Hi, I'm Brian. I am from St.Charles and this will be my first NaNoWriMo.

Hoping to kick that nasty disease called procrastination and finallycranking out that novel -I am looking to do a scifi/fantasy story. When I'm not writing I work in the IT industry and also spend too much time worryingabout the Cubs :)

I am planning on going to the potluck on Saturday. Looking forward to meeting all of you.

B

Sign you've got too much going on? Can't recall introducing yourself.

I'm Kelly Duff and it was great meeting so many of you yesterday. I am based in Elmhurst, so if any of you are close-by let me know and we can meet for a few write in's. I am really looking forward to November 1st! Good luck to all of you.

Kelly, I am also in Elmhurst, when I am not at my desk Downtown.

Hi,

I'm Lynne and this is my 3rd try for NanoWriMo success. I am very motivated this year. Hoping we are all winners in 2013!

Hi, I'm Lisa, aka TogetherAgain. This will be my third NaNoWriMo, hopefully my third win, and maybe, MAYBE, I'll even manage to actually finish the STORY, instead of just getting 2/3 of the way through the plot and then never touching it again after November 30th... like I've done the past two years. (Oops.)

I write on that fuzzy line between Children's and Young Adult fiction, usually kinda-sorta-Fantasy-ish, or at least in a completely made-up setting, mostly because I don't like looking up real places/time periods. Much better to completely break my brain figuring out a whole new geography, culture, political structure... Yeah, that's totally way more productive, right?

I love write-ins, and I'm not afraid to drive for them... which is good, because I'm still driving from Gurnee. Little things like schedules, the price of gas, and rush-hour traffic prevent me from attending as many write-ins as I would like, but considering it's usually an hour's drive for me each way... I'll still be coming to more write-ins than most people would probably deem "reasonable."I'm weird that way. Plus, I could use the inspiration this year, because I'm feeling unmotivated and I'mpantsing it way more than I have in the past. I thought I was going in without a plot LAST year? This year I've got a character and two vague settings. Well, maybe a few characters. And I'll just sort of throw 'em together and see what happens. Hopefully something will. But I picked out the perfect notebook and bought some new pens, so how bad can it be?

Hello. I am Tim P. This is my sixth NaNoWriMo. In 'real life' I am a Civil Engineer, husband to a wonderfully supportive wife, andfather to a fifth grade boy and triplet first grade girls. This year I am going to try something a little different and instead of a Novel I am going to try and write 'memoir'. It will be about my children and experiences as a father. For years I have been jotting down anecdotes and ideas and want to get some of them written down before they fade from memory. I checked the rules and fictionalized memoir is allowable and given the state of my memory this will be a highly fictionalized work.

Between family and kid activities and my wife's activities I find it very hard to attend write-ins, but I really hope to get to a few this year. My usually writing time is after the kids go to bed and household chores are done and I struggle to get the word count in and stay awake, but have gotten 4-5000 words in during a weekend afternoon at a write-in.

Good luck to everyone and have fun!

Hi, my name is Lindsay. This is my first NaNo that I've actively participated in. I've always wanted to, but found it difficult to find time between work and my daily commute (I get motion sick, so no writing on the train/bus). Since I have a pretty good outline/storyboard set up in advance, I'm determined to find the time this year.

I've always liked to write, anything from teen romance, to fantasy, to fiction. This year I plan on finishing a story idea I've had since pretty much High School.

More about me... Originally from Michigan, I live in Bolingbrook (moved from Naperville about two years ago). I live with my husband and Pembroke Welsh Corgi. I'm a Property Manager for a commercial high rise in Chicago.. so my long workday will probably keep me participating in any weekday write-ins (unless they fall on a random day off). I'll try to make it out for the weekend ones.

Good luck to all, and hopefully I get a chance to meet some of you. :)

Hello! My name is Natalia or La Maria Rose. This is my first year participating in nanowrimo, and I'm really excited to join! I'm also doing a play for my local college, so I don't knowhow much I'll actually be able to write but my hope is for this to reset my writing drive so I can get back to actively writing the millions of stories floating around in my head.

I hope to learn a lot from the experience and improve my writing which is still very green.

wink568 wrote:Hi, my name is Lindsay. I'm a Property Manager for a commercial high rise in Chicago.. so my long workday will probably keep me participating in any weekday write-ins (unless they fall on a random day off). I'll try to make it out for the weekend ones.

Good luck to all, and hopefully I get a chance to meet some of you. :)

You might want to look at the Chicago Region's write-ins as well. (You can go to theirs even though you're affiliated with us) if you're looking for something nearer work.

I be here again! It's Ky, and I need to figure out how to load pidgin on this new Chromebook. Tim? Help??

This will be my 4th NaNo, and while I'm in Texas, my heart beats true forNaperNaNo! There's no other region with a better group of misfits. Gonna do a different genre this year - dystopian Christian story, I think. I may work on 2 books during this session, the second will be a Christian devotional book. Don't worry, I'm still as corrupted as ever. Wish I could have made it to the kick off, but there's still hope for the TGIO.

Some of you know how I love my critters. Sadly, Scrap, a cat, who was my faithful companion and namesake passed away at the end of September after 15 great years of life. There will be a black cat appearing in my stories, and if you'd like to honor her memory, I'd love to hear how you might incorporate her even if you end up cutting that bit out. If I make the TGIO, there will be a black and orangeBeanie Baby cat in the picture!

Just keep your word count separate for the bit you write in November, and it counts. Only words added in November...guidelines...Squid don't make me come up there! LOL

Claire here. I am, sadly, no longer in the Naperville region, but it's where I got my start. It therefore has a special place in my heart.

scrapacat wrote:I be here again! It's Ky, and I need to figure out how to load pidgin on this new Chromebook. Tim? Help??

This will be my 4th NaNo, and while I'm in Texas, my heart beats true forNaperNaNo! There's no other region with a better group of misfits. Gonna do a different genre this year - dystopian Christian story, I think. I may work on 2 books during this session, the second will be a Christian devotional book. Don't worry, I'm still as corrupted as ever. Wish I could have made it to the kick off, but there's still hope for the TGIO.

Some of you know how I love my critters. Sadly, Scrap, a cat, who was my faithful companion and namesake passed away at the end of September after 15 great years of life. There will be a black cat appearing in my stories, and if you'd like to honor her memory, I'd love to hear how you might incorporate her even if you end up cutting that bit out. If I make the TGIO, there will be a black and orangeBeanie Baby cat in the picture!

Very sorry to hear about Scrap, Ky.

It's exciting to hear, though, there is a chance you can make the TGIO! That would be terrific!

CD0189 wrote:Claire here. I am, sadly, no longer in the Naperville region, but it's where I got my start. It therefore has a special place in my heart.

And as an Editor of a Journey Anthology, you definitely have a special place in ours! Great to hear from you, Claire. Hope you'll be interacting with us on Jabber and in the forums...

--Tim

I'll certainly try! I'll have to set up Jabber again (and remember my login info). :-D

Hi there everyone! This is my first year at Nano. I'm surprised, cause I have a degree in journalism with a minor in fiction writing! Why haven't I done this sooner! I love challenges and deadlines, so I'm stoked to do this!

Thanks, Tim. She's keeping my Mom company now! I do hope I can make the TGIO!

Hello, I'm Joe! I've done Nanowrimo every year since 2003 except 2005. Last year, though was the first year I failed to hit 50K. This year, I'm out for revenge. Literary experience and revenge! I work in sci-fi/fantasy with a humorous bent, inspired by books like the Discworlds and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This year, I'll be working on the fourth novel of a series I started in Nano of 2010; I'm also trying to revise the first one and find an agent/publisher.

Hola,

I'm John (john_csy). This is my second time participating in NaNoWrimo--the other was in 2010. Nothing published, but I have several unpublished and almost done and unpublished sitting on my shelf. Good luck to everyone!

John

Hi, All!

Stacy, aka Nitrocat here. My first Nano was in '09. In '10 I tried writing, but due to a family emergency, didn't get far. For the last two years, I have served as support staff for my two girls as they wrote in the YWP. This year, they are finally writing and typing on their own, which frees me up to participate once again. The good thing about sitting idle for a couple of years is that my 2010 novel has been burning a hole in my brain and I am more than ready to write!

I'm Mike Manolakes, also known as horatio, and this is my eighth NaNoWriMo. This past year, I retired after thirty-five years teaching in Naperville District 203, and I also made my first professional sale as a fiction writer (you can read my historical fiction short story, "Guarding the Henhouse", on readshortfiction.com).

This year, I've vowed to complete the series I began in 2006 with my first NaNo novel, "Variation Seven". This year's novel, tentatively titled "Final Variation" may (or may not) tie up with a nice big bow all the loose plot threads from my seven previous novels. We'll see.

Hello! I'm Linda, and this is my fourth NaNoWriMo. I started almost half way through November, 2010, after seeing a blurb in the Naperville Public Library newsletter about a write-in. I didn't "win" that year, but I did finish in both 2011 and 2012. This year, I probably won't get to 50k, I'm swamped at work, and I'll be out of the country during Thanksgiving week. But I will give it a brave attempt! As the clock struck midnight this morning, I started typing...96 words...not much, but it's a start!

Happy NaNo-ing, everone!

Hello! I'm Linda, and this is my fourth NaNoWriMo. I started almost half way through November, 2010, after seeing a blurb in the Naperville Public Library newsletter about a write-in. I didn't "win" that year, but I did finish in both 2011 and 2012. This year, I probably won't get to 50k, I'm swamped at work, and I'll be out of the country during Thanksgiving week. But I will give it a brave attempt! As the clock struck midnight this morning, I started typing...96 words...not much, but it's a start!

Happy NaNo-ing, everone!

Hi! I'm Gabrielle, a.k.a. Brielle a.k.a Gigi a.k.a. Gabe a.k.a. anything that you want that ISN'T Gabby. I'm new to NaNo this year, but I'm really excited and have already told anyone who will listen to promote NaNo. I'm a proud fangirl and a fanatic of tea. I'm a high school sophomore, but I've already become head of my school newspaper's Opinion page and participate in both our book club and literary magazine. I'm shy but pretty easy to talk to, and I love giving pep talk and brainstorming with others. (Some of my best ideas come when I'm trying to help a friend!) Talk to me anytime, I might be a little late but I'll always respond.

HEY everyone! AJ Here!! I am really pumped for this NanoWrimo. I technically finished the 50K word count or whatever it was last year, but never finished my story. I continued working on it throughout the year, though less focused, and got to about 130 words total, still not finished. This will be my second Nano, and I'm going to use this energy to finish this story finally! I guess technically you are supposed to start a new novel but oh well, i have unfinished busines lol. i'll be doing it in a new word file to keep track of words. I'm so excited!!

Were you at NNHS by any chance? My brother-in-law teaches there :)

Hello - this is my first Nano, but my novel idea has been in my head for years and I've started writing it a few times. I hope that this will finally shake the words loose and make me finally get this story out. This looks like a great place for encouragement and ideas.

I taught at Maplebrook Elementary.

Hi, I'm Holly. I've been writing since childhood, but became serious about it probably a decade or more ago and have constantly worked toward honing my craft. I write dark fantasy and horror with some small side jaunts into dystopian worlds (though only as short stories). I'm a novelist at heart. I'm a graduate of Odyssey (it's like the Clarion of the east coast in beautiful New Hampshire), class of 2012, which is a six-week writing workshop for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers. It's an intensive sort of bootcamp. This past July, I went back for a master's class on subtext, which was a great time. I'm a Naperville native. I came in late to Nanowrimo last year, working on the same novel, and am using this not so much to finish the novel, but to get past a particular section that I've been getting stuck at. Looking forward to knowing you!

Hi!

I'm Robin and (due to school resuming and marching band taking up basically all my time) I haven't really found the time to really start the NaNo process but I'm jumping in with it again this year, hoping for a win!

November will be crazy for me (a trip to New York for marching, and the week after is tech week for a play I'm in), so if you do see me, it will be in the latter half of the month.

Good luck to every one! :)

Ah! Cool. I'm a band director in Plainfield. We have a lot of teachers in the area in our family :)

Hey there!

I'm Sahi, and this is my first year trying my hand at NaNoWriMo-is it terrible that I'm a little nervous? In all seriousness, however, I'm really excited to be participating in such a huge and creative event!

I like to write short stories, mostly, but for this month, I'm going to try extending one that I feel warrants more detail and more of a plotline. The novel I'm writing is called Game of Fire and it's a sort of dystopian/science fiction novel set in the future, and it revolves around a man named Alex Reeder-that's really all I can say without giving a lot away!

I like to read a lot of classic literature-F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Oscar Wilde are my favorites, and my favorite books include The Importance of Being Earnest, The Beautiful and the Damned, Heart of Darkness, and L'Etranger.

I'm Ri (slrphebos) and I lurk here as this is the closest region to me, but my home region is the Chicago one. I been trying to figure out if I ought to move into this one or not. This is now my 6th NaNo and I love this event. Between Camp and regular NaNo I'm getting a lot of first drafts done and then on the off months I been doing second drafts and just general edits. My only genre I have done for NaNo is romance and I love my romance novels. Something about a love story ending happy when my life couldn't be further from it helps me keep a positive outlook and hope that one day I get my own happy ending. I do expect to win this year and currently trying to finish in 11 days to beat my fastest time from last year's NaNo. A little insane, but awesome. always think and dream big ^^.

I work as a C.N.A. and most of the time I love my job and there are days I wish I had chosen something different. I am trying to get published, but have not found a way I like just yet. Free time is spent playing quite a bit of World of Warcraft (oh how that game owns me sometimes), sew (regular clothes and cosplays), attend conventions, and watch my little pony (yay for fluttershy!).

The NaNo story for this year is actually a complete rewrite of a first draft that I been trying to complete since the beginning of the year. As things fell apart while working on my own I knew I had to do it for NaNo so I could get the story done. The characters are in a position I know very well so I think that is going to be a big help. And a huge deadline always helps as well lol. I am hoping to make some of the Glen Elleyn meet ups if my work schedule allows for it.

yeeeeeeah. Hi.

I'm Wren. This is actually my first official NaNo. Fancee.

I'm 26. Currently living in "the weird house on the street" in Wheaton. I work with emotionally disturbed elementary school children. I have three cats and a 15foot tree named Eleanore. She lives in my living room.

I have a BFA in screenwriting from NYU. It broke my prose.

I'm Brian. I'm a professional video game and mobile app developer, and enjoy writing as a fun hobby. I've been doing things with this group off and on for the past eight years now, and it's always been a fun time. I'm originally from central Illinois inBloomington, but I made the move up to the Naperville area about 9 years ago.

I enjoy writing silly novels, and have come up with 5 full 1st drafts with the help of Nano, and this year I'm breaking the trend by working on a 2nd draft for one of those manuscripts instead, since Nano seems to be the only time of the year I can be really productive. I have two kind of silly short stories published through The Journey, and hopefully I'll have a full book published by early next year if I succeed this Nano.

I've got a personal website that I really badly need to update, but it has information and/or links tomost of the games I've worked on. Here: http://www.briancable.com

I'm Liz and this is my third year participating. I just moved to the Naperville area and was thrilled to find such a supportive and active writing community.

I write mostly fantasy and science fiction (or some strange mish-mash of the two), but this year I am trying my hand at a young adult fantasy set in Japan. Not my first choice, but it seems to be going much better than the other plots I worked up!

Oh, the cat in my avatar does spend most of her time on my lap during the month of November. She's found that it is the easiest way to get my attention.

Hi there, I'm Sue (NanoSue is my ID) and this is the second year I've tried NaNoWriMo. Even if I don't complete the 50K, I'm doing better than I did last year. It is getting me to sit down and write. (That said, I'm not giving up yet on 50K.) My novel is probably "gentle fiction". Glad to be here and I wish everyone well. . .

Hi! I'm Lauren, actually from Schaumburg ( a bit far from you guys) but I have yet to find a NaNo forum for my hometown yet.. I've tried my hand at a few NaNos but never completed a novel yet. I tend to write a lot of free verse poetry. I'm going to RIT this fall.

Welcome, Lauren!

We've had members as far north as Schaumburg before; and some years folks have worked with the Schaumburg library to organize write-ins up there.

We have some preparatory workshops in October that are aimed at helping people prepare for a successful NaNo. See naperwrimo.org/events for calendar information.

Cheers,

--Tim