Hey, everyone else

Hi there...Alice from Kewanee here...actually further north than Champaign. Are you anywhere near Springield? I will porobably be down there visiting my sister at some point...let me know...and good luck! I actually completed last year and cannot believe it is that time again!

Hey Alice! It's Buda...are you ready for this year? I'm not...yet...still have time right? LOL

Hi All,

I'm a newbie. I live in California, but I'll be in Illinois during the deadline days -- visiting family for Thankgiving.

So, I'll be sometimes in Cullom (near Pontiac) and sometimes in Eureka (near Peoria).

Good luck, all!

NCSmith

Hey Buda!!!

Can't believe it is this time of year already! Not ready yet, but always write best under pressure! lol. Do you want to go on WKEI with Margi and me about Nanowrimo on the 30th at 845a? Let me know

alice

NC wher in Illinois will you be? Need moral support? Can Margi and I help?

alice

Hi Alice,

I'd surely appreciate some moral support!

I'll be splitting time between in Cullom (near Pontiac in Livingston County) and Eureka (near Peoria, not sure what county).

Just bought airline tickets -- I'll be in Illinois from 11/24 through 12/3 -- the critical time!

Nancy

DeKalb is probably the closest region to where I'm at, but it's an hour or so from me. I'm in Whiteside County, up in the far northwest corner, roughly an hour from Iowa and an hour from Wisconsin.

Anyone anywhere near there?

Hi, Nancy...

Margi and I (co-ML's) are in Kewanee, Il, and we are about an hour and 15 min from Eureka and prob. another 1/2 from there to Pontiac. So, Maybe we could meet with you on Thanksgiving weekend-if you had a car, maybe we could meet in Peoria-and if not, maybe we could meet in Eureka. Let us know where you will be staying...send me a private nano mail when it gets closer. I know you can do this!

alice

Thanks, Alice! That sounds great. I'll have access to a car.

I'll send you an email before I leave, just to test the system. I'll add you as buddy, too.

Nancy

Hello there! I am a second-time Nanoer, French expat in the US, recently moved from NJ to Lake county. Any meets in Lake County? I'd love that!

What else... Last year I wrote a Hard Fantasy story, this year I think it will be a "roman noir" / hardboiled. The common thing being that I tend to make it pretty rough for my poor (female) main characters ;)

HI Alice from Kewanee! I'm from Kewanee too....

Susan

Hey, Susan! Have you and Emily signed up for this year yet? I'm re-reading No Plot? No Problem! (partly because I'm writing a column on it a couple of weeks), and mostly because I want to remind myself what comes next, and after that and....

Looks like we'll be getting the college again this year, too. Am so excited about that! Those chunks of time were the best for me, writing alongside another NaNoWriMo-er. Alice brought our lunch 99.9% of the time, and she always eats healthy, so I got spoiled.

The hours at the Community Ed Center are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 to 12:30 - except for the first Tuesday (which is Election Day), and that means we'll meet the day before, on Monday the 3rd. And of course there's Thanksgiving, and I think we're doing a Monday that week, too. (I'll have to double-check on that.)

I really hope you guys can join us....

Margi

Hello! I'm in Springfield now, and I know they have a region set up and all, but I'm not sure how active it is, so I thought I'd pop my head in here as well. Hope you don't mind!

I'm finishing up my critical thesis for grad school and then working on my creative thesis next semester. I have a good portion of it complete. However, I've been giving it lots of thought and I'm about to the point where I start over. Same general characters and story in many ways, but in many ways, completely new. Does that make sense?

I'm also planning to have some of my 7th grade students participate as well!

Here's to NaNoWriMo 2008!! :-)

* Krystal *

Hey Krystal...welcome...my sister lives in Springfield, and will let you know if I will be visiting in Nov...We are quite active and if you are ever up this way, we will be taking over the Community Ed. Center (across from the fire dept) in Kewanee from 10a-1230p on Tue/Thu/Fri during Nov. You will always be welcome if you want to join us at any point...I will also add you as a writing buddy if that is ok...Keep in mind that you are not supposed to have written anything in your novel on Nov. 1st...so if you have written something already, you need to create something new. I am so happy your 7th graders might be joining us. Please look at the youth program and get help from them (they have downloads, etc) and even though it is tough, we will keep you updated...and motivated!

alice

Like Galena? Or Freeport area? My sister lives near Freeport (I was born there actually...LOL) I was going to try to head up there to see my sister at some point before it gets too cold and the snow starts flying. Will have to see.

Alice, this year I will try my darnedest to get to the College this year...even if I have to stay up all night!!!

Is anyone starting at Midnight?? I will be...my 11 year old and I are going to watch Ghost Hunters Live and it doesn't usually end til Midnight--1 AM....
I finally have a few ideas formulating...Now to narrow them down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Muse...You are not on vacation, I repeat, you are NOT on Vacation!!!

LouveDeFrance - I'm not from Lake county, but close - McHenry County. This is my first year, but I think it will be very interesting.

Hey, um, I'm from the Roscoe/Rockford area. ^_^; Doesn't look like there is anyone in my area, but hey!

Hey maternal,
Haha, don't worry, I'm in the same boat.
I actually live in Roscoe, by a bnuch of corn =P

Hi! I'm near Springfield as well - just 20 minutes south. New to the region participation, so have no clue about how many of us there are around here!

Bringing your class into the action sounds like a great idea! Start 'em off young and teach them what it's all about! :-)

Good luck!

~ Ronda

I have the highway on one side of me and then a bunch of trees on the other. >__> Don't know if I could handle corn, though.....I've watched way too many scary movies. XD

Just wanted to let you know that if you're from the Chicago area, and you're looking for meetups in Lake County, there will be some meetups in the Vernon Hills area (by Route 60/Townline rd, and Milwaukee Ave.) at the Barnes & Noble at Hawthorne Mall.

If you want more info, check out the Chicago Region group.

My apologies. I'm not trying to steal anyone from this group, I just saw this question and answered it in an attempt to help.

___________________________
Here's to hoping I don't flop at this!

Is there anyone from the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon area? I guess you could say I'm part of the St. Louis area while still being in Illinois.

Haha, well i ain't too fond of the corn either =P
but i live right by the Roscoe Stone Bridge BIke Trail so it's a good trade off =D
if yall or anyone else in the Roscoe-Rockford area wanna go to some book store or whatever,
let me know =D

Bah! Is there no one from the St. Claire county, i.e. O'Fallon/Shiloh/Belleville? I'm starting to think that the school system's efforts to instill culture in these kids are failing miserably... o.O

Everyone, I live in Machesney Park, just south of the Wisconsin/Illinois border. I am also close to Freeport and Galena.
Shadowrider

Zach-aka-weasal

Not sure about the book store but it is nice to see someone from the area - I live in Machesney Park. Good to see you and good luck.

Shadowrider

Zach-aka-weasal

Not sure about the book store but it is nice to see someone from the area - I live in Machesney Park. Good to see you and good luck.

Shadowrider

Machesney Park here, just down the road. Good to see you.

shadowrider

To Jaitara_X
There are a lot of people from Belleville, Shiloh, and O'Fallon, Illinois. Make sure you check into the Illinois: Southern group instead of the Illinois: Elsewhere group. I'm hearing rumors of a big kickoff in Belleville on November 1st at Riley's coffee shop on Lebanon Avenue. One O'Fallon writer said she will be writing Thursday mornings at the St. Louis Bread Co. in Shiloh at exit 16 off of Interstate 64. Check out the new group. don't worry -- you are surrounded with writers. I'm still planning my coffeeshouse strategy to get through the month -- my daughter and I are both writers in O'Fallon, Illinois. Good luck!

Yes, definitely. You'll find them in the Illinois: Southern group!