Difference between revisions of "Frequently asked questions"
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=== NaNoWriMo Illinois::Naperville Region ===
 
=== NaNoWriMo Illinois::Naperville Region ===
−
Q: Who are you and what is this about?
+
Have you ever dreamed of writing a novel?
  
−
A: Hi, my name is Tim aka NewMexicoKid. I'm a volunteer co-municipal liaison for NaNoWriMo's Chicago western suburbs region that is [http://www.frappr.com/westsuburbanwriters centered in Naperville]. BERaven (Bonnie Jean) is my partner and mentor co-ML for the region.  
+
November is National Novel Writing Month, a free annual event helping to motivate writers to start and complete a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. In 2006, over 79,000 people worldwide participated. Nearly 13,000 of them successfully crossed the finish line. Last year in the Chicago Western Suburbs region (centered in Naperville) 56 out of 188 participants achieved winner status and won a free paperback copy of their novel (a prize sponsored by lulu.com).
  
−
Q: Say I join the region, what do I do next?
+
Our region finished 55th in the world (out of 344 regions) in total word count, ahead of Montreal, Vermont, Nebraska, France and Madison, Wisconsin.
  
 +
This fall, the 95th Street Library will be hosting a two hour kick-off event 7-9 pm, November 1st and write-in events 1-4 pm each Sunday in November. There will also be a party December 8th for all participants and three October events to help people prepare to write their novels in November. Come visit http://writing.teiru.net/wiki for schedule information. Come fulfill your dream of becoming a novelist. See http://www.nanowrimo.org and send your questions to naperville_il@nanowrimo.org.
 +
 +
Here is some more information in the form of a FAQ:
 +
 +
Q: What does this cost? <br />
 +
A: Absolutely nothing is required. Donations to cover the nanowrimo.org website and administrative costs are accepted but are not necessary.
 +
 +
Q: What do the winners get? <br />
 +
A: A PDF file proclaiming them NaNoWriMo winners if they manage to complete at least 50,000 words in 30 days. More importantly, the happiness of completing at least 50,0000 words of a novel. In addition, [http://lulu.com Lulu.com] has been giving winners a free paperback copy of their completed novel.
 +
 +
Q: 50,000 words in 30 days seems foolhardy... <br />
 +
A: Actually, it turns out to be roughly 1,670 words per day, which turns out to be manageable. There are some exceptionally prolific writers who produce four times that amount... but many just barely get over the hump. The NaNoWriMo website and online discussion forums provide a lot of support; and we are organizing some weekly meetings locally for participants to use for writing and discussing their work.
 +
 +
Q: Do I have to publish my novel? <br />
 +
A: No. Some participants share their novels with other participants for critiquing; a few participants have had their NaNoWriMo novels published. There are no requirements here.
 +
 +
Q: What about my privacy? <br/>
 +
A: While you do have to provide an e-mail address in order to register, the NaNoWriMo forums give participants fine control over what information is made available to others. E-mail address and identity information can be concealed and the NaNoWriMo team has a strong privacy policy. E-mail addresses are not shared or sold and you have to explicitly sign up to receive e-mail announcements from the NaNo team during November.
 +
 +
Q: How do I sign up? <br/>
 +
A: Sign-ups can be done through the http://www.nanowrimo.org website beginning October 1, 2007. The NaNoWriMo contest proper begins at 12:01 November 1st. There will be a kick-off event 7-9 pm that evening at the 95th Street Library.
 +
 +
Q: Who coordinates things for the Chicago Western Suburbs region? <br />
 +
A: We (Tim Yao, Brian Chapman and Michelle Pfeiffer-Borucki) are volunteer municipal liaisons for the Chicago Western Suburbs region of NaNoWriMo. We are enthusiastic participants of previous NaNo's who want to help others find the joy of completion that we've found. We organize the kick-off writing session, weekly writing sessions and the TGIO party at the end.
 +
 +
If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at naperville_il@nanowrimo.org
 +
 +
Q: Say I join the region, what do I do next? <br />
 
A: If you haven't already done so, please come to our [http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&topic_id=1028&forum=240 welcome] thread and post a note introducing yourself to the other participants. You can say something about who you are and what you are writing. There are several other threads of interest in our [http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewforum.php?forum=240 regional forum]. You can also [http://www.frappr.com/westsuburbanwriters place yourself on our regional map] and [http://writing.teiru.net/wiki contribute to our regional wiki site] that is going to serve as an example of next year's official NaNo wiki engine.
 
A: If you haven't already done so, please come to our [http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&topic_id=1028&forum=240 welcome] thread and post a note introducing yourself to the other participants. You can say something about who you are and what you are writing. There are several other threads of interest in our [http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewforum.php?forum=240 regional forum]. You can also [http://www.frappr.com/westsuburbanwriters place yourself on our regional map] and [http://writing.teiru.net/wiki contribute to our regional wiki site] that is going to serve as an example of next year's official NaNo wiki engine.
 
You can also go to [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nanowrimo-west-suburbs/ the yahoogroups nanowrimo-west-suburbs e-mail list] and subscribe to it. This list is used for communications within the group during the normal year and especially for planning in preparation for the next NaNoWriMo.
 
You can also go to [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nanowrimo-west-suburbs/ the yahoogroups nanowrimo-west-suburbs e-mail list] and subscribe to it. This list is used for communications within the group during the normal year and especially for planning in preparation for the next NaNoWriMo.
  
−
Q: When and where are the write-ins?
+
Q: When and where are the write-ins? <br />
−
 
 
 
A: You are very welcome to come to our Sunday write-in's, which are also in the [http://maps.google.com/local?q=%22Barnes+and+Noble%22%2C+Naperville%2C+IL&btnG=Search&sll=37.062500%2C-95.677068&sspn=40.613415%2C74.179688&f=q&hl=en&latlng=41785833,-88147222,4999810483476551057 downtown Naperville Barnes and Noble] from 1-3 pm just outside their upstairs music area (there will be a big sign).
 
A: You are very welcome to come to our Sunday write-in's, which are also in the [http://maps.google.com/local?q=%22Barnes+and+Noble%22%2C+Naperville%2C+IL&btnG=Search&sll=37.062500%2C-95.677068&sspn=40.613415%2C74.179688&f=q&hl=en&latlng=41785833,-88147222,4999810483476551057 downtown Naperville Barnes and Noble] from 1-3 pm just outside their upstairs music area (there will be a big sign).
  
−
Q: Where can I find the recommended books?
+
Q: Where can I find the recommended books? <br />
−
 
 
 
A: Make sure to avail yourselves of the great displays of [http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6289&forum=240 recommended books] that the Naperville Nichols and 95th street libraries have set up for the month of November. The Nichols library went so far as to buy every book on the list we sent that they didn't already have.
 
A: Make sure to avail yourselves of the great displays of [http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6289&forum=240 recommended books] that the Naperville Nichols and 95th street libraries have set up for the month of November. The Nichols library went so far as to buy every book on the list we sent that they didn't already have.
  

Revision as of 07:53, 6 June 2007

Frequently Asked Questions

NaNoWriMo Illinois::Naperville Region

Have you ever dreamed of writing a novel?

November is National Novel Writing Month, a free annual event helping to motivate writers to start and complete a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. In 2006, over 79,000 people worldwide participated. Nearly 13,000 of them successfully crossed the finish line. Last year in the Chicago Western Suburbs region (centered in Naperville) 56 out of 188 participants achieved winner status and won a free paperback copy of their novel (a prize sponsored by lulu.com).

Our region finished 55th in the world (out of 344 regions) in total word count, ahead of Montreal, Vermont, Nebraska, France and Madison, Wisconsin.

This fall, the 95th Street Library will be hosting a two hour kick-off event 7-9 pm, November 1st and write-in events 1-4 pm each Sunday in November. There will also be a party December 8th for all participants and three October events to help people prepare to write their novels in November. Come visit http://writing.teiru.net/wiki for schedule information. Come fulfill your dream of becoming a novelist. See http://www.nanowrimo.org and send your questions to naperville_il@nanowrimo.org.

Here is some more information in the form of a FAQ:

Q: What does this cost?
A: Absolutely nothing is required. Donations to cover the nanowrimo.org website and administrative costs are accepted but are not necessary.

Q: What do the winners get?
A: A PDF file proclaiming them NaNoWriMo winners if they manage to complete at least 50,000 words in 30 days. More importantly, the happiness of completing at least 50,0000 words of a novel. In addition, Lulu.com has been giving winners a free paperback copy of their completed novel.

Q: 50,000 words in 30 days seems foolhardy...
A: Actually, it turns out to be roughly 1,670 words per day, which turns out to be manageable. There are some exceptionally prolific writers who produce four times that amount... but many just barely get over the hump. The NaNoWriMo website and online discussion forums provide a lot of support; and we are organizing some weekly meetings locally for participants to use for writing and discussing their work.

Q: Do I have to publish my novel?
A: No. Some participants share their novels with other participants for critiquing; a few participants have had their NaNoWriMo novels published. There are no requirements here.

Q: What about my privacy?
A: While you do have to provide an e-mail address in order to register, the NaNoWriMo forums give participants fine control over what information is made available to others. E-mail address and identity information can be concealed and the NaNoWriMo team has a strong privacy policy. E-mail addresses are not shared or sold and you have to explicitly sign up to receive e-mail announcements from the NaNo team during November.

Q: How do I sign up?
A: Sign-ups can be done through the http://www.nanowrimo.org website beginning October 1, 2007. The NaNoWriMo contest proper begins at 12:01 November 1st. There will be a kick-off event 7-9 pm that evening at the 95th Street Library.

Q: Who coordinates things for the Chicago Western Suburbs region?
A: We (Tim Yao, Brian Chapman and Michelle Pfeiffer-Borucki) are volunteer municipal liaisons for the Chicago Western Suburbs region of NaNoWriMo. We are enthusiastic participants of previous NaNo's who want to help others find the joy of completion that we've found. We organize the kick-off writing session, weekly writing sessions and the TGIO party at the end.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at naperville_il@nanowrimo.org

Q: Say I join the region, what do I do next?
A: If you haven't already done so, please come to our welcome thread and post a note introducing yourself to the other participants. You can say something about who you are and what you are writing. There are several other threads of interest in our regional forum. You can also place yourself on our regional map and contribute to our regional wiki site that is going to serve as an example of next year's official NaNo wiki engine. You can also go to the yahoogroups nanowrimo-west-suburbs e-mail list and subscribe to it. This list is used for communications within the group during the normal year and especially for planning in preparation for the next NaNoWriMo.

Q: When and where are the write-ins?
A: You are very welcome to come to our Sunday write-in's, which are also in the downtown Naperville Barnes and Noble from 1-3 pm just outside their upstairs music area (there will be a big sign).

Q: Where can I find the recommended books?
A: Make sure to avail yourselves of the great displays of recommended books that the Naperville Nichols and 95th street libraries have set up for the month of November. The Nichols library went so far as to buy every book on the list we sent that they didn't already have.

hipster PDA

The hipster PDA is a cool, retro-low tech solution to information management. One uses a collection of blank and written 3x5 index cards bound with a binder clip or collected in a special carrier to jot down notes. Here are some pertinent links:


Which Novel Writing Books are Recommended?

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