NaNoWriMo begins on November 1!

Introduce yourself!

NewMexicoKidGlowing Halo
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Posted on:
Oct 1, 2010 - 20 35

Hello!

Here's the annual Introduce yourself thread. Please tell folks who you are and what you're writing about.

I'm Tim, aka NewMexicoKid, one of three co-Municipal Liaisons for Illinois::Naperville (my co-MLs are Dave (TRRDEDEAN) and Katherine (KatherineWriting)). I've participated in NaNoWriMo ever since 2003; and I've won each year since then. 2005 was our first year as a separate region; be sure to see our region history.

I typically have written in the Fantasy genre; one year I did a Science Fiction novel but it required much too much research.

My novel this year has as its premise a world where the laws of physics are very different from our own.

edit: 10/31/2010
Please do read the Welcome thread. There is a lot of information there that will help you (e.g., the local events list. Come to our jabber chat room for virtual write-ins (you can NaNoMail me if you need a jabber account).

--Tim

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AmaranthMuseGlowing Halo
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Posted on:
Nov 29, 2010 - 12 01

If you need the time for the deadline and you're off by a few hours, change your timezone back to the Aleutians! :D

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NaNoWriMo region: Ferndale, MI | Naperville, IL
Genres: Urban contemporary; fantasy, sci-fi; speculative; historical

AmaranthMuseGlowing Halo
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Posted on:
Nov 29, 2010 - 11 56

KatherineWriting wrote:
Hey--is there anyone who would introduce themselves differently after 29 days of NaNo then they did at the beginning?

Hello, I am Heather (also known as AmaranthMuse here), a crazy Napervillian who signed away her soul for 25 days of hectic writing. I took four days off for the sake of my sanity and felt utterly guilty for these "breaks" when other people were slaving away and their word graphs leapt up in a steady rise. I am an addict to checking out where my buddies are, though I try to avoid the Naperville overall chart for fears there will be some person who mystically rises to 120,000 words out of nowhere. The competitiveness in word count is a manifestation of distracting myself from the dubious quality of my writing.

I host the Caribou Coffee write-ins on Wednesday where I ply your innocent souls with Penzey's Spices as their unofficial cheerleader and representative. Would you like some pasta sprinkle, little girl? Win a word war, you can have some to add wit or intrigue or character development to your story and the dinners you've missed for the past week.

I hide from my personal trainer because I have barely worked out once this month despite swearing up and down to myself I would. Those spare moments of lifting free weights are taking me away from punishing my poor brain! It needs more exercise than my squishy body does... I may not make 2 pounds down or that class at an obnoxious time of 6:30 (but nothing from 3 to 6? Why, YMCA, why!?) but I can sure as heck get 2,000 words in that same time I should've been exercising.

My husband would call himself a Nanowidower, married to a hermit who has shackled herself to her USB drive out of fears Dropbox didn't update for that last run and she might need to write yet another disjointed chapter or two to make up for the lack.

I am someone who actually wrote an ENDING for her Nano after four+ years of never getting an ending done. I also have an allergy to short stories. I cannot write short. Period.

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NaNoWriMo region: Ferndale, MI | Naperville, IL
Genres: Urban contemporary; fantasy, sci-fi; speculative; historical

KatherineWritingGlowing Halo
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Posted on:
Nov 29, 2010 - 08 52

Hey--is there anyone who would introduce themselves differently after 29 days of NaNo then they did at the beginning?

What have you learned from this month?

I've learned that I like a high word count. Duh--but, honestly, I thought it was just about getting the first draft done, but even though I have 156K (and still adding) words to slog through on my first draft, I'm glad that I didn't edit myself (much) during this month. It was fun to be able to write for the hundredth time--X looked at Y. I'm going to fix those, but man it was fun to just write it that way and not waste time trying to come up with a good way to say it. After last year, I thought that having a more modest goal would be good. Ha! Modest goals are for the rest of the year. November is a great time to be challenged.

I learned that I like the regular coffee at Caribou--I don't have to order a Caramel High Rise.

I learned that I don't miss my regular friends as long as I can hang out with other writers.

Larry72367

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Posted on:
Nov 16, 2010 - 22 49

Hey Guys I am back again this year, after missing the last update dead line by 3 hours( I fell asleep before I could post and woke up in a panic) I am writing everyday but have limited access to the internet until the last week in November. I wish everyone well and I wish I could participate in the on line community, but doesn’t look like that is going to happen..
NMK - looks like we are close again this year.

Again good luck to everyone!
Larry

steve.the.redbi...

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Posted on:
Nov 12, 2010 - 16 00

Hey, it's nice to see another Warrenville writer on NaNo. My writing buddy here is BetsyD. If you need some encouragement, add us as buddies!

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No beans were killed in the writing of this novel.

steve.the.redbi...

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Posted on:
Nov 12, 2010 - 15 54

Greetings to you all,

My name is Steve. I'm a Warrenville resident and attempting NaNo for my third time. My first started way to late for my novel to have a realistic chance. My second was derailed by a hectic schedule and a jealous family. This year is by far the most success I have experienced with my writing. I'm having a blast!

Novel? It began as a takeoff from a short story I wrote earlier this year with two characters loosely based on my brother and myself. Someone posted here about the anthill pep talk. That's this year's NaNo -- full of anthills. I took my characters back to an event that actually happened with a cranky next door neighbor. He keeps crawling back into the story.

I have been crying. I have been laughing. I see the future and it looks like a finished NaNo.

My two children are also Young NaNo participants. It's exciting to see them write!

Best wishes.

Steve.The.Redbird.Fan

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No beans were killed in the writing of this novel.

stephsco
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Posted on:
Nov 11, 2010 - 20 11

I just wanted to say, I love the name snarktarget.

Sherry.11

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Posted on:
Nov 10, 2010 - 20 53

Hi, my name is Sherry (Sherry.11). This is my first NaNo and, truthfully, I don't have much of a clue about what I'm supposed to do other than write 50,000 words by 11/30. :) That said, even having that external motivator has gone a long way toward freeing me to just pour words onto a page, so I'm grateful.

Writing literary fiction, contemporary.

NewMexicoKidGlowing Halo
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Posted on:
Nov 6, 2010 - 16 34

snarktarget wrote:
It hit home that fateful Monday, November 1, when I stopped in to the Aurora Eola library and saw a conference room full of people not talking to each other, frantically tapping on laptops.

I wanted to be with them.

And you didn't stop in to say hello? I would have stopped typing; and I could have given you one of our Writer's Die (this year's goodie); and you could see the little plot bunnies...

But I'm glad you're doing NaNo again...

--Tim

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tinygreyhound

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Posted on:
Nov 6, 2010 - 14 59

yay! I'm so glad you're back, Laura! I missed you!

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snarktarget

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Posted on:
Nov 6, 2010 - 14 28

Sigh.

Yep...here I am. I thought I could resist.

Why didn't I want to nano this year? I had three straight unsuccessful years in a row...all for mostly good reasons (work crises, life crises, good tv on...)

So I had made up my mind to let Nano go with a clear conscience.

Until November 1.

There was something terribly wrong with not plotting an outline in October. And worse, not staying up late/getting up early over Halloween to type my fingers to the bone with a bunch of dreck that would naturally be cut out later on.

But the worst part -- there was no feeling of "I'm clearly awesome -- I'm doing Nano." Which, of course, translates into "I Am A Writer."

It hit home that fateful Monday, November 1, when I stopped in to the Aurora Eola library and saw a conference room full of people not talking to each other, frantically tapping on laptops.

I wanted to be with them.

And yet, I'd already lost a day, I had no plot, heck, I hadn't even been to the website once this year.

So I caved. Hi, my name is Laura, and I'm a nano junkie. It's been one year since my last nano.

I'm cheating too -- I got to 18,000 words last year and punked out. So, I'm using that 18,000 as my starting point and only tracking the new word counts. I know, I know...turn me into the nano police. But somehow, it's working.

I missed you, Nano.

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KatherineWritingGlowing Halo
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Posted on:
Nov 5, 2010 - 17 43

dedaragan wrote:

I am very excited about getting involved and am actually wondering where we offer suggestions for places for write-ins, because I know of a wonderful coffee shop in Batavia whose owner would be happy to accommodate us. :)

It's easy to suggest a write-in if you're willing to host in a public venue--where host just means you agree to smile at people who want to join you and you have something that identifies you as doing NaNoWriMo on the table so people can find you. (I use a bright pink folded piece of paper. Tim has a lovely large book.)

Pick a time, give the address (public location, no private homes), and write a note in the following:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3748525

(helps if you send a NaNoMail to KatherineWriting (or NewMexicoKid) We both read the forums, but we might miss it, but I'm having no trouble keeping up with NaNoMail.

You can send me a NaNomail from the left side of this page:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/133936

Depending on when it is, I might be able to make it. This seems to be my month for doing coffee shops. (My daughter just talked me into going to Caribou tomorrow morning before I go to Caribou for the scheduled write-in. Different Caribous, but still....)
Katherine

dedaragan

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Posted on:
Nov 5, 2010 - 16 47

Hi, all! Finally posting here, because I finally decided that I was actually going to do this thing and not blow it off as I have the past several years.

My name is Lana. dedaragan is the result of me trying to be clever and coming up with a Gaelic "of the oaks" kind of name. It's still a work in progress--sort of like my novel.

I graduated from San Francisco State in 2001 with a creative writing degree and haven't written anything that didn't have to do with the MOOs and MUSHes I've frequented for the past nine years, so I am really looking forward to delving into my OWN world, this month.

I am the mother of a lovely little three-year-old girl who is an absolute hoot and who has filled the past three years of my life with light. My work consists of keeping her entertained (a feat in and of itself, though she's pretty good, most of the time, at keeping herself entertained), running errands for my best friend and her three kids, while she's at work, and ignoring the housework. ;) Finding the time to write should be a piece of cake, right?

My story is a contemporary coming-of-age fairy tale about a young woman who loses her father tragically and who has to come to terms with what that loss means to her. I'm a little concerned that it is become a little more fairy tale and a little less contemporary coming-of-age story, since the topic hits very close to home--but I also realize that I am writing, and that's what really matters.

I am very excited about getting involved and am actually wondering where we offer suggestions for places for write-ins, because I know of a wonderful coffee shop in Batavia whose owner would be happy to accommodate us. :)

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Drumsound rises on the air, its throb, my heart. A voice inside the beat says, 'I know you're tired, but come. This is the way.' -- Rumi

dedaragan

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Posted on:
Nov 5, 2010 - 16 24

That sounds like a wonderful story!

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Drumsound rises on the air, its throb, my heart. A voice inside the beat says, 'I know you're tired, but come. This is the way.' -- Rumi

dragondivine

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Posted on:
Nov 5, 2010 - 13 26

Hi! I'm dragondivine, AKA Cait. This is my second year doing NaNoWriMo. I have more of a plan than last year so, even though I will be busier than last year, hopefully it will be my second win! Last year's novel was urban fantasy, this year is straight fantasy. Last year I was in Southern France and did all my NaNoWriMo holed up in my bedroom after dinner and homework. This year I will be going to write-ins and participating in word wars. I am really excited!

pbvela

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Posted on:
Nov 5, 2010 - 12 16

Howdy NaNoWriMo - We moved here from Texas this past August. So far I've finished one mystery novel, with its' sequel in the works. I'm also working on a cultural novel set in Louisiana. I have a screenplay I'm continuing to polish and finish. I recently started a easy read chick lit/romance, more for practice in writing emotions and interaction. I also have a poetry chapbook I've finished, but still would like to add a few more poems. And stories I made up for my children are finding their way to paper. One of my goals is to find an agent - someone who will give me positive feedback, help me polish my writing and find success as a writer. So far, finding fellow writers here in the Aurora/Naperville area is a step in the right direction.

I look forward to seeing some of the Aurora writers again Monday, Nov 8 at 6pm at the Aurora Eola Library.

PB Vela

R_C_LandPsMommy05
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Posted on:
Nov 4, 2010 - 23 13

Denise, do you by chance work at Target in Oswego? I know a Denise who's into the arts and stuff from there because I work there too.

--Shanna--

KageSora

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Posted on:
Nov 4, 2010 - 21 59

Hey, I'm Kage. I've never managed to finish a NaNo, but this year I'm already closer than I ever have been, ahahah... Last year I tried, but things got really crazy between family health issues and the only computer I had regular access to dieing of hardware overheating between the end of October and the middle of November, so I never really got anywhere.

This year, though, things are going good and I have backup plans in place in case my computer goes down again! I like to try writing fantasy, and I'm already starting to approach the longest piece I've ever written in length! I decided this year to revisit an idea I started working with last year, so I'm writing in a universe I already have a lot of the details worked out for. It' really fun seeing how characters from a little one-shot I never imagined would get so out of hand are actually seeming like they'll be coming back in this longer story! I've already redesigned one and put him in, and I plan to include his friend, too! Something are just falling into place, and some ideas are just popping up when I least expect them, and it's pretty interesting to see how this is evolving!

I started with only the vaguest of ideas, and it's fun to go without planning for this long! I usually have at least a better idea of what I want to accomplish when I write something, so this is both challenging and sort of refreshing to have no idea what I'm doing! Of course, this leads to a plot hole within the first 2300 words, but I'm sure I'll figure that one out eventually!

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Care Morency

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Posted on:
Nov 4, 2010 - 09 46

Hello! This is my first NaNoWriMo but I did participate in ScriptFrenzy in the spring. I did not make the goal, but I did get a good start on a script, which I have plans for.

I have just completed a major career/lifestyle change and am currently a freelance writer in Downers Grove. During NaNoWriMo I'll start my third novel, and when I am not writing I'll try to sell the second. I usually write literary fiction, but this month I am writing YA paranormal.

NaNoWriMo is a great idea for those of us who have harsh internal editors (me! me! me!). I look forward to giving myself permission just to get the story out of my head and onto the page, so to speak.

I hope to make a write-in at the Caribou on North Aurora road. Good luck to all of you -- it's so great to know there are so many writers out there!

KatherineWritingGlowing Halo
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Posted on:
Nov 4, 2010 - 09 16

tireddadx3 wrote:

I was really on the fence about participating this year. I have not done much meaningful writing since last year's Nano. I have not edited either of my first two NaNo novels and I would really like to do that someday. I had grand thoughts of using this November to re-establish a daily writing habit working on one of my previous efforts but as November approached and then happened I realized I was not going to get started without the excitement/fun of NaNo, word count charts, write-ins etc.

So I'm all in - a little late but back for more. And I hold out great hope that this is the year I stick to the writing habit past November and start working on editing one of my - what will be three - NaNo novels.


Great to see you back!
My advice is to do what you said, re-establish a daily writing habit, and on December 1, join
http://www.critiquecircle.com/queue.asp
and set a goal of submitting a chapter of your novel (pick one to start) a week. We can talk more in December, but the feedback on that site is marvelous and can help motivate you to revise.
(Don't do it now, just add it to your list of things to do later, even I don't go to critiquecircle during November and I practically live on that site the rest of the year.)

Good luck!
Katherine

ZaNeesee14

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Posted on:
Nov 4, 2010 - 07 32

Hello everyone, my name is Denise, and I live in Oswego. This is my third year doing NaNoWriMo, and I definitely plan on finishing, since I haven't done so yet! I am definitely on target with my daily word count, though, so I am excited!!! I generally write romance, but this year I am diving into Erotic fiction. I hope to get to at least one or two write-ins, my work schedule usually deters me from going anywhere on nights or weekends. LOL Best of luck everyone!!

azinazelle

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Posted on:
Nov 4, 2010 - 00 03

Hi! My name is Kim. I live in Darien. I signed up for Nano in 2008 but was too lazy to get off my ass and write anything. I did have the excuse I just started radiography school around that time though. ;) Now I'm going to give it a go. I've been wanting to write a book for ages but have been too chicken or too much of a procrastinator to try it. Hopefully this will give me the well-deserved kick in the pants I need to get it done. ;)

R_C_LandPsMommy05
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Posted on:
Nov 3, 2010 - 23 15

Hi, my name is Shanna and no, I'm not really a mom yet. My name stands for the first initials of my other stories' characters and the "mommy" part is about me because they came from my imagination. :) My favorite number is five. So there you go.

I am in my mid-twenties and graduated from North Central College in 2008. I have a journalism degree and I just love writing so I've been working on two projects for the past year-and-a-half or so. One is a picture book, the other a middle-grade novel. Oh, and I did finish and self-publish a short story this year! :) This is my first year doing Nanowrimo. I think it's fun and really gets me thinking about the things I love to write about.

I enjoy writing things for kids, especially realistic fiction for those in grades four through eight. I'm a kid at heart, so children's books are also my favorite to read. Some of my favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, Laurie Halse Anderson, Avi, Jerry Spinelli and Jill Wolfson.

I love taking on tough topics that kids in that age range have to deal with like blended family dynamics, identity, death of a friend/loved one and just realizing that life isn't really all like the movies. I think a lot of times when we're kids we grow up thinking that we're going to have this fabulous time (and some of us do eventually), but we don't realize that there are some difficult times we have to go through to get to that place. When you're ten or fifteen it can be hard to understand why things happen the way they do, but sometimes (not all the time) you begin to realize that there are good things happening in your life too and those things outweigh the bad. Most of all, I try to have fun with my stories and provide them with unique characters who are also realistic.

In my story, "Trading Baseball Cards," Baseball fans Paige Simon and her friend Abigail find some baseball cards one day in Paige's dad's office. Because both are going through a rough time in their lives, they wish upon four of the best cards and promise to stick together through everything that will come that year. But Abigail has a secret that nobody knows except her family--a secret so devastating that she's even afraid to tell Paige. When Abigail's in big trouble, will her wish on the baseball cards come true? Will Paige be able to help her out?

Just so you know, I wrote this at midnight, so I'm sorry if it's really long. I am a baseball fan as well as a HUGE Chicago Cubs fan and collector of baseball cards. The Lou Gehrig card I got from the store recently helped inspire this story.

P.S. I didn't get to write the amount of words I wanted to on my story today--kind of started later than the other days--but I'll hopefully be on track again tomorrow. :)

mystickelf

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Posted on:
Nov 2, 2010 - 17 57

Hi Everyone! :) My name is Pat, I'm female and 51 years old. Its Nano time and I'm coming back for more. I won in 2006 with my novel about Diddlysquat. I tried again in 2007 and I think one other year but didn't finish. Since I had luck with writing about diddly, I thought I'd sorta stick to the same idea in a way. This year I'm in the Nano Rebels catagory doing 50,000 words of freewriting basically. I pick a topic for the day and just write. My working title is "Something About Nothing."

I love Nano, love the community feeling here and all the enthusiasm and craziness.. Looking forward to a win this year and to the Naperville home team :)

tireddadx3Glowing Halo
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Posted on:
Nov 2, 2010 - 15 17

Hi! I am Tim aka tireddadx3. I have participated and won Nano the last two years with the Naperville Region. I loved it both times, this is a great group with amazing Municipal Liaisons.

I was really on the fence about participating this year. I have not done much meaningful writing since last year's Nano. I have not edited either of my first two NaNo novels and I would really like to do that someday. I had grand thoughts of using this November to re-establish a daily writing habit working on one of my previous efforts but as November approached and then happened I realized I was not going to get started without the excitement/fun of NaNo, word count charts, write-ins etc.

So I'm all in - a little late but back for more. And I hold out great hope that this is the year I stick to the writing habit past November and start working on editing one of my - what will be three - NaNo novels.

I'm a Civil Engineer by day and father to a 2nd grade boy and three 3 year old girls by day and night.

I don't know how to classify this year's NaNo attempt, my tentative title is 'Changes.' It's kind of a mystery/fantasy with two main characters switching lives and involved in much intrigue (I hope). Not sure where it will go but I'm turning on the headlights and starting down the road.

stephsco
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Posted on:
Nov 2, 2010 - 15 09

I'm Stephanie from Aurora, this is my first year participating. I heard of this through a friend who did this a year or two ago. I thought it was a great idea at the time, for writers, but since I didn't consider myself as one, I didn't think of participating myself. I've always wanted to write a book, so I've slowly been getting over my own personal hurdles to make this happen. Can you believe that 6 weeks ago I actually said to my small group from church that my dream was to write a book but I had no motivation? I had no idea what was in store for November.

I have a lot of encouragers around me, so I'm fortunate. And I just bought a laptop earlier this year which makes it much easier.

I love reading about the story ideas, some of the ones mentioned here sound really interesting. I would say mine is a darkly humourous paranormal mystery... that's what I'm aiming for. My husband and I are both ideas people, he came up with the original concept and we have brainstormed together to get an idea of the story and the universe it's set in. All the grunt work will be done by me. :)

Best of luck to everyone!

thigham

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Posted on:
Nov 2, 2010 - 11 46

Hi! I have been lurking for the last few years, but I actually started working on my ideas early this year! I am pacing myself, but so far so good.

My name is Tammy Anderson, and I live in Woodridge.

My novel is kind of a twist on reality...sorta sci-fi.

I am having fun with it!

christina_roberts
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Posted on:
Nov 2, 2010 - 09 28

Hi everyone! I'm Christina. I've never done NaNoWriMo before and I'm kind of nervous, my friend Nate and Amanda were supposed to do it with me but yesterday they dropped out so now I'm all alone :(. I don't know if I'll be able to go to any of the write-ins since most of them are during school but I'm going to try over the weekends! At first I was going to write a zombie apocalypse story but then I realised that I don't have enough creativity to do that so now it's just sort of a day to day realistic fiction book through the eyes of a Nerdfighter. Kind of John Greenish just minus the manic pixy dream girl and small amounts of romance. I really hope that I finish this year, mostly so I can rub it in my brothers face that I finished, he doesn't think I'm going to make it he has no faith in me.
Good luck to everyone!

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OH! LOOK! A DISTRACTION!

milfred

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Posted on:
Nov 2, 2010 - 08 55

Hi everyone. I'm Jason (user name is milfred.) I'm from the Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates area and this is my first NaNoWriMo. I'm working on a SciFi novel about five siblings who must compete in virtual reality to determine who will take over their late father's multi-planetary corporation.

sean.vanhal

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Posted on:
Oct 31, 2010 - 23 16

Not to burst your bubble Amanda, but Naperville's actually on a different train line than Elmhurst. You said "Elmhurst area" so hopefully, you're far enough South of Elmhurst that you'll be near the BNSF Metra line or you have other means of getting to the write-ins.

I struggle with staying committed and motivated myself- so I think my best tip is just to focus on word counts and writing while dismissing your internal censor. Sometimes you'll surprise yourself, I've written some things that seemed cringe-worthy at the time- but looking back in retrospect, actually weren't half-bad.

~Steve

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2010: An October Story
2009: $11/hr (Only made it to 9,000 words)
2008: Suburban Trash (Won with over 50,000 words, but project abandoned)

mellystone
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Joined: Oct 31, 2010
Location: chicago
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 31, 2010 - 22 41

hi everyone! i'm melanie, 17 years old and a noob at this whole nanowrimo thing. but tomorrow is the big day so hopefully i'll have some story ideas by then! can't wait to get started!

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Amanda Kate

0 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 31, 2010
Posts: 2
Posted on:
Oct 31, 2010 - 14 00

Hello everyone, my name is Amanda and this is my first year attempting Nanowrimo. I go to school in the Elmhurst area so I have access to Naperville by the lovely trains. :)

Over the summer I tried doing a nanomango collaboration and lasted about a week or so before I went on vacation with my writer and some friends and slacked off majorly - ugh! D; I still got a few nice drawings out of it and learned to work on a very tight deadline for at least a little bit.

I've always loved reading and writing but I've never attempted something quite this large. Currently I keep a journal and a book of short stories that are rarely updated but I want to try this! Any tips and motivation for writing during November are much appreciated, I will try to check up on this site when I can for sure.

Happy Halloween and best of luck to everyone tomorrow! :)

xentighecrewe

1,210 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Sep 29, 2009
Location: Roselle, IL
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 31, 2010 - 09 03

Hi,

My name is Xen Tighe Crewe and this will be my first Nanowrimo. I've wanted to participage in nanowrimo for many years, however have never worked up enough motivation to participate. I've always wanted to write sci-fi fantasy so I am trying my hand at an erotic sci-fi fantasy novel entitled Amazonia. I hope to at least get a taste of novel writing and build some skills while attempting my first novel.

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Knyghtraven
Winner!
53,110 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 27, 2010
Location: Back in the US
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 31, 2010 - 00 44

Hey, Knyght here.

I'm from the NW suburbs of Chicago and this is the first 'official' NaNo that I've participated in. (Fighting over the computer with family was what kept me from getting in for two years and last year I took off due to school) Currently I'm living in Japan on Study Abroad but home is where the heart is so my word count is going towards you. I've got two other NaNo writers with me so we've formed our own little support group, even if their word count is going towards MN. I've written long fiction before and tend to go with the fantasy genre. This year the story's going to be a Supernatural, Fantasy, Action, Romance mix.

It's gonna be a blast. Talk to ya later.

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Order is an Illusion, Chaos is the true nature of the world.

mcswiggen

0 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 30, 2010
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 30, 2010 - 16 40

Hello...All new to me just heard about this site today and jumped in. All ya'll seem to be experts so I just want to learn as much as I can. First time even thinking of writing. The theme I want to explore is women. Women that have been sexually abused in a maner that most men would deem minor.

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Swiggy

racheltastic

1,665 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Nov 2, 2009
Location: 'burbs of illinois
Posts: 2
Posted on:
Oct 30, 2010 - 12 22

Hey heyyy! (:
I'm Rachel, and I'm... a teenager! This is my second year doing NaNoWriMo! Last year, I failed majorly due to the fact that I lacked patience and my family was not very supportive. But this year I'm back and ready for action. I don't really live in Naperville but one town over -- this was just the closest location. (;

I just remembered about this wonderful writing month a few days ago, so I'm scrambling for ideas and, since I've always been horrible at organization, I'm working on that too! If anyone has some good tips for organizing characters and plot events, definitely hit me up.

I have a basic idea for a plot; a sort of X-Men/Maximum Ride mix that's just really awesome but currently has no title. Plus, I have no idea how to really write a novel. But, like I said, this is all due to change since I'm sort of scrambling currently, but I'm going to try my hardest to make this work. So yeah, that's about it. I stink at introducing myself, I apologize.

MarkAdrianSellers

0 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 28, 2010
Location: Bartlett IL
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 30, 2010 - 10 49

Hi, I'm Mark Sellers, this is my first year of participation.

I learned about this last year, on the recommendation of a writer friend, but I was in the middle of finishing a draft of my first novel last year so the timing wasn't right. This year, I have a much-revised version of my first novel completed, and in the hands of a couple of first readers, so the timing works out perfectly for me to use this time to work on a draft for a prequel-sequel.

In my first novel, I made major changes going from my first draft to my second. The changes and cuts focused the original novel more tightly; it had been really hopelessly complex, so I reluctantly cut out the entire back-story threads, including some of my favorite scenes and a pretty major revelation that will work well near the climax. So I have a lot of bits and pieces, over 20,000 words of deleted scenes from the first novel that I hope to use in some form or another. Even if most or all of them have to be re-written or revised it makes the task of beginning seem less daunting.

I just need to figure out how to tell the story and in what order.

I have delusions that I might be able to make this novel work independently of the first, in the sense that either could be read first and the other would then further illuminate the other.

There's a good chance that idea will have to be scrapped, but it seems worth a shot.

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author of Destiny City Juke

Schreibkrampf
Winner!
50,547 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 19, 2006
Location: Brookfield, IL
Posts: 5
Posted on:
Oct 30, 2010 - 08 20

Hi Everyone!
I'm Chris from Brookfield (anyone else near by?) and have been a member since 2006, but only made one half-hearted attempt at participating that lasted about 3 days. Went to one Naperville meeting in 2008 (?) at the Barnes and Noble in Naperville. Remember meeting Tim and lots of other fabulous people.

Last year I made a career change to bring more sanity and control into my life with the intention of living a more creative and literary life. So far so good. I have no problem starting stories, my main challenge is actually completing something. I am pumped up and 100% committed to winning NaNo this year!! I used the random character generator that I found on the resource page--what fun! Thank you for sharing such great resources. It helped me flush out my two main characters. My novel will be an action/thriller type story about a new military undercover program that infiltrates extremist groups in the US (or something along those lines...I'm going to plot it out later today/tomorrow). It will focus more on the people involved than any sort of high-tech military tale. I was in the Marines in the 80s and may set the novel in that time period...not sure yet. It won't be Tom Clancy...ish--I have something more like Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series in mind as a model.

I work a lot of evening shifts and on Sundays, but hope to make it to a few write-ins this year!

AnarchySparkyGlowing Halo
Winner!
50,351 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 29, 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 29, 2010 - 16 45

Hi everyone :)

My name is Stacy and this is my first year writing with NaNoWriMo, though not my first venture into the world of writing. I'm looking for something to get me back on track with my words, perhaps even teach me a thing or two. I'm sure we all have our weaknesses and strengths when it comes to plots, characters, endings and description (just to name a few.) I've been struggling many years to overcome my shortcomings and hope that this experience serves to strengthen my writing.

I also have no idea what I'm going to write about, as I've seen many others post. It's exciting! I'm friendly, so please, if anyone wants to blab about writing or bounce ideas off of someone, I'd be happy to.

I would like to wish everyone good luck and happy writing :)

NewMexicoKidGlowing Halo
Winner!
67,456 / 50,000
Municipal Liaison
Joined: Oct 31, 2003
Location: Naperville Illinois, USA
Posts: 694
Posted on:
Oct 29, 2010 - 15 21

CD0189 wrote:
Hi! My name is CD (sort of). This is my first time participating--My friends who participate in California every year finally convinced me to try.

Any pointers to get me started?

If you want a quick, compact guide with inspiration/tips (and if you can print to 3x5 index cards), you can create a NaNo hipster PDA.

You can find our list of local events here: http://naperwrimo.org/events . We held three preparation workshops in October, but they are behind us at this point. Still, you can find notes to them here in the forum and up on our website<?a>.

If you can come out to our kick-off event tomorrow (Saturday, Oct 30) (it's a pot-luck lunch), you'll find plenty of people you can speak with live who can give you advice.

If you send me nanomail, I can set you up with a jabber account so you can participate in our virtual write-ins.

Feel free to ask for help; we three co-MLs are volunteers who want to help everyone succeed in their writing goals.

--Tim

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CD0189
Winner!
66,136 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 29, 2010
Location: Plainfield, IL
Posts: 32
Posted on:
Oct 29, 2010 - 12 08

Hi! My name is CD (sort of). This is my first time participating--My friends who participate in California every year finally convinced me to try.

Any pointers to get me started?

J.A. KosseGlowing Halo
Winner!
109,919 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Aug 25, 2008
Location: Downer's Grove, IL
Posts: 59
Posted on:
Oct 29, 2010 - 04 11

Hi, my name is Julie. I own a web gaming company called Explorer Games that owns and operates the virtual pet games Aywas.com and Felisfire.com. I spend most of my time staring at a blank screen, so it seems appropriate for NaNo (Write -- or stare at a blank screen!) I've been writing NaNo for the last two years and have won every year. I plan on keeping up that trend. /guarantees failure

I get much joy out of writing in the YA Fantasy (specifically paranormal romance) genre, and I still haven't seen an end to the obsession with it. This year, I'm writing a story about a vampire. He's an operative for a paranormal organization that ensures all beasties conform to their regulations. He falls in love with a zombie and there is much shenanigans. There's a less asinine summary on my NaNo profile, lmao.

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VENOMOID
a venomoid is a poisonous snake that has had its fangs and venom glands removed to make it safe for human handling. what if vampires were required to undergo this operation? [[Wrote THE END! 9 AM on 11/19/2010]]

thegrinchGlowing Halo

14,603 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 22, 2006
Location: Plainfield, IL
Posts: 5
Posted on:
Oct 29, 2010 - 01 22

I am thegrinch and to my surprise I just realized this will be my 5th year of Nano. A transplant (aka unemployed person who ended up moving in with her parents) from Chicago, this will be my first Nano with the Naperville group. I don't know what I am writing, but I tend to wait until about now in Oct. or Nov. 1st early am to decide on a basic plot. I do have an idea list I add to when something pops into my head for no reason in April or another time of the year so I am hoping I can find something to resonate an interest for this year. I won the first two years, around 10k the third year and 38k last year (with 20k over the last 3 days). I actually switched stories around the 1Oth of Nov last year after getting stuck around 3K. While it would make sense it would be easier to write without kids, or a job, or school it actually makes it more difficult because of lack of a schedule. I will have a post-surgery Mom to take care of most of this month so perhaps having a reason to "run away" from her will help.

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The Grinch

" I don't want the world, I just want your half." They Might Be Giants
Winner 2006 - Untitled
Winner 2007 - Untitled 2
Atempted 2008 - Untitled 3
Attempted 2009 - Untitled 4

novena
Winner!
50,038 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 28, 2010
Location: Naperville, IL
Posts: 31
Posted on:
Oct 28, 2010 - 14 37

Hi, everyone! I'm terrible at introductory posts--please forgive my awkwardness. I'm 27 and generally write poetry. This is my first Nanowrimo and my first crack at long-form fiction, so I'm excited and terrified! I'm looking forward to being a part of this group and to writing my book. Good luck, everybody!

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The day is slipping away, why am I
out here, what do they want?
I am sorrowful in November...
- Anne Sexton, from "Hurry Up Please It's Time"

IlliniAndi

12,785 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 28, 2010
Location: Lisle, IL
Posts: 2
Posted on:
Oct 28, 2010 - 10 28

Hi! I'm Andi from Lisle. I had no clue this thing even existed until my boyfriend emailed me the link and told me he signed up. Then I figured if he was going to spend all his free time writing in November, that I might as well do the same!

I'm curious what I will come up with. I'm really curious if I can suppress the perfectionism and avoid editing as I go.

I'm going to write chick lit - about a woman struggling to enjoy life while trying to diet at the same time. Loosely based on my own experiences, I want to write about her past, but with twists and turns along the way.

I'm usually a planner, so it scares me to go into this without an outline or plot. I have a strong feeling it will be very scattered - and the mood will vary in the writing just as my actual mood varies in real life.

And I do have a hard time finishing projects that I start. But it's always the possibilities that get me so excited to get started.

sean.vanhal

4,081 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Nov 1, 2008
Location: DuPage County, IL, USA
Posts: 5
Posted on:
Oct 28, 2010 - 00 00

My name is Steve and this is my third year of NaNoWriMo. I've yo-yo-ed between the Naperville group and a group in Florida (where I was attending graduate school at the time) in 2008 and 2009- but the heart of my stories never left those awkward post-undergrad years back home in DuPage County. Sure enough, even after leaving the state on two separate occasions to attend school and getting two degrees, here I am again. I'm currently scraping by working part-time in a library with dreams (and experience and a degree) aimed at being a librarian full-time.

My previous attempts at NaNoWriMo yielded differing results. In 2008, I managed to massively come from behind and write about 20,000 words in three days after my laptop crashed just before Thanksgiving and the best I could do was use a flash drive at my university's computer labs which had severely limited holiday hours. In 2009, it was pretty hopeless- I only ended up with about 9,000 words after I was torpedoed by the combo of being busy with school a month before graduation, working part-time and multiple weekend trips out of town.

I've predictably returned to the semi-autobiographical well yet again- although this time I'm going to try to focus on being less detail-oriented and fictionalizing things a bit more. Specifically, it's going to be about a recent college graduate shuffling through post-college life in October 2005 against the backdrop of his favorite team making a run at a World Series title.

I probably won't be at many write-ins because I work Monday and Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons (although that is subject to change). Nonetheless, I'll definitely try to make it out to a few. On an unrelated note, I'd like to apologize for the admittedly shoddy grammar and sentence structure of this post.

~Steve

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2010: An October Story
2009: $11/hr (Only made it to 9,000 words)
2008: Suburban Trash (Won with over 50,000 words, but project abandoned)

youcrazything

0 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 24, 2010
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 27, 2010 - 14 50

Hello, my name is Lisa. I am doing NanoWriMo for the first time this year (*gulp*). I have a 2 month old baby and am returning to work from my maternity leave on November 1st, so its probably completely crazy for me to be trying to do this, but I don't care! I don't know if I'll actually make it to the 50K mark, but I'll try my best. I've wanted to write a novel for the longest time, but never got myself to sit down and do it- which is the whole point of this thing, no? I had a few different ideas swimming around in my head so I went ahead and picked one out and am now in the process of trying to flesh out my characters.

I will try to make it to one of the write in events, but see above about the 2 month old.

CyberBobCity

6,783 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 26, 2010
Location: Lisle, IL
Posts: 11
Posted on:
Oct 27, 2010 - 14 38

Hey Everyone! My name is Bobby and I just learned of NaNoWriMo yesterday. I've been thinking about creative writing for a few months now. I haven't written anything but web design quotes since college but am just really intrigued by this event. I'm 30, live in Lisle, and work in St. Charles.

Honestly I'm just curious to learn about myself and see how far I can take this thing. I honestly don't know if I can write 5 pages of fiction let alone a whole novel. But we shall see!

My novel is about a man who dreams of becoming a musician. On a whim, he quits his job, leaves life as he knows it and moves to New Orleans (post Katrina) to take up his craft and study with anyone who will help him.

It's something I have briefly pondered doing, and figured if I really can't, or don't want, to do it myself, why don't I write a story about what could possibly happen.

I'm excited and terrified. We'll see how it goes!

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Bobby B.

CyberBobCity

6,783 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 26, 2010
Location: Lisle, IL
Posts: 11
Posted on:
Oct 27, 2010 - 14 25

Hey Steve, I just heard about NaNoWiMo yesterday from a post linking me to the Scrivener Preview. I've been wanting to try Scrivener for a while and when I learned about NaNoWiMo I think I might like to try my hand at this craziness! So I'm right there with you!

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Bobby B.

sfischerGlowing Halo
Winner!
52,748 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 26, 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 17
Posted on:
Oct 26, 2010 - 14 57

Hi everybody!

I'm Sue, and this is my first NaNo. (Why does this feel like a 12-step meeting?)

With a full-time job and nearly 1/3 of the month spent on the road, it's going to be a real challenge to find time to write. So with the structure of NaNo, I hope I can make it to the end. I'll be glued to the Forum during my non-writing time for any crumbs of support :-)

In my spare time, I'm a historian and graphic designer specializing in decorative arts of the late 19th and early 20th c. So if you have any novel-related questions regarding clothing, architecture, furniture, or design, feel free to ask! (And if this sounds like I'm trying to find reasons not to write, you're probably right.)

My novel -- still very much in the "can I really do this?" phase -- is about a woman who inherits an abandoned and decaying lakeside resort. While trying to restore the 1920s cottages and dance hall, she uncovers the key to an early jazz musician's mysterious disappearance and her own family secret.

TRRDEDEANGlowing Halo
Winner!
101,747 / 50,000
Municipal Liaison
Joined: Nov 2, 2006
Location: Plano, IL
Posts: 10
Posted on:
Oct 26, 2010 - 11 40

Hi,

My name is Dave Dean, I am one of the 3 municipal liasons and this will be my 5th year. I have complete 4 novels and look forward to my fifth. I write science fiction, although this year I am considering a change into a supernatural suspense novel. Then again maybe not!

I may also need a new place to write since my 21 month old granddaughter will be in my house during the day and she like her grandfather's undivided attention.

Dave, AKA TRRDEDEAN (I had my caps on when I registered the first year!)

2006 - "Legacy's Gift"
2007 - "Legacy's Dawn"
2008 - "Legacy's Longing"
2009 - "Legacy's Challenge"

2010 - either "The Unclocked Door" or "Legacy's Choice" or "Legacy's Retreat"

michael_r_cross

41,403 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 25, 2010
Location: West of Chicago Illinois
Posts: 5
Posted on:
Oct 26, 2010 - 10 18

Hello all,

I'm Mike and this is my first year as a NaNoWriMo contestant..

I live in Warrenville, and I am scared as heck at the prospect of writing 50k words in 30 days.. I just got wind of NaNoWriMo 2 days ago.. I've written before, but only recently opted to get serious about it. I figured this could be a good baptism by fire.

In any case, the book I am going to write starts with a boy on the verge of manhood about to take the rites of passage, succeeding, then being chosen by tribal elders to partake in a ritual journey which is performed yearly.

I really don't have anything on this book together other than a minor bit of back story, some minor world building, and a few cast members..

In my mind it feels like the chips are against me, but by will alone I set my mind in motion and will obtain a status of winner my first time out...

Okay I think I have pep talked myself enough..
Well met everyone.
Mike

hopelesswarning

13,918 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 24, 2006
Location: Everywhere.
Posts: 8
Posted on:
Oct 25, 2010 - 15 03

This graph is one of my favorite things about Nano every year. :D

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NaNo '06: The Outside (Urban Fantasy/Sci-Fi | 51,228/50,000)
NaNo '07: Coffee Breaks (Mystery/Suspense | 52,376/50,000)
Nano '08: Prequel to '06 (Urban Fantasy/Sci-Fi | 10,023/50,000)
Nano '09: Boundaries (Fantasy | 50,248/50,000)

rebel_cheese
Winner!
50,997 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 6, 2006
Location: Oswego, Illinois
Posts: 32
Posted on:
Oct 24, 2010 - 22 28

Hi, rebel_cheese here. Yes, I'm back for more. This time, though, it's off a success. I managed to win NaNo last year and not only that, finished the novel. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to trunk it, I haven't been able to get any agent interested in it.

I live in Oswego, which is like 20-25 minutes away from Naperville, and about 30 minutes from the downtown Naperville area.

I usually write in speculative fiction. For the first three years, I attempted adult fiction, twice in sci-fi and once in disaster. None of them ended well. I switched to YA last year and finished the novel, so I'm going to try to write some YA again, and this time, write something so good it will sell.

Mayeb YA is my destiny.

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Latest NaNo attempts:
2007: Buried (adult disaster/horror, 44K, fail)
2008: Savior (adult sci-fi, 8K, epic fail)
2009: Cracked Prism (YA fantasy, 70K, success)
2010: The Odd Ones (YA supernatural/sci-fi, fate TBD)

Miskadoodle

6,158 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 14, 2010
Location: Manteno, IL
Posts: 15
Posted on:
Oct 24, 2010 - 16 03

Hello everyone! My name is Melissa, I'm 25 and I'm about forty-five minutes south of Naperville in Manteno, IL. I went to high school in Plainfield and my family still lives there, so I'm pretty familiar with the area. Missing it, too :-( This is my FIRST Nanowrimo, and I'm very excited! I've never attempted something quite like this before, and I'm determined to see it all the way through. I write a lot of paranormal borderline horror stories with a dash of fantasy thrown in, some of it geared toward the young adult crowd.

The novel I will write for Nanowrimo centers around a road trip three college students take. I have always wanted to write about one, since I take many short ones myself. I've done a lot of exploring new places on my own since this summer; I have a sick relative who's been to four different hospitals in the surrounding Chicago suburbs, and I've visited a lot of towns I just never had the opportunity to see before. I spent a few weeks finding used bookstores and antique shops between visits with my grandfather, and when doing Nanowrimo became a real possibility, I knew I wanted to give that wanderlust to a few characters and have them run with it.

Of course, since I can't resist a good suspenseful horror story, something wicked is bound to come their way in their travels. I just haven't figured out what it is yet ;-)

PersiaRose
Winner!
50,600 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 25, 2009
Posts: 22
Posted on:
Oct 24, 2010 - 13 37

Hiii!
I think I got an account last year? But I couldn't for the life of me ever get it to work :/ And I can't remember my login anymore...

And awesome! about the graph. That really helped a lot with my writing.

NewMexicoKidGlowing Halo
Winner!
67,456 / 50,000
Municipal Liaison
Joined: Oct 31, 2003
Location: Naperville Illinois, USA
Posts: 694
Posted on:
Oct 24, 2010 - 13 27

PersiaRose wrote:
It would be nice to meet you all. I'm a bit far out of the way though and can't make the meetups really. But I'm still here donating my word count! ;)

Also I probably haven't found it just yet...Last year there was a really awesome graph of all of us and our word counts? Will we have that this year too?

First, feel free to ask me for a jabber account so you can participate in the virtual write-ins...

Second: yes, there will be a graph again this year (look for it November 1st!)

--Tim

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PersiaRose
Winner!
50,600 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 25, 2009
Posts: 22
Posted on:
Oct 24, 2010 - 12 52

Hi um I'm so fail at these posts.
This is my second year. Last year I signed up 5 days before November and had only a sentence of a story idea. I still consider winning last year a complete fluke. For that reason I'm pretty apprehensive of this year. I wasn't even going to try in 2010 but a random title came to me out of the blue last week and I'm hoping I can make something of it.

It would be nice to meet you all. I'm a bit far out of the way though and can't make the meetups really. But I'm still here donating my word count! ;)

Also I probably haven't found it just yet...Last year there was a really awesome graph of all of us and our word counts? Will we have that this year too?

CowFreak5Glowing Halo
Winner!
50,099 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 23, 2010
Location: Willowbrook, IL
Posts: 11
Posted on:
Oct 23, 2010 - 19 31

Hellooo, I'm Shawn, and this will be my first year participating in NaNoWriMo. I've never written any lengthy fiction before, so it should at least be interesting. I'm a college student, but not taking classes at the moment, so I have way too much free time to devote to this.

I also have no idea what my novel will be about, as I decided to do it about half an hour ago. Possibly something fantasy-based.

catatone1
Winner!
50,044 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 2, 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 45
Posted on:
Oct 22, 2010 - 11 12

Hello everyone!

I’m Paula, aka catatone1. I’m in my mid 20’s this year and this is my fourth year nanoing! I won for the first time last year and totally plan on winning again this year.

My favorate nano so far was my second year (even though I didn’t finish it) it was about a group of college music majors who find that the pit in the opera performance hall at their university descends into hell where Schoenburg is in charge of a special level where people who applaud between concerti movements are sent. He tries to stage an escape so he can get his brand new opera that he composed while in Hell performed. (this plot was born from one too many a-tonal music theory classes that year in school).

This year I’m torn between two plots, a cheesy one that is a NY fairy tale about a girl who’s searching every musical that is on Broadway for her father because all her mother will tell her is that they were costars in a musical right before she was born. And she gets caught up in all the glamour of the theatre.

The second one is the one I currently have listed as my novel about a girl who went completely crazy while in High School, her brother who is trying to take care of her after their parents died in a fiery car crash and the Scottish Psychologist who goes to live with them after a high profile law suit in England ruined his reputation and he can no longer make a living. Oh and the girl’s nightmares often tell the future.

This is my second year nanoing in the Naperville area and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again!

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NaNo 2007: A New Kind of Power (around 30000)
NaNo 2008: Hell's the Pits (25000)
NaNo 2009: Cadence (WON!)
NaNo 2010:

Ruth Ann Nelson

10,660 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Jul 16, 2009
Location: Naperville, IL
Posts: 4
Posted on:
Oct 21, 2010 - 20 45

I am back for a second year of NaNo. I loved losing myself in the story last year and look forward to writing the next adventure for my castaways. It is a combination of science fiction and fantasy, at least until I can get the science behind the ideas I have for the world we are in. I look forward to the write-ins and hope to see familiar faces soon.

CentralFalls

0 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 18, 2010
Location: Lombard, IL
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 21, 2010 - 19 15

Well hi!

I'm Tom, 32, from the Lombard area, and this would be my first NaNoWrit-Mo compo.

Just doing the math, I've seen myself thwarted before attempting something that sounds reasonable--like six pages a day-- multiplied by thirty days in a row. But you know what? Not this time.

I am taking a twenty page short story I wrote a few years ago which has been stuck in high concept limbo for a while, not to mention missing a heart somehow, keeping the characters, and twisting it into something more plausible *and* twisted.

Wish me luck, other mystery/suspense/YA writers!

Misfit47

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Joined: Oct 20, 2010
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 20, 2010 - 12 34

I'm Angela. I live in Romeoville, not too far from Naperville. I am 22 years old and this is my first year doing this but I'm really excited to try! I've been ino writing since I was in the 7th grade when I wrote my first short story. I haven't been writing as much the past two years but Im hoping to get back into it again with this upcoming month.

I liked doing a lot of fanfiction, but have gotten myself away from that and I am making up more original characters and storylines. Id say my writing would cater more to young adults and teens, and that's probably because I tend to write from a teens voice in many of my stories.

Music plays a big part in my writing, so you will see a lot of musical references in there as well.

My novel that I will be working on is about a typical jaded teen trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life while trying to get out of her hometown and surviving her senior year of high school. A good mixture of humor, sarcasm, music, and some drama.

askeladd

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Official Participant
Joined: Sep 10, 2009
Location: Kane Co., IL
Posts: 18
Posted on:
Oct 18, 2010 - 19 19

I am from Elgin as well - for better or for worse !! ;)

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Nano 2009: Astrid and the Hex 19,894/50,000
Nano 2010: Cloud on Title

cooldoctor1Glowing Halo

0 / 50,000
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Joined: Oct 18, 2006
Location: Geneva-St. Charles, Illinois & Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
Posts: 99
Posted on:
Oct 18, 2010 - 19 05

Hi Gothessa--My fellow Naperville and C-U "dual region" Nano'er. I will have some form of write-in on November 6 at U of I. I'll shoot you a PM.

Hey, Tom--- Cool, let's "guinea pig" Scrivener together. (I just got an instant message from PETA, and they want my head on a stick for that guinea pig thing). I know you;re far from Naperville; so we should pick a write in date when we can do like you did in Chicago last year (I think Gothessa was there, too, she mentioned). Thanks for your tips and friendship at Saturday's meeting, Tom.

KNit--thanks a million for the Scrivener info; yep, I'm gonna try it out. And I appreciate your offer as a resource for all my itty bitty questions about it all month (I added that part)

Two Sarah's, both from Elgin/S Elgin in the Fox Valley, Karen and plenty more new people here. The ML's really are super in this area... hats off to them. Bye for now.

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Sincerely, Cooldoc.

CyndraShadix

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Official Participant
Joined: Nov 2, 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 18, 2010 - 17 26

Howdy yall. I'm Karen. Originally from Berwyn, but out here at NCC for school, so I'll be here this November (Obviously).
Last year was my first attempt which sorta...epically failed (But, the story is still being worked on..When theatre classes don't kick my bum).

No idea what I'll be babbling on about yet. Most likely something fantasy, revolving around a medieval esq. Can't wait to start ze Nano with yall <3

tomsterGlowing Halo
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Joined: Oct 4, 2007
Location: Arlington Heights, IL
Posts: 19
Posted on:
Oct 18, 2010 - 16 16

Steve! Welcome to the Insanity club! Every new member gets a t-shirts, er, an imaginary t-shirt at the very least. The best part of Nano is the collaborative spirit that combined we can all achieve a very solitary, very crazy goal.

I've been waiting for Scrivener to come out on Windows for 3 years now, so I'm sure I'll 'guinea pig' it (my apologies to any guinea pig fans out there in Nanoland).

Catch up with you at a write-in.

Tom (Tomster).

Danger Magnet

0 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Jul 26, 2010
Location: South Elgin, IL
Posts: 2
Posted on:
Oct 18, 2010 - 11 46

Ello everyone! I'm Sarah (Danger Magnet) and I'm from South Elgin. This is my first year Nanoing. I'm excited and scared to death all at the same time. I guess we'll see how this all goes. I've been working on this idea that came to me a couple months ago while listening to some music. It's sort of supernatural/fantasy, I guess. I haven't done much research but I've done enough outlining for everyones novels at this point. I'll hopefully be joining all of you for some write-ins in November if my work and school schedule allow it. I look forward to seeing you all at the kick-oof party1

Passion4Film

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Official Participant
Joined: Oct 6, 2008
Location: Elgin, IL
Posts: 38
Posted on:
Oct 17, 2010 - 22 46

Hey everyone! I'm Sarah, age 23, from Elgin. I will be writing for the second time, and hope to win my first NaNo "trophy" this time!

I hope everyone is getting their outlines and notes in order and that we can have a great Chicagoland turnout! :)

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Photobucket

KnitChick1979

370 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 23, 2006
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 7
Posted on:
Oct 17, 2010 - 22 30

Steve, I can tell you right now that there is very little learning curve for Scrivener on the Mac. I got it last year just before November and after watching the tutorial video I jumped right in. It does take time to get used to all the bells and whistles, but as far as using it, super easy right out of the box. It's wonderful for non-linear writing, because you can write small chunks and then rearrange them later. I'm in love with Scrivener!!

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GothessaGlowing Halo
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Joined: Nov 6, 2007
Location: Chicago
Posts: 20
Posted on:
Oct 17, 2010 - 22 18

Hey everyone! I'm Michelle (aka Gothessa - why did I EVER think that was a good idea?). Although I'm down at the University of Illinois this year, I thought I'd introduce myself here as well. With all the random times I end up at home, chances are I'll end up stopping by a write-in or two at some point during the month. This is my 4th year attempting the joyous insanity of NaNo and hopefully my 3rd win.

As for my novel.. probably realistic fiction again this year. It's all I have at the moment - I have a few solid plot ideas and I'm in the middle of deciding which one I'm going to run with this year.

cooldoctor1Glowing Halo

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Joined: Oct 18, 2006
Location: Geneva-St. Charles, Illinois & Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
Posts: 99
Posted on:
Oct 17, 2010 - 08 00

Hi NaperWriMo! I'm Steve, aka cooldoctor1 or cd1, and I attended the Naperville library event yesterday (great to learn about character building) and am “in” for NNWM2010 and Naperville as a region. I divide my time between central Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and Fox Valley Illinois Geneva, so will do some writing in both locales in November.

I can appreciate that Naperville is a very organized NNWM chapter, with a particularly strong online presence. Despite its size (over 200k in local "catchment" area which includes 35k students and teachers at University of Illinois), the C-U region, sadly, doesn't even have an ML in 2010. Ouch.

Met great people yesterday at 95th Street (Patti, Tom and Allison(?) (in the book stack)) and that makes it all fun. I even have a ½ written short story that I am pretty sure I can tweak for the Dreams anthology for The Journey writing group, and I'll be emailing Tim about participatiing.

Something I will explore, and I encourage others to join me, is Scrivener writing software for Windows, out in beta form for Windows PCs (previously only Mac) with a special offer for NNWM winners—details at link here:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3699389
I'd be pleased if anyone would wish to "guinea pig" it with me.

It comes out Oct 25, just in time for November, but whether I'll be able to use it for writing in November will depend on the learning curve for it. I'll post on it's thread about that now.

I'm fairly sure I'll be at the kick off party (see where I am that weekend), and would love the "voice" seminar but it's on Sunday when I have to leave (maybe it'll get moved to that Saturday? Hint, hint. I know it's likely already set in stone).

Hello, Naperville writers! Steve

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Sincerely, Cooldoc.

elbakeroneGlowing Halo
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50,105 / 50,000
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Joined: Nov 3, 2006
Location: Chicago Suburbia
Posts: 15
Posted on:
Oct 15, 2010 - 21 17

Oh thank you Katherine! You can quote my ramblings anytime.

And truly this awesomely supportive region of writers is fully to blame for me coming back for year four!
Looking forward to another great and insane month!

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KatherineWritingGlowing Halo
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161,514 / 50,000
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Joined: Oct 10, 2006
Location: Warrenville, IL
Posts: 133
Posted on:
Oct 15, 2010 - 18 02

elbakerone wrote:
*Looks around*
What am I doing here?
....
Well, of course I am! Because in these idealist days of October I'm not thinking about pulling my hair out trying to make my villain believable. And I'm not cursing myself for my inability to write five thousand straight words without dialog. In October it's all just a wonderful adventure waiting to be embarked upon. Right? Or should I say, write?

...
lisa :)

WOW! This was so marvelous! I only quoted a little but I'm impressed by the entire post. I'm soooooo glad you're back.
(Can I grab some/most of your post for my next regional email? (I'll give you credit.)
Katherine

elbakeroneGlowing Halo
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50,105 / 50,000
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Joined: Nov 3, 2006
Location: Chicago Suburbia
Posts: 15
Posted on:
Oct 15, 2010 - 13 15

*Looks around*
What am I doing here?

No seriously. What in the world am I doing here??

November of '07 was this miraculous time when I figured out I had this extraordinary super power to write a novel in a month. Then the fluke of '08 happened and I did it again, writing a perhaps even better story with more ideas than I had time to put on paper which understandably pulled me into the sequel year of NaNo '09. Except... 2010... November 2010 was going to be my year off. The time when I actually spent more time baking pies and writing cards than chasing insane things like plot twists and word counts....

Then the welcome emails started trickling in accompanied by fond memories of Novembers past.
My writing buddies started to message me with reminders of enjoyable word wars and support sessions.
And the questions was asked, "Are you doing NaNo again?"

And I nodded.

Wait. What? I'm doing this again?!?!??

Well, of course I am! Because in these idealist days of October I'm not thinking about pulling my hair out trying to make my villain believable. And I'm not cursing myself for my inability to write five thousand straight words without dialog. In October it's all just a wonderful adventure waiting to be embarked upon. Right? Or should I say, write?

So I'm back.

For those that don't know me, I'm lisa aka elbakerone. I'm a research scientist working in Chicago and I've found that Metra's ridiculous claims at decent on-time percentages are only a good thing one month out of twelve when that extra fifteen minutes means reaching my daily word count goal.

In '07 I wrote lit fic, followed by fantasy in '08 and '09. I reeeeeaally don't know what I'm going to tackle this year as I have two prominent ideas chasing each other around in my cranium. One is young adult fantasy, the other is a mystery/crime thriller. One has great characters; the other has a backbone of a plot. Most likely I'll decide between the two when I power up my old faithful dinosaur of a laptop on November 1st.

Happy writing to all!
lisa :)

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KnitChick1979

370 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 23, 2006
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 7
Posted on:
Oct 14, 2010 - 22 00

Hello all!! I'm KnitChick, aka Mary Jo, and I'm about to start my second year straddling NaNo regions (5th year overall) :) I still live in Norridge (in the NW burbs) and work in Naperville. This year I have two grad classes at Dominican (and they're TOUGH ones!) plus a new boyfriend to stir into the mix. I may make a weekday write in or two (not weekend ones, since it's hard enough driving out to Naperville during the week for work). I have no ideas what I'm going to write, nor do I have any illusions of winning this year. School is just too tough right now. But it wouldn't be November without NaNo! And yes, the boyfriend has already been told what forms of caffeine and support are needed during NaNo ;)

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Silrini
Winner!
53,405 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Nov 1, 2009
Location: Elsewhere
Posts: 5
Posted on:
Oct 14, 2010 - 06 10

Hey guys, I'm Silrini, but if you can't remember that, just call me Squid. Pretty much everyone else does anyway. ^__^

This is my second year doing NaNo, and it's gonna be my second win! *is on fire* Last year I wrote a fantasy thing that I set up in a whole different world, but I didn't spend much time on the world outside of what my characters were going to be doing in it, and boy do I regret it. -__-' This year, I started planning out my world (a different world) all the way back in like, September or August, one of the two, and now I have 3 maps and 12 pages of notes. ^__^; I'm very much looking forward to NaNo this year, although my mother may be correct in telling me I have no time for it, and I'm hoping to try and get to some of the write-ins this year!

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I will not put The Shovel of Death in my story.

I will not put The Shovel of Death in my story.

Maybe if I say it enough, it'll come true.

Semirose

0 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 3, 2007
Location: Aurora, Illinois
Posts: 2
Posted on:
Oct 14, 2010 - 00 44

Hey all, I'm Maia. This is going to be my 5th year doing NaNo (although I've only won once...) and my first year not doing it as a student (I skipped out last year) so that should be an interesting change. I actually have no idea what I'm doing this year but hey I still have some time right? Right. Normally I end up writing YA with either fantasy or superhero/villain themes although the one year I won was with fanfic so maybe I'll go that route again.

This'll be my first year with this region since all my other years were while I was at school in Urbana. I just moved here this summer for work (quality control lab slave type stuff) and I'm working second shift so I'm just hoping my schedule goes back to me getting off at 10pm instead of 1am soon so I'll definitely be up for morning write-ins. But I imagine I'll be hanging out writing at the Eola branch library and the Caribou on Eola during the days since I can bike there (assuming I don't chicken out about the cold and just drive) so come say hi to the girl with the stickered laptop.

LarkkGlowing Halo
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121,372 / 50,000
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Joined: Jun 13, 2009
Posts: 17
Posted on:
Oct 13, 2010 - 18 38

Hey NaperWrimos! I’m Kirsten and this is my second year doing Nano. I had a great time writing last year, and even won with words to spare!
So I’m super excited to write another lightning speed novel.

I’m STILL deep into revision of the first novel I ever wrote, (not a nano) which sometimes feels like I’m trying to carve Mt. Rushmore with a toothpick. But I finally took some time away from that to look over last year’s Nano, and was relieved to see that I don’t completely hate it!
 
Even so, this year I want to try something totally new and plot my novel ahead of time. My idea so far is to tell a story about a lonely engineer in Seattle, whose obsession with numbers leads him to accidentally discover some kind of ancient civilization from another galaxy. I’m not sure at all how this will play out yet, so, in case the plotting part doesn’t happen in time, I am looking to the power of the inflated word count to make it all come together. (Yeah I know, see above: Revision of Doom)
 
If you see me at the write ins this year, I’ll be hunched over my beloved purple MacBook listening to weird music in my earbuds, and typing furiously! But don’t be afraid to interrupt and say hi, because if there’s one thing I enjoy almost as much as writing, it’s talking with people who love writing as much as I do.

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English usage is sometimes more than mere taste, judgment, and education -- sometimes it's sheer luck, like getting across the street. ~E.B. White

MoonshinesGuide
Winner!
50,077 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Sep 27, 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 11
Posted on:
Oct 12, 2010 - 20 37

Hello, I'm MoonshinesGuide, but you all can call me Maggie. I'm from Oswego, but I'm writing from my college dorm in Lisle. I attend Benedictine University. I'm a biology major, with medical school dreams. I'm only a freshie though, so I have some studying ahead of me. It's my dream to be a forensic pathologist.

This is my first time participating in NaNoWriMo officially. I've tried unofficially for a few years, but I always seem to drop off. I hope that by joining, someone here will give me a good kick in the pants and get me going. I mainly work with fantasy, often with absurdist or observational humor. Some science may be thrown in for some lulz. This year, I have a few ideas of what to write, but I'm still mulling it over. I'm leaning towards 'trapped in a different world' story, although I'm not sure. -laughs-

I hope I can actually finish a novel this year. I have so many starts, but so few finishes. It's so nice to meet fellow authors outside my little circle in Oswego. Best of luck to all~

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Peace is but a shadow of death,
Desperate to forget it's painful past...
Though we hope for promising years
After shedding a thousand tears,
Yesterday's sorrow constantly nears
And while the moon still shines blue,
By dawn, it will turn to scarlet h

horatioGlowing Halo
Winner!
50,511 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 30, 2006
Location: Bolingbrook, IL
Posts: 4
Posted on:
Oct 11, 2010 - 12 16

Hello again, I'm Mike and this is my fifth year of Nanowrimo. Once again I'll be adding to my series of time-travel novels that I began in 2006 because I have way too many dangling plot threads to abandon the series now. The books are about a band of time-travelers who are engaged in a conflict across the centuries with rival time-travelers who would erase them from history.

Nanowrimo 2006: Variation Seven
Nanowrimo 2007: Strange Times
Nanowrimo 2008: Living in the Future
Nanowrimo 2009: Dying in the Past
Nanowrimo 2010: hope to have a title by Thanksgiving!

I'm also involved, along with many other writers from this region, with The Journey, an online group of writers, writing projects, and associated activities. Our first short-story anthology, Infinite Monkeys, was published in December 2009, and we hope to publish one or more other anthologies soon.

predawn

8,030 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 11, 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 15
Posted on:
Oct 11, 2010 - 11 50

Hi! My name is Melissa. This is my first year doing NaNoWriMo, although I've known about it almost since it first started. I'm excited but frantic, because this November I will be moving and looking for a job, so I will try not to be too hard on myself if I don't finish. On top of that I don't even know what I'm going to be writing! I have a bunch of ideas floating around, I just have to choose one. Oh well, I've got some time before the 1st. ^^ Nice to meet you all!

nowhereliz
Winner!
50,403 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 11, 2010
Location: NW Chicago Suburbs
Posts: 4
Posted on:
Oct 11, 2010 - 08 51

Hi,

My name is Liz and I live in the northwest Chicago suburbs. I first heard about NaNoWriMo about 4 years ago, but this is the first year I finally worked up the guts to go for it and see what happens. I've been writing creatively for as long as I've been able to write, with several long breaks in between writing spurts. Until last year my biggest problem was stating and not finishing anything over the length of a short story. I have a ton of ideas, but I was never disciplined enough to outline and force myself to write though the "boring but necessary" parts. Then last year I started writing fan fiction. Since then I finished a 240K word story and another 200K word story and am in the middle of a third story that so far stands at 600K. Yes, I am much too wordy. That's something to work on improving, for sure.

I know fan fiction is not the same as original fiction, but hey, it got me writing and I've completed over 1,000,000 words in the past 18 or so months, so at least I'm in the writing groove now. And the episodic nature of fan fiction also forced me to thoroughly plan and outline my stories (since there is no opportunity to go back and insert details I may have forgotten,) as well as forced me to write in a linear fashion and finally, finally, write a story from start to finish. All that plus instant feedback from the readers. Admittedly, the feedback is more on the plot than the writing, but some of the readers comment on the writing as well, and heck, you can't beat the fan fic community for encouragement.

So now I decided to take a break from fan fic in November and write an original. I actually have two different story ideas. One is a rather non-traditional romance (definitely not harlequin stuff - more of a niche market.) It's very well developed and outlined and has been in my head for about five years. That's probably the one I will end up writing next month. The other is brand new in a mainstream fiction genre. It reads like a mystery/thriller, but it's really more of a study on human nature and interactions. I have no real outline and the details are sketchy, but its new and exciting and pretty topical and current, so I am very tempted to give that one a try. My biggest fear with the new story is running out of plot or getting bogged down in details I haven't had time to figure out in my head.

I guess that's enough for an introduction. I'm very excited that this community is so active and I look forward to meeting new friends as we frantically write our way to a "win" in November.

Liz

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First time participant and I can't wait to get this story out of my head and onto the screen.

tomsterGlowing Halo
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51,257 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 4, 2007
Location: Arlington Heights, IL
Posts: 19
Posted on:
Oct 10, 2010 - 22 09

Greetings from the North! It's me Tomster from Arlington Heights and this is my 3rd Nano. In 2007 I tried to 'go it alone' and abandoned the story before I hit 10,000 words. In 2008, I hid under a rock until December 1 rolled around ashamed that I would repeat my epic fail of the previous year. I believe the phrase 'Epic Fail" was coined expressly to describe my 2007 attempt.

Luckily I have a great group of writing friends and they encouraged me to give it one more try, but THIS time, they said (2009) find a Nano group to help support my efforts. I homed to Naperville, attended a few prep sessions and the rest, as they say, was history. In other words I collected my first win!

I am an avid procrastinator and will begin to develop my story, plot, characters, setting and all that other boring stuff late on Sunday Halloween night. I'm hoping the sugar buzz kicks me off in the right direction. My stories tend to be mainstream contemporary lit as I try and examine the human condition. When you consider I have difficulty understanding the motives of my goldfish, my stories are better described as slapstick comedies.

Say hello. Buddy me. Happy to have the company!
Tom

tregina12000
Winner!
51,345 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Nov 5, 2006
Location: Morris, Illinois
Posts: 18
Posted on:
Oct 10, 2010 - 12 54

Warmest greetings to you all, my fellow Naperville region dwellers. I am Treg (because I'm a girl, and as my nephew pointed out, therefore can't be T. Rex). This is year 5 of NaNo for me, having done and won every year since '06, in no small part due to the wonderful efforts of our beloved ML's.

I left two of my MC's on a romantic cliff hanger in '08 to do a science fiction story last year, and while they have been patient beyond what is reasonable with me, this year they are demanding resolution, so it's back to the action/adventure/comedy/buddy genre to clean up some messy relationships and tie up some loose threads. And probably to create new messes and loose ends in the process.

Since it is often the case that I go to work on Mondays to rest and recover from the insanity of weekends around here, the chances of the Tyrant Lizard Queen showing up in the flesh at any events is slim to none. Nevertheless, you'll get sick of seeing me on the forums this year. Please accept my apologies in advance.

Best wishes to you all this year.

stout_chapGlowing Halo
Winner!
51,635 / 50,000
Municipal Liaison
Joined: Oct 6, 2005
Location: Amman, Jordan
Posts: 140
Posted on:
Oct 8, 2010 - 00 53

Hello! I'm Brian and I'm not officially in Naperville now that I live in the Middle East, but I used to call the Western Suburbs home and have a very soft spot in my heart for the Illinois::Naperville region. You guys have the best MLs! My regional forum (Elsewhere::Middle East) doesn't even have one post yet =(

So anyways, this will be my 6th Nano. I've won 3 times and lost 2 times, but one year I wrote two novels so I like to think of it as winning 4 times =) My goal last year was to not just win, but actually complete a storyline by the end of November. I didn't quite do it, but I am hopeful that I will this year. I live and work (as an English teacher) in Amman, Jordan which you would think would create a lot of novel fodder - but as it turns out, not so much. I'm pretty much a fantasy writer, but have dabbled in mystery and modern-day adventure.

This year I have a fairly well-developed plot thread for a fantasy-based novel for my 8-year old son and his friends. It will involve a lot of danger, problem solving, treasure hunting, dragon fighting, and a couple of important life lessons. Should be fun.

I wish you all the best - may the plottings of October fill your November with wordcount beyond measure!

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Brian C
~aka~ stout_chap
Elsewhere::Middle East “Municipal” Liaison

2010: No Such Thing as Faeries | 2009: 51,364 | 2007, 2008: FAIL! | 2006 #1: 51,432; 2006 #2: 51,981 | 2005: 54,447

marthajoy

2,438 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 30, 2009
Location: Chicago, IL area
Posts: 9
Posted on:
Oct 7, 2010 - 22 16

You've got a fascinating novel topic! Are you familiar with the history of the narrow gauge and standard gauge railroads of Colorado. Once you start reading about these lines you could be off on another aspect of your story. I have a small pamphlet on the Cripple Creek Railroads if it would be of interest.
Martha

PrincessPicc48Glowing Halo

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Official Participant
Joined: Oct 16, 2007
Location: North Aurora, IL
Posts: 3
Posted on:
Oct 7, 2010 - 21 59

Hey everyone! I'm Hiedi. This is my 4th year doing Nano. I wont the first year I did it but then life caught up with me the past few years. I'm a full time college student with a part time job and a husband. We are moving to North Aurora November 20th so that'll add to the chaos. I typically write literary fiction but I have some ideas for something new and interesting this year. Hopefully I don't get bored or the idea too quickly or I can make it work. I'm going to do it again this year!

Hopefully I'll get to meet some of you at whichever write-ins I can make it to. Also: I work at the Caribou Coffee downtown historical Geneva so I'm bound to be writing there or stopping by at the Caribou in Aurora on Eola (it's very close to my current apartment). Just look for the red Apple computer and don't be shy. Say hi!

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"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." --E.L. Doctorow

KylliazaKatto

248 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Oct 3, 2010
Posts: 1
Posted on:
Oct 7, 2010 - 16 46

Hi~ I'm Kylliazakatto :D

This is my first ever NaNoWriMo! I'm in 8th grade and have problems with writing stories. I'm mostly doing this to improve my writing and such for high school. My teacher helps me a bit, and I'm a LOT better than I was 2 years ago, but I would love to go above and beyond :)

I really can't wait for November 1st :) I already have an idea~

xaanterra

0 / 50,000
Official Participant
Joined: Nov 5, 2009
Location: Folkston, IL
Posts: 54
Posted on:
Oct 7, 2010 - 15 53

Greetings, I'm Sara and this is my second year doing NaNo! :D It will be a tad bit more interesting this year since I know what to expect, but I'll also be juggling homework, work, and my amazing ability to procrastinate until the last nanosecond. I'm in my second year at College of DuPage and will hopefully transfer next fall to get my environmental biology degree. I work at Lincoln Marsh in Wheaton (we're right behind Cosley Zoo, come visit us! :) ) as an environmental educator... I do programs for kids (mainly school groups and scout groups). I love it, as I get to be outside a lot and the kids are pretty hilarious.

Last year I barely managed to finish NaNo, but it was my first year so I was ridiculously excited just the same. This year I'm determined to be more disciplined about my daily wordcount (haha yeah right). The novel that got me a win last year was a middle-grade kids' fantasy story (I haven't gotten the courage yet to revise it), and I have no idea what I'll work on this time. I have a list of plot ideas lurking somewhere on my computer though, so I'll find that and decide soon. It will probably be some sort of fantasy.

I'm going to make as many write-ins and events as my work schedule allows, so expect to see me frequently. I'll be the girl muttering curses at the ancient and stubborn Macbook (which has 10 minutes of battery!).

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