The events calendar NOW shows the write-in schedule for the Naperville Public Library to be:

• 1:30-4:30 pm, Sunday, 3 November - Nichols Library
• 1:30-4:30 pm, Sunday, 10 November, 95th Street Library
• 1:30-4:30 pm, Sunday, 17 November, Nichols Library
• 1:30-4:30 pm, Sunday, 24 November, 95th Street Library

This was incorrect prior to today (sorry!).

I will be hosting all of these write-ins. Come out, bring your laptop (or pen and paper) + optional extension cord/power strip. The library is okay with snacks (including snacks to share) and drinks.

We will, depending on the will of the attendees, feature:

• free writing time
• word wars / word sprints
• the Box of Doom (with its popsicle stick challenges; no, Melissa, this is not a purse of doom ;-) )
• Feed the Creative Fire (to be described below)

I will have a different color of whale eraser available for each week of write-ins and there will be a few home made squids and whales as prizes.

In place of a sign-in sheet, please populate a row on this google spreadsheet (naperwrimo.org/wordcount). We'll use this to keep track of wordcount progress.

Feed the Creative Fire

We trialed this at the Woodridge Public Library write-in yesterday to good effect. When you come in, pick up a "fire ball" (this is a strip of red paper attached to a crumpled ball of newspaper). Jot down one of the following:

• a one-sentence summary of what you intend to write (could be a scene or an event). E.g., I wrote: Briggs will be eaten by a dinosaur.
• a plot twist others might use after you
• some encouraging words

Sign your username. Then, during the write-in, when you achieve a goal or finish a difficult passage, stand and stage-whisper "Huzzah!" and throw your fire ball into the communal (and imaginary) Creative Fire in the center of the square of tables. You may then come over to me and pick out one of thirty little Muse cards to add to your idea ring.

As of today, I still have some idea rings left; if we run out and you want one, let me know and I'll make one for you. The Muses will also be prizes for the Box of Doom exercises.

Yikes -- glad I checked the thread or I would have been over at the 95th Street Library all alone!!

Thanks to everyone who came out (and apologies again for the problems with the calendar entries!). Overall, we had twenty people in attendance and averaged just under 3000 words per wrimo. Considering that a few folks had to leave early, this is pretty good (Lisa was writing by hand, so we didn't have her final wordcount).

Congratulations to Jez, Teresa and Becky for winning squid prizes; and to Kaden and Becky for Feeding the Creative Fire. Lisa picked up her Black NaNoBot from last year's 18K challenge.

Next week's NPL write-in will be down at the 95th Street Library.

I had thought that those coming to the 95th Street Library write-in Sunday, 10 November might be blocked by the Naperville Marathon, but it looks like the road closures will be only in the morning, so everything is okay

Thanks to everyone who came out today (2013-11-10)! We had fourteen people on the spreadsheet:

Five of the squid/whale/bead-dude prizes were won: Sarah, Teresa, Mary, Kaden, Mike, and Ridgely; people averaged 3010 words across the write-in. Teresa had the highest written gains: 5271 words, though Sarah (5000) and Mary (5060) were not far behind. Here are pictures from the day.

Next week (November 17th) will be at Nichols Library in downtown Naperville

I'll be at the one this week and hopefully next week. Those are the only write ins that are within 15 minutes from my house. All the rest are nearly thirty five or forty. Thanks a bunch. It sounds like fun!

For today's write-in, I have made five additional sea creatures for word war prizes:

and I have Dove's dark chocolate and dark chocolate/mint swirls for those who toss their fireballs.

I won't be making it out to Naperville after all. The weather is pretty bad already and it looks like I'd be heading further into the storm, plus I have a Cataloging exam due tonight. I might join in via the word count graph, though.

Okay, Jez. I'll be sure to join the jabber chat room to coordinate word wars.

I am planning to be there; folks who are traveling, please be careful.

From the accuweather page:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... COOK COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS... DUPAGE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS... EASTERN KENDALL COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS... NORTHERN WILL COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS... SOUTHEASTERN KANE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS... SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 330 PM CST

* AT 1139 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN CHICAGO METRO AREA AND MORE SET TO MOVE INTO THE REMAINDER OF THE METRO THROUGH EARLY TO AFTERNOON. WHILE THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL THESE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE WEATHER...THE HEAVY RAINFALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR OVER URBAN AREAS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING IN SOME LOCATIONS.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE... ADDISON...ALSIP...ARLINGTON HEIGHTS...AURORA...BARRINGTON... BATAVIA...BEACH PARK...BERWYN...BLUE ISLAND...BOLINGBROOK... BROOKFIELD...BUFFALO GROVE...BURNHAM...BURR RIDGE AND CALUMET CITY.

OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED... ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY...AURORA UNIVERSITY...BENEDICTINE UNIVERSITY...BROOKFIELD ZOO...CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY ROUTE 66 RACEWAY...COLLEGE OF DUPAGE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES AS WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY.

There's also a tornado warning for your area and a confirmed touchdown a little farther south.

A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL GRUNDY... WESTERN WILL AND NORTHWESTERN KANKAKEE COUNTIES UNTIL 100 PM CST...

AT 1229 PM CST... A CONFIRMED LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR WILMINGTON... AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

HAZARD... DAMAGING TORNADO.

SOURCE... LAW ENFORCEMENT CONFIRMED TORNADO.

IMPACT... YOU ARE IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DESTROYED. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO HOMES... BUSINESSES AND VEHICLES IS LIKELY AND COMPLETE DESTRUCTION POSSIBLE. FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DEADLY TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS. EXPECT TREES TO BE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... ELWOOD AND SYMERTON AROUND 1235 PM CST. MANHATTAN AROUND 1240 PM CST. NEW LENOX AROUND 1245 PM CST.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT... A LARGE... EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE... TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME... A VEHICLE OR OUTDOORS... MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY HIDE THIS TORNADO. DO NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR THE TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

TORNADO... OBSERVED TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT... CONSIDERABLE HAIL... 1.00IN

People should definitely check the weather reports and radar before heading out; don't come out if you will be in any risk.

That being said, there are five of us here. Melissa says there is a lot of parking available ;-)

--Tim

Hope to see a decent crowd tomorrow: 1:30-4:30 pm, Sunday, 24 November, 95th Street Library, Naperville

This is the final write-in in the Naperville Public Library series.

I will be bringing my briefcase of word war squids and bead critters tomorrow and I hope to clean it out through the word wars, even if this means multiple prizes in the latter ones (and, of course, each person can only win one prize per write-in). So those of you who are wanting one of my custom squids, you have a pretty good chance of winning one tomorrow!

I will also have chocolates (dark chocolate and dark chocolate/mint chocolate) to celebrate people reaching their huzzah! moments in their novels when they Feed the Creative Fire.

The weather outside might be frigid, but I know the creative juices will be flowing at the 95th Street Library tomorrow. Hope you can make it! I know I'm planning to cross over 50K tomorrow!

--Tim

I decided to stay in today, but I'll see you there on Sunday :)