March 2024 Update and Stepping Down as ML

 

 

Posting this here so that every Sockmonkey in the region can see it, whether or not they are signed up to the NaNoWriMo website. The text of my most recent regional email is below:

 

3/26/2024 - Editing to add: I apologize if this comes through to your email twice, but I wanted to be sure it was sent by the site. I sent the first draft of this via the site 5 days ago. It was posted to our regional chat box, but I never received it in my inbox even though I have received other emails from NaNoWriMo HQ since my first attempt to send it, so I am attempting to send it again. Also added a content warning for one link and a sentence in the postscript.

Hello Sockmonkeys!

I realize this is a bit out of the ordinary, but we have finally been given more details on how HQ and the Board plan to move forward after the events I mentioned in my December regional mail. Again, I realize not everyone in our group participates in NaNoWriMo and probably few of those who do were even aware of what happened on the forums outside of my mails because they don’t visit them, even during the off-season, but this new course of action from HQ is why I decided to write to you now.

Although it was a hard decision, I currently feel I cannot ethically move forward with NaNoWriMo as an organization. I have decided to step down from my volunteer role as Municipal Liaison for the Tacoma & Pierce County region after 6 years as a result.

If you’re not familiar with the ongoing forums situation I mentioned earlier and would like to know more, feel free to visit the Board threads on NaNoWriMo’s main forums, especially the summary posts from NaNoWriMo’s Board. Leadership failed to communicate well and participants got increasingly frustrated with how HQ was conducting itself so things continued to escalate, which is what led to the Board stepping in and shutting down the forums. If you’d like a non-site summary of events put together by some other volunteers (rather than wading through those very long forum posts) you can read this NaNoWriMo 2023 controversy summary document - but that is not required. (TW: CSA allegations)

Like a number of other MLs, I had concerns about what the coming year would look like, but I was waiting to see what the regrouping efforts, particularly with MLs, would be. I hoped there would be an honest effort to right the ship, but what I have seen in the new process for moving forward and the draft of the new ML agreement are some requirements and restrictions I do not feel comfortable committing to and do not have the free time for. (A link to a copy of the agreement, as well as a brief summary of the highlights can be found near the end of the controversy summary document linked above - although some changes and concerns about legal language are being looked into by a lawyer and the final language may change.)

I currently have no idea who, if anyone, will step up as new ML(s) for the region. I leave that up to the organization.

Your regrettably former ML,

Kyrthanna Elvendahl (she/her)

P.S. This does not, however, mean that the Sockmonkey Writers as a group is going away. Only our officially/non-official affiliation with NaNoWriMo as an organization is ending. We will still be here to support you as you tackle NaNoWriMo or any other writing challenge. Please join us on our Regional Blog and/or our Discord for updates and for links to our other social media if you’d like to get connected with other writers in the Tacoma/Pierce County area. And, while this will also be sent out separately, if you have a few moments, please fill out this form to let me know what sort of things you’d like to see as part of the Sockmonkey Writer’s Group in the future.

Catching Up - Photos from the 2023 NaNoPierceCo TGIO and Book Exchange

 

Here we are in 2024 Sockmonkeys - 

 - and due to various hiccups and tech glitches, I'm finally getting a chance to post about the TGIO and Book Exchange we had in Spanaway on December 2nd, 2023!

Above is a photo of the table that was set up to greet Sockmonkeys as they arrived. It holds a sign in clipboard, our green Sockmonkey bucket, some small Sockmonkeys in assorted winter gear sitting around it, a roll of blue tickets and three small gift bags that were all part of the event. Everyone who attended took one ticket and the tickets were used three times - twice to decide turn order in the book exchange and once to randomly pick two Sockmonkeys as winners of one of the small gift bags. The third gift bag was given to the first Sockmonkey to win blackout in our TGIO Bingo game.

This photo shows the table holding the books that were part of the exchange (along with a vase of flowers). There were so many books that most in attendance were able to pick a second book!

The above two photos show the room before all of the Sockmonkeys who attended had arrived - and before we had the book exchange. There are three tables in a U shape with writers sitting on the far side of each of them from the camera. Everyone seemed to have a good time with not only the Bingo game, but also just chatting about NaNoWriMo and writing in general, along with other random topics that popped up.

These final photos were taken after people had begun grabbing food from the potluck tables. One Sockmonkey is back at the drink station that was set up next to the library's small sink. We had a good sized crowd - though it wasn't too big - and plenty of food to eat along with a lot of laughter and a number of silly writerly jokes.

Finally, while I will be posting a thank you on my personal social accounts, I wanted to post a photo here as well of my Book Exchange book (The Ministry of the Future) surrounded by the chocolate/cocoa themed gift I was given by one Sockmonkey writer and the bouquet of flowers with a gift card I was given by another Sockmonkey writer in appreciation of my volunteer Municipal Liaison efforts. Both gifts were totally unexpected and I thank each of them for their kind thoughts and generosity!