Come introduce yourself in this thread! As a reminder, this is a public forum--don't share personal contact information (e-mail addresses, real life address, phone numbers) in your posts.
I am Tim aka NewMexicoKid, one of the three volunteer co-MLs for our great region. I've been participating in (and succeeding with) NaNoWriMo since 2003; and I have been a co-Municipal Liaison since 2005. Mostly I write fantasy novels; and several of these, including this year's, center on a protagonist I originally based on my daughter (who coincidentally also has participated in and won NaNoWriMo).
I am not a published author (yet) but have aspirations of one day doing this. Be sure to ask about the Journey (formerly called the Pledge)--this is our year-round writing group.
In real life, I am a software engineer at Alcatel-Lucent.
Oh, and I enjoy drawing (you can see some of my designs at at our regional cafepress shop).
----------
Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources
156,781 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2009 - 04 39
I'm Katherine and I've been writing for years, although only involved in NaNoWriMo for three years. (I still name my folders for November -- up to nov4 this year.) I really enjoy the freedom of focusing on word count for 30 days, and I've been known to be a bit competitive--Tim has a lovely graph that I find inspiring.
During NaNoWriMo, I've written:
- Safe at Work - a divorced mother struggles to survive corporate downsizing while moving on with her life. While writing it, people would ask--does she keep her job? My answer, I hope so! (My company was merging with another during the time I wrote it, although the merger wasn't finalized until December 1st, which I thought was rather rude as I wanted the material for the first draft.)
- French Impression about an American woman working in Paris who experiences corporate differences, cultural dislocation, and inadvertent adultery.
- Yes, And...Saying yes and building on that agreement is something that a group of tourists learn to apply to their lives and to the improvisational comedy show they're about to create. The story takes place in 24 hours and it told from multiple POVs which was fun to craft in one month.
By the way, I believe in REVISION! Not during November, but later. I actually enjoy revising my novels as much as I enjoy writing the first draft. Some consider that strange.
5,935 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2009 - 05 48
I'm CIndi, a 5 time NaNoWriMo failure:
Yes, I know that's only four. One of them is slipping my mind. Ironic, considering the last title.
I'm also a slow learner, so I'm back again this year.
In real life, I write software and do tech support for money. I'm also in the MDiv program at Chicago Theological Seminary.
------------
My name is Hannah Montana
You heard my father
Prepare to linedance
67,243 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2009 - 07 48
Hi! **waving** I'm Stacy and this will be my first year participating officially in NaNo. I discovered it last year with only 9 days left in November and decided that I wasn't nuts enough to try it, so I just observed. I have been working on research, plot and character development for the last month and can barely contain myself. I have had people telling me all of my life that I need to write. We'll see.
I'm very excited that Plano has been added this year, since it is much closer to me. My 10 and 7 yo daughters will be participating through the YWP as well.
We're stocking up on our favorite Go juice and looking forward to November 1st!
3,221 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2009 - 08 23
Hi, I'm Carly, and I've been participating in NaNo since 2003. After my 2003 NaNo crapped out at fifteen thousand words, I finally got the motivation I needed the next year when someone told me not to bother because I couldn't do it and I would just be setting myself up for disappointment. Well... I showed him. :D I've won every year since.
This year, for the first time ever, I'm writing a sequel. Valentine Covington is back for another case, and I'm really looking forward to dusting him off and getting him back on the trail of the criminal.
In real life, I'm a barista at Starbucks and a full time student at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago, majoring in web design and interactive media.
----------NaNo 2004- WON! 56k | NaNo 2005- WON! 54k | NaNo 2006- WON! 93k | NaNo 2007- WON! 51k | NaNo 2008- WON! 50k
Planning to win for the 6th yr running!
15,679 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2009 - 12 15
Hi, all -
I am from the northern part of Kane County. This is my first attempt at NaNoWriMo. I've got an idea for my novel, but I want to flesh it out some before this thing starts in November. My writing goal will be 2000 words a day, which is plenty ambitious for me since I already have a ton of other stuff on my plate.
More importantly, I hope that the focus on output will tone down the inner critic and help me to capture some ideas that might otherwise be lost. Having perfectionist tendencies, I overanalyze what I write as I write it. I think that this slows me down and winds up being too stifling. So here's to learning how to brain dump, and going back later to gussy things up.
----------There are many questions which fools can ask that wise men cannot answer. - George Polya
En dåre kan spørre mer enn ti vise kan svare.
23,325 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2009 - 20 06
Hello!
My name is Mary Jo and I've been a Nano participant since 2006, with wins in 2007 and 2008. I haven't been doing much writing the last couple of months but I'm determined to get another win. :)
My home region is Chicago but I started a new job in June, working at the Naperville Public Library as a cataloger. Commuting between Norridge and Naperville will cut into my NaNo-ing time but I have a nice new MacBook this year so I won't be worrying about computer crashes anymore!
----------http://knitchick1979.livejournal.com
11,000 / 50,000
Okt 3, 2009 - 05 35
Hey guys! I'm Squiddish (also known as Katherine) and this is my second year doing NaNo!
I am so excited (even though I just decided that I was actually going to do it this year about a month ago). My life has been pretty hectic, but I shall suffer through that and (hopefully) win NaNo again this year! I competed last year and won. I didn't make it to more than one write-in, though, and I'm hoping to change that this year.
I've been writing for.... oh, ever. And, since NaNo... I haven't done much more than short stories. :) I've been saving all my creative juices for NaNo! And, to add to that. While I'm writing NaNo I'll be working on a SECOND book as well, starting this month!
Wish me luck!
----------Send the Troops Your Love
"To shrug." - Ayn Rand
50,659 / 50,000
Okt 3, 2009 - 14 19
Hello! I’m catatone1 (or Paula). This is my third year doing NaNo. The past two years I’ve been at college in a violin performance degree path and have had to play violin in the pit of the university’s fall opera the last two weeks in November which took up about 30 hours a week of my writing time, so I’ve never finished (both years I’ve gotten a little over halfway there).
----------This is my first year post-degree NaNo and my first time in the Naperville group. I’m looking forward to it and hope that I can attend some of the events!
My past two NaNos have been YA fiction (one about three orphaned siblings who found they had X-man like powers and one where the pit of a concert stage descended into a level of Hell that was ruled by the composer Schoenberg and the students who had to fight Schoenberg for the rights to perform in the concert hall) and I intend to do YA again this year. The plot is starting to take form, but nothing too substantial yet.
NaNo 2007: A New Kind of Power (around 30000)
NaNo 2008: Hell's the Pits (25000)
NaNo 2009: Cadence
50,923 / 50,000
Okt 4, 2009 - 20 37
Hello, All!
I'm back for my 4th go-`round at NaNoWriMo. I'm looking forward to the frenzied roller coaster that is NaNoWriMo, and especially to the giddy feeling of elation when the word count ticker reaches 50,000!
Like Tim, in real life, I am also an Alcatel-Lucent survivor, currently supporting UMTS deployment in the US. This involves a lot of night work, so I anticipate that much of this year's novel will be written at home, in the wee hours of the morning. This is in direct contrast with last year's book, which was mainly written late at night, in hotel rooms across the country.
Good luck to all!
Dave
29,371 / 50,000
Okt 5, 2009 - 08 49
I'm Debbi and this will be my first time doing NNWM and I can acronym anything :)
I had two friends doing this last year and I wanted to join them but I found out a little too late. I was a writing major in college and while I really enjoy it, I have the attention span of a gnat. My usual tendency is to go for the easy kill and write a long short story in a day. So I know I have high word counts in me - I just don't know if my attention span can last.
I've been wracking my brain for a few days on what could possibly hold my attention for 30 days (and beyond) and I *might* have stumbled across it just an hour ago. I will let it sit and simmer for a couple days and see if it passes the "what was I talking about?" test. And then maybe I'll talk about it.
Hi!!
----------The jet pack, though, has never really taken off, Wilson says. The problem is its practical application. While a rocket belt could propel a screaming human to 60 mph in seconds, its fuel lasted for only about half a minute, "which led to more screaming,"
12,004 / 50,000
Okt 5, 2009 - 08 54
Hi everyone, I'm Denise. This will be my second attempt at NaNoWriMo. I think I made it halfway last year, but was disappointed I didn't succeed. So this year, I plan to change that! I have finished 4 manuscripts in my lifetime, but haven't been published yet. I hope to change that soon. I am really looking forward to this years challenge, because I have one of the best ideas I've had in awhile! Plus, I have a new mini-laptop, and hope to participate in a lot more writing events with you guys!
I hail from Kendall County. I'm a full time mom, who's kids are now all in school for the whole day for the first time! And I'm not going to find full-time work until, oh, December 1st, I think. LOL I want to put as much effort into this year's NaNoWriMo as possible!
Look forward to meeting you guys at the write-ins and stuff!
----------112,089 / 50,000
Okt 5, 2009 - 17 08
I'm Dave and this is my 4th Nano. I have won three years in a row with 75k in 06 and over 100k in 07 and 08.
My novels are Sci Fi.
2006 - Legacy's Gift
2007 - Legacy's Dawn
2008 - Legacy's Longing
This year I am working on Legacy's Choice.
Let the writing begin!!!
156,781 / 50,000
Okt 7, 2009 - 04 01
askeladd wrote:
More importantly, I hope that the focus on output will tone down the inner critic and help me to capture some ideas that might otherwise be lost. Having perfectionist tendencies, I overanalyze what I write as I write it. I think that this slows me down and winds up being too stifling. So here's to learning how to brain dump, and going back later to gussy things up.
This is one of the things I've found most useful about NaNo. While I've always revised later so don't have to have the first draft be perfect, there is something about sending away your inner critic (mine takes a spa vacation--not completely gone, but much more relaxed) that makes writing more fun.
I've found the progress information on the site -- both graphs and a record of daily achievement--very inspirational.
And writing buddies--or writing challengers--can be useful. Last year my 13 year old was determined to beat me--she had to write 102,000 words to do it. Trrdedean was also determined to beat my word count. This year, I'm not going to make it so easy for them. :)
Katherine
0 / 50,000
Okt 7, 2009 - 16 26
Um, hi? New here, not good with introductions and stuff....
Ummm... I like being called Kage or Sora even offline--I answer to it just as easy as my real name, honestly. ((It's pronounced kah-gay soar-uh, just for reference...))
I've tried NaNoWriMo 2 times in the past, but I failed both times. The first time I was planning on working on this same story, but stuff happened, and I never got anywhere with it. Last year I got a bit done, barely any, though, before more life attacked me, and I got distracted dealing with that.
I love writing fantasy, and I've been working with the idea I want to write about this year for quite a number of years now. Though I'm planning to give the plot a massive overhaul, and work more seriously on it--it's a story I'd love to end up publishing one day. I've been working with the world it's set in for a long time, and I like to write little short pieces to help me work with the characters more, though the ones I've worked with the most would come in at a later time than the story I'm planning on working on this year.
My strengths lie in battle scenes and characters in pain (lovely, huh?). I'm pretty bad at romance stuff, and happy feelings. And non-actiony stuff. So I gotta work on that...
I don't really do much IRL, besides write, draw, read, and play games--I've got a job where I heat-seal plastic bags for ice sculptures. Kinda boring, but I pretty much get paid to sit around listening to music, and I get pretty good pay, so it's good.
So, here's to a good run this year, hoping to finish! ((Or at least get close!))
----------http://kagesora.deviantart.com
http://www.fictionpress.com/~kagesora
5,025 / 50,000
Okt 7, 2009 - 16 38
Hello! I'm Laura, and I'm a sophomore at IMSA. I've won NaNoWriMo the past two years. I get a ridiculous amount of homework, and November is already a busy month for me, so while I'm aiming to win again, I'd like to at least get 25K. No idea what I'm going to write about yet, but at least there's still time to work that out. I like writing (of course), reading, violin, particle physics/astrophysics, and languages.
39,539 / 50,000
Okt 9, 2009 - 14 47
Hi, everyone!!
My name is Mary, and I'm 20 years old. I've participated in two other years of NaNo - 2006 and 2007. I skipped last year, so I'm hoping to get back in the game this time around! I do have quite a bit of homework, since I'm a junior in college. And by looking at my syllabi this week I realized that I've got two humongous papers due *in* the month of November. So, what do I say? Bring it on! I must be insane, honestly.
When I'm not writing, I'm on LiveJournal (A LOT), I'm doing homework, reading, watching TV. I'm also something of a political junkie, so I regularly keep up with The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Rachel Maddow Show to keep up with the insanity of current political events in America.
I'm looking forward to NaNo this year and I'm looking forward to participating in some activities in Naperville this time!
----------NaNo 2006--> WINNER.
NaNo 2007--> WINNER.
NaNo 2008--> Made of fail.
NaNo 2009--> Writing!
5,004 / 50,000
Okt 9, 2009 - 19 35
I'm Hiedi *waves* This will be my third year doing NaNoWriMo. I've only won once. Last year was an epic fail but this year I'm determined to win! This November will prove to be incredibly busy. I'm from Aurora but will actually be moving to Naperville November 8 (Ahhh moving and NaNo!!) and I'm taking pre-req's to become a nursing student (Ahhh hard core school and NaNo!)
I've been a writer for years and actually went to Columbia College in Chicago for Fiction Writing and got a degree in English.
I'm totally looking forward to this year and I really am hoping to make it to at least one of the events. I've never been to one because my work schedule hates weekends but maybe that'll change. If not, you might see me writing in that Barnes and Nobles downtown or around at random cafes. If you see a girl with blue rectangle glasses and a red MacBook pro sitting around furiously writing, don't be a stranger and say hello. I'm sure I'll need another character by then. :)
----------"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." --E.L. Doctorow
39,438 / 50,000
Okt 9, 2009 - 20 07
hello!
I'm serenosaur, AKA Alexis. I've participated the last two years and won in 2007 with my novel Stradivarius' Legacy, a crazy adventure about time-traveling musicians. Last year was an epic fail due to too many AP classes, but this year I think I can actually manage this!
This year I want my novel to be an exciting, unorganized jumble of everything I love, from steampunk to dinosaurs to postcards. It will never see the light of day after November, but it will be one hell of a ride!
In "real-life" (whatever that means) I am a senior high school student! I play the flute and piccolo, play soccer, and read many, many books. :)
OH and I got this new OpenSolaris laptop through the internet, and if anyone has any tips or tricks or could outright teach me how to use it properly, I would love your help. I can repay you with awesome plot twists for your novel!
----------Nan07: Stradivarius' Legacy - WIN!
Nan08: Let's Dance - EPIC fail.
Nan09: Raptors and Rifles - on it's way to a win!
46,270 / 50,000
Okt 10, 2009 - 21 05
Hello, I'm Alura. Well Jessica really and truly, but Alura is so much more interesting to be called. Let's go with that one. >_>
This is my first year trying NaNo for no reason other than winning would totally make a feel awesome. lol. I've written for years, in fact it's one of my first and favorite memories. I dabble in all different genres and styles, as many as I can really. I am my muses slave, in all honesty. She and I though, we get along pretty well and I hope she'll be up for NaNo-ing this year.
My NaNo this year, is still in planning. I've got two ideas I'm batting back and forth, though right now one looks more promising than the other. Either way, it'll be in the Sci-Fi-ish genre, though I really do hate trying to label my own work. XD
156,781 / 50,000
Okt 11, 2009 - 12 28
PrincessPicc48 wrote:
If not, you might see me writing in that Barnes and Nobles downtown or around at random cafes.
If you put out a NaNoWriMo writing tent
http://www.nanowrimo.org/files/main/nanowrimo_table_tent_black_and_white...
or flyer--
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/1005807
of a folded paper (so it's easy to read) with
NaNoWriMo Writer at work -- or decorate with a web badge,
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/webbadges
It will make it easier for other people to find you.
Informal write-ins can be fun!
Katherine
30,615 / 50,000
Okt 11, 2009 - 09 50
Hi! I'm TiinanoNinja aka Christina. This is my sixth year doing NaNoWriMo and, fingers crossed, knock on wood, this will be my fifth win! I'm hoping I didn't just jinx myself.
I'm twenty years old and attend College of DuPage. This is actually my third year there, but I would like to attend the University of Illinois at Chicago in the spring. I should be getting my acceptance or rejection letter either at the end of this month or in November, so that should either be really good or really bad for my writing. I'm hoping that it'll give me a boost for my writing, but who knows? Oh, and I'm majoring in history!
Speaking of history, I actually did a historical novel last year. I'm thinking of doing another historical novel this year, but I can't seem to decide anything. I'm always horrible about pinning down what exactly I want to write about, so of course I don't have anything yet. I just hope I find a plot that's a good one!
40,311 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2009 - 13 39
Hey Everyone!
Glad to be in such great company of future NaNo '09 Winners!!!
I'm Lisa also known as "elbakerone" also known as the perpetual optimist! This will be my third year of writing. I have humble wins in '07 with a mystery called Lab Ratz and an '08 fantasy called The Isles of Alaenya.
I'm somewhat on the fence of what to write this year. I really enjoyed fantasy last year so I'll likely stick to that genre but I'm either going to try a sequel to last year's work or something brand new.
Any sequel writers have input on that?
Is it easier/more fun to create new characters/worlds or better to invent something fresh?
I'd love to hear others' thoughts before I nail down my outline ideas!
Most of my writing is done on the good ol' Metra (I live in the burbs, work in the city) so I don't make it out to many of the write-in's but every once in a while I'll show my shy face at the 95th street library.
Happy Writing Prep to All!!
lisa :)
37,345 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2009 - 16 47
Hi. I'm Louisa and this will be my fourth NaNo. I won twice previously in '06 and '07 but neither novel is actually in a finished state. Last year I attempted a prequel to my '06 novel but it died at 10k...I don't blame it, school got in the way and I wasn't really in an environment that was conducive to writing. This year I'll be writing mostly pure fantasy but it has a few elements you could call sci-fi and a bit of chemistry.
In "real life" I'm a college student majoring (at least for now) in English and History. I play viola and I like dogs, cool shoes, and word games. Unfortunately I'll only be home for little bits of November but hopefully I can make it out to a few events!
----------NaNo '06: The Outside (Urban Fantasy/Sci-Fi | 51,228/50,000)
Screnzy '07: [Untitled] (20,339/20,000)
NaNo '07: Coffee Breaks (Mystery/Suspense | 52,376/50,000)
Nano '08: Prequel to '06 (Urban Fantasy/Sci-Fi | 10,023/50,000)
52,687 / 50,000
Okt 12, 2009 - 17 03
It's so good to see some familiar faces (Hi, Louisa! hi, Lisa!).
Any sequel writers have input on that?
Is it easier/more fun to create new characters/worlds or better to invent something fresh?
Sequels are easier to write: you know the characters inside and out--they are alive to you. You don't have to make up a new world (unless your heroine is someone who travels to new worlds or alternate universes). You just have to come up with a new adventure.
Downside to sequels: you have the weight of all the facts in previous novels you have to keep straight and integrate into your novel (this is where having the book in Lulu/CreateSpace form can be really helpful). You also have to have a fresh plot to make everything come alive.
For NaNoWriMo, fresh invention can be a nice break from a story. It depends a bit on what brings you greater joy: inventing new worlds and new characters or visiting with old ones and adding greater depth and color. Personally, I enjoy both, so it really comes down to which idea is more compelling at the time.
--Tim
----------Tim Yao aka NewMexicoKid
co-ML, Illinois::Naperville
Fog Readability Analysis
Writing resources
0 / 50,000
Okt 13, 2009 - 06 58
Hi all,
I'm Tonie, aka Spicywings, and I'm a two-time-loser. Giving it another shot this year. Want to stay focused and in touch, but am not able to attend many of the events in Naperville. Any consideration to having something in Downers Grove area would be fabulous -
I write primarily non-fiction, focusing on memoir and family history. The piece I want to try and work on this time around is a psycho-mystery, I think! :) Have had the idea floundering around this foggy brain for some time and hope to get the words onto paper.
Here's hoping!
T
7,058 / 50,000
Okt 15, 2009 - 22 43
Hey Ya'll.
I'm Jake, and this is my first time participating in NaNoWriMo. Still batting around a couple of ideas before I decide what I want to write, though.
I'm currently taking a (hopefully not long) break from school, and working at the Barnes and Noble in down-town Naperville. If you see a guy working in the cafe, it's probably me, so come say hi!
Really looking forward to this, because I'm really my own worst critic. Can't wait to just focus on word count so I can get out of my own head and write.
Hopefully I can make it out to a few of the events, but my work schedule is not very weekend-friendly. :(
156,781 / 50,000
Okt 16, 2009 - 04 01
Hopefully I can make it out to a few of the events, but my work schedule is not very weekend-friendly. :(
There is interest in non-weekend write-ins.
It looks like it may be Wednesday evening. See
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3280980
for details.
Katherine
0 / 50,000
Okt 17, 2009 - 06 54
Hello everyone,
I'm Mark, known here and a few other places as Gajillion (a name meaning "a very large number, somewhat larger than a Brazillian"). This is my first NaNo and I'm not deluding myself that I will actually "win". I'm trying to finish a book I started a year ago last weekend. It's in its third draft but I have four or five chapters that are still in need of major re-writes and I'm not sure I can put it aside for the month that NaNo demands. I'm going to give it a whirl though.
I am, however, hoping to make some writing buddies as well as make some connections that will last long after NaNo is over. I would really like to meet people working on mainstream or literary fiction. I have a few people who will read my stuff, but I need many more neutral critics and people versed in the craft of writing. Anyone writing social criticism would be especially welcome.
Mark
156,781 / 50,000
Okt 17, 2009 - 12 05
Mark
Come to the TGIO party (and other events) and learn about
"The Journey" -- the year-long writing group (used to be called Pledge.)
Also -- AFTER NOV. 30TH -- you might want to check out
http://www.critiquecircle.com/
It's an online critique system that I've been part of for 2 and a half years, and I've found it extremely helpful. However, I advise you to wait until after December 1st since critiquing while writing for NaNoWriMo makes your internal editor too active, I've found.
I'm KatWrite on that site.
Katherine
(KatherineWriting)
156,781 / 50,000
Okt 17, 2009 - 12 13
The write-ins in Warrenville aren't TOO far away. (Saturdays from 1-4.)
You can also just pick a public place and time in Downers' Grove--and state you're going to be writing there--see if there's anyone in your neighborhood who is interested. There's a forum for write-ins not on the weekends. You can post
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3280980
If you do meet somewhere, be sure to have a placard so you can find each other. (Simply writing "NaNoWriMo -- Writer at Work" should work.)
Hope to see you in Warrenville. (It's at the City Hall--a cool place to write, I think.)
Katherine