NaNo 2010 Launch Party

Things I learned last year from Nano:

1. There is no such thing as too many power strips and extension cords
2. Candy is not a good reward for most immediately after Halloween.
3. We can fit a surprising number of people out in the main seating area.
   
4. The conference room gets WAY too hot in a short amount of time between packed bodies and running laptops
5. I need to think up better prizes
6. The train horn worked great as an attention getter.
   
7. I really need to try to get some work done at the write ins and not just orchestrate everyone else.
8. 5 minutes isn't long enough for a Word War
9. Trying to write down everyone's name is kinda silly when you could have a sign in sheet.
   

I took all these lessons from last year and put them into action this year. Surprisingly, it did very little to quell the knot of anxiety in my stomach. However once my Riker (Annie) and Data/Worf/Jordie (Boyfriend Jon) arrived and added their support, it slowly dissipated.

The turn out for the Kick off party was quite a bit less than I was expecting given the forum traffic. But as Boyfriend Jon pointed out, it's one thing to say "yeah I'll be there" on the forums and quite another to actually show up.

That's OK. I'm sure we'll see a surge come November. And as a plus side, we managed to convince three people to the point where they signed up there at the kick off party! YAY!

No really, i'm still alive

Sorry it's been so long; had a rather crazy couple of weeks.

So a couple of quick updates:
This is not trash people! Sometimes, I can't believe my city. I have found so many incredible things just literally thrown in the trash that are still in pristine condition.

Among these are:

• A perfectly good rolling suitcase, (black, no smells, rips, or uncooperative zippers)
• A brand new pair of tennis shoes (tag still on!)
• A full knife block set (the knives didn't match the brand name on the block...but they all fit!)
• 9! backpacks, totes, and other such bags all stuffed inside each other.
• a working lamp with a tiny nearly imperceptible dent in the base

and most recently: a messenger style laptop bag in burgundy. What's more? Giant nuclear powered laptop fits inside said bag! So i have myself and Eddie Bauer brand laptop bag in my favorite color!

In other news:
Nano is just single digit days away. I'm halfway between jumping around in joy and freaking out from all the work that needs to be done.
Not only am I hosting again this year, of which my main concern is capacity, but I'm writing a story that's new ground for me. I've never written a crime thriller before! Annie: I maintain that it is NOT chick lit!
Why oh why does the library have a 1 day a month maximum?!? This plan does not work for Nano at all! And when i spoke to the help desk about the local library sponsoring the event...they told me that i should go to the one already sponsored at a different library.........26 miles away! Right. You would think that writing novels and libraries would go hand in hand wouldn't you? It's like PB&J.

I'm meeting with the inspiration for my fictitious Uncle Marcus tonight since he seems to be able to magically pull ideas out of my head like popcorn. Also as a retired Marine, I'm hoping he can shed some light onto some of the military aspects of my story.

Agonies of planning and being right brained

My dad said to me the other day: "I don't understand why you do this writing thing. All it accomplishes is driving you crazy."

Indeed, he's observed this three year long obsession with his usual disregard for right brain type things. I'm his only right brain child. Even my mom for all her creative talent is an analytical thinker. I'm not sure what he understands less; My need to create for the sake of creating or why i purposly do something that to his mind wouldn't be worth the stress. Indeed I have yet to publish either of my two novels, or even begin to attempt to edit them. So it's no surprise to me that he is confused by my Nano obsession.

Don't get me wrong. When I need help, he's there for me. He calmly explained details of the Godfather to me that didn't make sense during my first year when i wrote a story mirroring the Italian mafia. Both being Italian, and growing up in New York during the height of the Mafia, he had plenty of experience and insight to share with me. When i wrote my second novel, he stuck by his word to not request my help with family projects during the month of November.

But I keep getting the impression that he had hoped my obsession would flame out instead of getting stronger. When he heard of my idea to skip Thanksgiving altogether for this endeavor, I think that might have sent my very traditional father over the edge from indulgence to politely protesting my involvement.

Since this is the place where I can air my opinions I will do so:
Personally, I don't enjoy Thanksgiving. It's another one of the holidays I believe has lost it's essence along with Easter, and Christmas. Instead of spending the time giving thanks for all we have, it's become a stressful day of entertaining, cooking and stuffing your bellies beyond what you normally would eat. Yeah, sure. The prayer might proclaim thanks, but everyone's mind is on the feast laid before them, and if there will be enough mashed potatoes left when the bowl reaches them.
I would honestly be more happy with a simple roast chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and cranberries. A single normal serving on a normal size plate. I would be immensely thankful for that.

No response from a ML or my muse

It's rather frustrating to put a lot of time and effort and thought into an email, only to have it sit at the recipients inbox, received but unanswered.

I sent a message to one of the current MLs asking some specific information to better help my own group and the process of becoming an official ML next year. According to the sent mail register, they've gotten it, but not responded. I sit here wondering if I've been blown off, or if being MLs, they're too busy to answer.

Oh well, life goes on. Or at least i hope it will get a move on soon.

My muse is also ignoring me it seems. I've run into some problems with how the landscape will lay out and how it will play a roll in the story itself. I need some kind of natural barrier, a ravine, a chasm, or something that has a dangerous nest of creatures living at the bottom of it. Just when i think i have something, it slips away in the realm of "too unlikely".

Meanwhile Nano is looming; we're coming up on the 15 day countdown. I just hope my story doesn't loose steam before Nano actually starts. I think i'll start doing word prompts off of the website tonight to get myself back in the mood to write without analyzing.

Also, Boyfriend Jon turns 26 in a couple of days. I know I'll be making him his favorite desert tomorrow, but the rest of the day will be up in the air for now.

Municiple Liasons and Messing with my sister

ML: That's the title of the NaNo job I'm trying to skirt around.

What they do:
Do the Nano thing. 50,000 words in 30 days. Check
Coordinate events. Weekly write ins, pre and post celebrations. Check
Answer every email. Check
Presence in the Regional forums. yup, i do post a lot on there. Check
Engaging in light fund-raising. This is the only thing i haven't done officially. so no check here.

I'm pretty much doing all the necessary tasks to be a Municipal Liaison. So, why am i not one of them?

Well, it basically comes down to being chicken. Nervous to have my name emblazoned anywhere where people know to come to me for answers. To have this crazy thing called responsibility.

So my goal for 2010 NaNo...is to learn how to be a proper ML so that when 2011 comes around, I can jump in with both feet and not pull other Wrimos down with me.

Secondly...there's my sister. She's a lot older than me. She grew up in the time when you actually memorized all your friends phone numbers. Where if you were driving somewhere and were going to be late...well, you were just late. If you wanted to talk to someone far away but not call them...you actually wrote a letter and used these things called stamps.

So natrually, when it comes to technology, she's a little behind the times. She's scared of IM and only recently started talking. For her... ASAP is the kind of digispeak she understands.

A few years ago, we were writing e-mail back and forth and I used LOL. Thus began her education in Digispeak and Emoticons.

Sister: what's ROTF?
Me: Rolling On The Floor.
Sister: what's BRB
me: Be Right Back
Sister: what's Colon and the closing parentesies?
me: a smilie face.
Sister: a what?
Me:
Sister: I still don't see it.
Me:

So every now and then I will receive a text from her telling me something in digispeak.

Sister: "Yeah, i'll SYL"
me: It's CYL
Sister: no it isn't: See You Later
Me: Say the letter C and then say the word See
Sister: Oh! But why did they change it?
Me: same reason we use 4 instead of for
Sister: I don't get it

And every now and then, i can't help but mess with her.

Me: Here's a new digispeak for you. "LMK if you want more help"
Sister: what's digispeak?
Me: Same stuff as LOL
Sister: Oh... it's Let me know. I'm getting pretty good aren't I? Send me another one. I just learned BRB.
Me: IMO red is a better color than pink
Sister: In My Opinion :)
Me (with a devilish grin on my face): U might B lrnin kwik but ur still such a n00b
Me (when i didn't get a response) : IOW U need more practice. It B JOOTT ill always B able to mess with you over. JK. XD
Sister: ok, i'll figure these out and get back to you.

Sigh. Sometimes, I just can't resist. Now i just have to let her know that one is and Emoticon not Digispeak. Woops.