Regional Email Archive

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04/04/2011

11/09/2010

10/28/2010

10/04/2010

9/21/2010

6/24/2010

2009 Emails

[NaNoWriMo :: Chicago] Congrats and call for 2011 ML's!

Congratulations Chicago WriMos for our awesome victory in the 2010 NaNoWriMo Book Drive! Thanks to your hard work, volunteering, and your extremely generous donations, we're thrilled to announce that the Chicago Region placed 2nd in the Book Drive, collecting more than 7,000 books! I know you're wondering, "But what do we get out of this?" PRIZES! That's right, shiny, shiny prizes for our region!

• OLL Party in a Box! (AKA a rockin' kick-off party this November!)

• A Skype call during our party from the NaNo HQ folks, to make sure everyone’s having fun!

• A song written by OLL Tech Team Dan Duvall and Jezra Lickter about our region’s heroic achievement!

And many more!

We're so proud of everyone in our region who contributed their unwanted and duplicate books to this drive... thank you so much on behalf of all of us and the folks at NaNo HQ! But wait, there's more!

WE NEED ML'S FOR NANOWRIMO 2011!

That's right, we need YOUR help! Interested in helping to plan write-ins? Willing to answer questions from new and veteran WriMos? Prepared to step in and save the day during an 11th hour Writer's Block Emergency? Then consider signing up to be a Chicago Municipal Liaison!

We need a couple of people to step in as MLs this fall, as your 2010 ML Crew will be unable to serve in 2011 due to relocations, growing families, and work commitments. Never ML'ed before? No worries! Some of us can still help you from afar! Tim and Michelle will both be available to assist alongside their new ML regional duties from Rhode Island and Antarctica (respectively), including keeping the ChiWriMo site up and going, getting you to the right people to organize the big events, and assistance with any questions or snafus you’ll face along the way. With Skype and IM chat, planning knows no geographical boundaries – as evidenced by last year’s NaNo (which we mostly planned through online chat as we couldn’t align schedules to meet up in person most of the time). If you're interested, please email contact@chiwrimo.org for more information!

Congratulations and thank you again to all of you amazing ChiWriMo's!

Already plotting your totally rockin' Kick-off Party,

Tim, Kelly, Michelle, and Matt

Sent by: Tim on 04/04/2011

[NaNoWriMo :: Chicago] Week 2 - Time to Release the Plot Bunnies!

Hello to my fellow Windy City Wrimos!

How's your week two going so far? I'll tell you how mine's been...mainly, I'm behind! (And I bet a few of you are too.) Life has a pesky way of intervening and making you fall behind on your word count, even if you have the best intentions. Fear not though - you still have plenty of time to get back on track and reach 50,000 or more words by midnight on November 30th!

WRITE-INS!
We have a writing event on the calendar virtually every day of November going forward. Some are ML-hosted, some are library-hosted, and others are wrimo-hosted. Check out the calendar at the top of the forum or go to http://bit.ly/13vke3 to see it in full screen format. Don't forget, any event on the calendar with an asterisk (*) in front of the event name is an official ML-hosted event where you can receive swag stickers, donate books to the book drive and/or donate to OLL (monetarily) and receive a ChiWriMo pin. If you'd like to host a writing session in your area please check out the requests thread on the forum: http://bit.ly/bGkBFW

STATEWIDE WRITE-IN
Yes, it's back for a THIRD year! Chicago is proud to host the third annual statewide writing event at last year’s location, the Inn of Chicago (162 E. Ohio Street, Chicago, IL 60611). The venue is accessible via car, taxi, and public transit (see Google Maps for instructions for all methods of arriving). We'll have a lot going on this year, so you won't want to miss it! Here's are just some of the things you can expect: door prizes, writing sprints, a silent auction to benefit NaNoWriMo, and FOOD! This year (to save on costs), we're going potluck-style. If you are planning to attend, please leave a comment in the official statewide thread (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3843710) mentioning what you'll bring to the pot luck. ML's from Chicago will provide plates, plastic ware, napkins, and plastic cups. (And possibly some hot chocolate!) Additionally, (as mentioned before), we'll also be running a silent auction, auctioning off several items over the course of the write-i
n. Don't have the money to participate? Bring books! We'll give you $2 auction credit for every book you bring! (We'll also throw in an additional raffle ticket for door prizes for each of those books as well!) For details or questions, please email ChiWriMo at contact@chiwrimo.org.
DONATION STATION
Did you know that whenever you donate money to NaNoWriMo, you get one of those cute halos by your screen name? Did you also know ChiWriMo will give you extra (ChiWriMo pin) swag just for having one of those awesome halos? The money we (as wrimos) donate go to fund things like extra servers for site speed, staff (to send us swag and keep the site going) and more. And every year, it's a challenge for OLL (NaNo's parent organization) to meet their annual goals. That's why I need you click on this link (https://store.lettersandlight.org/) and donate! If you're strapped for cash, you can still help! (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/donatingwhenbroke). Every little bit helps, big or small! And don't forget, we're also a part of the Donation Derby - one of the many NaNo competitions going on this month. To check out our region's progress, go here: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/contest/donation_derby

SUGGESTIONS TO KEEP YOU SANE
Writing a novel is no easy task. If you find yourself losing confidence, hating your characters, getting bored with your plot, or just disliking your book in general, you should take a step back and look at the big picture. Mainly, you're writing a novel! Every ounce of your story isn't going to be guns blazing, zombie killing, kiss-to-end-all kisses, hero saves the day exciting. You have to lay the foundation for those scenes in this stretch of your novel so once you DO reach those exciting scenes, the payoff will be all the better. If you need some help in getting through this difficult week try some of these ideas that have helped other wrimos: Kill off a character. Resurrect a character from the dead. Have your family or friends all write plot twists on a piece of paper and then pull one from a hat if you need direction. I've also heard that massive amounts of chocolate and caffeine help too, but that's still just rumor.
In short, do what you need to do to keep chugging through week two and we'll see you on the other side in week three. Until then, good writing!
 

Sent by: Tim on 11/09/2010

[NaNoWriMo :: Chicago] Are you ready for November? (And Kick-off Party Details!)

Hello Chicago Region!

It's almost November! Are you ready? The 2010 NaNoWriMo site has been launched for almost a month now, and it's been great seeing all of the new and returning WriMos come back into our regional forum! In fact, WriMos are popping up all over the city of Chicago, emerging from their 11 month long hibernation and pulling out those notebooks and pens to start plotting. Why, one of our MLs ran into a fellow WriMo while dashing down the steps of the Blue Line subway to catch the train, wearing a NaNoWriMo t-shirt!

We hope you'll drop into the Chicago forum (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/22) to check out the schedule of write-ins and let us know how things are going with your last few days of planning! As your dig through your bookshelves, looking for inspiration or the answer to "how many Legos does it take to build a spaceship for my Main Character to ride off in?", consider this: do you have any books that you don't need anymore?

If you do, please consider donating them to the NANOWRIMO BOOKDRIVE! The Chicago Region is collecting books as part of this massive, international book collection, and we're hoping to raise more than 3,000 books for the cause! These books will help NaNoWriMo continue to bring us excellent forums, amazing staff, and lots of random YouTube videos from HQ.

If you have books to donate, please bring them by any of our official Write-ins (the ones with the * on the calendar) in November. Or bring them by the Kick-Off party, which will be held this Saturday, October 30, at noon at Dave and Buster's! This year, we're asking that everyone who attends the kick-off party donate ONE BOOK as an admission cost to the event! (If you can't donate a book, we do understand, but we hope that you will! Details and RSVP for the Kick-Off party: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3707846. We can't wait to see everyone and talk to you on the forums! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact any of your local MLs by email (contact@chiwrimo.org) or NaNoMail.

Happy Frantic Last-Minute Plotting!

Sent by: Tim on 10/28/2010

[NaNoWriMo :: Chicago] Welcome

Good morning, Chicago! I’m thrilled to welcome you to another fantastic year of NaNoWriMo! As many of you are aware, the new 2010 website launched over the weekend, and we’ve been busy getting it ready for your return. So what are you waiting for?

Whether you’re a returning veteran or brand new to the challenge, be sure to re-affiliate with the Chicago region, and set it as your Home Region! You can find instructions on how to do that here: http://bit.ly/hellochi

Then, go introduce yourself to your fellow ChiWriMo Writers (http://bit.ly/introchi) and browse our forums! We also have some VERY exciting things to announce this year:

1. PLANNING SESSIONS, KICK-OFF PARTY, AND WRITE-INS GALORE!

We have two planning sessions on the calendar for you, and more to come! Join us on Saturday, Oct. 9 at the Barnes & Noble at State and Jackson for a chance to sit down and work your plot tangles out with your fellow writers. Or come by on Saturday, Oct. 16 to the Borders at North and Halsted, where we’ll be focusing on those pesky characters and how to build and shape them!

There’s also our annual Kick-Off Party to look forward to! This year we’ll be partying it up at Dave & Buster’s on Clark from noon to 2 PM on October 30. You can find the full details of the event and RSVP over on the forum: http://bit.ly/chikickoff

Finally, we have dozens of write-ins already on the calendar, and more to come! Any event with a star (*) next to it means it’s an official ChiWriMo event, hosted by one of your awesome MLs! We’ll have swag present at each of these events, so be sure to get yours! You can find the full list of all write-ins and events on the front page of http://chiwrimo.org/.

2. THE 2010 BOOK DRIVE!

I’ve mentioned this before, but this is a big one, folks! This year, NaNoWriMo is hosting a massive book drive, and all of the regions will compete to collect as many books as possible… and the winning region gets some SERIOUSLY AWESOME PRIZES!

So scour those bookshelves and pull out your old, unread books! We even have special Book Drive swag to give out if you donate! We’ll have a SUPER SPECIAL grab bag for the first group of people who bring 10+ books to the Kick-off party… and anyone who donates 2+ books gets a special sticker! AND, we’re willing to come to you. That’s right, if you have more than 1 box (1 box = ~30 books), Michelle will come by to pick them up! But this offer only lasts through October, folks, so get those boxes of books together ASAP!

OR, you can drop your books off at one of our Official Drop off locations (such as Mike’s Thrift N Gift at 1105 W Berwyn Ave… be sure to knock on the door if they’re closed when you arrive)! And if you own a business and don’t mind serving as an official drop-off location and putting a Book Donation box out, please email bookdrive@chiwrimo.org to let us know!

There’s a ton more information on our website (http://www.chiwrimo.org/bookdrive.html) or the forum thread (http://bit.ly/chibooks). Or email bookdrive@chiwrimo.org with any questions!

We’re looking forward to another awesome year of novelling with you all! See you soon!

Sent by: Michelle on 10/04/2010

[NaNoWriMo :: Chicago] 2010 Book Drive Contest! (and other important reminders)

Hello ChiWriMos!

As you know, October 1 is fast-approaching, and it brings exciting things with it! The new website will launch, new WriMos will join the challenge, and old WriMos will stare at their computers in horror and wonder why they’re even contemplating attempting this madness for yet another year.

But before the madness kicks in, we wanted to shoot you an email with some VERY important things!

1. HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM NANOWRIMO EMAILS: If you're getting this email and thinking "Gee whiz, I have absolutely no desire to ever see these sort of emails in my inbox ever again!", then take note: at the bottom of this email is a direct link to unsubscribe. If that link does not work for some reason, you can log in to the NaNoWriMo website, go to "My NaNoWriMo", and from there go to "Manage Subscriptions and Notifications" where there is an option to shut off all emails.

2. THE SITE WIPE: On October 1, the website will be wiped clean of all 2009 threads. Take five minutes now to back up anything on the NaNo site that you want. If you’re looking for a thread that might help you with your 2010 novel, try doing a Google Search of the website for your topic (add site: http://www.nanowrimo.org/ to the beginning of your search).

3. THE 2010 NANOWRIMO BOOK DRIVE! This is a big one, folks: this year NaNoWriMo will be doing a MASSIVE book drive in order to raise money for NaNoWriMo and the Office of Letters and Light (OLL, NaNo’s parent organization).

We’re partnering with Better World Books to collect your gently used books throughout October and November. Our base goal is 3,000 books. Yes, with three zeroes at the end. And that’s just our minimum target!

We’ll have boxes set up at all of our planning sessions in October (dates TBA), and you can email Michelle or Kelly (ml-michelle@chiwrimo.org or ml-kelly@chiwrimo.org) if you have one or more boxes that you’d like us to come pick up! That’s right, we’ll come get the books from you! In November, all official write-ins will have boxes set up for your books as well!

In addition, we’re asking that you donate at least ONE BOOK (or, if you cannot stand to part with your beloved literature, one canned good) as an Admission Fee to our Kick-off Party (more information to come on this shortly).

But wait, you say. What’s in this for us? AWESOME PRIZES, that’s what! The region that collects the most books in the book drive will win a party, and Chris Baty and Co. will come out from NaNo HQ to host it! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!! In addition, Second and Third Place regions will win other amazing prizes and parties, and we’ll have special stickers on hand for anyone who donates.

So go look over your bookshelves. Bug your co-workers and set a box up in the lunchroom. Talk to friends, family, neighbors, complete strangers. Find the books that you no longer read, the ones you have doubles of, the books you bought for college and haven’t touched since graduation. As long as they’re in good shape, we want them!

We can’t wait to see you all at our events throughout the NaNoWriMo season. Keep an eye on the forum starting October 1 for some AWESOME events and news. Enjoy September, and good luck on your plotting!

Sent by: Michelle on 9/21/2010

[NaNoWriMo :: Chicago] Get a FREE copy of your novel in book form by June 30!

Hello ChiWriMos! Long time no talk. I hope you're all doing well since we last met in December. Enjoying the warm weather, celebrating the Blackhawks' win, hiding in your basement from tornadoes...

I wanted to bring to your attention a VERY COOL and VERY FREE and MOSTLY EASY TO USE benefit for NaNoWriMo 2009 winners. If you completed your 50,000 word novel last November, guess what? You can get a FREE copy of your novel, all bound up and pretty in actual book form! (If you didn't win in 2009, you should still read on, and save this email for that big win in 2010!)

CreateSpace is a self-publishing online system owned by Amazon.com, and they've partnered up with NaNo to offer all winners a free copy of their novel each year. Pretty sweet deal, huh? The catch, though, is that this offer expires on June 30... next week!

We want to make sure all of you take advantage of this incredible offer. What better way to show your NaNo Winner's Pride than to have a copy of your book sitting on your shelf, right next to Tolkien, Hemingway, Austen, and Stephanie Meyer.

Head on over to the "I Wrote a Novel, Now What" section of the website (http://www.nanowrimo.org/nowwhat) and get your special promo code. Then, head over to the CreateSpace NaNo site (https://www.createspace.com/nanowrimo) and follow the steps to get your printed novel mailed to you!

I've also created a step-by-step guide on "How to format and upload your CreateSpace Novel", which can be found over on our forum: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3599694.

Please don't hesitate in emailing me if you have any problems getting your novel uploaded! And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send us a picture of you with your newly-published novel once you get your copy! We'd love to have them for our website and to show at the 2010 NaNo events!

Sent by: Michelle on 6/24/2010