Ding Dong, NaNo's Dead, and the Rebel Outpost is Born

By the time you read this, the clock has likely chimed midnight on your National Novel Writing Month quest. Whether you shot for the 50k or had some other goal for the month (as many of the NaNoRebs did), NaNo is over for another year.

For those who didn't see the other me tweet with glee about it, I finished my 50k on November 23... and then promptly died (or at least my productivity did). Holiday preparations started to take over, and stress set in, and writing suffered the consequences. But today I say "No more!" Several people want to finish their NaNo novels in December, me among them. So, I'm going to be participating in #30k30 on Twitter. Really, I'm hoping for more like #30k10 or #30k15, but just to not confuse the hashtag, I'm going to try to add at least 30k to the novel in thirty days in December (I guess we get to take one off?).

With that in mind, but not just because of it, the NaNoRebs chatroom that we've used for write-ins is going to stay open and active. We're still hashing out details, but too many of us find it fun and motivating to just let it fade away. But, since NaNo is over, it needs a new name. The chatroom will now be known as The Rebel Outpost. It *is* password protected, so if you're planning to hang out there, please make sure I have your name on my handy-dandy list. That way if we need to change the password, I can let you know.

Also, even if you didn't participate with us during NaNo, you can join The Rebel Outpost too. We goof around a lot, but generally we also get a lot of writing done (non-writers, I adore you too, but it's not a chatroom just to chat, it's a chatroom to work). If you decide you want to join us, please let me know so I can get you the password (honestly, Twitter is still probably the easiest way. Either @Selestial or @Selestedelaney)

I hope you had a great NaNo, and please let the rest of the Rebels know if you hit your personal goal :)

NaNoReb(el)s: Party's Started, You Coming?

So, the first write-ins went well (I think 6 people the first night, and maybe 8 last night). We even had a couple visitors last night (the dynamic duo of Skyla Dawn Cameron and Dina James). If you haven't heard, the chatzy write-ins are going to be a nightly thing. If you can join us, keep an eye on Twitter (remember, OUR hashtag is #NaNoRebs) or Facebook. There will probably be some nights I won't be around to start things, which means the link to the room won't be on my feed/page, so please plan accordingly.

Chrissey expressed interest last week about doing some write-ins timed better for our European Rebels. I'm in for this (as long as it isn't when I have to pick up my kids), but a lot of people on this side of the big water can only do daytime write-ins on the weekend. Here's the thing. You do NOT need to have some weird sort of approval for a #NaNoRebs write-in. Post about it on Twitter (with the hashtag so we can find it) a day or two in advance and then whack those of us who look like we might be around with a shovel once you open the chatzy room. (Doing that is easy. Go to http://www.chatzy.com, type in the name you're using and name it NaNoRebs Write-In. Once you're in, you have a direct link to share.)

Also, I might, once I'm on a normal-ish daytime schedule, start doing word sprints throughout the day. These are going to be when I have time (aka unplanned). You can start these too.

Basically I'm doing what I can, but I'm just me. Be a Rebel and throw something out there for us *gasp* without my say-so. You can do it. It's fun. Then point and laugh as I sit in the corner crying because your thing was bigger and better than my thing. *sniff* ;-)

The long and short of it is, we've made a good start, but I need people on board so we can get the most out of this. Follow each other on Twitter so you can see who might be in your timezone and able to do sprints and word wars and write-ins on your schedule. The party's started. Let's see if we can keep it going strong all month :)

Our list of #NaNoRebels:

Julie Particka(Seleste deLaney) / @Selestedelaney / eastern

Gareth / @FalcataTimes

Noelle Pierce / @NoellePierce

Danielle LaPaglia / @Dannigrrl5 / pacific

J.A. Campbell / @PFirewolf / mountain

Terri / @Angbuf / central

Tammy Crosby / @CrosbyWrites

Misha (CanadianSportsChick) / ? / eastern

Katee Robert / @Katee_Robert / pacific

Kelly Metz / @bwlrgrl300 / eastern

Rae Lori / @RaeLori

Chrissey / @ArcadeStarlet / eastern +5 (not sure what it's called...)

Donna / @DBReynoldswrite / pacific

Todd DeSilva / @todddesilva

Janelle Alexander / @Janellealexandr / pacific

Jennifer Baker / @BronwynK / eastern

Sean Hayden / @ShaydenFl / eastern

Scheduling for NaNo!

For those NaNo Rebels who missed it, I posted about our new hashtag over at my other blog, along with asking what your goals were for NaNovember. Get your butt over there and deal with that. Then come back. I'll wait.

Done? Good.

Okay, so one of the things we talked about doing was virtual write-ins. My plan is to do them on Chatzy because it's easy, but that means we won't be able to have a link until close to doing it. So...you'll have to check the blogs and/or facebook/twitter. However, you don't need me to lead these things. I'm here as a facilitator mainly. If I can't do a write-in when a bunch of you want to, let me know and I'll still post it on the schedule along with who's leading that puppy.

But... if we want to schedule them in advance, we need an idea of when people are available. I'm in Michigan, so eastern time, but I know other people are elsewhere. In order to get our butts organized, I'd like everyone to give a general idea of where they are state/province/country if not US/Canada, timezone, and a rough idea of when you are most available for writing/write-ins.

Also, make sure we have your twitter handle if you're on twitter so we can follow each other. Most people that I follow already, I'm following as @Selestedelaney, so if you haven't followed me yet, follow that me (or both of me if you want, but that's where I'll follow back from). And feel free to poke me with an @mention if I haven't followed you yet.

To kick things off, I'd like to do a Nov. 1 write-in. I'd say do a midnight est one on Halloween, but timezones make that unworkable. My unavailable times are before noon and between about 4-10 pm. 10pm-2am are my prime writing hours. Let me know who could make it sometime on Tuesday and we'll set it up. :)

Our list of #NaNoRebels:

(Name/Twitter Handle/Timezone/best availability)

Julie Particka(Seleste deLaney) / @Selestedelaney / eastern / 12-3:30pm & 10pm-2am

Gareth / @FalcataTimes

Noelle Pierce / @NoellePierce

Danielle LaPaglia / @Dannigrrl5

J.A. Campbell / @PFirewolf

Terri / @Angbuf

Tammy Crosby / @CrosbyWrites

Misha (CanadianSportsChick) / ?

Katee Robert / @Katee_Robert

Kelly Metz / @bwlrgrl300

Rae Lori / @RaeLori

Chrissey / @ArcadeStarlet

Donna / @DBReynoldswrite

Todd DeSilva / @todddesilva

Janelle Alexander / @Janellealexandr

Sean Hayden / @ShaydenFl / eastern

NaNo Rebels and Team Purple

I'll get to the NaNoRebels stuff at the end. First, though, I want to talk about something more important. What's more important than NaNo, you ask?

Bullying.

That's right. Last year on 10/20, people wore purple in support of the It Gets Better Project. I'm wearing my purple now, are you? If not, you should be, because there's a damn good chance bullying touched your life in some way. Were you the bully? Were you the one on the receiving end of the beat-downs (mental, emotional or physical)? Was someone you loved?

It Gets Better is a program aimed specifically to LGBT youth, but the problem of bullying is so pervasive that none of it should be ignored. In some ways, we've made strides and certain things that were once commonly used insults have--at least among most young people--have fallen out of fashion. It's no longer "cool" to call someone a fag or a retard or numerous other things. But bullying still exists and it's not okay.

When I used to teach high school, there were teachers who were incensed at the idea of their students using certain words (nigger, fag, dyke, retard...the list goes on) because they saw it as a form of bullying. But the openly gay student whose locker was broken into? He was the one fined for the damage. The chubby girl? It was perfectly acceptable in their minds for insults to be hurled her way. Apparently those were descriptive. Pardon me while I throw up all over again. These teachers even went so far as to make snide comments about a parent after conferences because the woman had the gaul to wear a leather skirt to conferences--the tramp.

This tramp made sure to wear leather to school every day for the rest of the semester.

The fact of the matter is, bullying doesn't stop once you're out of your teens. But it does get better, because the people who aren't assholes grow up and are against bullying. They stand in the corners of the people being mis-treated. It gets better because you know you aren't alone.

I told a friend today that I hope a time comes when we don't need to wear purple on 10/20. When bullying in all its forms disappears because the bullies no longer get the attention they crave. But until that time comes, I am Team Purple. Are you?

As for my NaNoRebels. Last week's post has a list of people participating. If you want to pimp this out and get a bigger group, please do. The more the merrier. In the meantime, the lovely Tammy Crosby has made us a little thing to put on our blogs (button? avatar? picture square?). I love it and I hope you do too. I might even use it as my twitter pic in November :) Grab it and help promote the cause. Mine in the sidebar will link back to the sign-up post. If you want to do the same, here's the linky for that: http://julieparticka.blogspot.com/2011/10/welcome-nanorebels.html

Welcome #NaNoRebels!

As many of you know, I have an unhealthy love for NaNoWriMo (if you don't know what that is, check out their site here). This year I'm faced with a November full of what if. There are a number of things going on right now, and any or all of them could come to fruition in November, which will alter my 50k words plan. (To put it in perspective, any of them would befabulous things, so I'm not complaining.)

What that means is, my NaNo is potentially going to be an exercise in change where I jump from one project to another to another. And I'm not the only one. My writing group (the Rebels), has some people who are spending November on heavy-duty revisions, some who are writing the 50k, some that are doing a bunch of smaller projects, and some who are determined to finish a project without worrying about that blasted 50k. Add to that the fact that my local NaNo group doesn't work for me, and...

it's time for #NaNoRebels.

This is not limited to my writing group. We stuck with Rebels because we're not necessarily worrying about the official rules. You already started your project? Awesome. You're a Rebel and can join us too. This project will be running on both this blog (YA) and my adult blog in tandem. On Tuesdays, I'll post there with an updated list of when we have scheduled virtual write-ins (I will probably set up a lot of them, but other people can do this too, just make sure I have the time and URL and I'll get it on the list.) On Thursdays, I'll post here and we'll all do status updates and commiserate with stories and rants from the previous week. (Feel free to rant at the other blog too, but just to give a basic idea of what's where.)

In addition, we're going to use the hashtag #NaNoRebels on Twitter for whatever chitchat we want as well as reminders about upcoming virtual write-ins.

What I want from you. Let me know if you want to play along. I'd really like it if you followed/joined/GFCd the blog (one or both, you know, just to make me happy) and put something in the comments that lets me know you're going to be a Rebel too. The last Thursday of this month, there will be a post where you respond with your goals for NaNo.

So please, join in, tell your friends, and get your fingers warmed up. It's going to be an interesting November.

Our list of #NaNoRebels:

Julie Particka/Seleste deLaney

Gareth/Falcata Times

Noelle Pierce

Danielle LaPaglia/Dannigrrl5

J.A. Campbell/PFirewolf

Terri/Angbuf

Tammy Crosby/CrosbyWrites

CanadianSportsChick/Misha

Katee Robert

Kelly Metz/bwlrgrl300

Rae Lori

Chrissey/ArcadeStarlet

Donna/DBReynoldswrite

Todd DeSilva / @todddesilva

Janelle Alexander / @Janellealexandr

Jennifer Baker / @BronwynK

Sean Hayden / @ShaydenFl

Update: the blog follow thing is fubar. I'm getting on fixing it now. Please follow when you can!