Frustrated and anxious about ML business

So – it’s just over a week until Nanowrimo starts…

As I’ve mentioned, I signed up to be an ML for Hamilton this year. My Co-ML and I met to start discussing plans back in September, but – well, I haven’t been hugely ‘on the ball’ and proactive about getting all the little details organized, and as a result we’re both scrambling a bit to get the Kick-Off party organized in time.

I was supposed to meet Co-ML yesterday evening, actually, for a pre-write-in, but the location got switched several times at the last minute and the agreed-on coffee shop turned out to not be open past 6 on Tuesdays – whoops! And each of us tried alternate venues in a different order missed each other, and went home.

But we connected over the phone, and settled on a time for the Kick-off, an ideal venue, and a back-up venue. I called the #1 pick venue yesterday evening; the same local coffee shop where we held our MLs planning meeting. They have a gallery room that can be reserved for parties, which sounds really good. The woman who answered the phone took down my details and assured me that her manager would call back today to confirm.

But the phone, it hasn’t rung all day. 😦 I tried calling them again at quarter after four – a machine picked up, and I left my information again. Tried one more time just a few minutes ago. Same machine, I hung up on it this time.

I’m trying not to get too anxious. This coffee shop should work out, I’ve made every reasonable effort, and if not, the backup venue, (a restaurant that’s very popular with the Wrimos in our region,) should be happy to take a reservation for us on Sunday afternoon on relatively short notice. 🙂

I’m excited about being a Nanowrimo ML for the first time. Shouldn’t let the pressure get to me.

My Nano ML’s journey has begun, kind of

I went to meet some writer friends and fellow Wrimo-ers at a new coffee shop this evening, scouting it out as a possible Nanowrimo venue. One of the friends is a many-times Hamilton ML, and I’m joining her as Nanowrimo Co-ML for the first time ever. We decided that the place, the Mulberry cafe, would be a pretty good place for a Kick-off party, because we can reserve their gallery room, but maybe not so good for a write-in as the only tables with outlets are also closest to the loud music.

I’m very excited about being a Nanowrimo ML for the first time, but also a bit nervous about the responsibility, and of having to keep up with my friend. I’ve been ML for Script Frenzy before, but that was always fairly small and low-key. I’m going to need to up my game for November. It should be a fun challenge.

I also got two short scenes finished for Block Revision, and Elizabeth Twist got a page and a bit scribbled in with her pen. (My Co-ML brought a netbook, but wasn’t able to get any writing done, blaming the music.)

So it was a great evening.

Insecure Writers Support Group: A Balloon Full of Encouragement

Hi there, fellow insecure writers. Sorry I didn’t post for IWSG last month, I lost track with the Campaigner Spotlight, Rule of Three, Six Sentence Sunday, and a few other things.

So, it’s Nano – which can be a crazy, but also very encouraging time to be a writer, because most of the participants have been through this stunt of trying to write a book in 50 days and know how daunting it can be.

I want to share an idea that my ML, Gale, presented at the Hamilton Kick-off party this past Sunday. It’s something that may work if you’ve got a writer’s support group that meets up regularly, or that we could adapt to cyberspace somehow.

Everybody wrote a somewhat generic but encouraging message on a little slip of paper and rolled up the paper. Then, the paper was inserted into a colored balloon, and the balloon blown up. We tossed around the balloons for a little while until they were shuffled thoroughly, and then everybody took a balloon, (of a different color than the one their message was in,) and took it home. The idea is that you pop the balloon and get the message when you most need that little jolt of encouragement from a fellow writer.

I was hoping to leave my balloon until I’m packed for San Francisco, and then thought that I’d pop it because I couldn’t take the balloon on the plane. I tied its ribbon to the bookcase when I got home Sunday evening so that it wouldn’t get trodden on or in the way. But when I went to take a picture of it for this blog post…

I guess there must have been a pinhole leak. But inspiration doesn’t leak out through holes – there’s still inspiration in that balloon, even if there isn’t air any more!

So – if you were preparing a balloon for another writer, what encouraging message would you put in it? Here’s a new one from me, since I don’t want to repeat the one I put in the orange balloon:

You can tell this story. It is the destiny that you were born for.