November is just around the corner and that can only mean one thing – that crazy literary marathon known as National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), where the sane lose their minds and attempt to pen a novel in 30 days.
As always, we at Virtual Writers like to crack the whip…ahem encourage writers, by offering a veritable calendar of delights – word scrimmages, write-ins, as well as inspirational workshops, talks and articles from successful authors.
Join our Second Life® group Milk Wood Wrimos for event reminders and follow us on Twitter for daily tips – you’ll find lots of great links under the hashtag #virtualwrimos.
Virtual Workshops
We are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting a selection of free online workshops from successful authors. Click on the link below to participate at the specific time. These workshops are held in Second Life®. For details on how you can participate check out the following article.
Thursday 5th November, 2015
12 noon Pacific Time/3pm Eastern Time/8pm GMT
Boost your Writing Using Second Life® with Lizzie Gudkov
NaNoWriMo is a demanding challenge and getting stuck is not an option! We’ll address a few simple ways you can turn a virtual world into your NaNoWriMo backup plan. http://ow.ly/eVHO3
Friday 6th November, 2015
2pm Pacific Time/5pm Eastern Time/10pm GMT
Writing like we speak – or – Authenticity in dialogue – or – Say what? with Diana Hunter
Ever start reading and someone in the story says something that’s just…wrong? Maybe the language is stilted or the phrasing isn’t right. But something pulls at your ear and poof! You’re out of the story.
Or you’re reading a book and, what may be arguably worse, every character in the story sounds like every other character in the story? There are pages of dialogue and you can’t tell who’s speaking because they all sound the same!
Writing perfect dialogue isn’t mysterious or difficult. Diana Hunter (Diana Allandale) will present some tips and techniques to writing conversation in this NaNoWriMo workshop. There will be some time within the workshop to write, so come prepared to work! http://ow.ly/eVHO3
Sunday 8th November, 2015
1pm Pacific Time/4pm Eastern Time/9pm GMT
Inspiration Stalking with Gwen Enchanted
Your creativity is not a finite resource. Gwen will teach you how to tap it when it seems tapped out. http://ow.ly/eVHO3
Monday 16th November, 2015
2pm Pacific Time/5pm Eastern Time/10pm GMT
How Do We Turn History into a Novel? with Arlene Radasky
Join us as we discuss ways to use our imagination and turn research gathered by anthropologists and archaeologists into an engaging story, one that others will want to read. http://ow.ly/eVHO3
Friday 20th November, 2015
12:30pm Pacific Time/3:30pm Eastern Time/8:30pm GMT
Word Roulette with Emerian Rich
Learn how to play Emz’s fun game to help generate ideas for stories, keep your mind active, and open up the idea stream inside you in a relaxing, non-stressful way. Bring your idea book and imagination. http://ow.ly/eVHO3
NaNoWriMo in Second Life®
If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit our sim in Second Life® then make some time this November. You’ll find an incredibly diverse and active community of writers and the level of support is second to none.
Our Second Life® NaNoWriMo word meter will be up and working on the 1st at our virtual writers’ camp. You will need to join the Milk Wood Wrimos group in order to obtain our participant badge. Be sure to pick up the free gift bag for virtual Wrimos at the writers’ camp.
Write-Ins
(Please be aware that the clocks go back in the US on 1st November and on 25th October in the UK and we go by Pacific Time in Second Life®)
Saturday 31st October, 2015: 3pm Pacific Time/6pm Eastern Time/10pm GMT – NaNoWriMo Kick-Off Party in Second Life (meet your fellow Wrimos). Come dressed as your favourite fictional character – prize for the best costume. http://ow.ly/eVHO3
Monday – Sunday (throughout November): 8-9am Pacific Time/11am-12 noon Eastern Time/4-5pm GMT – NaNoWriMo Write-In with Zoetrope Ocelot http://ow.ly/eVHO3
Saturday (throughout November): 1-2pm Pacific Time/4-5pm Eastern Time/9-10pm GMT – NaNoWriMo Write-in with Harriet Gausman http://ow.ly/eVHO3
Sunday (throughout November): 1-2pm Pacific Time/4-5pm Eastern Time/9-10pm GMT – NaNoWriMo Write-in with Harriet Gausman http://ow.ly/eVHO3
Writers’ Dash & 500 Word Snatch
We also have a twice-daily Writers’ Dash running every Monday-Friday at 6am & 6pm (Pacific Time) with Doyle Slen, and a 500 Word Snatch with Lizzie Gudkov on Monday-Friday at 2am and Saturday at 12 noon (Pacific Time). These are often used by Wrimos to work on their novels. http://ow.ly/eVHO3
Virtual Inspiration
Please feel free to visit Milk Wood and take a wander through our beautiful woodlands and meadows. Our virtual cottages are for rent; we currently have several large properties available and various small writers’ cabins. These are always very popular for those seeking an online base in an active writing community. We also have several well-positioned stalls at the Dead Wood Book Fayre. Your books can be displayed and linked to your online bookseller or author’s website, allowing instant purchase from many outlets. If you need help with creating a Second Life® version of your book, please email us using the contact form on this website.
If you’d like information on connecting to Second Life® so you can attend some of our events, then please check out the following article.
