United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

A How-To Guide to Setting Up "Satellite" Write-ins

bschory — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:51:56 +0000

Hey Everybody!

So the MLs asked me to start a How-To thread about hosting satellite NaNoWriMo write-ins during the course of the event.

As busy as November can be with reckless writing abandon, a lot of Boston Wrimos have found that setting up community based NaNo events (which we like to call Satellite Write-Ins) can make the month a lot more fun and a lot more productive. I was involved last year in the Allston/Brighton neighborhoods, and we were able to pull together a really great group of people to get together once a week apart from the main NaNo events. In fact, a lot of those who attended these neighborhood events still remain good friends.

The Satellite write-ins become more and more important as the month progresses. While the first week of NaNo can be full of excitement and creative energy, as we get into weeks two and three of writing our NaNo novels, you'll notice that the insane word count can begin to become daunting, and it becomes more difficult to find the motivation to keep going. In those moments, having a close knit group of Wrimos to encourage you and draw creative energy from (or even just discuss plot frustrations with) can make a huge difference.

Since satellite write-ins can be so helpful, I'd like to do my best to make sure that the planning and execution of them go smoothly. In that spirit, I've put together a bunch of things I've learned in the course of planning satellite write-ins to help make sure you reach all the wonderful Wrimos in your area, and to make sure that things go well at the write-in itself.

When planning a write-in:

The best place to plan these satellite write-ins is at the NaNo forums. The forums are the most often visited part of the NaNo site once November rolls around, and posting information there opens it up to a wide range of people you might otherwise never meet. Here's some tips for planning when using the forum, and some general things to remember while planning your satellite write-in.

Before you start your own thread to plan an satellite neighborhood write-in, please look through the threads on the forum to see if there's already a thread for your neighborhood.
If you don't find a thread for your neighborhood, go ahead and start one. When starting the thread, consider including another neighborhood that's nearby in the thread as well. You want the area you choose to be large enough to draw in a good number of people, but not so huge as to make it inconvenient to choose a centrally located place. For instance, it would be better to start an MIT/Kendal Square thread than a Cambridge thread.
Be friendly and encouraging when starting a thread. Remember, you're talking to people you've never met on a medium that doesn't convey tone of voice or sarcasm well. If what you say can be construed as threatening or offensive, even if you mean it playfully, not only will you be unlikely to meet a lot of Wrimos or have someone attend your satellite write in, but you may draw the attention of the forum moderators. You'll likely get only one warning about this before being banned from the forum, so be careful.
Remember that not all Wrimos are over 21. Though holding write-ins at bars can be a lot of fun (writing and beer do go so very well together), choosing such a venue does automatically limit who can attend. It not only excludes those who cannot legally drink, but those who may be uncomfortable going to a bar for whatever reason. The best places to hold write-ins tend to be cafés, coffee shops, or any publically accessible place you can reserve a room (like a library).
Our MLs put a lot of work in to the official NaNoBoston write-ins and events. Please *do not* schedule an satellite write-in at the same time as an official NaNoBoston event. This year, these events will be held on Thursdays and Sundays, and it makes the whole region stronger and more fun if everyone comes out and attends these events instead of doing something in their own neighborhood. I know commuting to some of the chosen locations can be a pain (I live in Brighton, which is usually a good hours commute by T to where the official write-ins are happening), but it's definitely worth the trip, and you'll get the chance to meet a lot of exceptional and interesting people.

With these things in mind, feel free to launch a thread in the forum for your neighborhood and ask other Wrimos from your area for their input on when and where it will be best to meet. It might be good, in the starting post of your thread, to link to this thread or re-iterate some of these points, simply to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Once you've chosen a time and location for you satellite write-in:

So you've gotten a few people together and decided when and where you'd like to have an satellite write-in. That's awesome! However, in the days leading up to the write-in there are a few things you should do to make sure it's going to go smoothly.

The most important thing you should do is make sure the time and location are clearly visible in the forum. Be sure to clearly post the name and address of the location, and make note if your location is on a side-street or the entrance may be difficult to find. Posting directions on how to reach your location via public transportation can also be a huge help.
Let the MLs know when and where your satellite write-in is going to be held, so that they can add it to the regional calendar for all to see. E-mail Travis at letterslight@gmail.com with the time, date, and location of your write-in.
While smaller satellite write-ins (up to 4 or 5 people) shouldn't have any problem just showing up to a location and finding a place to settle in, larger groups should call ahead and let the store manager know you'd like to come by. While this isn't strictly required, and most places are very accommodating if you do just show up, it's a considerate thing to do. This way you can be sure no one is going out of their way to come to a write-in you won't be able to hold because there's nowhere for any of you to sit. Sometimes you may even be able to reserve a large table if you call ahead of time, so it's worth a try.
If someone lives really close to the location you've chosen, it might help for them to run by and look for things like tables large enough to accommodate the group (or which can be moved together for this purpose) and power outlets for laptops. Most Wrimos bring a laptop to write on, and there's nothing worse than a write-in that ends prematurely because someone's laptop battery runs out.

The day of your official write-in:

So you've settled on a time and place, and scouted the location of your satellite write-in. So far so good. However, when you're getting ready to head to it, there are a few things to remember:

Again, most Wrimos use laptops, and outlets are often at a premium, not only among Wrimos, but among other patrons who may be working on their laptops as well. While in the best of worlds there would always be an open outlet and hot cup of coffee waiting for you when you arrive, this is often not the reality of the situation. In this situation, bringing an extension cord to accommodate tables far away from outlets and a surge protector to accommodate the sheer volume of Wrimos can be a life saver. Feel free to suggest in your forum thread that someone else also bring some of these supplies.
Sometimes a Wrimo you haven't heard from on the forum may show up for the satellite write-in. Expect to have one or two more Wrimos than you've planned for, and also try to make it easy for them to find you, and for those you've confirmed are coming to find each other. There are some flyers you can print out on the site that you could hang up near where you're writing, or you could always wear a piece of easily identifiable clothing and mention it in your thread so Wrimos can look for it.
Don't be afraid to ask people who look like they might be doing NaNo if they are. It can be uncomfortable at times to approach a stranger and ask them seemingly out of nowhere if they're participating, but people are usually very gracious about it. In the past we've had times where Wrimos have shown up and not know where to find the other Wrimos, and been to shy to ask. Many have just left and not gotten to participate. By simply asking you may either find a lost and bewildered Wrimo, which will make their day, or maybe even get to tell a complete stranger about this crazy endeavor you're undertaking called NaNoWriMo and get them interested, which might make yours. So please, don't be afraid to ask.
If you're writing in a restaurant or any business, please support them by buying a little something while you're there. A lot of businesses in the Boston area have been incredibly accommodating to NaNo for a number of years, and we'd really like to show our appreciation by helping them out. Not only does this engender good will in the community about our event and the people involved, but it assures that we'll have places to keep holding NaNo at in years to come.

That should about cover the basics of setting up your satellite write-in. I'll now open this thread up to any questions or comments you might have. Feel free to point out satellite write-in threads in here, but please do not plan your write-ins here, as it will become too confusing and cluttered. If you have a question not answered above, please read through the other comments in the thread as it may have been answered already. If not, go ahead and post it, and I'll answer it as soon as I possibly can.

Thanks!

- Brandon

Edited 10/27 to change "unofficial write-ins," to "satellite write-ins," as decided by NaNoBoston09 participants.
----------

NaNo '08: Glitch (51,016)
=-------=
Brandon N. Schory
Extant Muser
Boston, MA
www.BrandonSchory.com

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

NaNoBoston Events Listing: What, Where, and When (updated 11/07/09)

tkphotog — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:09:37 +0000

Click below for upcoming NaNoBoston events (or visit the NaNoBoston Calendar).

Sunday, November 01: Write in: Barnes and Noble / Boston University Bookstore (Kenmore Square) - 12:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Thursday, November 05: Write in: B.Good (Dartmouth St./Back Bay) - 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Sunday, November 08: Write in: Watertown Free Library (Watertown Square) - 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Thursday, November 12: Write in: Au Bon Pain (Central Square, Cambridge) - 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Sunday, November 15: B.Good (Dartmouth St./Back Bay) - 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Thursday, November 19: Subway (near Fenway Park) - 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Sunday, November 22: Juiceboxartists (Somerville)
Thursday, November 26: Thanksgiving Day! No write-in scheduled.
Sunday, November 29: Write in: Barnes and Noble / Boston University Bookstore (Kenmore Square) - 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Sunday, December 06: The TGIO Party! - Subway (near Fenway Park) - 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Satellite write-ins:

These events are organized by wrimos; while not officially sponsored by your MLs, we encourage you to attend!

Monday, November 02: Back Bay/South End - B.Good, 131 Dartmouth St. Boston, MA 02116. - 6:30 pm - close. (organized by Kas)
Tuesday, November 03: Arlington - Starbucks, 327 Broadway Arlington, MA 02474-5303 - 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Wednesday, November 04: Somerville - Bloc 11, 11 Bow St, Somerville, MA 02143 - 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm (organized by jhereg69)
Wednesday, November 04: Back Bay/South End - B.Good, 131 Dartmouth St. Boston, MA 02116. - 6:30 pm - close. (organized by SocioTom)
Thursday, November 05: Cambridge - Whole Foods, Whole Foods Market 340 River St Cambridge, MA 02139. - 11:30 am - 1:00 pm. (organized by Jude Griffin
Friday, November 06: Burlington - Borders @ Wayside Commons, 6 Wayside Rd, Burlington MA 01803 - 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm(organized by Filaughn)
Saturday, November 07: Somerville - Sherman Cafe, 257 Washington St, Somerville, MA 02143 - 9:00 am - 11:00 am (organized by jhereg69)
Saturday, November 07: Arlington - Jam N Java, 594 Massachusetts Ave Arlington, MA 02476-5006 - 11:00 am - 1:00 pm (organized by kayliegh)
Saturday, November 07: Allston/Brighton/Brookline - Panera Bread, 299 Harvard Street, Brookline, Massachusetts 02446 - 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm (organized by bschory)
Saturday, November 07: MIT/Cambridge - MIT SFS, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Room W20-473, Cambridge, MA 02139 - 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm (organized by bookaholic)
Monday, November 09: Back Bay/South End - B.Good, 131 Dartmouth St. Boston, MA 02116. - 6:30 pm - close. (organized by Kas)
Tuesday, November 10: Arlington - Panera Bread, 1398 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, Massachusetts 02476 - 7:00 pm - close. (organized by filaughn)
Wednesday, November 11: Back Bay/South End - B.Good, 131 Dartmouth St. Boston, MA 02116. - 6:30 pm - close. (organized by SocioTom)
Friday, November 13: South End/Back Bay - Barnes & Noble @ Prudential Center - 4:00 pm - close
Friday, November 13: Burlington - Borders @ Wayside Commons, 6 Wayside Rd, Burlington MA 01803 - 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm(organized by Filaughn)
Saturday, November 14: MIT/Cambridge - MIT SFS, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Room W20-473, Cambridge, MA 02139 - 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm (organized by bookaholic)
Monday, November 16: Back Bay/South End - B.Good, 131 Dartmouth St. Boston, MA 02116. - 6:30 pm - close. (organized by Kas)
Wednesday, November 18: Back Bay/South End - B.Good, 131 Dartmouth St. Boston, MA 02116. - 6:30 pm - close. (organized by SocioTom)
Saturday, November 21: MIT/Cambridge - MIT SFS, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Room W20-473, Cambridge, MA 02139 - 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm (organized by bookaholic)
Monday, November 23: Back Bay/South End - B.Good, 131 Dartmouth St. Boston, MA 02116. - 6:30 pm - close. (organized by Kas)
Wednesday, November 25: Back Bay/South End - B.Good, 131 Dartmouth St. Boston, MA 02116. - 6:30 pm - close. (organized by SocioTom)
Saturday, November 28: 24-hour write-in, details to be determined - 6:00 am Saturday - 6:00 am Sunday.

If you're interested in sponsoring an event, please e-mail Travis at letterslight@gmail.com with your name/username, date/time of your event, street address, and other pertinent information. I'll add it to this list and put it on the NaNoBoston Calendar.

----------
Travis (tkphotog)
Official Photographer and Control Freak
Municipal Liaison (with Anna/QueenOfTheUniverse)
NaNoWriMo :: Boston / NaNoBoston

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

NaNoBoston 2009: An Overview

tkphotog — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:17:26 +0000

This is pretty much a reprint of the first big e-mail -- for reference and for folks who signed up after October 1st.

My dear Boston Wrimos!

Welcome! I’m Travis (tkphotog), and Anna (QueenOfTheUniverse) and I are pleased to be your Boston-region Municipal Liaisons (MLs), the folks who try to keep this thing rocking along smoothly. This is the 11th year of National Novel Writing Month, the unique and special writing competition with no prizes save the satisfaction of seeing your own accomplishment. Anna and I are fourth-year MLs, and thus far, every year has been better than the one before. We’re working hard behind the scenes to continue that winning streak.

What your MLs do and why (FAQs)
The Meet and Greet
Write-ins
The TGIO Party and awards (including the coveted ELMO)
The NaNoWriMo Forums (all-ages friendly)
What are Sweet Merciful Cupcakes? And who is Merlene?
Social Networking: Facebook and Twitter
The CafePress Store
Contacting your MLs

1. What we do

As Municipal Liaisons, Anna and I are here to keep things in the region on track. We’re both volunteers, doing this in our spare time, which is scarce in November, especially with “real life,” work, and trying to write 50,000 words ourselves. We act as points of contact for you, our precious wrimos, to answer questions and help take care of problems. If we don’t know the answer to your NaNo-related query, we can find out. We also find locations for the Meet and Greet and TGIO parties, find venues for write-ins, moderate the local forums, and take on other miscellaneous duties as needed.

2. The Meet-and-Greet

Every year, we hold a “Meet-and-Greet” event to let participants meet and get to know one another a little better before the writing madness begins. This year, the Meet and Greet (M&G) is tentatively scheduled to be held at the Subway sandwich shop on Boylston St. near Fenway Park (playoff schedule permitting). There will be more information as the date draws nearer. The M&G is always a lot of fun for our wrimos. We have goody bags with noveling supplies and other small items, there will be a door prize or two, and it’s a wonderful chance to mingle with people who understand why – sort of – you’re choosing to spend your month writing a novel. The M&G also marks the first appearance of the year of Merlene – more on this uniquely Boston-region phenomenon later.

This event is always a lot of fun. We will send out an announcement when the details are set, and request that you RSVP so we know how many goodie bags to make and bring.

3. Write-ins

Write-ins are the events where you get together with your fellow Wrimos to work on your books. Wrimos meet, writing implements (laptops, notebooks and pen, etc.) close at hand, and work on their novels for a couple of hours together. It sounds counterintuitive, but the creative energy generated by getting Wrimos together – even when working on your own projects – must be felt to be believed.

Prominent at write-ins are the Goal Board, where you write your word-count goal for the event. Folks who make this goal get to ring the goal bell – a great excuse to look up from your writing and clap and cheer for their accomplishment. Our regional mascot, Elmo, will be there to cheer us on.

These events are really a lot of fun: the more the merrier, as the cliché goes.

Most write-ins are two hours long. Our first write-in, though, in the finest regional tradition, will be an extended-length event on November 1st (tentatively five hours, subject to change). We’ll be meeting at the Barnes & Noble booksellers in Kenmore Square in a large room on the sixth floor.

This year, we’re following our weekly pattern of hosting one write-in on weekends (Sunday afternoons) and one during the work week (Thursday evenings). We’re working on scheduling these events as I type; they will be posted on the regional calendar as they are set.

One of the great things about this region is how well our wrimos work together. Sometimes, folks can’t make it to the official events, or enjoy the experience so much they decide to take the initiative and sponsor unofficial write-ins of their own. If that sounds like fun, please give it a whirl! All we ask is that you let us know, so we can add it to our Google Calendar (we’ll link to this on the forums before the month begins) and publicize it in our weekly e-mails. Oh, and please don't schedule your events on a Sunday afternoon or Thursday evening, when the official write-ins are scheduled.

4. TGIO and Awards
Every year, at the TGIO (Thank God It's Over) party, we present several awards to exceptional wrimos from our region. Our largest and most coveted award is the Excellence in Literary Monthly Overachievement (ELMO) award, which comes complete with an ELMO doll and a certificate. Other awards are given to wrimos who have done something exceptionally extraordinary over the course of the month -- so, do something amazing and we might reward you for it! Details on the TGIO will be posted during November.

5. The forums

The most active and frequently-visited part of the NaNoWriMo website is the forums. Here’s where you can post items of local interest, ask questions, boast about passing 50k (the Purple Bar club), etc. We do request that posters keep in mind that we have wrimos of all ages on our local forum, so please, keep the topics clean and don’t use profanity. Outside of the local forums, there are a multitude of forums about anything conceivable -- everything from alien sex (tentacle porn) to technology questions (MAC vs. PC) to bragging rights. But be careful: Forums are a marvelous way to waste time and forget what you’re here to do -- WRITE.

6. Sweet Merciful Cupcakes? Merlene?

What is a sweet merciful cupcake?

Two years ago, when confronted with several insurmountable obstacles to effective noveling, Irascible (who is really not) lamented to all who would listen: “Oh sweet merciful cupcakes, this is not going as planned!!!” The phrase caught the fancy of her fellow wrimos, so last year, it became our region’s unofficial motto. It also won her 2007’s coveted Excellence in Monthly Literary Overachievement (ELMO) award.

And then there is Merlene.

I’m a storyteller, and one of the stories that caught the imaginations – and tickled the funny bones – of the wrimos last year was the story of Merlene, the One-Heeled Drag Queen of Waxacatchie County. It’s a ghost story with a twist. It takes gentle persuasion to tease the story out of me, but it’s sort of a staple of Boston region events.

I’m pleased to announce that Merlene will make appearances periodically at the M&G, write-ins, and the TGIO party this year.

7. Social Networking: Twitter and Facebook

We now have a Facebook group and a Twitter account to keep you up-to-date on the day-to-day stuff without your having to go to the forums. I anticipate this will be helpful around the beginning and end of November, when the NaNoWriMo site usually is slowed down by the masses of Wrimos trying to get online simultaneously.

On Twitter, you can find us under the username NaNoBoston09 (http://twitter.com/NaNoBoston09). Twitter will mostly be used for announcements, upcoming events, and sending out daily writing prompts.

You can find our Facebook group at the following URL: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=136998819769 – or search for “NaNoBoston” in groups. Daily announcements might mirror those on Twitter, though the group page has a wall you can post on as well.

8. Our CafePress Store

Last year, we set up the NaNoBoston CafePress store to peddle “Sweet Merciful Cupcake” merchandise. This year, we’ve expanded our store to include both Merlene and NaNoBoston 2009 Logo gear as well. If you’ve ever wanted to buy a travel mug, messenger bag, and T-shirt proclaiming that you’re part of NaNoBoston 2009, here’s the place to get them.

All proceeds from sales go to defray costs associated with putting on events in the Boston region.

9. Contacting your Municipal Liaisons

For anything else, Anna and I are here to help. You can contact us through the NaNoWriMo website contact form or via NaNoMail. We always reply within 24 hours, and often, much sooner. If we don’t know the answer, we can find out, so please feel free to contact us.

Respectfully,

Travis (tkphotog)
Co-ML (with QueenOfTheUniverse)
United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston
Official Photographer and Control Freak
----------
Travis (tkphotog)
Official Photographer and Control Freak
Municipal Liaison (with Anna/QueenOfTheUniverse)
NaNoWriMo :: Boston / NaNoBoston

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Woburn area

JulianneTK — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:31:05 +0000

Besides Sandy and I, is anyone else in the Woburn/Winchester/Burlington area?
----------

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

ML Appreciation Day!

theHPbee — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:17:31 +0000

It's ML Appreciation Day! So, just letting you know, QueenOfTheUniverse and tkphotog, we appreciate you! Thanks for being awesome!
----------

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Fuzzy and warm inspiration

Sarah E. Biglow — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:07:16 +0000

So I took yesterday off from writing. But today, I got my NaNo hoodie in the mail and I'm super excited to get writing (why oh why did Civ Pro have to have a quiz today???). And I plan on wearing it the write-ins I attend for good luck. Just wanted to share that the merch this year, rocks!
----------
NaNo '05: Love, Rebecca Lynn (50,100)
NaNo '06: The Keymaster's Apprentice (50,500)
NaNo '07: The House of Jacob (65,715)
NaNo '08: El baile de la gitana (50,051)
NaNo '09: Ferry Me Home (??,???)

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

MIT WriMos

bookaholic — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:12:04 +0000

So, anyone else braving the firehose in search of literary glory? I tried to organize MIT write-ins lack year, but no one responded. This year I'm hoping that getting the word out earlier will help. I'd really like to have a midnight kickoff party (Halloween costumes optional), but even if you know you can't make that, please post here so I know you're out there.
----------
2005: Deathspell
2006: Out of Luck
2007: Ladies of the Court
2008: Teatro
2009: untitled

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Nov. 08 write-in: Watertown Free Library

tkphotog — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:18:13 +0000

When: November 08, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Where: Watertown Free Library, 123 Main St, Watertown, MA 02472

The Watertown Free Library is a favorite location for write-ins. We have reserved the Lucia Mastrangelo Meeting Room for our write-in; it has two walls of glass that bring in the light. Each table has two built-in electrical outlets, making it perfect for setting up with laptops.

Watertown Library policy states that you can have beverages in the room, but that they must be in containers with lids/caps. No food is allowed.

Getting here: Google Maps provides driving, walking, and public transit directions to any location in Boston; please click on the map link above for detailed directions.

Legalese: Neither National Novel Writing Month, NaNoBoston, or the Watertown Free Library is responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced property. Please keep an eye on your valuables.

----------
Travis (tkphotog)
Official Photographer and Control Freak
Municipal Liaison (with Anna/QueenOfTheUniverse)
NaNoWriMo :: Boston / NaNoBoston

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

anyone from JP?

rastapopoulis — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:04:15 +0000

Howdy, fiction guy here... though I'd see if any follow JP'ers were along for the ride.
----------

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Event photos posted

tkphotog — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:37:44 +0000

Every year, I make an effort to document our events. I think it's fun to be able to go back and see what we've done, where we've been, and remember the good times.

Photos from NaNoBoston09 are posted in this Flickr group. Photos from National Novel Writing Events worldwide are also posted in a Flickr pool.

Photos will also be posted to Facebook once I have the time to upload them (recent interface changes have broken the applet I use to batch upload ... drat!)

Please visit and enjoy! (And comment if you recognize yourself but I didn't get your name right!)

Cheers,
Travis
----------
Travis (tkphotog)
Official Photographer and Control Freak
Municipal Liaison (with Anna/QueenOfTheUniverse)
NaNoWriMo :: Boston / NaNoBoston

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

For those of you using Macs

Pikagirl — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:14:47 +0000

I received an email from MacHeist this morning. They're giving NaNo participants a nice little set of gifts at their web site: http://www.macheist.com for free. I hope folks find it fun and/or helpful.

Enjoy. ;)

----------
Pika
"I can juggle verbs, adverbs and nouns, I can make them dance 'till they all fall down." - Jimmy Buffett

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Heyyyyyy college students (particularly Bridgewater State, but whatever you are)

dontpanicllama — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:40:50 +0000

Hi! I don't know many college students that are able to fit NaNoWriMo into their busy schedules, and I was hoping to meet other people who have! Just talk and see if anyone has completed the 50,000 word goal. I know I didn't even get close last year! Thanks guys, and nice to meet you!

Sam =]
----------

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Satellite Saturdays at MITSFS

bookaholic — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:08:40 +0000

I already posted about this in the MIT and Cambridge forums, but I'm reposting the details here in case anyone else is in the area and can make it.

I will be hosting write-ins from 3-5 PM on the first three Saturdays in November at the MIT Science Fiction Society (MITSFS). The address is 84 Mass Ave, and you can find it on Google Maps here.

Directions: From the Central Square T station, go south on Mass Ave. The MIT campus begins at Vassar Street; a little further down Mass Ave, there is a crosswalk in front of a domed building with columns. On the opposite site of the street is a squarish building surrounded by bike racks, with a sign on the side facing the street that says Julius Adams Stratton Center. Inside, take the elevator to the fourth floor. MITSFS is in room W20-473. The floor is laid out in a figure 8 pattern, with the elevators in the middle and MITSFS at the back of one of the loops. The MITSFS web site, mitsfs.mit.edu, has links to a campus map and a floor plan. If you get lost, you can either ask anyone on campus how to get to the student center or call MITSFS at 617-258-5126.

Note: While the building is open to the public and many Science Fiction Society members are not MIT students, the library itself is only open when a keyholder is present. I'm the keyholder on duty from 3 to 5 on Saturdays, and barring last-minute cancellations, there will be another keyholder in the library for at least two hours before that. However, since no one is scheduled for hours after mine, I will probably have to kick everyone else out when I leave. Also, there are a number of chairs but not much table space, and while food is permitted, it should be kept away from the books.
----------
2005: Deathspell
2006: Out of Luck
2007: Ladies of the Court
2008: Teatro
2009: untitled

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Adding Writing Buddies

JulianneTK — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:39:45 +0000

Hi, all
Sorry to clutter up forums, but I cannot remember how to add Writing Buddies to my list. Can anyone give my memory a jog, please??? Thank you very much!
----------

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

do you need hot chocolate?

Pikagirl — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:06:50 +0000

or green tea or coffee or whatever?

I'll be at the cafe in the Borders at Chestnut Hill today (Friday) from 3-5 if anyone wants to join me. My little black MacBook, Pikachu and I will hopefully be able to get back on track after a couple of days off. :)

----------
Pika
"I can juggle verbs, adverbs and nouns, I can make them dance 'till they all fall down." - Jimmy Buffett

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

B.Good = Quite Good

jailaheyn — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:47:31 +0000

...so good that I not only met my posted goal of 8000 before putting the pen down, but according to the word count when I finally got home and typed it up, I over shot it by over 400 words!

*ding*

*dives back in to reach new goal before bedtime of 6AM*

Jaila
----------
2005 - Five Town
2006 - The Shadow Kin
2007 - ConFusion
2008 - Team Phoenix
2009 - Speechless
New to Boston, but not to Nano! Staying alive for year numbah five!

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Satellite Wednesdays at b.good

SocioTom — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:57:26 +0000

Hello Everyone!

Over the past few years, I've been making it a habit to head over to the b.good located next to the Back Bay MBTA station on a weekly basis in November. They have good burgers, good seating, and good plug locations. Which is to say nothing of the friendly staff (who like to try to guess what we're up to).

After talking with a few people and checking the events calendar, I've decided that I'll be heading over there on Wednesdays this year. I get out of work at 6, so I'm going to plan on getting there about 6:30 and closing them down.

You are all welcome to join me. I tend to sit to the right of the doors, and this year I'll be primarily using my little Acer netbook (which is covered in Nano stickers). If I don't have that, I'll have my full laptop (which is also covered in Nano stickers. I'm kind of a Nano Nerd, I suppose). Either way, I like to believe I'm a fairly difficult person to miss.

Hope to see you there!

PS - I am fully aware that our first Thursday write-in will be at that very same b.good, but they have enough burgers to totally make it worth it. I will simply be there two days in a row.
----------
-Tom-
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~ Groucho Marx
07: The Mists of Nerrivick
08: Divine
09: Late Fees

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Cambridge wrimos

judegriffin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:41:00 +0000

Any interest in meeting either at 8 am or around lunch time at the Whole Foods, River Street location for some quick writing (30-60 mins)?

jude
----------

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Calling all Boston Teens!

QueenOfTheUniverse — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:23:05 +0000

I heard there were some teens looking for a place to work on their novel. Yes? Well, I'm one of the teen librarians at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. I'm hoping there are some awesome teens in the city looking to write a novel this November!

I made a post over on the Young Writer's Program forums, so this is largely for those who are participating in YWP, HOWEVER, if you are between the ages of 13 and 18 and are looking for a place to write, don't hesitate to spend time in the teen room at your local library, even if you're not participating in the YWP. I would still love to see you guys!

Here's the link to the other two posts I made:
YWP Middle School Forums - http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/node/620820
YWP High School Forums - http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/node/620821

If you’re interested in events happening in the teen room at the library and are likely to attend, please let me know! (You can do so either in person, or right here in this thread, or in the YWP forums.)

Keep in mind this is NOT for adults! TEENS ONLY!!!

Here’s the schedule, in all its glory:

We've got a Meet and Greet planned for October 20, 2009 from 5pm-6pm. We'll have free food and free goodie bags filled with awesome stuff! This is the event where you can get to know other young novelists in your area and talk about your books. If you haven't got a plot together yet, or you're a little unsure of it, come on in and we'll see if we can help you!

After the Meet and Greet we'll have one write-in a week. Tuesdays from 5pm-7pm. This is the time when you can hang out with other writers while you work on your novel, bounce ideas off each other, and make your word count soar! There will also be one additional write-in on the last day of the month for those of you who may need to catch up or just want the fun of crossing the finish line with company.

Of course, this is not the only time you're allowed in the library to work on your novels. Feel free to come in anytime with your notebook, laptop, or stone and chisel. Oh... would you prefer an ink pot with a feather quill? Bring it in! As long as it helps you write your novel in the way that you're most comfortable, that's totally fantastic with us!

And last, but not least, is our TGIO party, otherwise known as Thank Goodness It's Over! This will be held on December 1, 2009 from 5pm-6pm. Once again, there will be free food, and plenty of time to share parts of your novel with others and see how your month went. Did I mention the prizes? But of course! There will be prizes to give out to anyone who attended write-ins. And perhaps, if anyone stood out of the crowd, there just might be some extra special prizes.

To summarize, the schedule looks like this:
Meet and Greet: October 20, 2009 5pm-6pm
Write-In: November 3, 2009 5pm-7pm
Write-In: November 10, 2009 5pm-7pm
Write-In: November 17, 2009 5pm-7pm
Write-In: November 24, 2009 5pm-7pm
Extra Special Write-In: November 30, 2009 2pm-5pm
TGIO Party: December 1, 2009 5pm-6pm

Once again, let me know if you’re planning to attend any of these events, as I’d love to know how many to expect so I don’t skimp on food or anything! The more people we get the awesomer it’ll be!

----------
---
Queen Anna
Queen of EdMo
www.nanoedmo.net
Boston co-ML with Travis

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Howdy All!

SocioTom — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:37:53 +0000

It's 2009, it's October 2, and that means that it's time to start obsessing about Nano (naturally. Why else would you be reading this?).

I, for one, would like to get to know everyone, and I find these forums are a great place to start.

To be fair, I'll start with myself. I'm Tom, and this is my third year doing Nano (and hopefully it'll be my third year winning). This is probably the most excited I've been about it yet, and I'm really looking forward to the month of shared insanity. I also have a basic idea of what I want to write about, though I do lack a plot, storylines, settings, and characters.

But, hey, that's never stopped me before!

Okay, that's enough about me. In the words of Pete Townshend: Who are you?
----------
-Tom-
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~ Groucho Marx
07: The Mists of Nerrivick
08: Divine
09: Late Fees

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Inman/Union Square peeps?

jhereg69 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:15:56 +0000

I attribute part of my NaNoWriMo success last year (my first in 5 attempts) to actually attending Write-Ins, both unofficial and official. Hoping to continue this success, and shamelessly ripping off Brandon's post, I'm calling you out, people in Inman or Union Square.

Keeping in mind that the official Write-Ins are awesome, thanks to all the hard work Anna and Travis put in, we definitely don't want to have conflicting Write-Ins. This means we'll want to avoid the days of official Write-Ins (typically, Sundays and Thursdays, but we'll know for sure when the schedule comes out), but that leaves us 5 other days we can work with.

Last year, a few of us braved the weather to put some time aside toward writing. We mostly tried:
Bloc 11, in Union Square (power outlets and tables made this a pretty good place to write on a weeknight; I seem to recall that they closed earlier than I would have expected)
The Sherman Cafe, in Union Square (the power outlets can be tricky to get to, but we figured it out in the end; a Saturday morning Write-In here helped me engineer my most productive day)
1369 Coffee House in Inman Square (a bit cramped, the people- and firetruck- watching was a bit distracting, although that was probably just me)

Other places in the area that may work:

The Thirsty Scholar for a weekend morning write-in
The Biscuit, probably another for a weekend morning, since I seem to recall they close early-ish
Cambridge Public Library, Broadway satellite branch?
Darwin's Ltd.

Chime in with suggestions, and I hope to see you in November.

Jose
----------

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Arlington?

Filaughn — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:48:41 +0000

Anyone else from Arlington on here? I'm close enough to Cambridge I can get there pretty easily but was wondering if anyone else local was doing NaNo!
----------

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Allston/Brighton Wrimos

bschory — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:23:57 +0000

Hey Everybody!

So last year we had a lot of success is setting up unofficial* (you're welcome Travis) write-ins out in the Allston/Brighton area. It was a nice way to add another day or so of the week where you can get together with other Wrimos, feed off of the creative energy, vent frustration about sticky plot points, and best of all boost your word count.

With the relaunch of the site, and another month of NaNo craziness fast approaching, let's try to figure out who's in the area and where and when we might be able to do some, again UNOFFICIAL*, write ins.

A couple things to keep in mind:

Our MLs put in a lot of time and effort to make November an amazing time for Wrimos in Boston. As such, we all should really put in the effort to attend the events they plan. The official NaNoBoston09 schedule should be along soon, and until we know what they have planned, let's just throw out ideas. After we know the official plans, we can choose a time that works for a bunch of people and doesn't conflict with the official events. :-)
Not all Wrimos are 21+. While I rather like writing at some of my neighborhood bars, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea (or pint of beer in this case), not to mention the age issue. If we do set up an unofficial* write-ins at a bar, we should also plan some unofficial* write-ins at places that anyone get in to.

So drop in here, say hi, and throw out some ideas for good times and places in Allston/Brighton you'd like to write at.

Cheers,

- B

=-----=

*Unofficial, as in not at all the responsibility or under the direction of our wonderful MLs. This is important. Again, these write-ins are not the responsibility of the MLs in any way. Let's face it, their life is crazy enough that month without having to facilitate a dozen or so neighborhood based write-ins on top of everything they do for the region as a whole.
----------

NaNo '08: Glitch (51,016)
=-------=
Brandon N. Schory
Extant Muser
Boston, MA
www.BrandonSchory.com

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

mostly flying solo...

Black_Magic — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:39:56 +0000

I've found one proposed write-in that's near me, and I wish I could attend some others. But--and does anyone else have this worry?--I'm really reluctant to spend valuable time in transit to get somewhere to do something that I'm already doing on a tight schedule in my apartment anyway. But I'd really like to meet some people, so I feel kinda stuck either way.

Anyone else flying solo?
----------

United States :: Massachusetts :: Boston

Hub Comics!

irascible — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:54:12 +0000

In the spirit of NaNoWriMo, this waited until the last possible effing second... ;)

We are a GO for writing during the evening at Hub Comics (Bow St in Union Square, Somerville), any Tuesday of this month that we so choose.

I am honestly probably too tired to make it out there tonight, though I might head over for a little while around 7:30 or 8.

However, everyone else should certainly feel free to go hang out!

I will bump this post again on weeks that I'll be going for sure. :)
----------
-Vivienne
The Great Geek American Novel 2009
Sponsor me as I run for charity! - Santa Speedo Run - Jolly Jaunt 5K