As many of you will recall, our fair city engaged in a rough three-way battle in 2007 with the cities of Toronto and New York City for a Word Battle To The Death. (I personally was not a Chicago ML that year, but I have heard tales of these vicious battles from fellow ChiWriMos!) That year, we emerged victorious and defeated both at once: we triumphed over New York City, but bowed to the wordcount superiority of Toronto.
But this year, we have once again challenged New York City to a WORD WAR! New York is a strong rival, and we believe that they will be a great competitor this year, forcing us to struggle if we want to reign supreme once again. (After all, what fun is a battle if it's easy, right? Well, okay, it's LOTS of fun, but it would just be cruel to challenge the lone WriMo of Russia :: Elsewhere...).
We've been working out the details with Erin, one of the MLs for New York City, and we're excited to finally announce the Terms Of War:
In the past, we've done team vs. team, with a Word War Captain leading the troops and collecting wordcount info for our statistics, but this year we are trying something a bit different: a FULL REGION vs FULL REGION WAR. The NaNo Tech Gurus have given us a handy new feature this year, which tells us average count "per Wrimo with wordcount" entered. This means that we won't be weighed down by WriMos who don't update their word-counts. We will also count entire region word-count vs. entire region word count, as well as whole region average (including writers with a "zero" word-count) vs. whole region average.
Alright, troops? I expect us to POUND NEW YORK CITY TO THE DUST! This November, the Second City will be the FIRST City, right? RIGHT??!
----------
Michelle
ML for Chicago, IL
Moderator, "Character & Plot Realism" forum
ml-michelle AT chiwrimo.org
24,468 / 50,000
Okt 26, 2009 - 20 31
Excellent. I've been looking forward to figuring out who we get to slaughter this year. (cracks knuckles) Bring it!!!
-----------Stacy. Just Stacy.
6,337 / 50,000
Okt 26, 2009 - 20 33
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWRRRRRR!
35,432 / 50,000
Okt 27, 2009 - 04 02
Time to make some applesauce!
----------NaNo '09 - Phoenix Inheritors
---
Wins: NaNo '05
Target Met: NaNo '06, '07, SF '09
Losses: SF '07, '08, NaNo '08
34,216 / 50,000
Okt 27, 2009 - 06 43
I'm SO in.
And I have a suggestion: I have a Russian degree, and Chicago's the sister city of lots of places. Let's adopt our Russian counterpart!
And take THAT, New York! Second city my foot! Chicago's gonna eatcher lunch, babee!!!
----------"Decide that you want it more than you're afraid of it." -Bill Cosby
http://acatherinenoon.blogspot.com
591,023 / 50,000
Okt 27, 2009 - 14 09
Chicago owns.
----------2005: 50.7K
2006: 100.2K
2007: 326.5K
2008: 686.4K
26,856 / 50,000
Okt 27, 2009 - 16 00
AWESOME-TASTIC.
----------33,780 / 50,000
Okt 27, 2009 - 17 12
Sorry! My computer got mad.
----------2008 - Fool Me Twice - 51,280 words - WON
2009 - The Things I Never want to Lose - 0
33,780 / 50,000
Okt 27, 2009 - 16 31
Woot Woot!!!
WE WILL TRIUMPH!!!!
----------2008 - Fool Me Twice - 51,280 words - WON
2009 - The Things I Never want to Lose - 0
33,780 / 50,000
Okt 27, 2009 - 17 13
*headdesk* triple post! eek. Sorry!
----------2008 - Fool Me Twice - 51,280 words - WON
2009 - The Things I Never want to Lose - 0
13,283 / 50,000
Okt 27, 2009 - 17 39
Bring it! May the most verbose city win!
22,518 / 50,000
Okt 27, 2009 - 18 04
BWAHAHAHA the REAL Gotham will once again triumph over the posers! :D
New York better be ready to be humiliated!!!!
~MJ~
----------http://knitchick1979.livejournal.com
30,517 / 50,000
Okt 28, 2009 - 07 31
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!!!!
----------2009: Paper in the Water
35,651 / 50,000
Okt 31, 2009 - 22 16
Time for a late night snack in the word count.
Bring the deep dish, bring the sausage, we will digest it!
Just doin' my part to raise the rent some more.
----------2006 - Faire Gypsy, Faire Game - winner
2007 - Immortal Jeopardy - winner
2008 - Armor of Sight - winner
2009 - The Minstrel -
Gone Writing.
33,510 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 05 54
*sniiiiiiff* :'( I miss you guys. My new region doesn't do word wars. Can I still write motivational songs for y'all?
-----------Bre
The 8th year of madness. That's the best one... right?
13,350 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 06 14
I've got the drums and the marching gear! Bring the trumpets! Let's rouse the sleepers and parade down the boulevards! It's war!
----------"We tell ourselves stories in order to live." - Joan Didion
38,230 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 06 56
In sooth! Take arms, fellow writers, for the time of verbal vengeance is at hand! Grab your pens, your journals, your laptops! For these are the tools that we will need to take on our foe! With verbal wit and knowledge they shall be vanquished!
Those New York sonsabitches are goin' DOWN!!~ ;-)
Dale
38,230 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 06 56
In sooth! Take arms, fellow writers, for the time of verbal vengeance is at hand! Grab your pens, your journals, your laptops! For these are the tools that we will need to take on our foe! With verbal wit and knowledge they shall be vanquished!
Those New York sonsabitches are goin' DOWN!!~ ;-)
Dale
24,468 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 19 49
Madness? THIS IS NANOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
Chicagoan... come back with your laptop, or on it.
... No. I have not been watching 300 instead of noveling. Why?
-----------Stacy. Just Stacy.
35,651 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 20 44
well if you are going down, why not take a brick from Taylor, and use that as some inspiration. For going down means defending the turf, feeding it and watering it. Not stoking it with fire.
----------2006 - Faire Gypsy, Faire Game - winner
2007 - Immortal Jeopardy - winner
2008 - Armor of Sight - winner
2009 - The Minstrel -
Gone Writing.
13,730 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 01 34
Is there anything special we need to do (besides write)? I mean, is this something we meet up for, or is this just done according to our updated word counts in our profiles?
I would love to participate if this is something we do using our updated word count in our profiles. I just am not sure I'd be able to come back down to the city (like I did for the kick-off; which was awesome btw!) for a write-in. I might be able to attend a Friday or Saturday night though.
----------___________________________
Here's to hoping I don't flop at this!
24,468 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 06 26
Not really. You could go to the New York: New York forum and lay down some smack talk. That's always fun. It's just something that'll be tracked using our word counts; just keep it updated. :-)
-----------Stacy. Just Stacy.
31,106 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 08 04
I'd love to participate this year.
19,101 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 19 21
Aww, Bre, your songs are ALWAYS welcome!
Will there be a page to display the evidence (stats) of us taking the big apple down a notch?
Steph
----------"It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do."
--Jerome K. Jerome
13,730 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 20 03
Awesome! Thanks Smwalter. I can handle that. I just met and exceeded my daily word count (not by much, but it's still better than not meeting my daily word count as I feared would happen today).
So, cool! Let's kick NY's butt!
----------___________________________
Here's to hoping I don't flop at this!
591,023 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 03 08
Let's go, guys, go, go go~ =D
----------2005: 50.7K
2006: 100.2K
2007: 326.5K
2008: 686.4K
34,216 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 07 05
We are so gonna kick their butts! Second city my ... foot. (This has to be PG-13, so I won't say the other word that rhymes with crass. and grass. and... you get the picture.) WE ARE THE FIRST AND ONLY CITY!
...
Okay, maybe that's a bit hyperbolic, but hey, I'm a writer doing NaNo. I CAN AFFORD TO BE EXUBERANT!
GO CHICAGO! ~boogie~
----------"Decide that you want it more than you're afraid of it." -Bill Cosby
http://acatherinenoon.blogspot.com
45,675 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 07 30
I will totally participate... I mean, I used to live in New York, so I need to redeem myself and fight on the side of Chicago this year!
... and I promise to update my word count periodically too!
33,510 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 06 11
There lived a certain team in New York long ago
They were big and strong, in their eyes a flaming glow
Most people looked at them with terror and with fear
But to Chicago Wrimos they were smushed like roadkill deer!
Chicago wrote circles 'round these jokers
Full of ecstasy and fire
New York's word bank was vastly broker
Our numbers they desire!
GO GO CHICAGO
Maulers of the New York foes!
They once had hope but now it's really gone!
GO GO CHICAGO
Greatest team in all NaNo!
'Tis a shame how New York carries on...
We pwned the New York team and never mind Toronto
because the fastest writers all write for CHICAGO
In all affairs of writing, we're the team to beat
But we're really nice when you're admitting defeat
Though New York insists on trying to grapple
Though they've seen the things we've done
Worms will fill the whole of your "Big Apple"
when Chicago's done!
GO GO CHICAGO
Maulers of the New York foes!
They once had hope but now it's really gone!
GO GO CHICAGO
Greatest team in all NaNo!
'Tis a shame how New York carries on...
(Spoken:)
But when our typing and plotting and our hunger
for word counts became known to more and more people,
the demands to do something about this outrageous
team became louder and louder.
"This teams's just got to go!" declared our enemies
But we scoffed and said "muthatruckas, please"
No doubt this Chicago had lots of hidden charms
Though we are brutes, words just fall out from our arms
November 30th they'll start understanding
We set a trap, they're not to blame
"Write as fast as us" we'll keep demanding
to New York's great shame!
GO GO CHICAGO
Maulers of the New York foes
Our word counts will be simply divine
GO GO CHICAGO
Greatest team in all NaNo!
New York sweats while we sigh "we feel fine"
GO GO CHICAGO
Maulers of the New York foes
We will not quit, we want New York's heads!
GO GO CHICAGO
Greatest team in all NaNo!
Putting the city that never sleeps to bed!
(Spoken:) Oh, those New Yorkers...
-----------Bre
The 8th year of madness. That's the best one... right?
591,023 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 06 47
Nice one, Bre =D
----------2005: 50.7K
2006: 100.2K
2007: 326.5K
2008: 686.4K
40,241 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 08 13
Once the widgets are working, check out the second tab (Regional Info) for the Chicago vs NYC widget. It'll also be on the ChiWriMo site.
----------Tim
Municipal Liaison for Illinois::Chicago
ml-tim at chiwrimo.org