I have participated in NaNoWriMo three times and won three times. It has been a huge catalyst in getting my writing going - procrastination, other creative projects and life tend to get in the way - so I am happy to help the cause for other aspiring writers and particularly, the young kids who benefit from the OLL programs so they get off to an early start in following their creative dreams.

One of my greatest challenges as a creative writer is sitting down to write. Being very project/deadline oriented, I found that NaNoWriMo was the perfect way to get my novel written. Since you can choose to be completely anonymous, there is no reason to fear failure, rejection or criticism, which are all common to blocked artists of any genre. The first time I participated, I completed a novel. The second time, I reached the goal of 50,000 words but found my story to be far from complete; however, that novel is well on its way and I wouldn't have made the time to write it without the NaNo challenge. As a creative living activist with a self-published non-fiction book under my belt, I highly recommend NaNoWriMo to any aspiring novelist as a way to make your noveling dream come true.