Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[STICKY] CD Exchange - Info and Sign Up!

OilsDragon — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:27:24 +0000

This thread is going up in preparation for the Halfway Party, but it isn't about the party on Nov. 15… it's about the CD exchange which happens every year during the Halfway celebration. DO NOT RSVP for the party here – although you must come to the party to take part in the CD exchange – this thread is just for the CD sign up. (The official halfway party thread will go up next week.)

What is the CD exchange, you might ask?

The concept:

Bring 10 copies of a mix CD that inspires you as you write your NaNo masterpiece - or that evokes the spirit of your novel - and leave the party with copies of 10 great mix CDs made by your fellow NaNo-ers.

...And the rules:

1. You can only participate in the CD exchange if you are going to be present at the halfway party at the Yellow Griffon on Sunday, November 15 (see calendar).
2. RSVP in this thread by midnight on Saturday, November 14, 2008.
3. Bring 10 copies of your mix CD to the halfway party and give them to Nelson (voxel).
4. Receive 10 random mix CDs made by other Toronto WriMos before you leave the party!
5. The CD exchange is NOT PG this year, but please make sure to label your CD with warnings for explicit lyrics, etc. so we can make sure CDs are distributed age-appropriately for those receiving them. Thanks!

Nelson will be running the CD exchange this year, so feel free to direct your questions at him!
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Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Co-ML for Toronto, Canada

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[STICKY] WORD WAR - NEW - How to Sign Up! Email Errol

Elumir — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:06:19 +0000

Allo All!

There is an official sign up, but due to slowness of forums, and my surprisingly lack of time this month, I haven't been able to harvest your id's. The original thread is no longer a sign up but please read the rules there: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3328345

So, if you want to/have joined the Word War team, and do not see yourself in this list:

Word War Scoreboard and Chat

This is what you do:

Go to your profile
(If you don't know how, click on your name on any message you wrote)
In the URL bar, you will see something like
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/183952
See that number? That is your USERID! Copy it! Cajole it! Caress it! I NEED that number
Start an email to me at errol@elumir.com
Set the subject to: [Nanowrimo] Word War 2009 - Toronto
(This is important, because if you put LONDON, I'm putting you on the London team)
The contents of your email should be:
'[USERID]', // [USERNAME]

for example

'183952', // Errol

Feel free just to copy the above and insert your own stuff.
Buy me a coffee

Hope that helps!

EDITED BY VICTORIA: I think what Errol means is that he needs the punctuation (the part that goes '#####'#', // name) EXACTLY the way it is above for whatever program he's running to set up the WW boards. To save Errol from headaches and you from multiple confusing email messages from Errol, just copy and paste his ID line above and fill in your own name and number :D (To be fair, I'm not sure if I just clarified or confused the issue.)
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Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[STICKY] Subway Writing Session - Nov. 8

NataliaLW — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:44:10 +0000

The ever-popular Subway Writing Session is back! Charge up those laptops, grab your notebooks and pens, and meet us this Sunday for a writing session unlike any other. Don't forget to bring something to drink and snacks to munch on, if desired.

We'll be riding along the Yonge line at least twice (once in each direction)--stay on for as long or as little as you'd like.

On Sunday November 8, meet at Finch station--the North end of the platform--at 1:00 pm. We leave on the 1:15 pm train!

Hope to see you there!
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Natalia Lopez-Woodside
Co-ML for Toronto, Ontario

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[STICKY] Tequila Bookworm Writing Session - Nov. 10

voxel — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:30:45 +0000

A very different writing session - not your typical Starbucks.

WRITING SESSION INFO:

Name: Tequila Bookworm
Date: November 10th
Time: 6 - 9 PM
Address : 512 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON , M5S 3A5
Map here: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Tequila%20Bookworm

By TTC there are two methods:

1) Queen streetcar to Spadina/Bathurst area (TB is inbetween).
2) Spadina streetcar to Queen.

Both streetcars run fairly often. The Bathurst streetcar is rather slow and not recommended. We'll probably be upstairs, but I will confirm tomorrow.

Hope to see you there!

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Nelson Yu
Event Moderator for Toronto, Ontario
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Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[STUCKY] York U WEEKLY Writing Session! - Tuesdays

Bdoing — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:13:35 +0000

Hey guys, I know that I mentioned this in the "YU PEOPLE!" thread, but I figured that I'd start this as well, to make it a bit more official-looking and to hopefully get this stickied. =D (Oh, and - yes, this is Shadowood. I needed a name change. Long story.)

So!

We will be having writing sessions at Scott Library, hopefully in one of the larger study rooms, every Tuesday, starting at 1:30pm and ending around 3:30pm, possibly. I wouldn't be surprised if there will still be people around later, but I can't guarantee anything past 3:30. =D

I will also be writing in Calumet, Rm. 100 on Fridays, from 12pm-2pm, since I have my office hours then for Calumet College Council, so if you want someone to write with, feel free to join me. =D

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here, or send me a message, or what-have-you.

And there's a fairly good possibility that we're going to have a Word War between us and those silly UofT people. I'll try to keep you posted! =D
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TorontoNaNo.org/WordWar: Drew
Twitter: @bdoing

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[STICKY] Bathurst Clark Library TEEN Writing Sessions - Tuesdays

Lolowin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:45:11 +0000

Hey guys, I'm posting to let you know about a weekly writing session happening at the Bathurst Clark branch of Vaughan Public Libraries.

It's happening every Tuesday from 7-8 pm and is open to Nanoers aged 12-18 (though I will be there, all 23 years of me). The library is located at 900 Clark Avenue West, Vaughan, Ontario L4J 8C1 and is accessible by the YRT or the TTC 160 North. Sarah, the teen outreach librarian running it, is just lovely and she's always looking for new faces at the events.

If you're a Thornhill teen looking for a quiet place to write on a Tuesday night, check it out!

Laura Winberg
Event Moderator, North of Steeles

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~Laur~

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[STICKY] Weekly Urbana Writing Sessions - Wednesdays

NataliaLW — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:44:21 +0000

Join us every Wednesday for weekly writing sessions at Urbana Cafe! (Alliteration not intentional. On the other hand...when you want to write more words, why not write on Wednesdays with other wonderful Wrimos?)

Urbana features fair-trade and organic coffee and is populated with more outlets than most cafes. Still, I'd suggest bringing a power bar if you have one, just in case. There is Internet available, if you choose to purchase a discount card. (The cards are a great idea if you plan on attending these sessions regularly, or if you take a liking to Urbana--with a card, you get a 10% discount on purchases, and every time you load $20 onto the card, you get a free drink!)

WRITING SESSION INFO:

Name: Urbana
Date: Every Wednesday! FIRST session: Nov 4
Time: 6 - 10 PM
Address : 1033 Bay St
Toronto, ON , M5S 3A5
Phone:(416) 960-1033
Map here: http://www.canpages.ca/page/ON/toronto/urbana-coffee/3951856.html

The simplest way to get there by TTC is to get off at Bay station and walk South down Bay St until you reach the cafe. It's on the left hand side of the street, right before St. Joseph St.

You can also get off at Wellesley station, and walk west on Wellesley until you reach Bay, and then walk North until you see Urbana Cafe on the right. (It's probably about the same walking time, but a little more complicated.)

Hope to see you there!

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Natalia Lopez-Woodside
Co-ML for Toronto, Ontario

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[STICKY] U of T Weekly Writing Sessions - Mondays

A-Chels — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:14:51 +0000

Hi guys!

I'll edit the date on this every week, but otherwise the info's pretty much going to be the same.

Info:

First Session!
November 2, 1-4pm
UTSG* Kelly Library
113 St Joseph St
St Joseph and Bay

We'll meet up in the main floor café/study area. When you go in the front doors of the library, just hang a sharp left. The room's full of tables and squishy chairs, there's usually a book sale of sorts going on, and there's a little café in the back corner.

This event is open to everyone! I wanted to make that clear, just in case anyone had doubts because of the location.

Directions:

Easiest way to get there would probably be to take the Bloor/Danforth line to Bay station, then either walk the block south, or jut take the bus down to St. Joesph Street. I think the bus comes fairly often, but the walk's only about five minutes anyway.

Walk west on St. Joesph. Kelly Library is on the south side - there are big banners on the front, declaring it's name, and there's usually a sign out front announcing the "Kelly Café" which is in the room we're meeting up in. If it helps, the pedestrian crosswalk on St. Joesph is basically right in front of the library.

Also: If anyone has a spare power bar, would you mind hauling it with you? I have a small one that I'll be bringing, but a "just in case" spare would be awesome.

*University of Toronto, St. George. In case you were wondering.
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Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[STICKY] TorontoNaNo Zine 2009 fundraiser project!

OilsDragon — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:54:01 +0000

We're extremely excited to announce that, with much pomp and circumstance (or, rather, with none at all except for me excitedly shoving copies at people across the table) the one and only TorontoNaNo Zine was rolled out at last night's event!

What's a 'zine? "Zine" is an abbreviation of "magazine" and is used to refer to a small publication made by devoted amateurs.

We'll be selling the TorontoNaNo Zine alongside last year's awesome NaNoWriMusic CD at most of our official events, as a fundraiser for TorontoNaNo programming and to support NaNoWriMo itself - all donations in surplus of Toronto's small expenses will be sent to NaNo HQ in San Francisco at the end of the month and will be added to Toronto's donation tally (we're currently #30!) (read more about donations here and here).

CDs and Zines are being sold for $10 each, or $15 for any two (2 zines, 2 CDs, or 1 of each).

Thanks again to everyone who sent submissions and contributed to the 'zine in any way!

TorontoNaNo 'Zine contributions include art and writing by Toronto's very own…
(in alphabetical order by last name)
Tara Abbawi
Seher Alam
Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Shannon Boyce
Sanhjana Chowdhury
A.J. D'Agostino
Mary Ellen Duff
Naomi Freeman
Ryan Harron
Kasia H.M.
Michelle Jia
Leora Karoly
Dana Larose
Sylvia Li
Natalia Lopez-Woodside
Lucy Lu
Dylan Madeley
Dinushi Munasinghe
Siri Paulson
Cherylyn Perry
Muriel Pezoa
Adam Richardson
J. Diane Riley
Brianna Sims
Hilary Slater Lamont
D.J. Sylvis
Alyssa Tompkins
Desina Van
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Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Co-ML for Toronto, Canada

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[STICKY] Welcome Back, Toronto!

OilsDragon — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:42:26 +0000

Hello Toronto NaNo and welcome back for… NaNoWriMo 2009!

First and foremost, although I'm sure you've already seen this on the new and updated forum page, let me introduce you to your Toronto region Municipal Liaisons for this year:

Victoria (that's me!): http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/88121
Natalia: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/211086

Natalia and I are so excited for this year's NaNo season, I can't even begin to tell you. We've got all kinds of plans in the works for another amazing year of overcaffeinated writing events, wins from behind, and excellent adventures that only happen when an awesome group of people set out to accomplish something truly insane together.

We also have the dubious pleasure of introducing you to someone else who's going to be rather important to this year's Toronto NaNo… our infamous online ML and forum moderator for 2009:

Errol: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/183952

Errol will be keeping a watchful eye on these message boards and the chat room. Please remember that these boards are meant to be friendly for all users, including our younger members, so keep it within the realm of G or PG.

Other folks who'll be fairly visible and who will probably look slightly harried as they run many of our events this year include:

Ryan: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/26703 Mississauga
Allison a.k.a. Alleycat: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/126146 Mississauga and *Word War Captain*!
Alyssa a.k.a. A-chels: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/248511 U of T and North Toronto
Nelson: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/56607 Central Toronto
Laura: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/420991 North Toronto

If you see any of these wonderful people at your local events, make sure to give them a pat on the back and let them know they're doing a great job (and, while you're at it, harass them about their word count for me, won't you?).

That's about all I've got to say for now, but we'll keep you posted as soon as we have the schedule finalized and ready to go! Until next time!

~Victoria
a.k.a. OilsDragon
Co-ML for Toronto

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Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Co-ML for Toronto, Canada

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

Scarborough Write In - Nov. 8

kaluvinar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:39:17 +0000

Kinda short notice, but there's going to be a write in at The Mirage cafe in Kennedy Commons on Sunday the 8th. That's Kennedy and the 401. We'll be there at 5:30pm, and who knows how long we'll end up staying. It would be great if anyone else wanted to come too.
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music will provide the light you cannot resist

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

Happy ML Appreciation day!

Lolowin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:01:43 +0000

This one goes out to Vic and Natalia, our official MLs for this year's Nano. You ladies do a lot, whether its (wo)manning the forums and making sure everything is up to date or arranging and hosting awesome socials and writing sessions and everything in between. You two are awesomesauce and I think I speak for all of us when I say THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!
Also, thank you to those people working behind the scenes, people like Errol who keeps flooding my inbox with Facebook invites to every social and writing session we have going on, Alleycat for being an inspirational word war captain, and all of our event moderators for the year.
Now, to the subway, Batman!

-Laura
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~Laur~

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

YU PEOPLE!

shadowood — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:43:27 +0000

As in, "York University people". >.>

I know that there have to be more of us than just Serenity, Sweetkaiser, and myself! I met a couple of you last year in the one writing session we had in Scott Library, but I don't think it happened again...

So! What I'm planning is... I dunno, maybe weekly writing sessions, at Scott Library? Or somewhere else, if we can find somewhere? I dunno, I don't really have any other suggestions, haha.

Well, there's also Calumet's JCR/Room 100, since I'm on Calumet College Council - so far as I know, I can open the doors to Rm. 100 at any time of the day or night, so long as I stay in the room (or there's at least one council member, blah blah blah), so we could even feasibly have a mini-overnighter if people want to, haha.

Start throwing some ideas out there! Or just pop in and say hi. =]
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Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

Your wackiest line...

derekthebard — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:14:08 +0000

Its a week in. Show your wackiest lines to the world! A sentence, a paragraph, maybe you just found a way to work a twenty five letter word into your story that is the alien language equivilant to "Hello"!

This one got people laughing today:

"They were still working the last few kinks out of the Time Sporks. "
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Chasing the Muse (personal blog)
"Oh god, oh god, we're all going to die?"-Hoban Washburn, Serenity

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

Mississauga Writing Session - Nov. 6

RyanHarron — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:09:08 +0000

The first of our weekly Friday night writing sessions in Peel is happening this week!

This one's happening from 6 to 9pm at Timothy's in Meadowvale, at the intersection of Mississauga Road and Derry Road. It's in a big plaza with a Kinkos, a pub, Mr. Sub, and a bunch of other stuff.

Looking forward to seeing some of the Brampton/Mississauga wrimos again!

PS: Google Maps, for some reason, insists on putting the Timothy's down on the other side of Financial Drive for reasons unbeknownst to me. Ignore where Google Maps puts the little red dot - there is no Timothy's there, which I know tripped some people up last year.
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--Ryan
TW FB LJ

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

Introduce Yourself

OilsDragon — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:51:02 +0000

Hellooo, Toronto!

My name is Victoria and I'm one of your Toronto Municipal Liaisons for 2009. I'm a full-time freelance writer who fell in love with NaNo way back in 2005 – when writing was a dream rather than a job to me – and I haven't left since.

I write fiction and non-fiction, just about anything and everything that comes my way, though my first field of expertise is in natural health (see my natural medicine column at http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com).

I'm also a dog lover and puppy-mom with some experience in dog training, boarding and dogsitting – you can see my boarding profile and pic with my year-and-a-half-old monster, Rowan, here: http://www.nosybarkers.com/pages/community_toronto_victoria.html (and before you ask, no, I didn't write that one!).

But enough about me. Let's hear from you!

Is this your first year doing NaNoWriMo… or your eleventh? Have you got a novel idea already outlined, or are you planning to wing it? Do you write for a living, or do something more interesting? ;) Tell us as much or as little about yourself as you'd like. Pictures are a bonus. And before you ask, no, these intros don't count toward your word count (even if you post 'em in November).

Ready, set… go!

~Victoria
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Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Co-ML for Toronto, Canada

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

10k shout-out!

EricHopkins — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:50:04 +0000

Okay, last year people were doing posts for every big round number that they got to, and I lagged behind them all. Well not this time!
(I'm not the first person to get 10k, but at least I'm the first to think of making an annoying shout-out topic.)
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Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

Novel font

Elfyn — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:36:49 +0000

So I opened this discussion on the chat and was wondering what others think as well. What font do you use for writting? I personally find that if I don't like my font, I get distracted from what I'm writting and I have yet to find the font for this year's NaNo. So any suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers!

Elfyn
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Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

First sentences!

OilsDragon — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:16:20 +0000

Post your novel's first sentence here, if you dare! :D

Mine is dreadful:

"It was frigid cold the day that everything changed; the wind wound bitter through the high overpasses and tore across the plains toward Hinslow Keep at a fierce pace that afternoon."
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Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Co-ML for Toronto, Canada

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

Fridays at Runnymede Starbucks - 7 pm

Vampy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:52:05 +0000

My work schedule this year excludes me from many of the set writing sessions for downtown Toronto. :( This makes me sad.

However, I have Fridays off and wouldn't mind an unoffical Friday writing session in the Parkdale area (West End of Toronto). Would anyone in that area or able to get to that area be up for such?
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Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

[Video] The Nano Muse

Elumir — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:17:12 +0000

So... Oilsdragon and I did a video because we wanted to do a nano related video serial for fun.

We made three so far. But this is the first one.

If people don't mind it too much, we may post the others.

I yell a lot in it... sorry ahead of time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kw_5vyM8Js
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Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

What's Your Novel About?

OilsDragon — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:55:23 +0000

Have you started outlining yet? Any random notions, noisy characters, or research to do?

Let's talk about it here!

~Victoria

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Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Co-ML for Toronto, Canada

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

Brampton Carpool

SnippyB — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:37:45 +0000

I thought I would post an offer to carpool with anyone from my area of Brampton, which is Bovair & MacKay.

I can take three passengers (maybe four if DH isn't using his vehicle)

For the record I will definitely attend the following events:

Nov 6 - Mississauga Session
Nov 13 - Mississauga Session
Nov 20 - Brampton Session
Nov 21 - Overnight Session
Nov 27 - Mississauga Session
Dec 1 - TGIO

There is also potential to persuade me to attend the Subway Write and the Bowling Night...and maybe some others too.

Please post in this thread (at least two days prior to the event) if you would like to carpool to an event - first posted, first picked up.

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Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

20 k Shoutout!

TheTabster — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:57:44 +0000

Come on, I know I'm not the only TO NaNoer that has achieved 20k already.

Here's the thread to HOLLA at everyone when you break the 20k mark -- heads up folks, you're now almost halfway there!!!!
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~*Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem,
by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer:
Don't excite love, don't stir it up,
until the time is ripe—and you're ready*~

Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto

Saturday Brunch - RSVP - Nov. 7

OilsDragon — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:33:22 +0000

I know it looks like I'm posting this one waaay early – and I am – but there's a reason for it! We have to let the restaurant know how many of us to expect, so I need your RSVP by November 5 or earlier if you're coming to this one (I know it says the 3rd on the calendar; we decided to give a bit more wiggle room for the procrastinators among us).

Every year, we have an official Toronto NaNo brunch bash near the start of November – it's a great way to meet people, celebrate your successes of the first week, and relax on the crest of that wave before diving anew into the rigors of novel-writing.

C'mon out and join us for brunch at the downtown Eaton Centre Pickle Barrel at Yonge and Dundas:

11:00 am on Saturday, November 7
Pickle Barrel 'Grand Atrium'
Eaton Centre (Yonge and Dundas)
312 Yonge Street
Map

And remember, you must RSVP by midnight on November 5 in this thread if you plan to attend!
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Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Co-ML for Toronto, Canada