United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Welcome!

saoba — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:34:43 -0700

If this is your first Nanowrimo- welcome! Pull up a chair. Feel free to contact your Albany-Corvallis MLs with questions. We're here to help make sure you have a great time.

If you are a returning Wrimo, hi there! Good to see you again. It's going to be a great year.

I'd like to let folks know that the site has had a face lift for its tenth anniversary. There are new features. Feel free to explore. Our intrepid bug-hunters have been working on getting things up to speed for the kick off.

A few points of order, so that we can all enjoy another year of literary adventure.

1) Respect your fellow writers. Be courteous. Be generous in the cutting of slack, and miserly in the taking of offense. That means no name calling, no personal attacks in ANY of the forums, no 'adult' topics or language in all ages areas of the site. (This has never been a problem in our little forum, but it needs to be said.)

2) Post away! But post in the appropriate forums for your topic, please. The rules lawyers don't want their forum full of links to games to procrastinate with and the simple truth is you'll get more responses and have more fun posting in the forum that matches your topic best. (And, by the way, I feel nothin' but love for ya, rules lawyers. Not dissing you at all.)

3) The site is a great place to connect and make friends but posts don't count toward winning Nanowrimo. (There've been years I would have crossed the finish line a lot sooner if they had.)

4) The MLs and Forum Moderators are here to help you. We knew this job was dangerous when we took it... err, that is, ask us questions!

5) Have fun. Have lots of fun.

As November bears down on us like a freight train... I mean, as we get closer to kick off (ahem) there will be posts here in the Albany-Corvallis forum about things to do to prepare for our annual writing adventure. Nano-veterans, we look forward to your input. There will also be a thread for introductions. Throughout the month there will be meetups and writeins, which we'll announce in the forum and put on the regional calendar.

Now I'm going to go pull out my personal calendar and my to do list and figure out how to wedge writing a novel into it.

Barbara

Co-ML
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Co-ML Oregon: Albany/Corvallis

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

OSU Library meetups

Masamage — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:51:51 -0700

Just wanted to isolate this so it was easier to find. :)

From the other thread, it looked like most people were able to make a meeting on campus on Wednesday evenings, so shall we plan on that?

What I'm thinking is every Wednesday, 7:00 pm, Valley Library. Just as you walk into the lobby, you can look up and see kind of a loft area. That's a great place to meet, because there are lots of tables and outlets and white noise--the upper floors are so quiet that you feel bad shouting "Take THAT!" at your computer screen. ;)

So take the main elevator up to Floor 3--if you hit 2 you'll stay where you are--and wander over to the left! You'll find us there. :) I'll try to be there with a NaNo poster if I can, or at least a T-shirt.

IMPORTANT COOL THING: The Valley Library will lend you a laptop to use for a few hours while you're inside. That means that if you don't have one or don't want to bring it, you can still join us! I think you might have to be a student or faculty, but I'm not 100% sure, so it doesn't hurt to check!

Excited to see you all. :D Nine hours!!

~ Masa
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United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Momma always taught me I should do my chores before I play...

Maeve — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:58:22 -0800

I have a two-fer question...

Is anyone interested in a write-in on Saturday afternoon, ending with a shift in locale to a place where one could obtain a Frosty/Toasty Adult/Underage Beverage? To visit and wax enthusiastic/woeful about the shape of noveling in specific?

Tentative plan, locations TBA: Focused writing first (2-3 hours), socialize AFTER.
Because, yannow, writing is fun, but it's also work, and work comes before play.

If you're interested and would actually show up for either writing or socializing or both, let us know. There's no point in trying to find a place if you've all already got plans of bricking yourselves in your garrets until your wordcount comes through...

Maeve
co-ML
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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Monday Nov. 17. 7 p.m. Write-In at Old Worlde.

Maeve — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:37:42 -0800

Come type together! Let's see how many words we can make fly off our fingertips!
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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

double my word count this weekend? No problem.

Televangelon — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:43:27 -0800

So, this morning i decided that, in order to catch up, and maybe go beyond schedule, this weekend from friday to sunday, i'm going to try to double my word count. i went today from 15799 to 20088. closing in. goal for sunday at midnight is 31598 words. anyone wanna try to double their word count with me? (note-if you're caught up right now this'll be more difficult, sorry. it's mostly so i can get caught up. i want that paperback editing copy they're offering.) 11000 more words!
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United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Borders tonight. THREE HOURS of typing fun!

Maeve — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:09:12 -0800

For those of you typing along at home, let us know how many words you crank out with us between 6 and 9 p.m. tonight.

For those of you who can come, Borders Cafe, 9th Street (Cannery Mall). 6 to 9 p.m.

I will try to get there a few minutes early, but I'm stumbling along with my cold brain (I'll sit at the far end of the table). I'm told there are outlets. I'm looking forward to this, I've gotten zero writing done today.

See you there!

Maeve
co-ML
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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Wordstock: Portland event open to Wrimos this weekend

Maeve — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 16:23:23 -0800

There is this Other Writing Event in November. It's called Wordstock, and it's held in Portland. It's this weekend at the Convention Center (and various other locations). It's a Festival of Words involving a book fair, readings, a poetry slam and other events. All great procrastination.

But you can make up your word count, too! We've been invited to take part by writing in booths there.

Salem has a booth this year at Wordstock (wordstockfestival.com) and Wordstock has donated a very huge space for us to have writers come and write. I finally got it confirmed. Could you please pass along to your writers that NaNoWriMo will have a booth at Wordstock on the 8th and 9th from 10 am to 6 pm at the Oregon Convention Center, and that we'll have a large write-in area for writers to come and go in spaces 1043, 1142, 1041, and 1140. Wordstock really needs us to have a good turn out of writers, so I really hope that you can pass this info along, and we hope to see some of your writers there! -- Jamie King, Co-ML Salem, Oregon

so. if you've any desire or plan to be in Portland, you can catch up on other Oregon authors and write at the same time!
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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Getting behind?

Televangelon — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 22:19:49 -0800

Anyone else a little behind schedule? I know i am. well, i'm quite a bit behind schedule. 3000 words-ish. this is going to be tough, between work and school. it's the first major writing endeavor that i've undertaken that i actually plan to finish. so, come november 30th, if i'm not done, i'm still going on. who knows, maybe i'll churn out something readable. or maybe not. regardless, i've always wanted to finish a writing but i've never taken the time to until now. so, fellow writers from the area. a toast to procrastination. and, eventually, stopping procrastinating and getting to work.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"hmm, what rhymes with 'put your arms in the air'? oh, i know! 'Like you just don't care!'" Bender Bending Rodriguez
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United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Anybody in Lebanon?

RosesForAnn — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:35:44 -0800

I actually live in Lebanon, but Corvallis/Albany was the closest available home region. Anyone else here in Lebanon? :-D
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United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Nov. 10-16: Local and All-state Write-Ins

Maeve — Sun, 9 Nov 2008 17:05:36 -0800

This week's events:
in Corvallis:
Nov. 12 Wednesday write-in at Valley Library. 7 to 9? p.m.
Nov. 13 Thursday write-in at Borders. 6 to 9 p.m.

Our calendar has more details if you need them.

*****

Statewide event in Salem:
Saturday Nov. 15

11 am. – 1 p.m. Brunch at Pietro's Pizza (1637 HAWTHORNE NE) for Ice Breakers, Indoor Mini Golf and Chit-Chat
(This is a location change if you previously wrote this down).

1:30 – 6 p.m. – All-State Write-In Salem Public Library (585 Liberty St SE) Anderson B Room

The hosting MLs have some fun things planned, some games, some mini-writing workshops, word wars and more.

Be careful driving home; there's an OSU home game on Saturday.

****

Maeve

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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Remember to change your time zone

Maeve — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 20:51:09 -0800

Or on Nov. 30, you'll have an hour less time to finish.

The Daylight savings switch last weekend probably meant that the time zone you started with is now one hour off.
Check:
Go to My NanoWrimo, select user settings. Scroll down to Locale settings: time zone. (if you don't see it, you may not be on the "edit" tab; scroll up and check.) Your time zone should end in -0800. If it says -0700, use the dropdown menu to change it.
Remember to click the "submit" button at the bottom of the page or the change won't be made.

(If it says something else, maybe you're not in Albany-Corvallis, Oregon. Where are you? You'll have to figure out the proper time zone yourself. *grin*)

How do I know this? Right now mine says "Thursday, Nov. 6, 2009- 20:44 -0800.
20:44, on a 24-hour clock, 8:44 p.m., which is what time it is right now.
The -0800 refers to the number of hours (8) this time zone is different from Greenwich time.

Hopefully that's coherent and not beating on the obvious too hard.

How'd you all do today?
I finally pried the necessary 1700 words out of my brain, but it was not a good day to write.

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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Nov. 5 Write-ins: Albany and OSU. Sound off here

Maeve — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 16:32:52 -0800

The Albany Write-in will be at the Public Library from 5 to 7 p.m. today (15th and Waverly; yes, it has for-sale signs all over it, but it's open yet!). We'll be in the meeting room; come in the main doors and go all the way to the back wall (bear to your left a bit as you pass the circulation desks, we're in the left corner).

The OSU gathering will be in the Valley Library beginning at 7 p.m. up on the third floor loft. I won't be able to be there tonight; feel free to post this eve's wordcount here.

If you're playing along at home, keep track of your wordcount for one or both events and post it here! Write on!
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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Who is here from OSU?

yelloweyedowl — Sat, 4 Oct 2008 10:00:45 -0700

I'm new to town, and would like to connect with other participants on campus. So, who all is here?
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United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Nov. 3 write-in, 7 to 9 p.m. Old World. (At home? Sound off here)

Maeve — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 16:02:11 -0800

Make sure your batteries are charged if you're coming to the Deli. We haven't always been able to get a table near the power outlet. I'm going to try to get there early enough to snag us one, but my mileage varies.

If you're following along at home, keep track of your word count between 7 ad 9 p.m. tonight, and post it as a reply here when you're done (or NaNoMail me with it.)

I'm so looking forward to tonight... haven't been able to write yet all day.

How's it going for the rest of you?
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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

KICKOFF on Sunday, 4 p.m.

Maeve — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:43:53 -0700

Are you ready? A few more hours and it's November. Limber up those fingers and warm up those keyboards!

And on Sunday, take an hour or two and come meet your fellow Albany-Corvallis Wrimos.

4 - 6 p.m., Papa's Pizza, 1030 S.W. 3rd Street, Corvallis.
Papa's Pizza is across 3rd from First Alternative Coop, just south of the Mary's River bridge.

We have the area between the restaurant main floor and the playroom.

Limited loot this year, but we have Official NaNoWrimo stickers for the first 20 or so attendees.

Holler here if you'll be there!

Maeve
co-ML
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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Write-Ins: One new location, four new dates

Maeve — Sun, 2 Nov 2008 21:39:01 -0800

We now have eight write-ins scheduled.

For anyone who's frustrated because Mondays and Wednesdays don't work for you, we have a new night: Thursday, Nov. 13. The manager of the local Borders has offered us space in their cafe from 6 to 9 p.m.

Details are all on the calender.

I've usually come home and posted our event word counts after each Write-In. If those of you without portable computers want to play along at home, sit down at our start time (or note where you are and start counting words from that point) and ship me your word count at the hour we wrap up that night. I'll post a thread on the forum before I leave. If you don't want to share your total with everyone, send me a NaNo mail.

Write-ins this week:
Monday at 7 p.m. at Old World Deli,
Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Albany Library (the one with the for-sale signs all over it) and 7 p.m. at OSU in the Valley Library.

BTW, what a great kickoff turnout! Thanks to everyone who showed.
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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

High Schoolers?

Griffin Talon — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:33:45 -0700

I've been seeing a lot of college students and grown-up types and, while you guys are absolutely amazing, I was wondering if there were any high school or middle school students up and posting.

I'm at Corvallis High, I've already started up a club at my school and convinced around 5 other crazy people to join. Right now, I'm juggling three AP classes, a full schedule, and college applications. My mom is already annoyed by the entire thing, but at least she isn't entirely opposed to it like last year.

Anyone else from Corvallis or Albany trying to prove that you don't have to be older to write a novel?
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United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

What do you have so far?

Maeve — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 12:34:27 -0700

October is all about novel planning, right?
*cue hysterical laughter*

Well, take a break from filling the freezer with quick meals and soups.

Think about it.
What do you have so far?

Too many ideas to choose from? A single character you want to build a novel around? An idea you'd like to wrap into a novel? A complete outline with turning-point scenes already identified? A lot of nerves and a cupboard full of coffee and chocolate?

Whatcha got? Share!

(By the way, I'm honored to be Saoba's co-ML again this year. I'm glad to see the OSU contingent is back (and possibly larger!) and hope we'll all have some great writing sessions again this year.)

Sharing... I have at least six different novel ideas, but I'll probably end up writing the "first" book in the series I've been working on. It should introduce my protagonist, her always-in-hot-water buddy, and why their bond is so strong. And set up some of the conflicts I resolve in two other novels. No prob, right? *rolls eyes* I have the barest skim of a plot at this point.

How about you?

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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Names?

yelloweyedowl — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:07:48 -0700

Where do you go to get names for your characters? I tend to use typical American names for my characters, and this year I want to step outside the box!
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United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

So what are Corvallis-Albany meet-ups like?

Mondkatze — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 16:33:08 -0700

I've recently moved to Corvallis, and was wondering where and how often meet-ups take place. Do we have a kick-off and TGIO party? I'm excited to make some friends up here, and I figured NaNo people would be excellent friend-targets. I've done NaNo three times back in Los Angeles, but it was difficult for me to make it to anything other than the TGIO parties. Oh, Corvallis... how I adore your size and lack of traffic!!!

Also, just thought I'd ask: Anyone else a regular to the 2nd St. Beanery? It's a great place to write. I'm usually in there once or twice a week.
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United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Write-Ins

Maeve — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:02:51 -0700

We've got four Write-Ins on the calendar now:
* Mondays at 7 p.m. in Corvallis; Nov. 3 and 17 at the Old World Deli, and
* Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in Albany, Nov. 5 and 19 at the Albany Public Library.

Details on the calendar (link on the Albany-Corvallis forum page. It's right above the topics list).

Or, well, here: Albany-Corvallis Calendar. Bookmark!

Kickoff event will be Sunday, Nov. 2.

When the folk on campus agree on a night and time to meet, let me know and I'll add that to the calendar, too. It's great that we have so many people in the area participating!

Maeve
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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...

United States :: Oregon :: Albany-Corvallis

Location, Location, Location

Maeve — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:46:11 -0700

Setting. World-Building. It's what makes you drool over Science Fiction, what gives us that repellant fascination in horror, what makes us long to visit a certain country after reading a novel set there. A sense of place.

Where are the events of your novel going to take place?

Why? Do you need to evoke a mood, a time period? Take 20 minutes and create a list of words that evoke those emotions, that capture that sense of epoch you're after.

Are you using the setting because you're familiar with it? What particular areas and places do you think you'll use? Take a few minutes to imagine those areas in all four seasons, and jot down mental notes about senses: smell, tastes, textures, visual images, sounds you associate with that place. Make it a long list. Sensory references make mental images come alive for readers, but not everybody reacts to the same ones. (And besides, come 30,000 words, you'll be looking for all the wordcount filler you can get.)

Who populates this place? Why? What is its history, its future?

What is special about this place, or what aspects of it do you want to use? Why?

(This is my weekly planning post. Because nothing says "wordcount" better than a nice notebook filled with detailed ideas for the coming novel.)

And as long as you're on the site (and because I'm genetically incapable of posting about single topics), check out the various topic forums if you haven't already -- plot doctoring, reaching 50,000, newbies, and the genre forums, to name a few. You'll find a lot of conversation from other excited writers, and some word prompts and challenges if you're up for some advance writing.

Check out the "fun stuff" tab for free wordcount widgets and icons, and don't forget the donation/store to get your very own halo for as little as $10, or a mug or T-shirt if you'd prefer. If you're broke, there's a page on how to get sponsors. Remember, you can participate in NaNoWrimo for free, but it isn't free to put it on, so if you can help out, please do.

Explore! Enjoy!

Maeve

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One keystroke after the other. Fifty more words. C'mon, you can do at least 25 more words.... twice...