NaNoWriMo Illinois::Naperville songs and flyers

We're a fun-loving region with an amiable competitive streak. Each of the past several years, we've engaged in "word wars"--contests wtih other regions to see who can write the most words in their novels. Our challenges end with the losing region having to sing the regional song of the winning region. Did I mention that we have a really nifty regional song?

2024 Novel Quest song

Lyrics updated for Novel Quest

2023 backing tracks

2016 video (youtube)

Lyrics

Lyrics can now be found on the lyrics page.

2014-10-26: Typing Away Again Near Dear Old Naperville - D.pdf - ukulele tabs in key of D and lyrics.

2014-10-19: Typing Away Again Near Dear Old Naperville.pdf - ukulele tabs in key of G and lyrics.

2012 TGIO Song

Or download the mp3

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2011 Word War (and TGIO songs) with Maryland

See this page for the songs involved in the battle with Maryland

2010 Word War and TGIO songs

See this page for the songs involved in the battle with Alberta::Calgary

2009 Word War and TGIO songs

In 2009, Naperville defeated both UK::Birmingham-West Midlands and Belgium&Holland in the

UK::Birmingham-West Midlands

The WriMo's of Birmingham-West Midlands, led by their gracious MLs Duochanfan and Cieria, paid off their bet with this good spirited delivery of Naperville's theme song: Typin' Away Again Near Dear ol' Naperville (as sung in a coffee shop!)

Belgium and Holland

Arike wrote:

Dear Tim, other MLs and participants of Naperville,

First off, a very happy new year to you! We hope you've a had some good holidays, family time and rest, and we wish you the very best for 2010.

Once upon a November, Naperville neatly beat Holland and Belgium in a word war. The stakes were to sing the other region's song, and so we did, at a late TGIO party. Several of those gathered to raise their glasses in celebration volunteered to do our best in a rendition of your song. We were well prepared: computer, mike, lyrics and example of the song were all there, so we gathered round for a few practice rounds. You can imagine how those practice rounds went in a crowded pub. We crashed and burned rather spectacularly. In reparation, we also offer you a song of St Nicholas (our Santa Claus, who comes on December 5th). We hope you like it, and we apologise to any sensitive musical ears that might be listening. We hope we entertained you a little, at least. We enjoyed the word war loads, hope that you did too, and once again happy new year from this side of the big pond!

Cheers,

Arike

The Holland and Belgium recording: Naperville_and_Stoomboot.mp3

Also catch this funny cartoon from Holland cartoonist HannahK

And as sung by Naperville...

from our TGIO

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The Word War Against France

See the outcome of the 2008 word war against France

From the 2008 kick-off

Typin' away again near dear ol' Naperville (slightly quickened)
munchkin version
ultraquick munchkin version

From the 2007 kick-off

Here are our recorded songs from the 11/01 kick-off event:

The NaNo Song (parody of the Banana Boat Song (Day-O))
Typin' Away again near dear ol' Naperville

From the 2007 pre-kick-off

Here are our recorded songs from the 10/27 pre-kick-off event:

I'm a NaNoWriMo writer (parody of Yankee Doodle Dandy)
The NaNo Song (parody of the Banana Boat Song (Day-O))
The NaNo Song (sped up a bit)
Typin' Away again near dear ol' Naperville

From the 2006 kick-off

5 Mb .mp3 of our 2006 shout-out (complete with initial blooper where the library announcement interrupted us). The lyrics are here. There is also a karafun karaoke file of the song. Karafun freeware.

From the 2006 Word War With Montreal

In 2006, half-way through November, Illinois::Naperville challenged Quebec::Montreal to a total regional wordcount war, with the terms: the losing region would sing the winning region's song. Montreal, at the time of the challenge, was two places above Naperville in the world wordcount rankings. Naperville passed them by and was 3-6 places above them for the remainder of the month. Then, in the last hours of the last day, Montreal put forth great effort and apparently passed by Naperville, rising three spots in the world wordcount rankings. Fortunately for Illinois::Naperville, they didn't win, though they came within a very slim 38k words!

Here is Montreal's rendition of Typin' Away Again Near Dear Old Naperville (2.9Mb mp3)

Naperville, ever a gracious victor, went ahead and sang O Dear Brave Montreal (and other songs) (pdf file with lyrics). See the Word War results + pointers to the Quebec::Montreal and Illinois::Naperville forums.

Here are the Illinois::Naperville mp3 files: