NaNoWriMo is an international event, and the stories being written every year reflect our hundreds of participating regions. We’re taking a Road Trip to NaNo to hear from our amazing volunteers and writers all around the world. Today, Candice, one of our Municipal Liaisons in the Canada :: Alberta :: Calgary region talks about how community can carry you through a storm:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada is known for two things: the Calgary Stampede and the weather. Our summers are cool to moderate and our winters range from moderately cold to very cold. We have had a foot of snow on September 9. and barbecued steaks on Christmas Eve. In the winter we can go from ‘uncovered skin freezes in 60 seconds’ to 'you don’t need a jacket’ in a matter of hours. Our weather is notoriously unpredictable and Calgarians pride ourselves on that. Don’t like the weather here? Wait five minutes.

Of course, that didn’t help us last year.

In June of 2013, Alberta had record rainfall and snowmelt that culminated in massive floods in most of the southern areas of the province. The two rivers that pass through Calgary both had 1-in-100-year levels and flooded the city. The damage across the province was estimated at between $3 and $5 billion.

But the story that we remember most about the floods was that of the community that rose up during the recovery efforts…

NaNoWriMo is an international event, and the stories being written every year reflect our hundreds of participating regions. We’re taking a Road Trip to NaNo to hear from our amazing volunteers and writers all around the world. Today, Victoria, one of our Municipal Liaisons in the Canada :: Ontario :: Toronto region compares your novel to a song:

It’s past midnight, and I’m wandering a surreal version of downtown Toronto. Mixed in with the office towers, restaurants, and the university, the city glitters with snatches of the arcane and bizarre: a massive balloon spider that menaces from above, a gauzy maze in a parking lot, a glittering rainbow that arcs overhead to land on the CN Tower.

People are wandering the closed streets in pairs or in groups, and there’s a festival atmosphere everywhere. In the dark, Toronto seems simultaneously deserted and inhabited by friendly spirits.

This is Nuit Blanche…

November is coming. To get ready, we’re taking a Road Trip to NaNoWriMo. On the way, we’ll hear from writers about how their cities can inspire your novel. Today, Crystal in Edmonton, Alberta challenges you to throw contradictions at your characters:

Welcome to Edmonton, the City of Champions!

Well, that’s what the sign says when you drive in from Highway 2. I think it hearkens back to the storied days when Edmonton sports teams actually won sporting competitions… but I’m not here to talk about that. I’m here to tell you why Edmonton is inspiring. Because it truly is.