The Office of Letters and Light Blog

HQ Introductions

Hello there! I’m Emily and I am the newest intern here in the coffee-filled paradise that is the Office of Letters and Light. I was born and raised here in Berkeley, California and will be a junior in high school this fall. I’ve written six magical realism novels, which is more than I can count on one hand, so I may just have to stop now. (I kid!  Once you starting writing, I don’t think you can ever stop.  It’s like Star Wars or a really good concept album.)

As you can imagine, I love everything magical, so if you happen upon a portal to another world in the form of a wardrobe or something like that, do write me. I can neither confirm nor deny the rumors that such a portal exists in OLL.

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HQ Introductions: Intern Déjà Vu

Hello, gentle readers. My name is Sonja, and I’m the newest addition to the crack interning team at the office here in scenic Berkeley, California.

When I’m not participating in NaNoWriMo-related events (I know, at times it’s difficult to believe there is a life outside of it!), you can find me painting, fixing clocks, performing in musical theatre…

Wait a moment. This sounds familiar.

Too familiar…

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HQ Introductions: Hello!

Dear estimable reader(s),

I am Michael Adamson. You may call me Mike, or any other permutation of my full name, or even something wholly unrelated. I literally cannot stop you. Once you’ve settled on your preferred pseudonym, know that I am announcing the auspicious beginnings of my internmentship with NaNoWriMo. I appear to have joined a prestigious community and expect only the best from it.

My chief occupation is traveling across time and space on the engines of imagination and relativity. I have explored the dark recesses of what is and what should never be, and come to you all bearing tidings. Unfortunately, the fabric of the cosmos is no place to raise children (not that I have any, but one likes to be prepared), so I make my abode in present-day Northern California.

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Valentines to Your NaNo-Novel

Happy Valentine’s Day, Writers! Today, @NaNoWriMo asked our followers to write a Valentine to their NaNo-novel. We got a flood of poems, some of them hilarious, some loving, all of them heartfelt:

I Love You… I May Have to Kill You.

I hate you, you’ve ruined my life… time to write more and cause my characters strife. @bqdfantasy

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The Impossible Infomercial

We have accomplished one impossible thing this month. We have dared to write with the intensity and passion reserved for artists, inventors, and the movers-and-shakers of the world.

But why stop there? Like one of those annoying infomercials that tries to sell you a spring-loaded spatula after you’ve already bought three cast-iron pans and Tupperware for tomatoes in the shape of (big surprise) a tomato, I would like to sell you the idea of attempting one “impossible” thing every month of this year.

As many of you have already learned from this month’s challenge, it’s not all about winning. It’s about discovering that you have fire in your veins. It’s about realizing that you are the hero in your own story. Every hero needs a next adventure. What will be your next “impossible” challenge?

Here are a few samples from my own list:

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Holy Smokes, I’ve Arrived in NaNoLand!

Hello Wrimos,

I’m happy to find myself in NaNoLand with a nifty computer, a staff of superheroes, and a sweets factory right next door! As one of the latest interns at the OLL, it feels like I’ve fallen into a foreign land where Wrimos rule the (imaginary) world,  where Campers hold sentences over a fire until the words reach that special marshmallow-y goodness, and where caffeine is… well, caffeine. I’m even learning the cool new language of Wrimo-verse (does that word exist yet?).

Let me tell you a little about myself.

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And We’re Back!

Hey, it’s me again! As a NaNoWriMo intern for the second year in a row, I’m feeling a bit of déjà vu writing my new intro blog. It’s still the same Ari, but a little different. First things first: my hair! When I started interning at OLL last year, I sported a pixie cut. Now it’s longer. I find strands of it in the sink every morning, and I’ve realized my ambitions for it can never be fully realized because I don’t know how to do fancy stuff with it.

For those who are getting to know me for the first time, I’m Ari. On top of reading and writing, I have a love for tea, video games, blues guitar, typography, and technology. So what have I been up to besides growing my hair out?

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¡Bienvenidos!

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The NaNoWriMo 2012 Summer Fundraising Drive: We Want More of You

One of the perks of my job here at the Office of Letters and Light is that I get to read the thousands of emails that come into our inbox: the heroes’ journeys of people who’ve written a novel for the first time, the legendary exploits of those who’ve written a novel for the fourteenth time. Stories of people who met their husband or wife at a write-in, who wrote with our community while sitting in a hospital bed, or crowed about the persevering creativity NaNoWriMo taught them in a college essay.

Even when the days feel long, and the work seems overwhelming, I hear from one of you, spinning the story of how NaNoWriMo changed your life. Now? It’s our turn to celebrate you. Take a look at what we’ve got up our sleeve:

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The OLL-iverse: Starlog 4

Hello, everyone! Do you know what time it is? Correct, it is weekly recap o’clock! My favorite time of day. My favorite time of week, really. That’s right, out of the whole week, this is my favorite time. I get to look back and remember everything that happened! How great is that? So great. Seriously. It’s even better than rest o’clock (though relax-thirty is a close second).

Today’s post is brought to you by Ben, who has a very fine hat. He’ll tell you all about it next week.

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Lessons From the LARP Side, Part 1: Gamewriting

Yes, it is true. I am that dorkiest of dorks. I am a LARPer, and I am proud. More over, I am a LARP-writer. I’ve dedicated more time to writing LARPs than any other form of fiction (even novels), and you know what? I’ve learned an awful lot from the process. Over a few posts, I’d like to take you inside the weird and wacky world of LARPing and share some of the lessons I’ve learned from it!

Hold on, let’s rewind for a second. What the devil is a LARP? Well, LARP stands for Live-Action Role Play. We’re the folk in the woods with costumes and foam swords, or in the parlor with weird outfits and eccentric modes of speech.

I write for The Wayfinder Experience, a summer camp for teens in upstate New York, and Westfinder, a small group in Berkeley, California. Both are based more on improv theater, so we tend to emphasize storytelling and character. It’s lots of fun! Curious about how all that might work from a writing perspective? Read on!

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The OLL-iverse: Starlog 3

And we are back with another inspiring edition of your catch-all review of all the wild and exciting things that happened around the world of Letters and Light this week!

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