus one really annoying blonde character, who was really only there to get killed off anyway.

Invite the shovel into your novel! You can use the word count.
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http://www.quantumtea.com/blog/

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Half-way? Ha!

pandorathecat — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:38:36 +0000

So...is anyone else still planning to win this thing, but NOT AT ALL CLOSE TO HALFWAY?

I have kept my same basic characters and concept, but totally started over - my novel was floundering, and I knew I couldn't continue with the flounders and feel happy. Lots of words got scrapped.

So it looks like I'll have a rough couple of weeks of catch-up!
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USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

young wrimos?

i like octopi — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:22:31 +0000

are there many other stl teenagers doing nanowrimo?

i'm emma, and i'm fourteen. i go to a st. louis public high school and we've got a poster about nano by our library. do you?

can't wait to hear from you! hope all writing is going well... (=:
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nano 2009:
TWO HEADED BOY
a life-affirming quest to save a hotel from evil developers..
just kidding.

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Night of Writing Dangerously

jsights — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:23:42 +0000

Hey ML Jen, is anything happening with this? Let me know if you want any help planning it and I'll do what I can. Would love to attend our own little night of writing here in St. Louis!

jen
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Reading and weeping opens the door to one’s heart, but writing and weeping opens the window to one’s soul. – M.K. Simmons
http://www.jenniferksights.com

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

It is not too early to back up: a cautionary tale

Nonfonzie — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:19:46 +0000

I have a trusty Mac laptop that is now not so trusty (G4 Powerbook 12", 6-7 yr old, with 2 yr old hard drive). Two nights ago I saved my document at about 6000 words and decided that once it was saved I would take my first backup to a USB thumb drive. As I saved, the editor froze. Spinning wait cursor. Unable to switch to other apps. Dock becomes inoperable. Unable to force quit any apps or use Finder at all now. And an extremely ugly noise is coming from the hard drive: the same noise that made me replace the old drive. On reboot: question mark folder, same ugly noise. Same on numerous reboots. Ubuntu PowerPC LiveCD boots OK unable to mount drive, lots of egregious I/O errors. I have hope for recovering my 6000 words, and I'm including them in my word count for now, but I'm resetting my goal at 50,000 new words, apart from the 6000 that are in data limbo, to be on the safe side.

Ask yourself "would I be extremely pissed off if I lost all of my work since my last backup?" The answer to that question is the same as the answer to the question "Should I back up now?" Got it?

Also, if anyone has advice, yes, I could use all the help I can get. Right now the plan is to try the OS X boot CD (not optimistic), keep trying to boot, and eventually to plug the drive into someone else's box, because I actually suspect a hardware problem involving not the drive itself. Kind of a hunch.
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USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

Dubliner Write-in - how about Nov. 14?

jsights — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:29:50 +0000

Moving this off the official write-in thread (sorry Jen!) InjunJoe said he would need much convincing to make the ride in from Columbia for something like this, so wanted to see who was interested, and if Nov. 14 works, or any other Saturday. We were thinking 2-ish till whenever.

Jen (not your ML, the other Jen)

Edited by Jen the ML to fix date.
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Reading and weeping opens the door to one’s heart, but writing and weeping opens the window to one’s soul. – M.K. Simmons
http://www.jenniferksights.com

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

mischiefsmom - Lell - jsights

valeriex — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:31:22 +0000

Okay, I'm watching you guys. What are your word count goals? I'm not sure about mine, but maybe around 150K. My second novel is not as well planned out as the one I'm working on now.

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2006 SF: "Bella Transfigured"
2007 Mainstream: "Novena"
2008 SF/F: "Wanderer #1: The Oracle's Gifts"
2008 SF/F: "Wanderer #2: Sky Ships of Ciello"
2009 SF: completed: "Wanderer #3: Unsettled"
2009 Mainstream: in progress: "Reading in the Dark"

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

West County/Saint Charles Write-in

reona32 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:53:10 +0000

I’m late. I’m sorry. My bad.

Last year I hosted a Saturday write-in at the Crooked Tree Coffee House. I know Dale is already having a write-in at the same place but on Friday morning. Since I know many of us have a fulltime job and work during the weekdays, would you like a Satruday morning write-in again this year for our area?
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Patricia
Fairy Tale Fanfiction ~ 2009 ~ "Precious Things" ~ Words: 19,029!

USA :: Missouri :: St. Louis

The Pit of Despair! Advice on dealing with novel writing angst?

omegawolf — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:50:35 +0000

So, I was thinking about where my story was headed (no outline to speak of), so of course I was thinking (but not reading!) back on what had gone before. And even if I'm not reading it, I am remember a few very terrible problems with the story so far.

1. I started out with a first-person perspective, but didn't like it after introducing a serial killer to my zombie book. So chapter 5 switched to 3rd person. Which of course means I'll have to re-write those chapters to change perspective.
2. The serial killer's introduction is all wrong. Now I want her to have been totally "in the closet", instead of being a practiced and "successful" killer of multiple people. Three to four chapters of writing, wasted.
3. Maybe I should have actually tried to outline the novel in the first place. Maybe I'm not a seat-of-the-pants writer. Gahh!

Anybody else feeling like their novel is a wreck?

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- Robert