Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Local Contact - NaNoWriMo

This year, Stacie P. of the OAWC has volunteered to be the local contact for Wisconsin (excluding Madison and Milwaukee). Stacie participated in the event last year (and completed it!) and is the local "expert" on where to go for writing tips, strategies, etc.

So far, people have registered from Oshkosh, Appleton, Seymour, New London, Beloit, Wausau and Wisconsin Dells.

A kick-off party is planned for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 at the Barnes and Noble in Appleton.

Stacie is currently working on setting up an online chat schedule where participants can meet and share ideas, frustrations, etc.

For more information on local happenings or to network with fellow Wisconsinites, go to National Novel Writing Month, click on "forums" and type in "oshkosh" as your search word.

To contact Stacie directly, please e-mail her at: oshkosh_wi@nanowrimo.org or visit her website, Raspberry Latte.

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

Registration for NaNoWriMo has begun! The program is best described on their website:.

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.
Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and -- when the thing is done -- the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2004, we had over 42,000 participants. Nearly 6000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from your novel at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: Sign-ups begin October 1, 2005. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Morgan Spurlock "Super Size Me"

Award-winning writer/director Morgan Spurlock will speak at 8 p.m. Wed., Nov. 16 in the Reeve Ballroom, UW-Oshkosh. Fee is $2 for general public; free for students with Titancard.

As the subject of the documentary film, “Super Size Me,” which he also directed and produced, Spurlock subjected himself to a grueling 30-day “McDonald’s Only” diet to document its impact on his health. His latest project, the reality show “30 Days,” airs on Fox.

For more information, please click Reeve Union Happenings.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Open Mic Night

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will host “Poetry Under the Dome,” open mic night at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18 at the Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave.

Enjoy the classic architecture of the century-old William Water’s building with area poets and poetry lovers. Readers can bring original material or choose selections from their favorite poet. Specialty coffee and snacks will be served.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 920-231-6182