Roll call! ...or "Getting to know you"

Name: Eileen

Age: (you can lie!!) I'd like to lie, but I won't: I'm 40.

Area: Like Justice, I'm from Woburn.

Work/School?: I work full-time.

Any ideas for you novel yet?: I'm all planned out. It will be a cracky fanfic based on the movie The Lost Boys.

What's got you excited for NaNo?: I love the insanity of it all!

What's got you totally freaked out for November?: I have the horrible feeling that something will come up in November (bf's grandma is not well) that will totally derail my word count.

Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: Just work, although I bring my AlphaSmart in and work on my breaks.

Vets - any advice for the newbies?: Get as much done as soon as you can. I always take Nov. 1 off and write 4-6K on that one day, just to get myself a little bit ahead. That way if something does come up, I have a nice word cushion to fall back on.

"We're all one family. Some of us suck blood and some of us carry sharpened stakes, just in case, but we all get along okay. Well, most of the time."

Boys Need A Mother
NaNoWriMo 2008

Name: My handle is Victoria82, but you can call me Kara

Age: 26

Area: Arlington (and new to the area – I’ve moved around MA a lot the past few years)

Work/School: I work in Burlington. Ironically, I work in publishing

Ideas for novel: The ballad of True Thomas. In New York. In the Gilded Age. With maybe ninjas. And Louisa May Alcott. God help me.

What's got you excited for NaNo?: The crazy ideas that are awaiting

What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Can it top last year?

Major hinderances/commitments: I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year. Eep!

Vets - any advice for the newbies?: Have fun! Don’t over think it! And Don’t Stop Writing!

2006: Twelve Dancing Princesses, set in Medieval Russia
2007: Rupenzal, set in New England in the Great Depression

Hey all. :-)

My name is Kristen, but you can call me by my user name, a variation of my user name, Krissy, Kris, or even Shortie if you'd like. XD
I'm 18 years young.
There are three cities that I mainly haunt: I live in Woburn, go to a community college in Bedford, and work in Burlington at "Justice: Just for Girls" clothing store.
I'm not really sure about any ideas for my novel for November. It'll most likely have magic and fantasy in it because I'm a sucker for those genres, but I'm also trying not to dwell on it too much; I think I'd much rather just write and see what pops up on the page.
I'm excited for NaNo because it seems to be just the kind of place I've been looking for: a great, fun-sounding writing site with friendly, enthusiastic, and sometimes strange (but in a good way) people everywhere!
What's got me totally freaked out? Uhh...Well, for one, this is my first time doing NaNo, so I'm a bit nervous about that (I just found the site today), as well as work and school bogging me down like they were doing earlier this month. Obviously, I'm not a vet, so I have nothing to say to newbies except: "You're not alone!" XD

I can't wait to start writing and meeting more people around here. :-)

Welcome Krissy! Glad to see another Burlington nanoer! I hope you can come to the met up at Borders. Either way - hello and good luck!

2006: Twelve Dancing Princesses, set in Medieval Russia
2007: Rupenzal, set in New England in the Great Depression

Name: Kelly
Age: (you can lie!!) 25
Area: New Bedford, MA
Work/School?: Editorial assistant for GateHouse Media. I basically do it all, from reporting to ordering kitchen supplies!
Any ideas for you novel yet?: A few, but nothing I've committed to just yet.
What's got you excited for NaNo?: Motivation to actually write a novel!
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: It's my first time and I'm not used to pumping out so many words in one month!
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: Just Thanksgiving...as far as I know.

Name:
Evil Wayne

Age: (you can lie!!)
I'm 39 now. I'll be older when NaNo starts. :P

Area:
Norton. So the Easton people are damn close.

Work/School?:
I'm the senior compositor for a small publisher in Norwood.

Any ideas for you novel yet?:
Nope. I'll have to troll through my idea bin; how about Super Fruity Power Defender Team?*

What's got you excited for NaNo?:
Originally, it was this weird idea that I was being given permission to write total crap. I don't know where I got the idea that everything is supposed to spring forth as a masterpiece, but this gave me a break from that notion. Now I realize crap is the only thing I can write.

What's got you totally freaked out for November?:
Um... NaNo. Still not sure I actually want to try it again.

Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not
writing/thinking about your novel?:
I call them my family.

Vets - any advice for the newbies?:
Write your ass off and don't look back. Don't know how to get characters from Point A to Point C? Don't worry about it; put a giant, bold, bracketed: [TIMMY GETS OUT OF THE WELL HERE] and move on. Suddenly find yourself switching from first person to third? Just let it ride. Have a scene you're dying to write but can't seem to get there? Skip down a page and write it, then go back and catch up. Quickly notice that you've swapped characters and replaced names all over the place? Um... Good luck sorting that one out there Hemmingway.

----

Hey Justice, I graduated from SSC in 97. My minor was English/Writing and I worked in the Writing Center for a couple of years. Have you ever been there? Although I haven't talked to him in over a year, I was good friends with the guy who ran it, Bill Coyle. Any chance you ever run into him?

-w

*I swear to God this is an actual idea in my journal.

[Insert Pithy Saying Here]
—[Insert Author of Pithy Saying Here]

Super Fruity Power Defender Team.

I'm dying to know what their super powers are. Would they all hurl a different fruit at their enemies?

Jo

Yeah, kind of; the way it's loosely written is that that each of them has a special attack move with the fruit of their uniform color on it. So the Yellow SFPDT member would shout out: "Lightning Banana Charge Attack!" [1] and a yellow beam would shoot out his fists at the bad guy. Everyone gets something, except Purple. He gets a Grape Jam Attack. Which essentially fires a glob of grape jam at the bad guys. And it's completely useless. I think the rest of the world knows he's a loser, but for some reason the SFPDTeam doesn't and thinks he's an integral part of the unit. Maybe he should know he's useless too, and they keep putting him in danger, or making him the linchpin of some elaborate scheme that would work if he actually had powers.

I want to work in things like how a city block gets destroyed, but nobody's apparently hurt. Or that if anyone doesn't use quick, rapid hand and head gestures while in uniform, nobody can figure out who's talking. Lots of explosions, sparklers and other goofy ninja-esque fighting.

Mmm.... I wonder how much mileage I could actually get out of this?

Part of this came about after I got a hold of the Big Eyes, Small Mouth RPG book. The other because I've sat through enough episodes of Power Rangers to probably apply for some kind of mental disability hardship at this point. Truly awful.

-w

[1] How lame must the bad guys be if they can't defend against an announced attack?!?

[Insert Pithy Saying Here]
—[Insert Author of Pithy Saying Here]

It's brilliant. It should all be from Grape-Jam Attack's point of view. He's *got* to know he's useless with the blob of grape jelly. He should definitely know he's useless, with the other clueless fruits constantly putting him in danger.

"I want to work in things like how a city block gets destroyed, but nobody's apparently hurt."

Ha! Like the A-Team.

I'd absolutely read it, but I don't know how you're going to compete with "Cute and Fuzzy Cockfighting Seizure Monsters".

"I've sat through enough episodes of Power Rangers to probably apply for some kind of mental disability hardship at this point."

You're wearing a rubber monster suit, right now, aren't you?

Evil Wayne, you have made my day.

Ooo, Kara and Evil Wayne, how do you guys like working in publishing? I'm thinking it as a possible career choice. Y'know, make my English major worthwhile. (And any internships you can recommend? ^_^)

And I haven't made it down to the writing center yet actually even though I'm a Junior. Most of the time my papers wind up way too last minute, but I have a professor who's pretty tough on grammar which I haven't had a whole lot of training in since middle school, so I'm likely to head down this semester. (Ever had McHale? He's a little quirky so you'd probably remember if you did. Lol!)

"Stop that rhyming! Now I mean it!"
"Anybody want a peanut?"

Name: Crosswordfan, or Louise
Age: (you can lie!!) - yeah, I won't lie either - 41
Area: North Shore (anybody else out there??)
Work/School?: work in a management consulting firm in Boston
Any ideas for you novel yet?: haven't got a clue and that scares me.
What's got you excited for NaNo?: The possibility of a new challenge
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: no plot. Did this two years ago and got to about 15k words before I bailed, so hoping to get farther than that this time around.
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: work, work, and more work. But at least I have some nice long train rides and a strong battery on my laptop.

Off to dust off my copy of "No Plot, No Problem"...

Name: Karasu-Kun or Raven
Age: 17
Area: Westford
Work/School: In Westford, applying to colleges.
Ideas for novel: Will read a quote and write a story on it.
What got you excited for NaNo?: Idea that i'll actually complete a novel and be making friends in the process
What's got you totally freaked out for November: If i'll be able to finish with school and college stuff.
Major hindrances that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing about your novel? LMAO! School.

*poke* My name... is above ^.^. Love going into the city and tea and coffee and doing outdoor sports. Erm.... *nod* *looks out for others with the Mark of Cain* *loves Herman Hesse* *Wants to get into George Washington University*

Name: Cindy
Age: just turned 40. Boy, doesn't that sound a little like a kid who has to include the "and a half" except, of course, the other way around? ;-)
Area: Middleboro/Lakeville
Work/School?: I work at the area weekly newspaper - sort of like Kelly, except that I don't have to order kitchen supplies! :-p
Any ideas for you novel yet?: yes, mulling over a different take on the story line I started last year.
What's got you excited for NaNo?: getting this started
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: trying to get this finished! Seriously - who thought November, with its holidays and necessary shopping/work would be a good month to add an additional 50,000 word project to?
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: Yes - I have a family. Three kids, who "have lives" that they, unfortunately, need me to drive them to, and a hubby who doesn't like "um hum....right....sounds good...." as feedback to his conversations.

Exactly. In fact, I was thinking that maybe he's the latest in a long line of Purple SFDT and he probably sees the absurdity of the whole thing as well as the frighteningly limited life expectancy of the Purple SFDT member.

Okay, I had to actually look that up and I now see no reason to *not* incorporate some kind of Pokemon-thing into this. Hell, there could be a steady stream of baddies that take on the various more annoying anime cliches.

No, no, no.... Well, yes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiju_Big_Battel

a w e s o m e

This is all weirdly encouraging...

Well, I like what I do. What I do, however, has nothing to do with writing. I take manuscripts and put them into book layouts for publishing (there's a bit more). We have an editoral staff that I work with closely.

Never had McHale. I did know Nancy Shultz, is she still there? I'm guessing she won't remember me, though. If you ever do make it down there, Bill is a tall, skinny guy.

Tell him I still have his Lenard Cohen CD. :D

[Insert Pithy Saying Here]
—[Insert Author of Pithy Saying Here]

What paper do you work for? I work out of Raynham in the same industrial park as Walmart.

Name: Caitlin

Age: (you can lie!!) 25

Area: I live on the Cape, work in Boston. I spend a LOT of time in the car...

Work/School?:
I currently work full-time in the city, until October 31, which will be my last day of work!!! (I am excited because it was my decision to leave - kind of on the verge of a mental breakdown from commuting.)

Any ideas for your novel yet?:
Kind of an emotional enema - MC will be re-enacting a lot of my angsty moments from the past few years...

What's got you excited for NaNo?:
Actually being able to write!!! I haven't been able to give it the attention it's deserved for the past five years.

What's got you totally freaked out for November?:
Actually being able to write!!! What if I suck harder than anything that has ever sucked before?

Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?:
Well... just life in general. I am getting married soon and my fiance has a very high stress job with very long hours, so part of the deal of me being able to leave my job was that I'd keep the house in order (i.e., work through the Grand Teton range of laundry mountains that runs through our house, cook something that contains at least one ingredient originally found in nature, etc.) That's going to be a weird role for me to get used to, because I've always pushed myself really hard to get ahead in school/my career, etc... and at home, the only ones who will be around to compete with will be my three cats. I don't really think they'll be impressed by how many loads of whites I did in a day, or how many words I can crank out in one sitting.

Name: Ashley
Age: I'm 21
Area: Westfield/ Dracut (I joined this region because I will be travelling back and forth a whole lot)
Work/School?: I am a senior Special Education major at Westfield State
Any ideas for you novel yet?: I have a character in mind that I will be basing it off of. The plot is up in the air.
What's got you excited for NaNo?: This is my first one and I'm actually getting something done while completing an assignment for a Behavior Modification class.
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Its a busy month for me because I'll be neck deep in class assignments and I will also be traveling to Lawrence two days a week trying to do 30 hours in a classroom.
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: That would be my pre-practicum hours. Also Thanksgiving and entertaining the boyfriend.
Vets - any advice for the newbies?: I'm a newbie myself, but as I am doing this as a behavior modification project, I have a plan!

Name: Julie

Age: (you can lie!!) 43

Area: Framingham

Work/School?: Waiting, wishing, hoping, praying.. Oh--and sending out resumes.

Any ideas for you novel yet?: Yes! I have had it in my head for a few months now... Let's say out of possible plots, it is based on returning home. But there is more to it than that (isn't there always?). If I can swing this, I feel I really will have accomplished something, at least for myself.

What's got you excited for NaNo?: I do have an idea, which is great, but beyond that, this is the push I need to put it out there, on the page, in actual words, and not just hesitations.

What's got you totally freaked out for November?: The same thing that usually does it: my kids (I am a single mom with 4 kids (3 at home), 2 with special needs), my less-than-predictable life, and throwing a huge lifelong dream into the mix of it. Strangely, I have found in past experience that adding something very challenging actually seems to help keep the engine running at home, at least if it is something I am excited about. And if not now, when?

Any major hindrances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: The normal things, first. Then, there is Thanksgiving, of course, and a birthday (complete with sleepover). And if I actually get the job I just interviewed for... I do not want to either jinx or think about that one just yet.

But this is it. I have always loved writing. That is why we are all here, right? Only, I have not committed to calling myself a writer publicly until now. It has always been so much safer to dance around it in peripheral jobs where writing has served me well but not necessarily been central to the job, or writing a blog but not a book. Now I am going to prove myself. What really excites me is that this project is the permission I am giving myself to define myself that way and go for it. It seems like a great month to start.

Good luck to all of you in these days as we stretch before the shot fires "GO!" I'm sure there are some wonderful ideas just brewing!

Remember, too: we get an extra hour on November 2, when the clocks change back. It is a nice little bonus, like a chocolate with our coffee.

Name: Handle here is exceedinglyrare (kudos to anyone who gets the reference), but I'm more commonly known as Abby.
Age: ALMOST 25...I turn 25 exactly two weeks from today, woot!
Area Hrm, this is kind of difficult. I live just south of Worcester, but I work and do most of my life stuff out in the Marlborough/Northborough area, and identify strongly with Boston and the South Shore. I just say that I'm from Massachusetts at the end of the day.
Work/School?: I work as an executive assistant for a small engineering consulting firm in Marlborough. It sounds a lot more glamorous than it actually is...I have a lot of time during the day for writing.
Any ideas for you novel yet?: SO many, which makes me SO happy. I've failed hard the past couple of years because I had a beginning and an end, but no middle. Now I have all three, so hopefully, success is fairly close for me!
What's got you excited for NaNo?: The idea of actually writing a novel. I've been writing as long as I can remember, and I've started and abandoned so many projects that it's actually depressing. The idea that I could actually complete something just makes me superhappy.
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: The balancing act, largely. Besides NaNo, I do journal-based roleplaying games and am absolutely addicted to WoW (and WotLK comes out on November 13...that'll be fun)...and that's just in life that doesn't involve other human beings being face-to-face! There's work, there's church, there's my boyfriend and my best friends moving back to the New England area after living in the Midwest for three years and...oy! Balancing will not be fun.
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: As far as actual commitments go, it's just work and church...and the occasional family gathering around Thanksgiving that is, for some Godforsaken reason, far too close to the 30th for it to be sane. All of my other commitments are things that aren't technically real commitments.

And...yeah, we can just pretend that I didn't just introduce myself twice >_>

Name: Janelle
Age: (you can lie!!) 26 - turning 27 in November
Area: Westford, MA
Work/School?: Lahey Clinic - Burlington, MA
Any ideas for you novel yet?: Kinda... not enough though!
What's got you excited for NaNo?: I want to see if I can actually do this
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Nano!!
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?:
Just thanksgiving and my birthday :)

Name: Janelle
Age: (you can lie!!) 26 - turning 27 in November
Area: Westford, MA
Work/School?: Lahey Clinic - Burlington, MA
Any ideas for you novel yet?: Kinda... not enough though!
What's got you excited for NaNo?: I want to see if I can actually do this
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Nano!!
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?:
Just thanksgiving and my birthday :)

Name: Janelle
Age: (you can lie!!) 26 - turning 27 in November
Area: Westford, MA
Work/School?: Lahey Clinic - Burlington, MA
Any ideas for you novel yet?: Kinda... not enough though!
What's got you excited for NaNo?: I want to see if I can actually do this
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Nano!!
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?:
Just thanksgiving and my birthday :)

Name: CandidKarina (or just Karina works too)

Age: (you can lie!!): 33

Area: Dracut/Lowell

Work/School?: I work as an exec. assistant in Lowell

Any ideas for you novel yet?: about a million, but nothing I can nail down just yet...I might be winging it.

What's got you excited for NaNo?: I'm always writing...always...so why not try to actually finish something with a deadline?

What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Did I just say deadline? Yeah, that freaks me out. Plus, I failed miserably last year after about 15,000 words because of a computer crash, so uh...yeah, trying not to relive the nightmares...

Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: My entire life is a hinderance/commitment. I work full time, volunteer all over the place, have a pretty busy social life and am traveling to Florida for a week in November and will be away from ALL technology the final weekend of this challenge. Which means I need to have my word count in BEFORE thanksgiving dinner. Oh yeah, and I also have 3 blogs and guest write on a few others...Yes, I'm insane.

Vets - any advice for the newbies?: Back-up, save, back-up again, and then back-up your work one more time. I'm just sayin'.

By the way, Evil Wayne? I love you already! ;-)

Name: Jose
Age: 29
Area: Living in Somerville, working in Billerica. So on weekends, I'll be attempting to attend the Cambridge write-ins, and on weekdays, I'll be trying the same thing in the Billerica/Burlington area.
Work: I'm a web develoepr for a non-profit based in Billerica
Any ideas for you novel yet?: Hopefully take the tatters of last year's idea and *not* fail quite so spectacularly.
What's got you excited for NaNo?: The madness of 50,000 words in a month, as well as interacting with my fellow WriMos.
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Having failed four years in a row, it's hard to really feel freaked out about anything, writing-wise.
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: Thanksgiving, a massive project at work.
Vets - any advice for the newbies?: The captain has turned off the Inner Editor Sign for this trip. Don't edit. Just write. Save up your editing energy for NaNoEdMo. If only I could take my own advice...

Name: Jose
Age: 29
Area: Living in Somerville, working in Billerica. So on weekends, I'll be attempting to attend the Cambridge write-ins, and on weekdays, I'll be trying the same thing in the Billerica/Burlington area.
Work: I'm a web developer for a non-profit based in Billerica
Any ideas for you novel yet?: Hopefully take the tatters of last year's idea and *not* fail quite so spectacularly.
What's got you excited for NaNo?: The madness of 50,000 words in a month, as well as interacting with my fellow WriMos.
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Having failed four years in a row, it's hard to really feel freaked out about anything, writing-wise.
Any major hindrances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: Thanksgiving, a massive project at work.
Vets - any advice for the newbies?: The captain has turned off the Inner Editor Sign for this trip. Don't edit. Just write. Save up your editing energy for NaNoEdMo. If only I could take my own advice...

Name:Gwendolyn
Age: (you can lie!!) 15 (as of three days ago!)
Area: Hingham
Work/School?: Hingham High.
Any ideas for you novel yet?: I and a friend (who is also nano-ing) were discussing over stereotyped plots in genres and how to turn them around, and one of those ideas became the ground work for my nano. My MC has decided to veer away from the original idea though... He can be rather annoying
What's got you excited for NaNo?: It's my first NaNo, and it's NANO, so I'm psyched!
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Getting it done, managing high school, dance class, orchestra and NaNo. My brother tried last year and was something like 14000 words short and my sister has succeeded, so if they both succeed this year, and I don't they'll be insuffereable.
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: I'm always thinking about my novel, and I'll write in class....

Name: Molly
Age: 17
Area: South Shore (anyone else out there who wants to meet at Barnes and Noble or Panera or something to write?)
Work/School?: I got to a private school in Hingham where I get to where a kilt and eat Otis Spunkmeyer cookies (yes, I am making it sound way better than it is).
Any ideas for you novel yet?: Hm, one so far that I think I'm going to stick with. Really its the first maybe, 100 words, but i might be able to turn it into a story...or I'll fail epically
What's got you excited for NaNo?: Just writing. I haven't written much but poetry in a while (I'm taking Creative Writing as an elective at school and thats all we've done so far this year....blech!)
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Again, writing. I'm pretty freaked out about the whole 50,000 words thing. I have a feeling I won't get it but if I do better than last year (a pitiful 15,000) than I think I'll be pretty proud of myself.
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: Um.....school, like a lot! I'm in a million APs and Honors classes it feels like and I hardly have time to breathe right now, let alone write a whole novel.
Vets - any advice for the newbies?: Wow, I don't know if I'd call myself a veteran, but technically I guess I am. Pretty much just keep writing (yay Dory...I love Finding Nemo). I knew I wasn't going to make 50,000 last year so I just gave up rather than keep writing as much as I can.

~mo

Is that perhaps a Once Upon a Mattress reference? Or am I just a huge geek?

Name: Hillary.
Age: Nine-to-the-teen.
Area: Central Mass-ish.
Work/School?: Fitchburg State college Commnunications major/English minor.
Any ideas for you novel yet?: Uh...not really. I have some characters that might just be strong enough to write themselves.
What's got you excited for NaNo?: The fact that I might actually finish something.
What's got you totally freaked out for November?: Writer's block. Got to get rid of that before November starts.
Any major hinderances/commitments that you've got to go to and pretend you're not writing/thinking about your novel?: Classes...ugh.