TGIO 2023 NaNoMail

IMG: Gray background with white cutout of an open book in the upper right. A stack of old books is on the left surrounded but some loose books at the bottom. The text in the book cutout reads: NaNoPierceCo TGIO & Book Exchange! You're invited to celebrate the end of NaNoWriMo with us at a potluck and book exchange this Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. There is a graphic of a holiday sweater with a penguin wearing a scarf under the text. Below the sweater is a yellow rectangle with text that reads: Don't forget your ugly/funny holiday attire! A graphic of Polly Esther and Pierson is in the lower right corner.

 Hello Sockmonkey Neighbors!

Well, ready or not, November is over. Whether you hit the 50K goal or not, you should be proud of yourself for taking the time for your creativity and just for getting words written (or edited, etc.).

I have a few last links to share with you, so here goes:

***In case I didn’t share it in a previous mail message - Here is the link to the 2023 NaNoPierceCo Electronic Resources folder.  There are some good pre and post writing resources in here, along with the electronic version of the NaNo Dice Characters printable I handed out at many write-ins (until I ran out of copies) that can be used with the D6 I included in the goodie bags. Also, related to the Prompts for all spreadsheet from another region that I shared in here, please feel free to add prompts of your own to the labeled tabs in our Sockmonkey Prompts for All Spreadsheet 2023 - or just to refer to it if you need a prompt for a future project.

REGION SURVEY

This link was shared in our forums, Facebook group and our Discord, but I will also share it here. Please take a few moments to fill out this survey about your experience in NaNoPierceCo (the Tacoma/Pierce County region) this year. It is anonymous and will help with future planning in the region. (Please note: If you have specific feedback about NaNoWriMo or things at HQ, they will email a separate survey about those things. This is purely just about your experience with us here in the region.) Thank you!

Finally, I do hope you will join us for our TGIO and Blind Book Exchange tomorrow, December 2nd, 2023 from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. at the Parkland/Spanaway Library. It will be a potluck, so please sign up to bring some food to share (or just stop by the store on the way and grab something) if it’s in your budget to do so. We will also exchange books - they do not need to be new, you only need to wrap it and put a small non-spoiler type blurb on it that lets others know what the book is about. Hope to see you there in your ugly or funny holiday attire!

(If you can’t make it in person, I will broadcast the event to our Regional Discord, where you can watch, listen and respond via text chat if you’d like to do so.)

Side Note: I know that many Sockmonkeys may have mixed feelings about how slowly things are being handled regarding the issues on the main forums I mentioned in a previous mail. The Board is still investigating concerns that were brought to them and haven’t yet issued any specific courses of action. Just know that, whatever their decision might be, I am still here to support you however I can, because we are Sockmonkey writers first and not every Sockmonkey participates in NaNoWriMo each year. When I know more I will definitely ask for your input on what you think we should do as a region, but if you’d like to give me any of your current thoughts (within reason) about this subject, please feel free to send me an email at PCSockmonkeywriters (at) gmail.com.

I wish you all a safe, healthy holiday season, whichever one(s) you do or don’t celebrate. Take care of yourselves and maybe try a different creative outlet that will let your writer brain rest a little!

Week 4 NaNoMail 11-24-2023

Well, Sockmonkey Neighbors, here we are… heading into week 4 (plus a few days) and toward the end of this madcap writing adventure. How is the writing going? How are you doing? Are you getting enough rest? Staying hydrated and nourished in between those treats for reaching writing goals? Are you continuing to keep backup copies of your work on a regular basis?

As an update from elsewhere, we have had a few WriMos, that I know of, reach the 50K word mark in our Discord, so, I have jumped ahead and posted the 50010 word quote in a post on our forums. If you reach that count on or before the end of the month, feel free to post about your success in this thread on the forums: https://forums.nanowrimo.org/.../house-number.../583419

I also know that we have some who like to write more than 50K words during November. They are often called Overachievers. I have created a thread for them to check in when they hit various milestones after 50K (like 60K or 70K) and to let us know what goal they're trying to reach by November 30th. Feel free to drop in and encourage them and/or to post your own progress there if you hit the goal and keep going: https://forums.nanowrimo.org/.../house-numbers.../583422

EVENTS

Sat, Nov 25th 2 - 4 p.m. - Gig Harbor
Sun, Nov 26th 1 - 3 p.m. - South Hill (Whoops, it appears I sent the wrong link in the email)
Mon, Nov 27th 6 - 8 p.m. - CWI Tacoma
Tue, Nov 28th, 7 - 9 p.m. - Discord Neighborhood Pomodoros (Online Timed Writes)
Wed, Nov 29th, 5:30 - 7 p.m. - CWI - Puyallup
                          5:30 - 7:30 p.m. - CWI - South Tacoma
                          6 - 8 p.m. - CWI - University Place

Sat, Dec 2nd, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. - TGIO Ugly Sweater Potluck and Blind Book Exchange -
                     *No matter what your word count ends up being, please come celebrate with us.
                       Details posted there as well as in this thread on the forums, which has a direct
                       link to the potluck sign up sheet if you’re able to bring something to share. (It
                       also links you to more information on what a Blind Book Exchange is, in case
                       you’ve never been to one before.)

Finally, if you haven’t attended one of the events I’ve hosted and you’re pretty sure you won’t be able to attend any of these final events but you’d like an official sticker, I do have a few left and would be happy to mail you one. Please just fill out the information on this Google form and I’ll send you one as soon as I get a chance.

Please take care of yourselves and your creativity as we finish out the month! I hope to see you in person or on our Discord for our final Pomodoro write-in session (we’re trying to beat last week’s word count record of 20,710 words written in 2 hours and could use a few more writers to help us beat that and set a new record).

Happy writing!

Week 3 NaNoMail 11-17-23

 

Hello Sockmonkey Neighbors!

So, we’re now firmly in Week 3. Sorry for getting this out to you a bit later than I planned, but my family’s schedule this week has been a bit wonky. I do hope that any of you who were able made it to some of the Come Write In events earlier this week.

A few quick calendar reminders:

Don’t forget that our Midway Pie Day and Mug Exchange are this Sunday, Nov. 19th .  While the link to sign up for the potluck is available to copy/paste from that Event listing, you can also find it and ask any questions about the event in this thread on the forums.

A reminder about two South King County library writing events was also posted in our Regional Chat box, so I’m posting the link to the forum thread that contains more information about those here. One of them is tomorrow, Nov. 18th.

Tuesday, Nov. 21st, join us in our Regional Discord for two hours of timed Pomodoro writing sprints! Our writers in week 1 wrote a combined total of 12,284 words. We beat that score this last Tuesday by reaching a total of 14,391 words. Please write with us for even one session and help us beat this total!

Our Event page always has the most current listing of write-ins and other events, but I’d like to let you know about one other during this message so you can mark your calendars:

Saturday, Dec. 2nd, is our TGIO Party and Blind Book Exchange! Please join us as we chat, play a game or two and exchange wrapped books to refill our creative wells with once NaNoWriMo is over. This is also a potluck, so please, if you’re able, sign up on this form to bring something to share.

This graphic was posted on our social sites, but I thought I’d put it in here, too. Please make sure you have varied back ups for your writing. Hard drives fail. Thumb drives fail. Phones hard crash or can get lost. Do what you can to make regular back ups of your writing in a variety of places so you’re not stuck wondering why you hadn’t done that if a mishap or tech glitch does happen.

If you hadn’t heard already, the public Forums are currently closed, although our Regional Tacoma & Pierce County forums are still open. Not a user of the NaNo forums? Then you may not have heard about this or if you have, it may have been via social media posts that have begun to pop up lately. For those of you that do use the forums, I am sorry for the disruption, but you’re likely already aware that the Board has closed them down while they deal with a moderation issue. Want more official information? I know the Board is planning to send out a brief email in the near future, but you can also visit the NaNo Board forum area to get updates as they occur (although I would recommend not wading into the comments on the Board posts). If you like chatting with others and getting encouragement via the forums, though, you can participate in and start threads in our regional forums. (For instance, there are currently posts in there for daily inspiration and to report word count totals and progress.) This area is moderated by me, your lone ML, though, so please follow the NaNoWriMo Code of Conduct when posting. If you haven’t visited before, here’s the address so you can find our neighborhood.

In the end, no matter where you are word count wise or story wise, remember this month is meant to be fun! If you’re not feeling motivated or stuck in that muddy middle or find life events have gotten you behind where you hoped to be, it’s okay. Change whatever you need to change in order to take care of yourself and still enjoy the journey. Plug into the community and commiserate or gain inspiration from other Sockmonkeys by chatting in our Discord, our Forums or our Facebook group. Need an unusual challenge to help you get words on the page? Try one of these themed Word Crawls (although, if it requires you to post on the forums, you may need to skip that step). In the end, just take care of yourself, be gentle with yourself and honor your body’s needs. The writing will be there waiting for you when you’re feeling more refreshed and ready to wade back in.

Happy writing!

The first week of NaNoWriMo is over and we’re making our way into the second.

How is your adventure going as we visit a new house on NaNoPierceCo Drive each day? (House Number 13336 can be found here. Pop in and let us know when you arrive, even if it isn’t today!

Do you like to write with video Live Streams?

You’re in luck! One Hundred Hours of Writing (OHHOW) on Twitch starts tomorrow. You don’t need a Twitch account to follow along with the stream (though you do need one if you’d like to comment or report in with the chat during a given session). If you can’t attend one of the upcoming write-ins being hosted in our area this weekend, this event could still help you get lots of words down and keep you virtual company at the same time.

Event Reminders

If you’ve missed any of the events or Google sign ups linked in previous messages from me, please know that you can find a copy of each of these in the 2023 Neighborhood Email Archive on the NaNo Site and in individual posts on our Sockmonkey Blog.

Also, please be sure to check in the Event sign up on the NaNo site before you head to a write-in, just to see if any changes or updates have been made. FYI, there has been and update to this Friday’s Come Write In from 3:30 - 5:30 - attendance is now capped at 12. Please see the event for more information.

Also, thanks to some NaNoPierceCo Sockmonkey Neighbors, a few online write-ins and one in person write-in were added to the calendar (although one is over now).

Friday, Nov 10, Sock Monkey Write In (WriMo), Parkland/Spanaway 2 - 4 p.m. (Room capacity 8, so please sign up inside the event. First come, first seated - overflow can head to a library table, if needed, though.)

Family Friendly Write In, Saturday, Nov 11th, Tacoma 1 - 3 p.m. We have been invited to write here in a family friendly space. Please attend if you’re able.

Sunday, Nov 12. I’ll be in Auburn from 12 - 2 p.m. so if you’re in South King or North Pierce, drop in and write with me (and get your sticker!)

Monday, Nov 13, South Tacoma Main Character Study Hall Write-In, 6 - 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov 14, 7 - 9 p.m. - Another set of Pomodoro writing sessions on our Regional Discord. This week’s participants wrote a total of 12,284 words! Come and help us try to beat that total next week!

Tuesday, Nov 14, South Tacoma CWI, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

This makes for a pretty full list, but there’s still plenty of time to add write-ins, virtual or in person, to the calendar. Be a neighbor to your fellow NaNoPierceCo writers and invite them to write with you on a date and time of your choosing (see this Hosting Your Own Write-ins Thread if you’re not sure what’s involved and don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions).

No matter how many words you’ve written, just know that we’re all here with you, cheering on your progress and that we also understand needing to take a break and rest now and then. Whatever your word count, I hope you’re enjoying the story or work you’re writing. I look forward to hearing from you and/or writing with you as we travel ever closer to the end of November!


 

 Well, we’re three days into November, Sockmonkey Neighbors!

How many houses have you visited on NaNoPierceCo Drive? (The par for Day 3 is 5001)

Don’t worry, though. November is just getting started. Whether you’ve got a huge word buffer because you’ve been typing like mad or you’re barely hitting daily par, if that, there are still plenty of days left to write. And words are words. Any words written are better than not having written (although we all have those days, too - no shame there). Just keep at it. And check in with us online or at one of our in person events for moral support or to ask for ideas, etc., because that’s what Sockmonkey Neighbors are for!

November 4th and 5th are Double Up Donation Weekend!

You may have already received a message from NaNoWriMo HQ about this, but in case you haven’t here is your reminder to take part in NaNo HQ’s biggest fundraiser of the year. They give away prizes and if you’re able to donate, say, $25, then you get the donor goodies that are usually only given to someone who donates $50. Please see their official event Google Doc for more information and to get involved.

The GWIC - A Discord Writing Marathon Event

This virtual event has already started, but you can join and leave during any virtual stop. Each region you visit is in a dedicated channel during a two hour time frame on their GWIC Discord server. For more information and to get lots of words written with other participants before it ends, go to the 2023 Global Write-In Crawl event post on the NaNoWriMo Forums.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, Nov. 4th, S. Tacoma, 2 - 4 p.m

Sunday, Nov. 5th, Sumner, 1 - 5 p.m. - Casual Kickoff and Write In. (Potluck Sign Up Google Doc here)

Tuesday, Nov. 7th, Discord, 7 - 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 8th, University Place, 6 - 8 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 10th, Come Write In! S. Tacoma, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

And, as long as the microscopic bugs stay away, our in person Midway Pie Day and Mug Exchange is back! Save the date and join us for some food, some fun and lots of writing on Sunday, November 19th from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Here is the Google Doc to sign up if you’d like to bring some food to share.)

Other Come Write In and community events have been added to our Regional Events calendar, so please click here to look over the list and RSVP for those you plan to attend.

Peninsula and South King Writers

While I do have one write-in scheduled in Gig Harbor later in November, I took a look at the West Sound Region’s event calendar since they’re also on the Peninsula. Visit this thread to see the links for those dates and times.

South King Writers may be interested in this post of Kent/Federal Way (CWI) Library writing events and/or this post looking to start a South King Co Writing group .

Hope to write with you in person or online soon! And remember…

“A writer is either compelled to write or not. If I waited for inspiration I wouldn’t really be a writer.” - Toni Morrison

It’s not always about feeling like writing, it’s more about just sitting down and getting some writing done.

Regional NaNo Mail October 29, 2023

 

Only a few days until the writing begins, Sockmonkeys!

Are you ready? Are you still jotting down notes? Have you even decided what story you’ll be writing?

No matter where you are in the process, or whether this is your first time participating or your tenth time, don’t worry. It will be fine. Take some steps now to help ward off any potential technical hiccups:

                 

• Update any writing or other software you’ll be using during November
• Keep a flash or other external drive prepared for regular backups
• Set up an online backup service (if you can)
• If you’re typing or handwriting your novel, be sure you have plenty of ink, paper, pens/pencils (you can use your phone to take backups of the writing until you get it into an electronic device)
• Make sure you’ve announced your novel on the NaNo site so your words will count toward the challenge. Just go to the main dashboard, click on “Join with a new novel” or “Join with an existing novel” in the big blue countdown banner at the top and then fill out the blanks.
• Add any in person and/or online write-ins you want to attend to your calendar so you don’t forget about them during the madness that is November.

Speaking of Events…

Don’t forget, our Regional Watch Party Virtual Kickoff is tonight from 7 - 9:30 p.m. over in our Discord!

Newly posted is a Speculative Fiction Study Hall on Monday, October 30th from 6 - 8 p.m. in Tacoma.

And, as I stated in my last message, there will be a combination write-in and Kick Off party on Sunday, November 5th from 1 - 5 p.m.

Please be sure to check the events page linked in the header of this section for other upcoming event details and for the latest updates on any posted event. Also, a PDF version of the general calendar pictured above can be found in the 2023 Regional Resources folder that I shared at last week’s prep event. You can find the folder and all its contents if you click here.

As a side note, I recently learned there are some Come Write In locations in our area that are willing to have writers stop in and write there. I am in the process of verifying available times and locations and will share that information with you as soon as possible.

This year’s participant stickers will be handed out at ML hosted in person events, but, I realize not everyone will be able to attend in person due to health, transportation or other considerations. If, after looking at the calendar of events, you know that you will NOT be able to attend one of the in person events I’m hosting (those are marked with an ML both on the calendar and on the region events page), but you’d still like a sticker for participating in one of our virtual events, please fill out this Google form and I’ll send it out when I get a chance.

If you’d like to get some great writing resources and be able to help NaNoWriMo get their writing programs into schools and other regions, pop over to this Humble Bundle offer that was put together just for this year.

Something new I just learned about and wanted to share with you in case you hadn’t heard about it, is the #LGBTQWriMo hashtag and prompt challenge on Instagram. It’s a collection of prompts designed to help LGBTQIA+ writers connect with each other and share what they’re working on. 

Phew. Sorry, guess that one was long, too. If only these words counted toward my NaNo Novel!

I’m looking forward to writing with you all this November. Please reach out to me and I’ll be happy to help if you have any questions or concerns.

Regional NaNoMail October 18th, 2023

 Hello Sockmonkeys!

I was hoping to post these in their own area here on the blog, but it doesn't really allow for that kind of functionality. That means I will try to cross-post the regional messages I send out via the NaNoWriMo site in case people do not get the emails but might still like the information. Please note that most of the links lead to posts and events on the NaNoWriMo website or forums, so you will need to be logged in there in order to see them.

Hello Sockmonkey Neighbors!

First of all, let me thank those of you who have already dropped in our regional forums and introduced yourselves! If you’re participating in the noveling neighborhood this November and you haven’t done so yet, please, pop over and tell us a bit about you in our Won’t you be my Sockmonkey Neighbor? thread.

One of our neighbors mentioned the Jots, Bins, Pants method of novel planning in his introduction and I hadn’t heard of it before, so I created a thread for him to describe it - as well as for any Sockmonkeys who have a favorite plotting method they use to share theirs. Please do pop in and learn about this method or drop a link and a bit of a synopsis of your favorite story planning method (no matter how simple or complex) so that any Sockmonkey neighbors new to NaNoWriMo have a chance to find one or two they can try if they’re not sure where to start.

Pierce County is a big Neighborhood!

While I would love to be able to host events close to and meet as many NaNoPierceCo Sockmonkey Neighbors as possible, that’s just not feasible, so I hope some of you will consider hosting some writing time near you or even online. It doesn’t need to be a recurring event. Pick a time, date and location that work with your schedule. For more details on how to submit an event, please visit this Hosting Your Own Write-Ins thread and feel free to reach out to me if you need help setting it up or have any questions. Neighborly encouragement really does help NaNoWriMo word count, so I hope you’ll consider attending and/or hosting an event this November.

Speaking of events…**

New to NaNoWriMo? Participated before? I hope you’ll stop in to our regional Zoom/Discord Prep Chat and Meet Your Neighbors event this Sunday, Oct. 22, from 2 - 3:30 p.m.

Our Online Kickoff Discord Movie Watch Party is back this year on Sunday, Oct. 29, from 7 - 9:30 p.m.

A big thank you to our host at the Puyallup Public Library for hosting three write-ins this November! The first one is on Wednesday, Nov. 1st, from 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Big thanks also goes out to our host at the University Place Library for hosting four write-ins this November! The first one is on Wednesday, Nov. 1st, from 6 - 8 p.m.

Many thanks also to our host at the Graham Public Library for hosting two write-ins this November! The first one is on Thursday, Nov. 2, from 3 - 5 p.m.

I’m hosting a longer in person casual Kick off and Write-in thanks to Ben Haines who blocked off the Sumner library’s meeting room for our use. The event is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 5th from 1 - 5 p.m.. This will also be a potluck for snacks, so if you’re willing to bring something to share, please sign up using this Google form.

There are other events and venues in the planning stages that will be up on the site soon once they’ve been finalized, so please keep checking the events tab for the most up-to-date schedule.

**While I stated it inside the events I’m hosting, please be aware that if I or anyone in my household becomes ill I will cancel those in person events and turn them into online sessions only. Please check each event listing on the events tab prior to attending an event to check for updates before heading to the venue.

I think I’ve babbled on long enough, so I’ll sign off here, but I will send more updates and reminders in the next few days.

Stay healthy, let those creative juices flow and please participate in our writing neighborhood whenever you can!

Kyrthanna Elvendahl (You can send me a NaNoMail via the forums if you click here.)