Having trouble keeping up with the pace for National Novel Writing Month? Katy Metcalf has a message for you: Everyone has all sorts of homework and sports and plays and other fantastical things that you spend 25 hours a day doing. There's never enough time, so make time! Check inside for her tips on doing just that.

"Though I'm still a bit behind on my word count, I don't really think that finishing the novel is the most important part of NaNoWriMo, at least not for me," writes Stephanie Overmier. "Every writer I've talked to says that one of the best things you can do to improve your writing skill is to write every day, and that writing is a habit that you have to get into."

It's over — Uni's fall play, "The Miser," is over. "All the work we did since September came down to our closing-night performance on Saturday," writes actress Kahlilah Cooke. "Or rather, it was over for the audience. For everyone involved in the play, things weren't even close to finished even after the final bow."

Opening night finally arrived for the cast and crew of Uni's fall play, "The Miser." And, according to actress Katy Metcalf, it was amazing. "Today, I got all my lines," she writes. "Every single one. I did accidentally scream — but I can work on that later. And not just me. Monologues were finally in place, costumes were completed, everything went wonderfully. Taking the final bow was dreamlike."

"So, now National Novel Writing Month has officially begun, and we've kicked off with a bang," writes Katy Metcalf. "Or, at least, a passably loud squeak. There are tons and tons and tons of Uni students participating, which I am thrilled about, including our nine-member support group. And, so far, no one's dropped out. So, thus far, everything is going well."

"There is a particular set of smells that accompanies productions at Uni High," writes actress Anna Gooler. "I can't say exactly why I focus on these smells, but perhaps it's my brain preparing for nostalgia. I'll be flying around in my hovercraft someday in the future and smell something familiar, and I'll find myself yearning for the good old days of theater at Uni."

Have you ever tried to play a Jimi Hendrix solo that was so difficult that you weren't able go a few strums before failing miserably? Well, a new club at Uni is there for you to live out your rock 'n' roller dreams without all the practice. Will Fernandez had to get the scoop on Air Guitar Club and ask, "Are you ready to rock?"

"I have a different perspective on this process from most, for I am a techie and I am not on stage," writes crew member Adam Joseph. "While the actors are worried about learning lines and entrances, I worry about knowing what lights to turn on when and making sure each light is where it needs to be. And just doing that presents a certain number of problems."

Four members of the Gargoyle staff — senior editor Anna Gooler and junior editors Kahlilah Cooke, Adam Joseph, and Katy Metcalf — are involved in this year's fall play, "The Miser." This week they will take us backstage to get a sense of what goes into putting on a school production. What happens in tech week doesn't always stay in tech week.

Last spring, Uni theater put on a successful production of "A West Side Story." Now, they are hard at work again on French playwright Molière's comedy, "The Miser." Directed by Barbara Ridenour, the cast includes theater veterans and newcomers. Performances will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday and at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in the North Attic. Tickets are $7 for adults and $6 for students, faculty and senior citizens.

[Updated with audio] Why wait any longer to write that novel you've had percolating in the back of your mind? Do it now! National Novel Writing month begins this weekend, and it offers the perfect excuse to take time out of your busy schedule to flex your literary muscles. The challenge: Write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Check inside to meet four current Uni students who accomplished that feat last year.

Ahh, Halloween. What was once a celebration to honor the dead has now turned into a commercialized holiday where kids run around in costumes to get candy. But we don’t mind the change. We love all the lovely treats we can get just by ringing a doorbell. Read on to see what’s on our Halloween checklist for this year.

Halloween is right around the corner, leaving us with barely enough time to procure costumes. Don't despair — there's still time to quickly put together some accessories and knick-knacks and call it a costume. Read on and learn about a few stores in town that will lead you to costume success!

Sindha Agha has made plenty of musical discoveries since school started, and once again she's ready to share what she's found. This mixtape isn't themed, but as soon as fall weather hit Champaign-Urbana, she found these 12 tracks to be good company as the dreaded cold moved in. Give them a listen, and let her know what you think!

The 2009 Buddy Walk will take place Saturday at the Champaign County Fairgrounds in Urbana. The Buddy Walk is an annual fundraiser for the Champaign County Down Syndrome Network. The organization's president is SSO secretary/registrar Ellen Lindsey, whose son, Joey, is featured in a promotional billboard.