National Novel Writing Month

I totally support the use of NaNoWriMo in the classrooom. I cannot begin to tell you how much the lessons provided encouraged my students to write freely with organization and purpose. Two of my students have received their published novels, and the promise of s few more receiving them is thrilling. As a National Board Certified Teacher, I see great value and purpose to this month-long assignment. The beauty of all of it can be summarized in a few points: 1) not eveyone has to be an awesome writer - just an imaginative idea generator 2) great opportunity to work one-on-one with your students 3) teaching writing skills, summarys kills, editing and meaningful drafting. I could not have imagined the quality of work that was generated from this activity until I actually led a class through the program. Give it a shot - it is worth the time, and you will benefit - your students will benefit - and so will the world of young writers!

I achieved something I would never have even considered doing otherwise; for a great period of time, I didn't think I would be able to accomplish the task set before me - that is, the National Novel Writing Month goal of 50,000 words - but with the encouragement brought together by this program, I was able to garner the will to create the words.

What other excuse could you use for churning out 50,000 words for a story in one month? Because there was an actual goal (and nifty prizes), I wrote more in this month than I've ever written in 30 days before. The encouragement also helped me complete my goal. The words of wisdom and commiseration of those who had been there before were truly a boost.

NaNoWriMo is a month long crazy wordfest that pushes people to get past their mental blocks and just write. It draws writers both amateur and professional to disregard typos and plot holes and just get their ideas out. You meet other people through the forums and at write-ins and get to immerse yourself in a community of writers. The Office of Letters and Light maintains a website that allows those participating in NaNo to get ideas, vent their frustration, and make friends. It’s the most exhausting, exciting, fun month of the year.

This group helps get people of all ages out there writing. It provides people with a community of people to provide support, ideas, and a feeling of community and fosters millions of written words. And while these words might never become a published novel, they mean more to the people who write them written on paper during a month of frenzy than a non-writer can understand. And the OLL makes that happen for all of it's participants. There is still room for growth in the volunteer organization, but that can be expected from a global event organization standpoint.

I was peer pressured into doing Nano by my then housemate. 50k in a month; can't be that hard right? Dead wrong. Nano proved to be one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also one of the most fulfilling. I managed to win that year, my housemate and I egging each other on every day, knocking on each others door to see where the other was in our books, or yelling "wordcount?" though the wall we shared. Now, going on 5 years later, I've managed to win NaNoWriMo four times, and out of all of those awful first drafts I've managed to excavate some gems, and a few good stories too. I'll forever be grateful to The Office of Letters and Light for National Novel Writing Month and I encourage everyone I know with an interest in writing to give it a try!

I have participated in two programs run by The Office of Letters and Light, NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy, for several years in a row now, and I have seen the positive impact that such programs have had on the community. The act of writing brings people together from all over the world and pulls them together in a safe, friendly environment based on writing. Also, their Young Writer's Program is inspired, helping those children who might not otherwise get a chance to do so get a chance to learn writing skills that will help them later on in life. I really wish that when I'd been in school, I'd had such a program to help us.

My son and his wife had done NaNoWriMo for 6 years, but I was sceptical - surely the last thing the human community needs is thousands more substandard novels? But I trust them, they're bright people, with very full lives, and despite having written and published a textbook, I'd abandoned the thought of finishing a novel. So, I decided to give it a go - it was the first of November and I was low-energy, just emerging from a lingering feverish cold. I couldn't manage anything very physical, but I could sit on the sofa with my laptop.
I registered, read the FAQs and started typing. I completed my first draft 50,000 word novel in November 2009. The feeling was amazing - suddenly I could think of myself as 'a writer'. Last November I wrote the back story to my first NaNo novel (not recommended - but it worked for me - included creating some amazing new characters who developed their own subplots).
I've been telling stories since I was eight - but this programme is transformational.
This January and February I've put myself through a self-directed literary criticism course, and been applying the insights gained to editing my NaNo novel.
I declare myself to be a writer - thanks to this amazing opportunity - with further ideas fizzing, and a sense of being true to myself.

Thank you Office of Letters and Light.

Nanowrimo is perhaps the most efficient system that pushes people to fulfill their lifelong dreams of writing a novel. On my tenth attempt at a novel, I finally finished my first this year.

NaNoWrimo is an excellent program for anyone, either for seasoned writers hungering to produce their own Great American Novel or for people who merely dabble in words to try something new and meet a lot of great, supporitive people in the process. NaNoWriMo placed gave me the drive and the method for producing fiction, and my experience in 2010 showed me that I could indeed come up with something in a month that wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be! What's more, the NaNoWriMo way is probably a lot closer to how the pros do it.

I would recommend NaNoWriMo to anyone who loves to write or who doesn't write all that much but wants to try and do it some more.

My daughters have participated in Nanowrimo for several years now and it has been a fabulous opportunity for them to hone their writing skills - and meet new people interested in writing. It all started with a tiny article in some home schooling magazine for us and literally has taken on a life of its own. This was my first year of even thinking about doing my own nanowrimo. It was an experience, especially with the three of us writing. Thank you so much!

I've done NaNoWriMo these past two years, and I must say that it is fantastic. The first novel I ever wrote took me fifteen months. The second: one. Thirty days and I was already a novelist twice over. National Novel Writing Month has influenced the way that I work as a writer, and if it were not for the Office of Letters and Light, I'm not sure what I'd be doing right now.

I have participated with their write a novel in a month program. Their online helps are great. Their other programs, to get children to read etc, sound very needed today and it sounds like they do a good there too.

Without NaNoWriMo to get me started I may never have begun my novel. It taught me how to set personal writing goals and to deliver on them. That one intensive month really tests your writing skills and lets you know what you are truly capable of.

This have to be the best program for anybody who wants to write something but never got to do so. By being almost forced to step out of your comfort zone and sit and put all your deepest feelings and fantasies on paper and slowly watch something grow into something bigger than you expected along with your self-confidence....


... this has to be the meaning of internet.

I never thought I would write a novel. That was something other people did. Smarter people...people with substantive things to say.

But the Office of Letters and Light changed all that. When I found their National Novel Writing Month, everything changed. I found - much to my surprise - that I could write a novel. Their encouragement, their attitude, and their support were critical to getting me through the weeks of self-doubt and discouragement.

Subsequently, I have continued to write. It has added joy to my life and given me the creative outlet I didn't even know I lacked.

I happened on write a novel in a month challenge in a writers' blog. I'm so happy I did. The novel that would otherwise have lingered on the back burner for years now awaits editing. The process was fun, thrilling and sustaining. The motivational emails were timely and apt. The site was easy to use and attractive. I enjoy recommending the November effort to other writers and touching base with those who have done it. This is a cost effective programme that can inspire talented people and could be adapted to many purposes such as plan a business month with guidelines for popular business practices like making a cashflow.

I first heard about NaNoWriMo in 2006 (the fall of my first year of college), and started late that year, resulting in about 25,000 words. The next year I wasn't going to do it because I thought it was impossible to succeed while being a college student. However, my roommate was doing it and talked me into it. I'm so glad she did. I took a character from my 2006 Nano attempt and wrote her backstory so that I could better continue my original story with her as a major character. I got to know her inside and out--she was the first character I've ever fully sketched out before, and it was thanks to Nano that I did. I've continued Nano ever since, and it has opened new doors for me to the vast world of writing. When writing at top speed, just to get something out on the page to up my word count, I'm amazed at some of the work I produce. I get the great feeling of: I actually wrote that beautiful sentence? And while speed writing? That's brilliant!
Nano has given me so much, including new writing friends and the right to brag about the 50,000 word novels I've written in one month! In short, NaNoWriMo is a wonderful challenge for new writers and veteran writers alike. It connects writers literally across cultures and the world.

I just love nanowrimo. At first I wasn't sure if i could do it but when I tried it i was hooked. Nanowrimo has helped me so much. Now I can really just concentrate only on writing and edit later. Before my first nano that was impossible so I really owe much to this site.

I hadn't written a novel in over 5 years. I didn't have any ideas and couldn't for love or money land a grant. Then Garth Nix recommended Nanowrimo (run by the office of letters and light) to me as a way to get another novel under my belt and hone my writing skills without that pesky editor in my head stopping my progress. Nanowrimo was one of the most fantastic writing experience I ever had. It was fun, I connected with people all around the world. We helped each other when we were stuck and applauded those who won with writerly gifts.

This year, I am going to write the second part of the series. IT'S ON!!!!

I loved participating in NaNoWriMo. It helped me become a better writer and understand more about writing. It helped me get my creative juices going. I was addicted to it for the month of November (and still think about it a lot!).

Through their annual National Novel Writing Month event, I've been a direct recipient of the great work this nonprofit does. Forget for a moment that these events, and others they host, promote literacy in a world of falling graduation rates and school funding cutbacks, forget just for a second that NaNoWriMo brings together people from all over the world and people from local communities to foster cooperation and group cheerleading, and let me tell you that, if it wasn't for this nonprofit and the swell people who run it, I would never have even tried to write 10k words let alone 50k. The feeling I get from accomplishing this each November is akin to the sensation one gets from conquering a mountain peak - from a laptop.

NaNoWriMo was an amazing experience to participate in. I am currently a sophomore in High School, and before last November I had never tried to write more than a short story. A friend convinced me to try the contest, and on a whim, November 1st, I just started writing. I had no intention of even coming close to finishing, but on November 30th, low and behold, I finished my very first novel. I couldn't have done it without this organization. This nonprofit inspired me to work toward a seemingly impossible goal, and finish, learning a lot about myself along the way.

Junior year of high school was probably not the ideal time for a challenge of massive proportions, but then again, what is the best time for something like that? How much of what we could possibly accomplish in our lives is sacrificed to the altar of 'too busy'?

I wrote my first novel for NaNoWriMo. I wrote my second novel for NaNoWriMo. I commiserated with friends in school hallways, stayed up late chasing ideas around the corners of my skull, and at the end, felt like I could conquer the world.

I think this nonprofit inspires in people the idea that maybe it really is true that their dreams are attainable no matter what's going on in their lives, and that makes them able to act. I think that, in today's overly cynical atmosphere, this is one of the most importantly outstanding parts of the organization, although certainly not the only one.

My only hope is that they can continue to spread the love through new means, and to translate their website more comprehensively to other languages.

I was first informed of NaNoWriMo in 2004. I've always loved to write, but I had only up until then managed to complete all of one manuscript. I found starting easy and finishing difficult. In 2004, I finished my first NaNoWriMo manuscript. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it had a beginning, a middle, and an end. It was something I could take and work with. I've participated every year since, increased my number of words per day beyond the minimum, and produced upwards of ten manuscripts to work with. While I am not published yet, NaNoWriMo has helped me develop some habits and a working attitude that I hope will see me published some day.

It's not just the goal and deadline that motivates. It's the whole feeling of community. My region is very active, with write-ins all around almost daily throughout NaNoWriMo and support for fellow writers on the forums. We can share in our joys and wallow in our sorrows together.

I have hosted several write-ins, and I have always found the company to be inspiring. Everyone shares bits of their stories--both the stories they are writing and the stories of the things they are going through during NaNoWriMo. I've interacted with participants as young as twelve at the write-ins, and to hear these youth getting engaged in writing and building up their skills is amazing!

NaNoWriMo has had such a strong influence on me that as part of obtaining my education degree, I wrote a standards-based unit plan based on OLL's workbooks for young writers as part of one of my classes. While I have not yet been hired as a teacher, I would use NaNoWriMo as part of a writing curriculum in my class. It was easy to align NaNoWriMo's goals with state and national standards in writing.

I love NaNoWriMo and I would recommend it to anyone who wants more exposure to writing.

This is a initiative to get people writing, developing their creative side and supporting that by fostering a sense of community. It functions via an extended web of volunteers and is the most wonderful way of engaging people of all ages via the competitive streak. It has a secondary initiative specifically aimed at children and the benefits of enthusing them to engage with writing and self-expression are incalculable and far-reaching throughout their lives. My niece is not a great reader but she likes screenplays - she has been caught up in the self-competitive spirit of it, has been supported and enthused by the network and website, and as a direct result of the increased amount of writing she's done over the past couple of years, her teachers have noticed the improvement of her use of language.
There are very few organisations in this world that I don't have a bad word to say about, but this is high on that list.

NaNoWriMo is the kick I need to get me writing, and the support group to keep going. I can get a rough draft out in a month that I would have waffled over for a year. It's been great.

It’s pretty much the weirdest, craziest, and most nerve wracking thing you can do. Dedicate a whole month to writing a novel. For fun. And yet thousands across the world have been doing it for more than ten years. That means sitting down at a computer and pounding out almost 2,000 words every single day, for thirty days straight. The result? Maniacal laughter. Frustration and repeatedly asking yourself why you ever signed up to do this in the first place. Insane, sporadic sentences, such as “That fish, right there, that you just caught… It’s so… It’s so boot.” And… a novel. A lousy novel, true, but a novel nonetheless. Welcome to NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. The title pretty much sums up what it means- writing a novel, which is classified by the site as being 50,000 words in 30 days, calculating down to 1,666 2/3s words per day, all throughout the month of November. Contestants who submit their 100-ish paged work of fiction by November 30th win! No, not awards- winners get added to the official Winners Page on the site, receive a certificate, get some pretty nifty web badges and can have their whole novel sent to them for free.
NaNoWriMo is a competition that was created in 1999 by a Californian by the name of Chris Baty and his group of friends, who said he started it, “Because we wanted to make noise. Because we didn't have anything better to do. And because we thought that, as novelists, we would have an easier time getting dates than we did as non-novelists.” The first year of NaNoWriMo took place in sunny July, not dreary November, and had only 21 NaNovelists, six of which finished. Feeling inspired, the group starting telling their friends about it, who subsequently starting telling their friends about it, and by the time the second year came about, 140 people had signed up. Year two was also the year in which many of NaNoWriMo’s regulations were born, which includes: you have to start from scratch. Also, you can’t co-author a book- this has to be a lone-ranger type dealio, not Batman and Robin. The novel must be sent in by Midnight on November 30th. There’s been a few guidelines added since then, like that you must be at least thirteen years or older to join, you must write an actual novel- that is, a lengthy work of fiction. And, no, you cannot simply write one word 50,000 times and submit.
By the third year, the participants shot up from the expected 150 to over 5,000. In only a few short years, NaNoWriMo had grown to a cultivating website, with everyone’s energy rising as they realized that aiming for completion, instead of perfection, not only reveals your writing deficiencies, but makes you fall in love with writing. In 2004, its sixth year of existence, NaNo partnered up with Room to Read, an international children’s literacy program, and established and filled up three children’s libraries in Cambodia. The following year, the site took NaNoWriMo a full step further, in creating their Young Writers Program. YWP is pretty much NaNoWriMo for teens and kids, in which everyone ages 18 and younger spend all of November writing, but they get to set their own, more realistic goals. Over 150 schools and 4000 kids participated that first year, getting sent stickers for encouragement and bewildering teachers by how much most of them enjoyed it.
In 2006, Sara Greun’s best-selling NaNovel, Water for Elephants, was first published. One year later, NaNo gave birth to yet another writing program taking place in April and entitled Script Frenzy, which is an event similar to NaNo, except instead of a novel, it’s a script, and it has to be 100 pages long. In 2009, the start of NaNo’s second decade, the event partnered with public libraries and indie bookstores to turn their settings into noveling zones with Come Write In. “Write your novel here!” window clings and NaNo posters were hung with pride and care to help advertise the event. They were of great help this past year, in which the Twin Cities came in 8th place for NaNoWriMo’s Wordiest Regions. Taking first and second were Seattle and Los Angeles, and even Snookie’s Homeland, New Jersey, managed to crack the list, although, they were number fifty. Other statistics for 2010 were that over two billion words were written and submitted throughout the month of November, and roughly 37,500 people crossed that finishing line, of which I was one.
One of the biggest features of NaNoWriMo is the website itself. On it, both you and your friends progress is tracked on charts- thus, spurring you on as you now have competition. There’s widgets and NaNoToons, Pep talks from famous authors, such as John Greene and Lemony Snicket and, most importantly, forums. Many people say that their favorite part of NaNo is the forums. They’re full of completely random traditions such as the Traveling Shovel of Death, and funny dares, like having a character whose guilty pleasure is going through other people’s medicine cabinets. It’s where you get to vent and spread your own ideas, read many others, and most importantly, where you can slack.
Now, here’s the biggest question on everyone’s mind: Why would anyone EVER Do this? Give up free time, socializing time, normal time for a whole month just to sit and write a crazy amount of garbage? Well, here’s the real reason: odds are, you will never do it otherwise. You know those stories in your heads, the ones that play across your mind as you’re falling asleep at night, waiting in lines, sitting through boring classes? The ones that are full of thought and of character, funny situations and actual meaning? The ones that we promise ourselves, we will write down… One day. Sometimes we start, maybe get a couple pages or chapters in- but the truth is, that for the most part, we lose our momentum. We think of what has been playing so wonderfully in our head as we look down at what’s actually on paper, and lose hope, tell ourselves we’ll work on it another time. And then never look at it again. NaNo defeats this. NaNoWriMo forces you to write down whatever is in your mind, no matter the amount of sense it has; it gets you to experiment, to find joy in the little things. It allows you to, as Chris Baty, the creator of the event, states, “Build without tearing down.” It’s quantity over quality. You get to laugh at what before would have driven you crazy. Without it, Sara Gruen’s best-selling novel, “Water for Elephants” would never have been written. Without it, my novel, Ninjarella (the ninja version of Cinderella) would never been written. And what sort of world would that be?

NaNoWriMo, a program run by the Office of Letters and Light each November, was a fabulous experience for me to take part in. Not only did I get the chance to experience the frenzied-panic of writing of novel in a single month, but I also managed to write two first-draft stories, starting me down the path to becoming a New York Time's Bestselling author. NaNoWriMo is a program that everyone has the chance to participate in, make new friends during, and come to terms with the joys of writing in. Although I have always loved writing, without NaNoWriMo, I would likely not have progressed half as far as I have, nor had the motivation to write in such quantity (if not quality).

I was 12 when I first discovered Nanowrimo. That year, I wrote more than I have in my life.
I wrote 35000 words. That year I was disappointed in myself, so the next year, I wrote 95000 words to make up for that.
Nanowrimo is the best site ever! The idea to write 50000 words in 30 days - genius.
It taught me so much - self esteem, writing habits, better writing - what it was like to be a "real novelist".
Nanowrimo is the best thing that's happenined to me.

I have donated to the Office of Letters and Light each year that I have participated in National Novel Writing Month because I strongly believe in, and have personally benefited greatly from, their mission to inspire people and help them achieve their creative potential. The support, encouragement, and inspiration of founder Chris Baty and the NaNoWriMo staff have helped carry me across the 50K finish line 5 years in a row, and I cannot wait for my niece and nephews to get old enough to participate in the Young Writers Program. The structure of NaNoWriMo (the "arbitrary" word count goal, the "arbitrary" deadline, the loudly cheering online community) definitely helped me keep my hands on the keyboard to crank out my first 50,000 word novel, after which accomplishment I was forced to wonder just what else I was capable of producing. In the years since, I have published a number of short stories in a variety of anthologies, and these stories would never have seen the page if it wasn't for the Just Write It! attitude that NaNoWriMo instills. I have seen NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy t-shirts (and accosted their wearers) around town here in Denver, and on the streets in San Francisco, Japan, and Australia, and can testify that the spirit of Oh My Gosh, I Did That Too! is truly a global phenomenon.

NaNoWrimo changed my year and it might change my life as well. I've already had some meetings with publishers interested in my book. It definately helped me discover new talents I've had and brought more meaning into my life.

The NaNoWriMo program that the Office of Letters and Light runs is amazing. As a college student, it is crucial that I stay focused. Participating in NaNoWriMo has made me a more passionate, goal-oriented and focused student and writer.

NaNoWriMo is a wonderfully fun kick-in-the-tail to help anyone who likes to write! This was my second year participating, and it kept me motivated to write and win. It's great to find out how much you can do if only you try and keep trying!

Nanowrimo helped me break out of my writing inertia and chronic writer's laziness. I've participated a few times and value the experience---it's been a great learning experience and a confidence builder, and I got to say I was a winner of something, which is always a plus.

When the Office of Letters and Light put out their NaNoWrimo Contest, it seemed nearly impossible. Yet, through their humorous pep talk emails and the supports on their site, I learned that I can. Thanks to the Office of Letters and Light, people who deserve to have their literary voice heard now have more opportunity and incentive than ever to do so.

I have participated in NaNoWriMo every year for the past five years. It is the best idea that's been put into practice since the concept of the bicycle. Except NaNo helps me take my writing a lot further than my bike ever could.

The people at the Office of Letters and Light are some of the kindest I've ever virtually met. They run NaNo with the energy of a thousand people, though I'm pretty sure far less than that actually work there. They spread the word about literacy and the joys of writing to adults and children across geographical and financial boundaries. The entire concept and institution glorifies the art and practice of writing--which, with the advent of the electronic age, was in serious danger of reverting to nothing but a bunch of acronym-rich pseudo-sentences. OMG, r u srius?! Yes, totally.

Every November, I get to give myself permission to say to loved ones that I must focus on my art now. I get to have the best excuse to grant myself bucketloads of time to myself and the craft of storytelling. And the best part is, if I start to feel weird or guilty about it, I can just look around at the thousands of other folks in my town who are doing the exact same thing...thanks to NaNoWriMo and the Office of Letters and Light.

I have been, and will continue to be, grateful beyond words.

My AP students have particpated in nano for several years, and while the emphasis is on quantity of words rather than quality, surpisingly, their stories hold together. A few of my kids plan to finish thgeir books into full fledged novels. The student version only rewuires 5,000 words, but I have had students exceed 50,000.

As a writer, it also forced me to get my butt in gear and write. Nano enabled me to forge a bond with other participants in the comunity. My friends and family don't mind that I write, they just don't want to hear about it, so forming allegiances with writers is crucial.

The Office of Letters and Light is an exceptional organization that encourages and promotes creativity and dedicated expression. I have only participated in the most recent event of Nanowrimo (Nov. 2010), but I have both April and November of 2011 slated for continued participation. I applaud their dedication and am pleased to support them.

Participating in National Novel Writing Month is an incredible experience, I think I'm not exaggerating when I say it is absolutely life-changing. I have participated four times, and "won" twice. But winning or losing doesn't matter, what counts is the inspiration. It gives me motivation and self-respect for the rest of the 11 months, and I look forward to it every year. I have formed friendships and grown as a person because of it. Plus, the people are incredibly nice and fun.

the world as i knew it before the office of letters was a dimly lit room. i never would have known the thrill of writing a 50k word novel in 30 days if it hadn't existed - it has inspired me beyond anything i could have dreamed up on my own. in addition to inspiration, it has provided a forum and a means of support to accomplish such a feat. the lights are on and i feel alive - this is an incredible labor of love that i sincerely appreciate every day that it exists and i happened upon it. i hope everyone in the world should be so lucky to participate in such a life changing experience!

The Office of Letters and Light brings together thousands of people all across the world with the simple idea of writing a 50000 word novel in a month. I have taken part in Nano 4 times and have succeeded twice. The feeling of accomplishing this is amazing and I am unable to compare the experience to anything else. To know there are other creative people all going through this process (including the wonderfully supportive staff) is a huge help, and it creates a community of writers. Along the way there are some helpful tips, inspiring prep talks from the people at the O of L&L and a site of forums, videos to look at. It's a wonderful opportunity and I have not yet found anything else that offers something as crazy, but brilliant as this. All the way through the encouragement and positiveness is palphable.

I have participated in NaNoWriMo for the past two years. I had wanted to write a novel for a long time, but I don't think I would have been successful without NaNoWriMo. The program provides the structure and support for writers of all levels to achieve their writing goals.

Taking part in NaNoWriMo was a wonderful and seriously influential experience. It's broadened my expectations of myself in a way I didn't think possible, and I'll certainly be getting involved with them next year. The fact that their money also goes toward literacy and writing for kids makes this organisation too awesome not to work with.

NaNoWriMo has provided a wonderful opportunity for our family. As homeschoolers, we are always looking for fun and unusual ways of educating ourselves. I (Mom), and four of our children participated and won this year! It was a great learning experience, and we are already looking forward to next year. Also, the writing workbooks for the kids were especially awesome! We are very impressed with, and thankful for NaNoWriMo!

I'd been talking about writing a novel for quite some time now but I didn't know how to get started, what to do when I hit a bout of the infamous writer's block, or where to turn when my characters didn't do what I wanted them to do. NaNoWriMo was the single most helpful entity out there. The forums and local writing groups gave me support and offered ideas. No matter how crazy something sounded they listened and helped. Tracking my daily progress was fun since I could see days when I wrote a ton and days when I didn't. The letters from the professional authors were very helpful because a budding novelist just doesn't get something like that every day.

In short, I love NaNoWriMo and wish that this program is around for a long time to come. I treasure the guidance and support from the community, both online and off.

NaNoWriMo is a site like no other. The forums are great for getting intellectual help for any writing related problem. I love writing. However, between school and sports, finding the time to write and the motivation is almost as tricky as developing a flawless plot. Through the fun competition that NaNoWriMo offers every November, I am provided with all the motivation I need to get a great deal of writing done.

I've been participating in NanoWrimo since 2006 and, every year, I can see how my writing changes and grows stronger during the month of November. Without NanoWrimo, I may never have attempted the challenge of writing a novel -- and now I've managed to complete three very awful starts, and the first one is finally developing into something I love. November is now my favorite month of the year because it is the one month I am sure I will be able to connect with and support other writers in Seattle and all over the world. I've also started using the exercises from the youth writing website to develop curriculum for middle school students interested in noveling. Writing isn't just about telling a good story. It's also about developing empathy and understanding, following through on ideas and commitments, and learning more about yourself and the world around you. Without NanoWrimo, and the Office of Letters and Light, I would not be the writer and teacher that I am today.

I never thought I would be able to win NaNoWriMo. 50,000 words in one month? Come on, that sounds impossible. But, I attempted it anyway and because of the overwhelming support of the NaNoWriMo participants and staff, I was able to pull through and write those 50,000 words. Without NaNoWriMo I don't think I would've had the motivation or the endurance to do that. Plus, those 50,000 words helped me to develop a concrete novel idea, one that I'm still working on and plan to see through to the finish. I've called myself a writer for a few years now but it wasn't really until NaNoWriMo helped me flesh out my ideas and give me the kickstart I needed to get working that I actually felt like a real artist.

I participated in NaNoWriMo two times. The first time, I wasn't able to finish, but the second time around I really read all of those inspiring emails form NaNoWriMo staff and from published authors. Participating in NaNoWriMo was a great exercise and it has helped me in disciplining my writing. Although not related in context and length, the writing and typing skills I practiced for NaNo have landed me several freelance technical writer jobs, which in turn have evolved into a full time work from home position. So, NaNo is a great organization in many many ways.

Writing a novel is difficult at the best of times. Writing a novel in only a month was difficult-- more than difficult. But that lovely sense of fulfillment (upon completing the novel) was worth all the late nights and lunches spent writing. Writing became easier and my analysis of other people's work became more valuable because of the insight I gained from creating my own work. Without this program I would not have written my novel, and I would never have received these benefits.

This is my first year doing NaNoWriMo, and it has exceeded my expectations. The support that I recieved as I wrote my first novel was amazing.

Every year, the OoL&L offers a monthlong event called NanoWriMo, which spurs me out of the winter blahs to attempt to write a book in a period of 30 days. Sure, it's a longshot, but it also brings with it face to face and internet meetings with people from all over my area and the world who are engaged in the same sort of crazyness. Out of the four years I've participated, I've completed my "book" all four years, but that's not the whole of the experience. I'm a bipolar and this sort of "unforced interaction" has kept me from falling into the spiral of winter depression by giving me options for interaction. The OoL&L has also presented a program for junior writers (teens and below) that a friend of mine's daughter engaged in for the first time last year. According to her teachers, her writing skills increased by a full grade level before school started again in January, just from being "forced" to use them, from interacting with professional (and amateur) adult and teen writers in her area - NanoWriMo made learning to write better fun for her, and the results show. Finally, the OoL&L has a program in the summer called "Script Frenzy" which has the same basic idea of NanoWriMo, except you attempt to write a movie or TV script inside the monthly timeline. While I failed absolutely miserably at this form of writing, a friend of mine who used to drift through life without a plan for where he was going has completely shifted gears; he moved out of his apartment and left his "do nothing" job, and is now actively involved in independant film making and is working on getting his script put on the screen. I'd mention that he also gave up drinking and smoking when he did this just as a side note, as it was entirely Script Frenzy offered by OoL&L that did this - no one else had ever been able to move him one iota out of the rut he was in, and since his experience, no one has been able to slow him down or deter him from his goal.

These people know what they are doing - they are offering a simple set of noncompetitive contests (the only thing you are competing against is time and word count, not each other), by which they are creating friendships and giving energy to lives to take advantage of the talents they have. It would be a complete mistake not to award a group that has done so much for so many with the ability to keep offering these simple but effective methods of encouraging writing and creativity in all aspects.

I've done Nanowrimo 3 times now and each time it's been better and better. I started cutting my teeth on it when I was only 19 years old and didn't know anything. Over the years I've definitely developed a writing style, and those 30 straight days in November are integral to that.

It's actually kind of addicting...and I'm going to start doing Script Frenzy (their April whirlwind) since I can't wait until November to get my next fix.

Love Nanowrimo and the Office of Letter and Light!!

There's nothing quite like NaNoWriMo. I have never experienced a writing event that required or inspired more courage and manic creativity. Through this opportunity the Office of Letters and Light provides a real and tangible good to society, especially to those that participate, and since anyone can participate, their potential to impact the world for the better is really limitless.

NaNoWriMo is the most famous event which the OLL sponsors. It promotes writing amongst a population of people who would otherwise not write. The idea is revolutionary.

Last November I managed to write the first draft of my long dreamed of novel, purely because of National novel writing Month, created by the Office of Letters and Light. The inspiration and advice given by them was incredible. they gave me the freedom to just keep on writing, and leave the editing until later. Throughout the month of November they offered support and advice, online and by email, which helped me to keep going and to write 50,000 words by the end of November. i cannot praise them enough!

The 2010 NaNoWriMo was my first introduction to The Office of Letters and Light and it was an incredible experience. I didn't believe it was possible for me to write 50,000 words in 30 days but I did! One of the things that impressed me the most about the Office of Letters and Light was the work they do raising funds and creating resources for their Young Writers Program. My background is in literature and education and I feel that OLL's work inspiring young people to express themselves through creative writing is amazing and important. Well done OLL!

I entered Nanowrimo for the first time two years ago and have never looked back. I wanted to write and eventually earn a living from doing the thing I enjoyed most. I had always considered it a pipe dream until Nanowrimo. It taught me to persevere, to get pen to paper and to make a start. It's a humble beginning - certainly not Shakespeare - but the enthusiasm and support they offered have given me the courage to give it a go.

I wrote a novel in November of 2010. That ridiculous fact is reason enough for me to give this organization a five-star review, but they take things far beyond one person's solipsism. Their user-friendly website, blogs, mock-up cover art, and pep talks encourage a community feeling and the idea that all our stories are worth telling.

Nanowrimo is the highlight of my year. The month of November this year and last, I wrote two novels that were 50,000 words long. Nanowrimo provided me with the motivation and support to achieve my dream of completing a work of fiction.

Teachers of writing often tell their students, “Show, don’t tell.” That’s good advice for writers, and it’s good advice for teachers too. We can tell our students all sorts of important things about writing, but how much more valuable and lasting these lessons would be if we could show them. In a normal classroom that’s next to impossible, but the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program makes it happen.

In 2010 I led a group of 22 fifth-through-eighth graders at my school in an extra-curricular version of NaNoWriMo. It wasn’t connected to any class I taught, nor did students receive any academic credit for it. I told them about it the day before it began; we jumped in with no preparation and only the sketchiest of ideas of what we were getting into.

Participating in NaNoWriMo was a watershed experience for me and for my students. All the things I had been preaching and teaching suddenly became real to my students—and to me—as we began putting what we knew about writing into practice: The usefulness of practice and fluency—made clear by the increasing ease with which we met word counts that seemed unattainable at the start. The value of self-discipline and order—demonstrated by the peace that reigned when we set and met daily word counts. The transformative nature of art—discovered when students began realizing that they could write their emotions and their questions into their novels and gain new insight into them. The amazing power of writing to communicate and the communal nature of all art—shown over and over again: when students who had been comparatively voiceless found a voice; when we cheered one another on; when we read each other’s work; when we commiserated, challenged, shared, helped, and celebrated.

I’m a fairly able teacher, but I can say with certainty that I never could have accomplished this without NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program. The basic idea of NaNoWriMo is a great one, but the program itself is so much more than that. YWP offers an incredible amount of support and motivation, and those of us who participate in it can tell that it has been shaped and refined by the careful attention of intelligent and passionate people who are committed to making it the best it can be and bringing it to more and more people. And I know how they feel—after my first NaNoWriMo, I wanted to convince everyone I know to try it, because it was such a phenominal experience for me.

Participating is NaNoWriMo for the past three years has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I am in my 50's and always dreamed of being a writer. This is my opportunity each year to write a story and use my imagination. I don't ever expect to be published -- my writing is not good enough -- but I really enjoy the process. I am so thankful for this organization -- their mission and their enthusiasm.

I love The Office of Letters and Light's famous National Novel Writing Month. It inspires me to take time for what I love - writing- and to pass that inspiration on to others. It pushes me to do more than I previously believed I could do. It has introduced me to new friends in my area and around the world.

My first experience with OLL was NaNoWriMo 2010, after reading about it the previous year half-way through. I didn't have any idea what to expect, having spent about a week signed onto the website before November began, and with the month, my novel.

I certainly didn't expect the outpouring of support from fantastic people around my own city and the world, all dedicated to this ambitious venture of fifty thousand words in thirty days. Being busy with school and home already, I spent only a minimal amount of time in the community, but without them, I'm fairly certain I never would have succeeded in finishing my second novel.

NaNo is, at least in my opinion, the best way to write. It's ambitious and difficult, but filled with supporters--one can be as involved or as uninvolved as they want (though I know next year I will be more involved, after meeting so many great people!). Emails are sent out full of advice and warm well-wishes. Forums are erected for a simple encouragement (or some fantastic cover art, or a connection to a new friend). Gatherings are organised for chatter and inspiration over cups of coffee and chai lattes. Stories are told, stories are made. Everything is for the furthering of creativity, and everything is in support. Failure is not an option, as it is impossible to fail NaNo so long as you write and have fun.

I know with some measure of certainty that without NaNo, I wouldn't ever have thought I could write a novel. I wouldn't have thought that novelling could be such a wonderful experience, or that a single person in the entire city of Austin would have optioned to spend two hours sitting with a laptop and a cup of tea writing and chatting. I certainly wouldn't have thought of writing as more than a hobby I'd later abandon and possibly return to, never something I'd consider a rewarding experience that could later become a career. NaNoWriMo has, at least in the past year, been the number one most helpful thing I have found for my writing and my general enjoyment/sanity (if one can consider three cups of coffee, three and a half hours of sleep and three thousand words "sane"), and for that, I have to thank the Office of Letters and Light.

As a writer who still has a day job, finding time to write a novel is challenging at best. daily word counts laungushed and the novel I was writing was out of steam.

That is until I found NaNoWriMo. The November writing challenge pushed me farther than I thought I could go, completing 50,000 words in just 30 days....amazing. It was the most I had written in years--because the Office of Letters and Light encouraged, guided, humoured and cajoled me into reaching my goal at the end of the month. I have completed the challenge five years in a row and look forward to it every November.

Thanks to NaNoWriMo and the Office of Letters and Light, there are more published authors with books on the shelves. I will be one of them.

As a participant in NaNoWriMo I had support in starting a book by completing 50,000 words in a mere 30 days. I also had a network that included meetings in my city, a fantastic website, and an online community of thousands.

Writing a novel or the start of a novel has been a great experience. I like knowing that there are people all over the world typing away. I like having my kids see me working on a creative project and it has inspired them do write creatively.

This is an amazingly supportive and exciting way to 'get that first book out of your system'. I loved participating, I will certainly do so again this year - and I hope with all my heart that I will get my book published one day.

I have participated with the Nanowrimo National Novel Writing Month program funded by the Office of Letters and Light for five years now. It was an impossible task, writing a novel in 30 days! But with the encouragement and resources offered by the Office of Letters and Light, I was the proud writer of a novel. This was an incredible gift to me - a gift of empowerment, of time management skills, of writing skills, and of confidence. The programs are well organized and fun, and I gave happily to their programs to help them grow. I learned so much from my contact, and will continue to participate and donate.

I have participated in NaNoWriMo for two years now and all I can say about the program and its parent non-profit organization is that they are both superb. I feel that the NaNo program has helped me to become a better writer and that the money offered in this contest should go to the Office of Letters and Light to help them be able to do more with their various programs.

I participated in the 2010 NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). The Office of Letters and Light definitely has a good thing going with this program. It encourages everyone, no matter what age he/she is, to write. One thing it did for me in particular (and I believe this is the reason a lot of people probably participate) was to make me finally get around to starting something I've been meaning to do for a while. How many people whose works we could be reading in the very possibly near future got that extra boost of encouragement from the excitement of participating in such a global project? I enjoyed the articles from authors I had actually heard about, too! I think The Office of Letters and Light is doing a wonderful job encouraging creativity and providing a healthy activity that stimulates the mind and is worth doing.

I loved the encouragement that the NaNoWriMo program offered me. I'm 51, and wasn't sure I had it in me to write a novel, especially in November, one of my busy times of year. Thank you, OLL!

here's the thing: I think of myself as a writer and yet I never write. and I'm old. so when I stumbled on the book No Plot? No Problem! by the demiGod Chris Baty I thought: oh. hmm. ok.

I have written a fifty thousand word document each of the last six Novembers, and I will probably do it again this coming year.

structure? I hate it, and yet it sets me free.

I write fiction once a year.

I write non profit reviews... uh. never.

but the demiGod Chris Baty sent out an email to everyone who finished the 50k this past year and said: write a review.

and I've learned to listen to this guy; I've even learned to cooperate with what he suggests that I do.

because he has changed my life.

so this is the least that I can do.

but it is still hard for me to do it.

the Office of Letters and Light is the structure that supports the development of tens of thousands of people like me, and they deserve all the money. I give them lots of mine, and I hope that they win whatever it is that Guidestar has to offer.

I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time this past November, and it was such a valuable experience! Becoming a member on the website and being able to see my progress every day, as well as connecting with other participating writers and organizers of the event, was so helpful to finishing my novel. The Office of Letters and Light staff are very fun and encouraging and I personally appreciate everything they do!

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), one of the Office of Letter and Light's programs, has taught me that I, little lowly me, can be a writer. NaNoWriMo pushes all of its participants to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. Me, a writer! I've written a novel because of NaNoWriMo and OLL, (ok, so maybe it's not a very good one, but a novel nonetheless). And that has been one of my lifelong dreams - to produce a novel. If it weren't for OLL, I don't know if I ever could have had the inspiration and the drive to actually sit down and put a pen to the random words in my head. The workers and interns at OLL kept the encouraging words flowing throughout the month of November via emails and their blog. If I had $5,000, I would give it to OLL because they nuture the dreams of people around the world, by encouraging the creativity to accomplish a feat that, at first, seems very daunting. But the feeling of a 50,000+ word manuscript in your hands at the end of November - priceless.

Taking part in the Nanowrimo was an expereince that I shared with a colleague at work. The deadline along with the pep talks and support made the experience enjoyable and my friend and I both came out of it with a rough draft of a novel that we can be proud of. I have recommended the nanowrimo to a lot of my writing friends and will be writing a follow-up novel in November 2011!

The Office of Letters and Light has given me the opportunity to write four novels that I would not have written without their NaNoWriMo competition. This is a yearly event where an author writes a 50,000+ work of fiction during the month of November. (One of my novels has been published; the others are still works in progress.) There is just something about winning that downloadable pdf certificate that drives me on! I also am a donor to their programs. It is exciting to me that they provide a program for the next generation to learn the craft of writing in an age where electronic media is pervasive and language is losing its beauty and impact. On top of that, there is always someone to help with an idea or a pep talk on the website and they organize local events. I live half a continent away from their offices, but can attend a write in within driving distance of my home! How great is that! In addition, I have written a screenplay and a stage play throught their spring adventure, Script Frenzy. What can I say? I love these people!

I participated in The Office of Letters and Light's NANOWRIMO project for the second time this last November. Each time so far has been a great experience. I always thought I wanted to write a novel, but I never had the motivation or the time. Now that I have the time, the OLL gave me the motivation and more support than I knew what to do with. I actually managed to win (I wrote a novel?!) my second run and I couldn't have done such a thing without the opportunity provided by the OLL and the support they offer. They lined up some great authors to provide email pep talks. A couple of my favorites, which was even more inspiring. The videos and advice they posted on the main page were also very uplifting on a daily basis. The best part for me was the extensive forum board for advice and the occasional distraction that the OLL manages to maintain. I imagine it's hard to unite so many people for a common cause, but the OLL brings aspiring novelists together every year and helps us achieve something very rewarding.

OLL has given me the tools and structure for writing two novels in their Nanowrimo program. They provide a connection with other writers as well as encouragement and a congratulations upon reaching the goal of writing an entire novel in one month.

That novel was stuck in my head for years. The fall before last, a member of a listserve I am a member of inquired if anyone was planning on participating in Nanowrimo ... I searched and discovered this incredibly smart idea...So many of us have that novel that needs to be written and won't just sit and do it! What a blast I had. My son had just turned one and I wanted to tell him that story. When he napped and after he went to bed, I sat for three hours at a time and wrote....I am now at the third editing of that novel and it probably will never be published but at least, I can say, I wrote it! Last fall, I gave it another try and I managed to put on paper the second novel I had stuck in my head...I am so grateful for nanowrimo. It gives me the incentive to give myself the time to do what I really want to do: write. Thank you for that.

I love to write.
NANOWRIMO was a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to my next venture in November 2011.
This group of people are so very well organized and work to inspire. We are connected electronically and in local groups. It was so great to meet local writers and have fun together.
By the end of November we were an exhausted and elated group - are 50,000 words in one month healthy? Yes because this is a spring board to boost confidence and meet together as writers - a wonderful experience -wonderful.

I have participated in NaNoWriMo for coming on 5 years, and have never had anything but positive experiences with The Office of Letters and Light. Not only do they continuously work to improve the many services they provide, along with expanding their audience and personalizing everyone's experience, they are also some of the most entertaining, kind, and passionate people I have encountered in my life.

Although they can be a bit awkward on film, and the graphics themes of NaNo can be a little shaky some years, the inspiration behind the program and the genuine love of creation continues to push all of OLL's projects in a positive direction.

Although 2010 was the first time I participated in NaNoWriMo, I'd heard of it years before that. I was always a little afraid to try it, as silly as that sounds, but I finally decided to take the plunge. I was very glad I did. The support system of Letters and Light employees and interns and the community that has grown up around the event is truly amazing. The way the event and the site are built make it very easy to immediately connect with people, both from your own neighborhood and around the world.

Creative writing may seem somewhat frivolous in these difficult times what with the economy and the turmoil overseas, but I would argue that it's precisely at times like this that we most need the arts. Creative writing can serve as an escape, or a release valve. It can allow people to say things they might not usually, or get a message through to people who might not listen otherwise. Writers and other artists hold up a mirror and ask us to reflect on the future, the past, and ourselves. These reflections can help us define who we are, for ourselves and future generations. Part of the reason I loved the NaNoWriMo experience so much was that, in spite of being primarily goofy, good-natured fun, I felt that most others in the community really understood what a powerful experience it was.

The folks at the Office of Letters and Light are always encouraging and attentive. And since many of them participate in the events they put on, they can really empathize with the rest of us. It feels like one big family. And the support is still there even after the event is over. I really like that. It's just another way they show they care.

I gave Nano a try this year figuring it was a great time to pursue my writing career since I had been laid off in June. I had a children's middle grade novel spinning around in my head. I had only written magazine articles before and was unsure of where to begin writing a novel. I finished about 200 words over the 50,000. The experience was an epiphany for me. I had no idea I could write without my inner editor going bonkers. It was extremely freeing for me and what came from my mind was surprising and almost unimaginable to me. (especially when I went back and read it through) Next November, I'll be back for more...no doubt. I loved the way everything was managed also. No problems. Great Job, and Thank You for this opportunity.

I started participating in the Office of Letters and Light's NaNoWriMo my sophomore year of high school. I learned how to write a novel and how to get my thoughts down on paper thanks to the wonderful resources found on the National Novel Writing Months main website as well as the Young Writer's Programs site. Pep-talks from many authors who I am familiar with, and sometimes idealize, sent to my e-mail thanks to the hard work of the OLL have always been inspiring. I have held onto the advice of Tamara Pierce, Neil Gaiman, Sara Gruen, and Lemony Snicket all delivered to my through NaNoWriMo. I have enjoyed the community of understanding, fun, and spunky authors brought together on the NaNoWriMo forums, which are also spectacularly moderated by a group of hard working people. NaNoWriMo gave me self confidence. Thanks to NaNoWriMo I now have bargaining power with my dreaded "inner editor". I am thankful for my two years participating in the program and look forward to many more years of participating in programs offered by the Office of Letters and Light, including NaNoWriMo.

The Office of Letters and Light is a fantastic organization that gets young people (and older ones!) excited about writing. I participated in Nanowrimo for the first time this past fall. The organization provided me with motivation, and encouragement, to reach the goal of 50,000 words through the organization website and motivational emails. It was a wonderful experience to know that writers everywhere were striving to meet the nanowrimo deadlines. This organization has provided me with motivation to remain creative throughout the year, so that I'm ready to join in their writing festivities again next fall!

The first time I became aware of this organization, it was for participation in their sponsored event called National Novel Writers Month. Through the support of the writers they support, I have been able to complete four novels of over 50,000 words each. I never feel so much like a writer as I do while participating in NaNoWriMo.

While working in the site, I also became aware of the other causes they support, including building libraries in impoverished countries and now encouraging young people to become writers. Writing and reading are as much or more therapeutic as they are entertaining, so I felt this to be a worthy cause and began donating my small portion to help a big cause.

I tell everyone I know about NaNo and about the Office of Letters and Light and what a great job they do for creativity and unifying people with like creative interests. I hope they go on and continue to become more and more well known for many years.

One of the best experiences a writer could experience. Successfully completing a 50,000 word novel was something I had never done and wouldn't have if not for this opportunity. It taught me that I Could do it. It taught me the very important art of sticking to business, of meeting a schedule, of pacing myself and so much more. The progress charts were wonderful, and I lived by it daily. It made me want to stay above that sloping line that would indicate finishing on time, which I finally did with time to spare. It was a wonderful experience indeed. My writer daughter challenged me to take part, and I'm glad I did.

I love Nanowrimo! After a few years of struggling as a writer with no support, Nanowrimo provided just the right amount of structure, support and incentive to get me to attempt and finish a novel!! such a wonderful service to everyone!!

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.

NaNoWriMo is exactly the inspiration and motivation needed for a writer to finally do what they've been dreading - actually finish something! I'd been struggling with my novel for a few years, actually, and forcing myself to just write even when I didn't feel like it taught me the work ethic behind being a writer and helped me to finish my novel in a month. It was an amazing experience, and I'll be doing it every year from now on. There's no better creative writing event anywhere.

I very much enjoyed my first year doing NaNoWriMo. I had heard about it a few years back from my older sister, and finally decided, despite a VERY hectic November, to give it a go.
It was fabulous! I love writing, and I won modestly, with only about 40 words above 50,000.
NaNoWriMo opens doors to millions of people who have a story dancing around inside their heart, waiting to be told. I loved it and strongly reccomend it to others : ).

This was my first year participating in NaNoWriMo and i absolutely loved the atmosphere and the way the website was designed so i could easily track my progress on graphs and update my progress as well no matter where i was on the site.

I also won and cannot wait to participate next year

I have participated in NaNoWriMo twice now. The first time I did, I was still wondering about my future as a writer, but after the month of November, seeing my novel finished gave me the push that I needed to begin writing seriously.
The support and encouragement that one can receive from the NaNoWriMo staff (that's the OLL staff) helps tremendously. I couldn't have done it without them, and for that I am eternally grateful.
I will probably do NaNoWriMo every year and be proud to do so.
Though I have never participated in the other two events sponsored by Office of Letters and Light, if it is at all the same as NaNo, it is well worth it.
The Young Writers Program is something that I support fully. Teaching young writers to reach for their goal and helping them achieve it is the best thing you can do for them.
Bravo to OLL.

I have wanted to be a writer as long as I can remember. But not just any writer, a NOVELIST. The Office of Letters and Light made my dreams come true. Despite being a fervent writer, I could never quite take the action necessary to write that novel. With the tremendous support, continued communication and outright hilarity of the NaNoWriMo team, I was able to write 50,033 words in November 2010. And it was actually good! And I enjoyed every minute of it! And I wanted to keep going! As I finished that last paragraph, visions of the next book brimmed over in my mind. It was as if for the first time I was actually committed to this thing.

The Office of Letters and Light is an incredible organization. They really know what they are doing, they get inside the writer's mind and seem to know exactly what we need and make us feel like one big happy/frustrated/delirious/quirky/caffeine-addicted family. I absolutely loved opening up my email and having a message from them, the weekly encouragement, the letters from published writers. It was amazing. Their website is fabulous and full of interesting things...blogs, book reviews, merchandise, etc. (though I wish it were easier to purchase as I live in Canada), but the emails were such a personal touch. From that first one welcoming me it was as if I had embarked on an adventure that someone was telling me was as important for me to do as I had always thought it was.

I am just one of the fortunate thousands that have stumbled into this writing goldmine and made my dreams come true. But the Office of Letters and Light made me feel like I am just as special as the rest and the month of November will always hold a special place in my heart. Plus, the beautiful certificate emblazoned on my fridge won't let me forget.

I finally participated, and won, in NaNoWriMo 2010. This was an amazing experience and I make sure to tell everyone I know that they too need to join up and be part of this great event.

OLL is very friendly, very fun, and managed to help me finish my first ever MS while actualyl enjoying it and feeling like I really am a true-blue writer.

I can honestly say I had no bad experiences. Even when accidentally shipping me the wrong product, they were very professional and kind and fixed the problem faster than I even thought they would. I love their blog, their plans for the future, and plan on staying a part of this as long as possible.

OLL, you are amazing! My only advice for change in the future would be... MORE!

I've done NaNoWriMo now for six years, and every time it wows me. I love the atmosphere (even virtual) that they team creates during the month. Even though I've never actually spoken to any of them, I feel as though we're comrades on a journey thanks to the support and community they create via the website/emails and get togethers. NaNoWriMo (and The Office of Letters and Light) is an incredible organization, and they will stay close to my heart for the rest of my life.

The NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) experience that the Office of Letters and Light (OLL) has established is an incredible adventure for anyone that undertakes the challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This is my second year participating and my first year as a volunteer municipal liaison coordinating events, answering questions and promoting NaNoWriMo for local interest. OLL goes above and beyond to bring something personal back to an impersonal electronic driven culture. The experience of putting the ideas you have been mulling around in your head for months or even years into a book. You may still spend time with your digital age tools but you also invest time in yourself, expressing yourself and digging deep into the vault of your own ideas. When you finish your book not only have you learned something about who you really are along the way, you also realize that you can accomplish something on your own in a timely manner. It requires sacrifices in time and activities but you gain self worth and value in return. I have seen first hand what this program does for people willing to invest in themselves and give it a try as well as what it has done for me. I'm not against computers or electronics I actually embrace them daily. I have learned though that we need to stop and make time for the things we value as a society, as a human being and for who we see ourselves as individually. I look forward to many more years of working with OLL and NaNoWriMo they are a great thing.

I have done NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) for the past 3 years in November and I love it. I think it's something that needs to be supported by a lot more people and as a librarian/educator I'm looking forward to doing more with the Young Writer's Program next November and getting teens involved in the writing process. This is an area, I think OLL exceeds in. But also the normal NaNo is amazing. I've met a lot of great writers during the month at meetings and completed two novels. They have an excellent support system online with the website and emails during the month as well as in-person support at write-ins all month long in your area.

I first participated in OLL's NaNoWriMo in '09. I got through the month easily, accompanied by my sister, who also wrote a story of her own. That year I didn't spend much time on the forums or really get involved with much of the excitement, but when I participated in '10, my sister didn't join me and I was on my own. NaNoWriMo'10 proved to be a lot harder than '09 and I got plenty of support from the forums. I'm still in touch with those I met in '10 and I constantly check in on the OLL news.
OLL has provided people all around the world with the opportunity and support to write. It's not just a behind-the-scenes organization making it possible for people to write- it's a group of sassy and fun people who care about their work and the people they influence. I feel like I know the workers of the OLL as friends because of the way they not only support NaNoWriMo, but how they participate with follow writers.
I hope to be apart of OLL's NaNoWriMo for as long as I can. The year that I don't participate, will be a very sad year for me.

I've participated in NaNoWriMo twice now, and I would do it until the end of time. I think it's a really inspiring, fun, and strangely productive process.

This past year it brought some of my closest friends and me together even more than normal as we all urged each other to make the word goal.

I have wanted for a long time to write a novel but thought the idea was too daunting for me to undertake, I then heard about Nanowrimo from a friend and it has been a huge stepping stone as I am now nearly finished with my first draft of my novel.

I am an AmeriCorps Volunteer at Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning - a k-6 charter school in Moscow, ID. I was able to offer a creative writing elective during November 2010's National Novel Writing Month using the materials and lesson plans offered by the Young Writer's Program. I made use of the resources offered online, downloaded workbooks for each student and followed as much as the format as our limited meeting times would allow. I had 11 students ranging in age from a 7 year old 2nd grader writing her memoirs to 11 and 12 year old 6th graders writing 20,000 word novels. I had a 5th grader write and illustrate a guide to fairies, a 4th grader write and illustrate a graphicsuper-hero novel and a 6th grader working on a book of jokes and funny stories.

The true beauty of this program is that by spending one's time doing serious writing one is a 'winner', no matter what. My students were engaged every minute of every session. They looked forward to coming to class and discovering what they were made of as writers. We did not spend one minute worrying about spelling, grammar and punctuation. Our purpose was to generate stories, tell the best stories we could tell, and meet goals we set for ourselves.

Our session ended and they have gone on to other electives with other themes, as our school changes electives and themes every six weeks. Students have asked if we can continue our group as an after school club, if we can do a second session on revision, if we can do NaNoWriMo again next year, whether we can participate in Script Frenzy.

As a person brand new to working full time with kids in the schools, and knowing nothing about how to teach, this is strong validation that the Young Writer's Program WORKS. My only credential in presenting this elective is that I love to write myself and have participated in NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy as an adult. I would not have attempted it without the support of the folks at the Young Writer's Program and their fantastic materials and constant can-do belief system.

These people have been a part of my life for two years through two failed attempts in one year. The following year I paid more attention to the wonderful community that The Office of Letters and Light draws in and succeeded in writing my first novel over the span of thirty days.

They do so much for their users and make sure to send us letter of encouragement along the tiring road of Nanowrimo and Script Frenzy. I don't think that the organization needs to change anything, except their servers when they are running slowly. I do think that they worked to fix that particular problem all through last November so that it would be easier for users to spend time on the site.

Over all the people of The Office of Letters and Light have shown themselves to be caring people with big ideas and even bigger hearts. The welcome writers of all ages to come and express themselves together with good company, good laughs, and hilarious writing challenges.

This is a wonderful organization which is truly devoted to helping people achieve success! I have participated for seven years and it is great.

The Office of Letters and Light inspired me to right my first novel at the young age of 13. Without their NaNoWriMo event in November, I would never have been able to overcome the first blank page. They provide a universal subject which every individual can converse over, creating a surge of productivity. What they do in third-world countries makes it even better, showing the wonders of literature to those less fortunate.

Last November, my ten year-old daughter and I set out to write a novel each. I'm a housewife trying to pick up the writing career which went on hold when I had children. The goal NaNoWriMo set was achievable, but a challenge and the encouragement we both got through using the web site helped us both to meet our goals. I have since used my NaNoWriMo success to ensure that I have something up-to-date on my CV as I apply to run a creative writing course. It's empowering.

I've participated in two of the OLL programs, National Novel Writing Month, for several years now. I've been very encouraged in my creative efforts because of the Office of Letters of Light, and met a lot of people who've been prompted to try writing because of them. I'm friends with a 12-year old boy here in Hamilton who's started writing his own book because of the Young Writers program. For anybody who's interested in writers, reading, or writing, this is one nonprofit that you should learn more about.

I participated in The Office of Letters and Light's National Novel Writing Month last year for the first time. I was so impressed by OLL's organization and creative support for their writers- the encouraging emails, the design of their website, and the OLL blog- that I felt compelled to donate monetarily to keeping the program going. OLL does truly great work and rewards the participants in their programs so richly that they now deserve to be rewarded in kind.

So for the second year now I have participated in NaNoWriMo. Last year, I did not get very far, because I wasn't very motivated and just mostly ignored all the great emails they sent, but this year I did not ignore them, and they were greatly motivating and a great help. I never seem to get very far in my stories, and the plot trickles out, but they helped to keep me going and it was actually a lot of fun. They deserve any prize they can get for doing all that they do to help aspiring novelists.

The Office of Letters and Light puts on National Novel Writing Month every November. Last year (2010) was my first year participating. It has literally changed my life. Through NaNoWrimo, I have become consistent with my writing and have worked on improving my craft. Thanks so much to the Office of Letters and Life!!

O NaNoWriMo promovido pela OLL é simplesmente espetacular. Participei pela primeira vez no ano passado e aprendi muito, além de conhecer pessoas maravilhosas daqui do meu país e que também escrevem. O que de melhor ficou do NaNoWriMo foi o planejamento: aprendi a planejar minha escrita, a trabalhar com metas e, dessa maneira, a não deixar trabalhos pela metade por preguiça ou desculpas tolas. Acrescentei algo profissional à inspiração de escrever.

The program of OLL offers NaNo and Script Frenzy. By making both a free program to join and participate in, it offers more people to push to write what they've been holding back for so long. Sure, they could write on their own, but when they have the support of others doing it at the same time, the process is easier. If it wasn't for OLL and their NaNo, I most likely would have never finished writing a book.

OLL helps writers finally push themselves to do something. It helps keep writing from becoming a dying art. And that's why I'm a Wrimo for life.

I am incredibly grateful for the Office of Letters and Light. I got my start in writing because of National novel Writing Month, and I have grown so much as a writer and reader in the past three years because of it. The community that OLL has created around all of its events (NaNoWiMo, Script Frenzy, etc.) is such a positive and encouraging one that it's hard not to want to get involved with supporting OLL and the work they do.

I really enjoyed to be a participant on last years NaNoWriMo, a wonderful events from OLL.
Thanx to OLL and NaNoWriMo, I finallly got the chanse to write my book.
This is a awsome event that I look forward to be a part of again this year.

Thank you, OLL, for giving November a meaning!

The OLL, specifically its program called NaNoWriMo, was the best thing I did in my freshman year of high school. I participated in NaNo for the first time and was instantly hooked. Since then, I've looked forward to November more than any other month, and welcome the challenge of writing a novel in thirty days with open arms. NaNo pushed me to not only become a better writer, but to also become more involved with the local writing community. I can honestly say that my life is better because of NaNo.

The Office of Letters and Light organizes National Novel Writing Month every November. Last November (2010) was the first time I had participated. I have fancied myself an amateur writer for pretty much my entire life, but always found it difficult to finish a complete story. Throughout November 2010, I made myself accountable to a vast community of writers participating in the same task as myself - writing a complete novel. The community and the accountability to others is the only reason I actually completed the 50,000 word+ novel last year. The OLL made this possible, and I can't imagine having the same success if I had been trying to do this on my own. I am now working on editing a second draft of my NaNovel, and looking forward to writing another one in November 2011.

The community involvement, as well as the dedication of those at the Office of Letters and Light, will always be held responsible for the fact that I have finally finished a novel and will, hopefully sooner rather than later, be able to finally call myself a published writer.

Thank you, staff of OLL, for providing such an invaluable service to writers everywhere. I'm even thinking of participating in Script Frenzy this April!

For three years, I've been taking part in National Novel Writing Month, and for all three years it's been one of the highlights of my year. It's fun, thrilling, energetic, and makes me feel awesome. Want to see what I really think? Read my blog post here: http://www.favoritethingever.com/2010/10/spend-a-month-doing-something-amazing/

NaNoWriMo has changed my life.
I've been participating for three years now, and each year I look forward to the adventure I will take in November. Before NaNoWriMo, I was never able to write a full-length novel, but each time I participate I surprise myself with not only the length of my writing, but the quality, too. It has helped me develop as a person and a writer.

I participated in National Novel Writing Month this past November 2010 and it was a life-changing experience. Not only did I find the confidence to finally write my novel, but the encouragement I received almost on a daily basis from the staff at The Office of Letters and Light gave me a new impression of the writing world.

I no longer think that only people with specific degrees and qualifications can write a good story. I also no longer think that there won't be anyone out there to support me when I finally finish this thing.

The Office of Letters and Light is an amazing organization and they deserve the credit.

I have participated in the OLL event "NaNoWriMo" for a number of years. While the experience of writing a novel in 30 Days is daunting and exciting, what brings me back every year is the difference that OLL makes in the larger community. It is energizing to learn what the group has been up to, from supporting Young Writers to providing books to libraries in areas where books are scarce.

Simply put, it's more than the event. It's the cause, a worldwide push towards increasing literacy, and the change to participate in something that *really* makes a difference that brings me back, year after year. The rewards are much larger than a sum of the parts.

After literally decades of promising myself that someday I'd write a book, I did it last year through the inspirational OLL and their NaNoWriMo event.
Their dedication to releasing the creative juices of thousands of people across the world is incredible; the organisation of the whole event is amazing and reading their blogs I know I'm not the only one who has them to thank for providing the structure, support and discipline to finally do what I'd alwasy dreamed of doing.
They made me feel so good about myself, I have to share that feeling!

Taking part in NaNoWriMo for the past decade has allowed me to discover things about myself I otherwise would never have known. In addition to challenging me to write every day and reach goals, being a part of such a project is inspiring, leading me to offer my services to help others reach further than they thought they could. NaNoWriMo is not just an online group or organization of like-minded people. It is a community, offering support, encouragement, inspiration, and that slight nudge that is needed to keep going when we think we can't. I"m proud to have been a part of such a wonderful project, and thank them for allowing me to become a Municipal Liaison, so that I may pay forward what was given to me.

I've been a participant of NaNoWriMo for the last 8 years. Each year gives a new challenge, to write those 50,000 words in 30 days around work and other real-life committments. The NaNo team is right there cheering on every writer for the duration. It's an incredible journey that has led me to publish much of my work.
Not only does NaNo run this program for adult writers but it has a special program for kids to promote writing for kids and even teachers can use it for a full class project.
All in all, it is an amazing program that, for me, would be great if it was twice a year for novel writers everywhere!

I've always wanted to write a novel, but never believed that I could, because I'm only a young adult. When I heard about the OLL's project NaNoWriMo, I was intrigued but also slightly doubtful. But, with the help of the NaNoWriMo staff and it's volunteers, and the YWP's youth programming, I was able to successfully complete a novel, an endeavor which I successfully completed AGAIN the next year.

Furthermore, the OLL's other project, Script Frenzy, has introduced me to script writing, something I had never even considered until I heard about it from NaNoWriMo. After my first go-round at novelling, I figured I'd give it a shot, and it turns out that I like it even more than NaNoWriMo (which is certainly saying something!).

My experience with the Office of Letters and Light is tied to their NaNoWriMo (Nat'l Novel Writing Month) program, which I've been involved with for 5 years. I've wanted to become a writer for most of my life, but without NaNoWriMo, I never would have had the courage nor the motivation to do anything about that goal. Now, I've written two novels and a short story. I've submitted two of those manuscripts to publishers and I'm revising the third. None of that would have happened without the OLL's guidance, encouragement, and obvious passion for writing.

This is my second year participating in NaNoWriMo. I discovered this programme two years ago, and I won both times. This programme had inspired me to write more and to stick to deadlines set for myself. Without the goal of 50,000 words in a month, I doubt that I'd have the willpower needed to continue working. I fully plan on doing this again next year.

The Office of Letters and Light is a wonderful non-profit organization. I participated in NaNoWriMo this past year and it was a great experience.

With the inspiration and encouragement of NaNoWriMo, I've written five novel drafts since 2006 . I love the organization for encouraging anyone who loves books and wants to write to just do it. By providing a community of like-minded individuals and an insane deadline, NaNoWriMo has helped me to get serious about my hobby as well as teaching me the value of getting something on paper instead of just thinking about it. Last year, I had lost sight of why I am a writer and what I love about writing. Then November rolled around, and NaNoWriMo helped me find the fun again. I am so glad I found NaNoWriMo and decided to give it a try. Now I can't imagine November going by without NaNoWriMo.

I have participated in NaNoWriMo for the last two years. It has helped me achieve my life-long dream of writing a novel and is one of the best programs I have ever participated in. Recently, I had the pleasure of having a publisher request to see my manuscript after reading the first three chapters. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will sell, and none of this would have been possible without the support and vision of NaNoWriMo which encourages those of us who can't afford to go back to school to fulfill our dreams.

I first heard abut NaNoWriMo in 2009 from a social networking site. I thought, "I'd never be able to achieve that. How could I write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days? I opted not to try that year. I had no confidence in myself.

The following year, in a mad frenzy at twelve o'clock at night on the 1st of November, I decided I would do it. And you know what? I could do it all along. I succeeded, and NaNoWriMo managed to restore my confidence in myself that I could become a writer. This program is not only free and easy to use, but makes you confident in yourself. It gives you the ability to believe in yourself once more! NaNoWriMo has resulted in me starting writing again. Thank you so much!

Like many other people, I participated in National Novel Writing Month, one of OLL's programs. Encouraged by the vast array of resources provided by OLL, I have managed to write a 50,000 word novel every year for three years now. OLL's fantastic staff and volunteers have put together everything I could possibly need to get me through November: pep talks, forums, encouragement, the promise of being able to get myself a fabulous winner's t-shirt at the end... I have loved NaNoWriMo so much that I'm considering doing Script Frenzy, another of OLL's programs, in April.

The Office of Letters and Light is full of great people who are great at what they do.

The first year I learned about NaNoWriMo was back in 2009 from a friend. She told me about this awesome site that all you had to do was write 50,000 words in thirty days and have fun doing it. At first I thought, "Eh, I might not have time, but it sounds pretty cool." As November got closer, I came across NaNoWriMo's website, and by November 3rd, I started writing for the thirty days. Between the word count and the forums, I found the challenge to be fun and exciting, and I ended up with not only fifty thousand words before the end of the thirty day challenge, but I reached almost 75K!

In 2010, I participated and won, and I also got my sister into the young writer's program they have to offer to the younger children (my sister is 9, and she also won her challenge).

I love NaNoWriMo! I think they're challenge not only helps writers to help themselves within writing and creativity skills, it also helps the younger kids show that literature is fun and enjoyable. I am looking forward to Screnzy and can't wait for another dose in November!

I joined nanowrimo in mid-November of 2009. I was much too late to write 50,000 words. I tried to anyway. In 2010, I did write 50,000 words. Without the Office of Letters and Light, parent of nanowrimo, I would not have written a novel. The deadline that was set for me and the number of words expected a day were crucial to my success. Now that novel is almost 90,000 words. I'm now looking to pitch the book to literary agents and publishers. Thank you, Office of Letters and Light!

I have always enjoyed writing short stories but have never finished anything outside of school assignments. NaNoWrimo helped give me the motivation I needed to write a 50,000 word novel in under 30 days! It was very exciting and a lot of fun, but the best part was that it gave me the confidence to push my own creativity.

I heard about National Novel Writers Month, or NaNoWriMo approximately one week before it started. I am working on a degree, work full time and still decided to participate. By the end of NaNo, I was close to a finished novel. That was just icing on the cake. The constant pep talks and ability to connect with other writers is invaluable. It's a boost to the competitive spirit to know that over 200,000 other writers are doing exactly what you're doing at that moment. The staff of OLL offered funny, self-mocking encouragement that helped break the tension. On the days where I entertained the idea of quitting, a video or email would show up in my inbox to boost my slagging energy. The pep talks from published authors was also very helpful and made the month of writing seem worth it. I can't wait to participate again this year. My experience in NaNo 2010 helped me finish the novel I am writing for my degree's final project. I had been nervous about being able to finish, but after NaNo-No problem! Thanks Chris Baty and the rest of the OLL staff. Can't wait to "see" you again this November.

I found out about NaNoWriMo from a friend who told me I would enjoy doing the contest. At first I didn't believe her, but once I started to write all I wanted to do was keep writing. It was wonderful to feel that I could write and find a small prize at the end. It also showed me that I can write and do a great job at it. The people on the site were very helpful and kept me from giving up.

The contest might not give a published book at the end, but it gives you a feeling of accomplishment that many people miss out on.

It was very encouraging and for me a big help to get the writing done. Without the support I wouldn't have done it probably.

Office of Letters & Light sponsors National Novel Writing Month every year-- the goal is to write 50,000 words in one month. I can't think of a better, more fun way to get people writing, especially kids.

I love their Young Writers' program to pieces, which offers the chance for younger writers to participate with a more flexible word count. They can participate in NaNoWriMo on their own, or their teacher can sign the entire class up for it. The OLL website provides guidelines, guidance and support during the month and the rest of the year too.

With art and music disappearing from schools, kids are left with almost no form of self-expression, a vital factor in their development as humans. But OLL provides an outlet for those kids to really stretch their creative spirit, in ways not often available at home or in other classes. What an amazing experience for kids to let loose and just create without borders. And, as an official winner myself of NaNoWriMo, I can tell you the sense of accomplishment in meeting the word count goal is truly awesome. I wish I'd heard about this program years ago.

NaNoWriMo is a programme that stretches far beyond anything an individual can imagine. From Nashville to Essex, during the month of November, people halt their lives, their jobs, their hobbies, to achieve one goal: the 50k. 50k is an abbreviation for fifty thousand, the number of words accepted as the average length for a short novel. As this was my first year, I went in with a feeling of nervous excitement. It was a English project for me. A chance for an easy grade. But as anyone who has written for NaNoWriMo knows, it becomes something more. It becomes an epic journey, equal in length and trial to the ones taken by Frodo and Pippen. And like them, we won!

When I found out about NaNoWriMo, I couldn't wait to get started. I had always loved writing, but had never before had the drive to actually finish a novel. Through NaNoWriMo and the Young Writer's Program, I realized that I actualyl could write a novel, and in 30 days, too! I also discovered a whole online world of people just as crazy as me, and with a love of stories just as big as mine. I love NaNo and am so glad the Office of Letters and Light could bring it to us.

Last November marked my fourth NaNo adventure in as many years. I am always amazed and gratified at how the organizers create a supportive, fun, and truly pan-global community of nuts... er... writers eager to take up the Novel-in-a-month challenge. Organizers spend countless hours setting up the community framework on the site (emails, individual participant mailboxes, forums etc.) as well as prepare a comprehensive series of email encouragement from fiction luminaries including Neil Gaiman, Phillip Pullman, Ian McEwan and others over the years and provide contests, podcasts and other multimedia content, and winner's goodies (including a way cool certificate to download when one reaches the magic 50K word count that defines a NaNo winner).

If I enjoy the mental and physical challenge of writing a novel in 30 days, I return year after year for the community and the support I find on my journey to 50,000 words. The OLL folks provide this, in spades, laced with copious slatherings of humour, whimsy and empathy. NaNoWriMo is a truly global initiative that brings together artists from every corner of the world - and it's largely due to the sometimes invisible, always dedicated work of the OLL staff. Over 150,000 worldwide writers every year can't be wrong!

This is the first year I used Nanowrimo in my sixth grade classroom. It was fabulous! Never before did I hear "No, I can't stop writing yet" after an hour of writing. This happened day after day! Students who usually struggle to get thoughts on to the paper were saying, "Please just let me get this next paragraph done". The completed novel each student received of their writing was so awesome. These students now claim, "I am a published author. Would you like to read my book?" We will certainly be using this program again next year! Thank you for turning my kids into writers.

My participation in NaNoWriMo encouraged me to write a complete novel in one month. It certainly wasn't a good novel and it still needs a lot of work but it is the first time I've actually completed something that large. Without the encouragement of the staff at the Office of Letters and Light, and other participants, I could never have done it.

NaNoWritMo is comprised of a wonderful group of encouraging, thought-provoking people. They find innovative ways to encourage and develop writers/writing. I loved how they anticipated different stages of the month long writing sprint and sent emails to address it. They got published writers to encourage us also. It was nice how they mixed up the funny and serious types. The videos were a great break, too.

In October of 2008, I was a writer wannabe. Now, I am a writer. In November of 2008, I participated in my first NaNoWriMo at the urging of my sister-in-law who had been involved for several years. I wrote my first novel of over 60,000 words and have been writing ever since. Three completed NaNo novels later, I am revising the alternate ending of my first to ready it to submit to an agent for publication. I have also participated in one year of ScriptFrenzy and have completed one screenplay and have several in the works. This has increased my enjoyment and knowledge of films and filmmaking. Through the resources of OLL, I have grown in the craft of writing which is personally very satisfying to me. Also, as a teacher, I share my skills with my students as well as my excitement for writing, language and learning. I am leading some students in making videos about bullying to share with our school. Even though writing is regarded as a lonely pursuit, I have found it socially enlivening, having joined a critique group that has helped improve my craft and gained me new friends and gives me inroads to topics of conversations with friends, family, students and strangers. I hope to one day use OLL's Young Writer's Program with students.

One of the greatest experiences -- writing a novel in a month! OLL has been amazing at organizing everything for NaNoWriMo -- getting a worldwide community together to work on something meaningful.

NanoWriMo – and event and a doing. Setting out to do something that might sound strange and perhaps even pointless. I have participated in this November Writing – a 50 000 word novel – three times between 2005 and 2010. No, it’s not a form of publishing. No, the idea is not to have ‘everyone’ read your book or to read everyone’s books. It is to get 50 000 words, more or less coherently down. In any language. To write, to have fun, to create.
The event has such a lot surrounding it – encouraging letters from authors; local events with fun activities (did you get Writing Stone Friends too to sit at your computer with a patient look? And how did you kill off your inner editor?), word wars and racing word counts. You can join as much as you need or want of these. Or very little.
These things are fun – but I find the best thing about NanoWriMo is the the way it is not just an event but a Doing that starts from within. Not a course with lots of how-to’s and guidelines and theories – a hands-on project, a DOING! Here goes, and it might go absurd and crazy, but it’s not impossible and there’s fun in it and some way of trusting the unknown to somehow take shape. The sense of achievement – day by day, I have set out to do something and I’ve done it. A step inside myself. That became real in the outer world. And that’s worth a smile.

I first found out about the OLL when I was browsing web comics. One of the writers mentioned that he was getting into this thing called "NaNoWriMo." It sounded interesting, so I decided to check into it.

What I found was a network of creatives who aren't stuck up about being creative. More to the point, I found a group of people who were excited and passionate about writing and about the sheer joy of creating something without concerns over whether it was artsy enough. I loved it. It forced me into doing something that I've never quite got over - simply sitting down, shutting up and writing.

I loved it so much that I went on to serve as a Municipal Liaison for two years of the event, doing write-ins at local bookstores and just hanging out and doling out advice - wanted or not, I'm afraid. And somewhere in there we managed to have a great time and a shared experience that is unique and ours.

I had spent years going on writing courses, trying to write regularly and failing to do it. Until I decided to try NaNoWriMo and discovered that to write all you need is a deadline. A deadline and some support, A deadline and people who understand what you want to do and who want to do the same. It's incredibly simple and yet so difficult to grasp if you do not happen to bump into something that is apparently crazy - a novel in a month? how? but if you never succeeded to write a whole novel in years!!!! - still absolutely genial!
Considering how many people are struggling to liberate their creative mind, I think The Office of Letters and Light has a very important social role, and all this is free. Isn't it simply fantastic? One of the few excellent things in life, in my opinion.

Ive used NaNoWriMo for two years, and both years it proved to be extremely useful in motivating me, and i successfully completed two novels. The site is very easy to use and friendly, and other members give great support - last year i started writing half way through the month and still found the will power to finish. The pep-talks NaNoWriMo organises and sends out are brilliant and all very different.

Everyone has their escape from life. Whether it be hanging out with family, talking on the phone, playing video games...there are millions of ways to escape, to clear the slate of the days hardships. Mine is reading. One day, a few years ago, I realized that if an author, one person whom I will never meet, can help me escape into a world of fantasy and clear my thoughts, then why cant I do that for someone else? Since that moment, I decided to write a book. And it's hard. Very hard. 5 months passed and I only typed out 18k words. I was lost. I had no idea what I was doing. A friend suggested I read "No plot no Problem" by Chris Baty (Founder of Nanowrimo and the Office of Letters and Light). I came across Nanowrimo and that day, I signed up. A few months later, November rolls around. And I am excited! I wake up early November 1, hop on my computer and dont leave it until the nighttime... 6k words later (which is phenomenal for me in one day)! But it gets harder as the week goes on. ANd this is where the Office of Letters and Light saves an aspiring writers life.
Weekly emails are sent to keep our hopes high and our motivation rolling. Posts from other writers in their ruts plead for help while random Nanowrimos, who have no idea who this person is, constantly tell them "you can do this!", "Keep going you got it!". NOt sure which way to go with your plot? post a blog and get other members suggestions so you can keep moving in the right direction. Get motivated by shout outs and games to get you back into the swing of things.
Okay so you might be thinking, "okay thats great, so what?" What's what is that we are all dreamers who get lost in our own worlds and want to help people who love books (like me) a moment to get lost with them. We are amateurs. We have no idea what we're doing. Who knows, maybe the staff of Letters and Light don't quite either, but ya know what, in less than 30 days I wrote over 50,000 words... in 30 days! And now I am way further than that now that I've started editing. Which by the way, they help you with that too! And when I'm done, I may not get published, but you know what? I would have done it. I would have written my book, and that's a thing in life I would have never thought i could accomplish. ANd it's a fantastic learning experience. You think I'd stop there? NO way! I'll be back in November writing my second story.
The Office of Letters and Light help push us amateurs to do something we've always wanted to do and never knew how to do it. TO get the confidence to... well... just do it. But that's only a part of what they do. They have writing workshops for younguns who, unlike me, know they want to be writers at such an early age. I envy those kids. What is better than helping young people work towards their dreams? Nothin'.
So, all and all, Thank you Office of Letters and Light. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Sincerely,
MF Jones

The Office of Letters and Light runs NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and ScriptFrenzy, both of which encourage average folks of all ages to write. It's so easy to get caught up in the reasons you can't write, but the Office of Letters and Light encourages you to overlook them and do something anyway. It's a project that's less about the finished product (though some NaNoWriMo participants have gone on to publish novels, I'm not one of them) and more about the fact that you can do anything you set your mind to -- even write a novel. I've participated for the past three years and always had a great time doing it.

I just found about about this and i am interested in knowing more can anyone help me on how they help you?

In an age of "illiteracy by choice," the NaNoWriMo program inspires people to write "the great American novel," or "the great World novel" since this is an international event. 2010 was my first year to participate and I was absolutely amazed by the energy in the community of writers during the month of November. Having completed a first draft of a novel, I find I am now a more critical and observant reader of novels. I can't think of a better vehicle for getting young people interested in literary works.

NaNoWriMo was something that was brought to my attention by a friend. He told me all about it --- and at first, I thought it was a little ridiculous. 50,000 words in one month? What was the point, it would all be drivel anyway, right?
But this past year, I participated and I learned more about what NaNoWriMo and OLL does. Not only did I complete my first novel ever -- I also met other wonderful writers in my area and was instilled with a drive that I've never had before. Also, I got to learn about the efforts of OLL with the Young Writers' Program. In short, this organization is amazing in its efforts to get the voices of writers out into the world through a simple, and elegant plan. Wonderful!

This is the second year I have used Nanowrimo Young Writers Program in my 7th grade classroom, and the kids just love it. My middle school houses about 900 students from grades 6 through 8, and nearly half are now involved as NaNo catches on with other teachers and students. Our participating students wrote over one million words, and were so proud. At first unsure, and intimidated by the thought of writing so much, my kids came to complain about time spend NOT writing. We presented before our PTA and parents whose kids were involved offered unsolicited testimonials about the success of the program for their children. Kids were spending time on computers, but were engaged in writing; texting, tv, and cell phone use actually declined according to the parents. Last year's students showed off their published books from CreateSpace, and that incentive alone drove kids to want their own. I have never in nine years of teaching found something that engaged nearly every student--and caught on with low functioning special ed students as well as high honors kids. This thing works, and gets kids writing and thinking! (Oh, and I have written two middle grade novels in my two NaNo experiences writing beside my students. They supported me, and became involved in my progress and story development. Discussions about plot and character were common, even out of class. highly recommend this to any teacher, student, or budding writer of any age.

I've done NaNo WriMo for two years, and I'm incredibly grateful for it. Without NaNo WriMo, I probably wouldn't have completed a novel, and I wouldn't have met other writers. Besides giving me the push to finish a novel, NaNo WriMo provided a great community of fellow writers for me, and it's an endless source of inspiration and fun during November.

This is the second year I've taken part in NaNoWriMo. I've never written so many words in a month as I have in those two years. In fact, I'd probably struggle to write that in a year otherwise. The sense of worldwide community that they create amongst aspiring writers is amazing. They provide regular tips from professionals and within the team, to help spur you on. Local groups are also set up, where meetings and write-ins are organised. This is a brilliant idea, and I have made huge leaps on my writing as a result of this initiative. Thank you!

NaNoWriMo was so useful in helping me to get over my writer's block and become productive again! It was such a fun month. I'm so happy to be writing again.

I first participated in nanowrimo in 2005 as a project I could do with my daughter, who was away at college. It was her idea. SHe was a creative writing major. I was somebody who had done a lot of creative writing as a teen but had pursued visual arts in college and beyond. My first effort was awful, but it reawakened a love of writing. I've never stopped, and I've done nanowrimo every year since.

The forums are great, both fun and informative. I am currently in a local writers group with someone I met through nano.

Well, I was doing research on how to get my book published when I discovered that NaNoWrMo was mentioned over and over, well I decided to check it out and was very pleased with what I discovered. Well, me being an enthusiastic though not yet published writer, I decided that taking part would be an enjoyable experience. Well I wasn't wrong, but this was 15 days before my draft of 50 000 words was due - so type I did and a lot!! I also found the encouraging emails a nice incentive. Well I got my book done and it was a harrowing but very enjoyable experience. It really got me focused on my writing and I wish NaNoWrMon was not only in November coz once a year is not enough for me! Needless to say I will be participating again and again.

The Office of Letters and Light has provided an important service. There are millions of people who have dreamt of being an author. For most of these people, the dream will remain just that. It is difficult for most to sit down and write. OLL provides an accessible event in which this dream can be pursued. The community acts as a cheerleading section, motivating, acknowledging and congratulating each and every milestone. By using this community, it is much easier to pursue the dream of writing one's own novel than attempting it with little to no support system.

The Office of Letters and Light and NaNoWriMo provided me with a wonderful, high-paced November full of action scenes, forbidden love, and unexpected plot twists. When the month was over, I had written a novel, developed as a writer, met other authors in the community, and overall had a good time. I currently have a 150 page word document being edited for future publishing, a shiny laminated winners certificate, a comfy jacket and more self esteem. The OL&L has inspired me to persue a career in creative writing and many others to do the same. With periodical pep talks and helpful tips, they provide you with the necessary structure and let you loose on the world of literature. I want to thank each and every member personally for all they do, and hope that this review does a fitting job.

At age 16, my son discovered the NaNoWriMo event. All on his own he decided to participate. And he succeeded in writing his first 50,000 words toward a novel. The next year, 2010, I participated with him, and we both succeeded! My son is now just a couple of months away from his high school graduation and is planning on majoring in creative writing in college. I have no doubts that his choice of a major and his hope for a future career in writing are in a large way due to his participation and success in the NaNoWriMo events.

I knew about NaNoWriMo for a few years but I always felt that this challenge was too daunting for me to take up. My decision to write a novel this year was random and sudden. It provided me with a month of great fun, frustration, making new friends, insomnia, astoundingly hard time with scheduling and incredible satisfaction in the end. Thank you for this program, purely made of awesome! It brought me so much and I am planing on winning every next November!

NaNoWriMo and the Office of Letters and Light, have inspired me to write six novels over the last three and a half years - writing at least 5,000 words of each in one month.

The forums are fantastic and the website it so easy to navigate.

NaNoWriMo is a place where writers get together and help/support/inspire other writers and the Office of Letters and Light allows that to happen.

Because of NaNoWriMo, I COMPLETE my writing projects!

I love NaNoWriMo and recommend it to everyone I meet who is interested in writing!

I have always imagined myself writing a novel. It was a scene filled with sweat dripping all over my computer, roots of hair littering the hot, claustrophobic, isolated room in the attic.

Then I heard about Nanowrimo from one of the members of my writing group. We talked about it for two years with no one making a move toward our computers until this year.

The surprising thing about trying out Nano is that the have the whole darn thing rigged so that you can be a winner while having a great time. It isn't fair. I wanted to struggle and cry and moan about how much pain I was in. I couldn't. I was having a blast competing against myself, my friends and people I will never know.

I learned that you don't have to set aside whole days and give up life as you know it to be a writer. I lived my life but I enhanced it by going to my computer every chance I had and creating a world that was vibrant and exciting and over the 50,000 words required to win.

Nanowrimo was a fabulous experience---complete with cheerleading videos, graphs to track your progress, daily mini-goals. The whole project smelled of encouragement. With your help it can stay that way forever. Please consider them when you are passing out the prizes this year. They are a group on the move who will not allow any of their people to be left behind.

Thanks to NaNoWriMo and the Office of Letters and Light I had the opportunity and the encouragement to write and complete my first 50,000 word novel, and the recognition for doing so by the issuance of the "Winner" certificate. i am in the process of adding to the novel and submitting my manuscript "Alice Is Missing" to a publishing house. i can't tell you how pleased this entire process has made me. If I had not discovered the National Novel Writing Month program, i doubt I would have had the fortitude to complete a manuscript. Like me, thousands of others have had the same opportunity and the doors of literary success open to them.

"It was a dark and stormy night..."

"You can't start a review like that. It's a review. Not a cheap detective noir novel. Take this seriously!"

"I am taking it seriously! I mean, it's a review for people who need to understand what OLL ... sort of IS, right?"

"If you say what is, is, so help me..."

"No, not like that, but what I'm trying to say here is that understanding OLL means more than just a discussion of the people and the place and the mission. If you really want to get to the heart of OLL and NaNoWriMo [National Novel Writing Month*, pronounced exactly as its acronym is written] then "just another review" where our author talks about how great it was and how compelling they made it all doesn't quite cut it, does it?"

"Okay, fair point. Just another review has been done to death, but do you really have something above and beyond 'I was successful, it was great?' to add to warrant this sort of length and time to write it out?"

"That's a very good question, let's go the tape."

"Do we get names for this bit?"

"Eh... Jack & Jill?"

"I'm not really a water fetcher."

"What about Thelma & Louise?"

"Already done. At least strive towards creativity. Like, get off the couch and attempt creativity. Don't just point at the remote and whine and wait for someone else to get up and do it."

"See, that's the thing, though, that's why we're doing this review. That's why the author is doing this review."

"Which so far has reviewed absolutely nothing."

"We're getting to that, but before you can really get any of this, this section, seeing what NaNoWriMo DOES, you know? Seeing how it influenced this one man may put the rest of the reviews in perspective. Listen."

"Wasn't that Vonnegut who did that?"

"I'm not trying to steal his style, but now I know why he did it. Listen.

When the author started NaNoWriMo with his fiance (soon to be wife) for 2010, he really didn't know what to expect. Writing was fairly second nature, but the process, the crushing weight of fifty thousand words in so short a time, seemed ridiculous and overwhelming. First, and most importantly, OLL doesn't make that process any easier. From beginning to end, there were days when words were a challenge, and days when words flowed easily, and days where the author wanted to throw his hands in the air and say a whole bunch of things that shouldn't go on a .ORG website.

Listen.

Hear that? That's creativity. That's flow. You don't do that for no reason. You certainly don't do fifty thousand words of it. What OLL does, that differentiates them from any other organization that the author has encountered, is create an actual sense of community. Among writers, no less. Writers, who so often struggle in that in between on wanting to be read but wanting their material protected. Writers, who are as finicky and misunderstood as any other artist, who are often represented by novelists who wear expensive shirts and go to expensive pubs! People who you think don't struggle to write word one, word fifty one, or word fifty thousand and one.

Writers who contributed during NaNoWriMo to motivate all of us who participated. Who, like the author of this piece, gave their time, just a little of their time, to push the process forward. Mercedes Lackey, Aimee Bender, John Green, Holly Black. Well known, well established, with no debt to those of us who haven't reached those heights, gave their time to help push the rest of us forward.

Those of us who said, "I'll write it someday."

Someday was November. Someday actually came and put feet to fire and fingers to keyboards and tears stung in emotional scenes and it was as incredible as you could ask it to be because Chris Baty brought -- somehow, don't ask me how, I'm just the narrator -- all of this together and keeps it running.

I think the author made a donation. If he didn't, I'll have a word with him."

"Stick to the point, please."

"Well, what do you have to add, then? Or are you just the foil for my beautifully written review?"

"HA! No, no I don't think so. I'm here to talk about Hemingway and how you can tell a story in two voices with almost no definition. I'm here to help demonstrate that you can do what is seemingly impossible, by giving no names and no frame of reference if the audience knows what you're talking about, and you're talking about something really important. And that's the emotional power of OLL. What it meant to you."

"I suppose, yes."

"I'm going to talk about the physical power of OLL. What it is and how I see it. In this way, the author divides the impressions, keeping the confusion of emotion -- I mean, you cried a LOT during NaNoWriMo, you were bawlin' -- separate from the personal experience."

"But the two are linked."

"Yes, of course they are. But perhaps talking about the ease of the registration process, the utility of the site, would also be beneficial? Listen.

The OLL does an amazing job of organization some mumble-mumble thousands of writers every November and then pushing them to do something that very few other outlets can -- create. To make something out of nothing, with a tool that by default they already have -- something to write on. That side of it, the community side, reaches far beyond NaNoWriMo and gets into junior script writing and many other things that the author of this piece didn't touch, but sees, understands, and recognizes the value of, and he wants the reader, more importantly, to recognize the value of it.

No other organization does this, and because of it, OLL deserves significant ongoing support.

David E McGuire, 27 Feb 2011

Seven novels later, I am still writing. Soon to publish my first novel and my first professional book, all because of the efforts of the Office of Letters and Light.

A Great organization

As a new writer, I wasn't sure that I could complete NaNoWriMo, but I thought it was worth a shot. Due to the combination of encouragement I received from the NaNoWriMo website, write-ins organized by my regional group and the drive to say that I finished, I was able to cross the finish line with over 50,000 words in my very first novel. I can say, without a doubt, that I wouldn't have done it without NaNoWriMo and the Office of Letters and Light.

Thank`s to NaNoWi. Finnaly, I finished my book: Pigenhole of Unfinished People. But, in brazilian language – Pombal de Gente Inacabada. I think, eat and dream in it. Now, I look for a good translation to English. By, by, fellows. (Mamcasz, Zen and Poet)

NaNo is a BLAST! I found it by accident on You Tube, and signed up. After a month of dedicated attention, I actually came up with a pretty good first draft for a novel. It taught me how far I could go if I really tried to do it. The best thing about it, is that they made getting started FUN! The encouragement they give you along the way is priceless!

Thank you, NaNo People!

Sincerely,

Kathryn E. Spencer-Licht

A friend of mine asked me to commit to Nano 2009. Being the adventurous type, I accepted before I even knew what it was. 50,000 words in November? Are you kidding me?

Because I was a journalist, I felt the challenge would be a great exercise in writing discipline for me. Little did I expect that fourteen months later I would have five books completed! I never saw myself as an author, but that has changed.

The Office of Letters and Light totally encouraged me with emails, hookups with fellow writers, and resources. I totally thrived updating my word count daily, charting my progress, and the progress of others. If it weren't for this organization, I would never have tried to even write a book.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Nanowrimo is the best writing event ever! It helped me to finish my first novel and also my second, third and fourth. They also provide materials to use nanowrimo in class and so I did with my students. The office of letters and light is extremly helpful with everything. I live in Germany and when a package with a jumper for my also nanowrimo-writing daughter got lost they immediatly sent a new one overseas. I wish nanowrimo and the office of letters and light all the best.

I was just limping along as a writer who didn't actually write, you know the kind, and this opportunity to enslave myself to my computer and neglect all my work responsibilities for a month came up, so I said, let's do it. It was a wonderful jump-start to my REAL writing life, and also has served to help me teach my undergraduate students more effectively and with more sensitivity. NaNoWriMo is set up in such a way to motivate progress and hard work, and to be helpful and constructive in structuring one's tendencies to procrastinate, get stuck, give up ... I found it tremendously valuable and plan to do it again next year. If there were two each year, I would do it.

NaNo is the best thing I have ever done. I have participated in November National Novel Writing Month for several years and 2010 was the first time I reached my goal. I am so happy that there is an organization/website where I can connect with my writing friends who help motivate to reach the goal of writing 50,000 words. Thank you, Nano for helping me reach my personal best.

I learned about the Office of Letters and Light when I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.) I thought I would sign up for NaNoWriMo as a lark. Just to see how much nonsense I could spew. I didn't think you could write a "real" novel in 30 days. If anything, all I wanted from my NaNo experience was to get into a daily habit of writing. That's when something amazing happened.
The daily free writing opened up a channel of creativity I didn't know was in me. I started with a simple plot premise that exploded into a detailed story with complex characters and resulted in the most complete draft I have ever written.
The daily encouragement, the writers resources and community networking forums for writers were well run and an amazing asset in completing my manuscript.
The Office of Letters and Light does a great job of helping writers develop their craft by providing structure, a social platform and encouragement to all writers of all levels.

I heard about NANO through a school function, and my sister, who got one of her stories finally written out thanks to this extremely encouraging program. I decided to try it one year, but I didn't do so well, so the next year I tried it again. And man, it was one of the best things I did that entire year! For anybody who ever wants to get published, accomplishing that first draft is a major step in the right direction, though it's a little daunting without some help. This world needs more writers and authors, more artistic people, and NANO gave one of them here a huge boost towards publishing. I'm still working on my story now (it's almost 200,000 words long!) but I never would have started it without a clear goal in mind, which NANO provided for me. A person can get a start in his career through something like this, which can impact his entire life. It's already given mine exactly what it needs: the chance to do something great and step toward publishing.

I participated in Nano with a little apprehension. I can now day it was one of the most fun things I have done. It was a challenge, but I loved every minute of it.
Nanowrimo is nonprofit, part of OLL. Please consider awarding this prize to their amazing organization.

I'd heard of OLL a few years back during a writing class and their November writing challenge sounded like a lot of fun but didn't compete until November 2010. A few friends kept telling me to try it - they had and said it was a great experience. I tried it and actually won! The OLL was very supportive during the whole writing process - they posted help tips, blogs, sent weekly emails from reknowned writers and even had the liaison from my state send personal emails to all of the writers. After years of struggling, with the help of OLL I'm working on the final edits to my very first book. I highly recommend this organization to anyone. Not only do they have the NaNoWriMo, but they have ongoing fundraisers to help children, young adults, and adults all over the globe. They are terrific!

I joined the NANO for the first time in Nov 2010 and managed to complete my 50000 words on time. It was great and has stimulated me to continue to write. Without that challenge I would be withering away still. It was amazing how many groups even in my home town thousands of miles away from NANO HQ were helping each other achieve their dreams

The librarian at our local library wrote a good review of my first novel, BORN A REFUGEE, and I signed up for NaNoWriMo to support her program at the library. To my surprise I was totally engrossed by the experience! I wrote in a genre I had never tried before and had a lot of fun. Having the goal of 50,000 words meant the piece would be too substantial by the end of the month to abandon. I had already invested enough enthusiasm to make a break into a new genre.
Winning and watching my writing buddy step into the winners' circle as well was very satisfying. I can't wait for next November!

I've written 50,000 words twice in the last two Novembers. NANoWriMo and November, not just November because what that sitting down to write, whether you finish the 50,000 words or not, affects everything you pick up to read and many other things you do in life there after. The value of the written word and the work of novelist, scriptwriter, poet, actor take on new meaning. There is a sense of achievement for the participant and also for friends and family cheering from the side lines. Once someone you knows achieves the status of winner, writer, novelist it makes it more achievable for others and that very idea changes people. .

This past summer I decided I wanted to start writing again after taking a very long break from it (seventeen years or so), so I signed up for a writing fiction course at the local community college. It was fun and I wrote a few stories, but then I stopped. Then in the fall of this year, the librarian at the high school where I teach art sent out an e-mail about National Novel Writing Month and I thought, "I'll give it a try."
Nanowrimo's site and format helped me to stay motivated and to achieve a life long dream of writing a novel. I was so glad I participated.

OLL is great. They support authors, from well established, published authors through to those who dont consider themselves authors at all.

They provide a great community forum that allows people to help each other and provide the best writing challenges around.

With their young writers program, they are helping young people achieve their dreams of writing.

The Office of Letters and Light does many wonderful things. The part that is most valuable to me is their annual writing challenge - NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo helps many aspiring writers like me overcome inertia or fear or both so that we can actually write the novels we have been dreaming about for year. That's what they do for us adults.

For students (and their teachers) they provide a curriculum to help young people learn that writing can be a fun process. That probably does more for recreational literacy than anything else our school systems have come up with. Students not only learn how to write a novel - they have fun doing it and end up with a novel of their very own. What a wonderful thing that is.

As a four-time nanowrimo-winner I must say, that nothing has inspired me to write a novel for my owl pleasure as much as this site has. I've found new friends thanks to nano and I can't wait 'till next November!

I've always enjoyed writing but it wasn't until I discovered Nanowrimo that I finally turned my enjoyment into something more. I participated in the challenge to write 50,000 words in one month believing that I'd never see the end of it. But Nanowrimo is more than just a contest, it's also a huge support team of people who share the same dream and the same goal - to create for the simple joy of being creative. Every week when I read the encouraging emails from published authors who share their experience and advice on how to make it from word one to "the end", I was more excited to keep pushing forward. If that weren't enough, there were the forums created for connecting to hundreds other people either writing in the same genre, experiencing the same plot issues, or just chatting about the writing process. Nanowrimo provides opportunities to network in coffee shops and bookstores by means of local write-ins. I may have started the adventure doubtful that I'd ever see the end but by the end of my first year of participation, I was a Nanowrimo addict. I've now participated (and won) three years and will continue to do so every year that I am able. Thanks to Nanowrimo, I have finally turned my enjoyment of writing into something real and tangible. I love it!

NaNoWriMo ROCKS! What a wonderful organization -- in an upbeat and informal way they motivate participants to realize their creative potential, connecting people to support one another to realize an awe-inspiring goal. By setting a concrete challenge and then facilitating its completion NaNoWriMo guides the uninitiated by urging them to share their experiences (good, bad and exhilarating) and by sharing with them the experiences of accomplished Wrimos.

The Office of Letters and Light run Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) which is an invaluable tool for beginning writers, allowing them to test their mettle. The support offered by the Nanowrimo site is invaluable in a craft that is essentially very isolating. There is an amazing sense of community even before November commences. The euphoria of making it the first time is incomparable and after that day I have never looked back. The Office of Letters and Light also run a scriptwriting month and use their resources to run programs to tackle literacy and writing skills in children in a very real way.

NaNoWriMo was awesome! I'm just 15 years old, and my English isn't very good, but with NaNoWriMo it wasn't a problem I wrote my sory in Duch. A friend told me about it. Writing about 1500 words every day seems hard for someone who has tons of schoolwork waiting on her desk, but it gave me a reason to do it anyway. It gave me experience and a higer control of the keyboard and now everyone around me is completely addicted to my novel. There are even people who think they can sell it now! For me, it was like a dream coming true. My fail marks increased, but so did my future vision.

Their NaNoWriMo event in November was invaluable in helping me to realise a dream I had always had but never got round to fulfilling; writing a novel. In just one month I had written nearly 60000 words. I was so pleased with what I wrote in that month that I decided to continue writing that story, and I hope to one day get it published. I shall certainly be taking part in NaNoWriMo again this year. Thank you OLL! :D

This was my first experience of NaNoWriMo. I was drawn into it right from the start, and found that the support given me through pep talks and videos sustained me throughout the month of writing.
The statistics were a goad that kopt me on track.
Through this experience, I have learnt a lot about doing research in a hurry and the value of getting a first draft done quickly. It has given me belief in myself as a writer.

Nanowrimo really made my November. Completing the challenge gave me a real sense of accomplishment that I had been missing in my life up until that point, and made me feel better about myself and the year of 2010, which, up until that point, had been a pretty bad year for me. Nanowrimo helped me prove to myself that I really could do something that I had been trying to convince myself I could do for years, but never before did I have the motivation to follow through and live up to the potential that I now know that I have.

As an isolated writer, I found that the November nano write month was invaluable. Through contacts made with it I was encouraged to meet others like me and I reached my goal and I am continuing to write and stay in touch with those who helped me achieve my target.
Through it I have discovered that writing is an ongoing education and look forward to using this site and supporting it when and wherever I can as it did so much for me.

NaNoWriMo helped me as a writer to really learn the invaluable lesson of sitting down and just writing without stressing over every single word; to surrender myself to the process and just let my creativity flow out. Having participated in NaNoWriMo I now know what it takes to really get work done in a timely fashion and how to become a better writer. This organization helped me find the talent within me and become better at the thing i desire most to be in the world - a real writer.

I've always believed in the power of the written word - I've even volunteered in the past as an adult literacy tutor - but I've never had the discipline to put enough words on paper to complete a novel myself. That was until I discovered nano.
Now, I write at least a semblance of a novel at least once a year - and it helps to get others talking about literacy too. Writing the novels are hugely self rewarding; the work that nano does in taking literacy and the ability to write out into schools is just huge. Knowing there are like minded folk out there who help support a literacy drive has helped me revive jaded enthusiasm and give more back to my local community as well as to support what nano does.

For a few years now, I have participated in NaNoWriMo and found great inspiration, simplicity, quality, acceptance and encouragement in OLL's organization and project. I would appreciate a bit of flexibility, er, uh, re. encouraging non-fiction writers more (perhaps another project yet!!!), but all in all...what a stellar mission to make writing fun, and to actually encourage the doing of it rather than the analyzing of it. As a 20-year veteran English teacher, I can tell you, I have encouraged my students to join, some of them, and I would have nothing but positives to say about this organization. Give them funds to grow. I especially admire their educational and charitable focus. Thank you!

This was the third year I have competed in NaNoWriMo and once again thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I discovered NaNoWriMo whilst between jobs and it helped encourage me to realise my dream of writing. The staff and guest writers really encouraged me to keep going. Now working full time I thought it would be too difficult to keep writing, but the encouragement meant that I completed the competition this year as well so I have now written three novels.
I have purchased great products from them which are well made and funky design.

I'd always wanted to write a novel but all I'd gotten done was 3,000 words in a year. I lacked motivation. Then I discovered OLL's NaNoWriMo event by accident through a friend and it changed everything. 50,000 words in a month? Before it would have been impossible, but with NaNoWriMo it wasn't. The event was fun and I felt motivated by the fact that thousands of other people around the globe of all ages, some similar to me, others very different, were all going for the same thing.
I loved the meetings that were arranged locally for people participating in the event. Meeting the other contestants boosted my motivation and morale, and made the whole thing more real. It wasn't just an electronic gathering, here were the real people cheering about the good stuff, moaning and groaning about the tough stuff and laughing about the fun stuff. And I could cheer and moan and groan and laugh along with them!

Everything about the event is encouraging. The forums are active, fun and helpful. Their sites are easy to use. All kinds of fun merchandise is available on the side and there are forums and threads available for virtually anyone.
I loved the experience, and since I did my first NaNoWriMo in '09, I've written 150,000 words of creative fiction in the year and three months that have passed since. I would never have written that much if it hadn't been for OLL's NaNoWriMo.

It's incredible and I highly recommend for anyone interested in writing!

I never wrote a long novel before participating to NaNoWriMo. I was a little unsure at first, because the goal seemed unreachable. But I finally decided myself, and it was a fantastic month. I exceeded my goal by far (80k), discovered a wonderful and active community, even after November, and got my first novel written.

The OLL is not only NaNoWriMo, it's also help for young writers, other sister contests (Script Frenzy) and in general a very good opportunity for anyone wanting to write.

Now excuse me while I'm writing my next novel !

As a writer for bread it was quite a handicap to have developed a writer's block. The cheerful madness of Nanowrimo has helped me get rid of it. Just sit and write, and it's forbidden to edit until after the end of the month - that worked! Still does, and I am an avid participant every November. This year will be my 9th time. As for my journalism, I'm still a better editor than writer :)

I loved participating in NaNoWriMo! It made for one super crazy month but I started with nothing and came out the other side with a novel. Granted, I'm sure I won't be winning any Pulitzers any time soon, but it was such a great personal accomplishment for me. I was able to tap into my creativity and check an item off of my bucket list at the same time. I highly recommend taking advantage of the (totally free!) awesomeness that is NaNoWriMo.

For the past 3 years, NaNoWriMo has made November into a shining month for me, a beacon of beauty throughout the year. OLL has struck gold with their creative encouragement and camaraderie, bringing the best out in everyone as we buckle down to jam out a script, a novel, or encourage kids to do the same. In a world where the written word is chopped and compacted, NaNoWriMo lets our imagination flow where 140 characters does not. Thank you OLL, it means the world to us.

I discovered this contest through their cooperation with Smashwords, the ebook publisher. It seemed like an interesting challenge to complete a novel in a time limit.
The NaNoWriMo site was easy to use and helpful. A deadline can be daunting, but this program offered a non-threatening method of working with discipline. There was plenty of information to help get started and keep moving, plus additional links to even more assistance. The feedback process was simple and effective.
Although some might consider the "winning" to be cheesy, it's not bad to have some form of certification of accomplishment. The primary gratification is having completed a daunting task.

I had always wanted to write a novel; one of those dreams that many of us have. Like most dreams, it's also very rarely realised. So, to put it simply, through NaNoWriMo, with their wonderful writing guides, active forums, local coordinators who send out regular encouraging emails and helped to foster a sense of commnity, and the goal setting interface that got me, finally, over the line - the Office of Letters and Light let me achieve a dream. It's a precious thing, and I'm going to treasure it.

The Nanowrimo challenge became way more to me than a rush to 50,000 words, in a way I hadn't imagined. I had heard about it a few years ago and thought to myself, "Wow, that's a real achievement." Not until taking a creative writing class in college last semester did I consider myself at all capable of reaching anywhere near 50,000 words. And the day I decided to start trying was 5 days into nanowrimo- a critical week of word missed! In the beginning I acted nonchalant, thinking I could catch up "eventually"- but as the weeks passed and I found myself still 20,000+ words behind, a sudden extreme desire to 'win' took over. I put in all the effort I hadn't before- I was writing in the morning, during my bus and car rides to class, between classes and after them late into the night. One day of the last week, I was able to churn out 10,000 words in five hours; before, I had written no more than 500 in a day.

I set myself a blindly passionate goal; I was in it to win it. Allowing something to take over my life so strongly was incredible. It made me realize how much dedication and passion I was capable of. It also made me realize a very important lesson- Do not constantly self-censor. Allow yourself to be you. I became unapologetic by the end of the contest in what I was writing- anything and everything was possible, I felt truly free to write what was inside me.

Nanowrimo is like a crazy marathon race. Crazy. And very healthily enlightening. Many thank you's to Mr.Baty and everyone at the Office of Letters and Light.

NanoWrimo and I have a love hate relationship - I absolutely LOVE it, the concept, the passion, the off beat way the team inspires writing creativity across the world...I hate it cos I have yet to finish a 50,000 novel despite 3 half hearted attempts. But every year I come back for more, I read the tips, I soak in the online atmosphere and I promise to come back again for more. 2011 I will make my 50,000. NanoWrimo makes the world a more creative, better place.

I love to write, and committing to participate in NaNoWriMo gave me the motivation to spend a solid month writing something that had structure, and developing characters. The associated website also gave me a chance to see how my participating friends were getting on as well, and, if I wished, discuss problems and ideas with others. The emails from NaNoWriMo were also suitably inspirational and enouraging. The Office of Letters and Light should be congratulated for putting together a programme that allows people from all over the world to participate in something together.

Being a part of last year's NaNoWriMo gave me the motivation and focus to sit down and write seriously for the first time in many years. At the time, being involved in something like this was incredibly valuable, given that, at the time, personal and professional issues had left me filled with self-doubt. NaNoWriMo support manages to feel personal and inclusive despite the size of the operation and is almost always genuinely inspirational. The novel I wrote is, to be honest, not very good, but that's not the OLL's fault, but writing it was very important for me and the OLL made that happen. I don't know where I would be now had NaNoWriMo not been there last autumn.

So I'm not a very creative person. I don't have very creative ideas for stories, really I'm an engineering student and I just like to write. I've participated in NaNoWriMo for 3 years and no matter how many tests I have of projects due, it's always been a sort of release to just write for a few hours everyday. I don't know what my fall semesters would be without it, and I'm not sure how long my sanity would have survived. But it gave me a chance to really get started and MAKE me write. So thank you NaNoWriMo :D

I entered NanoWrimo realizing that the program required a lot of work. It is an open-ended challenge to writers and would-be writers to set out and write fifty thousand words in a single month. I've been writing since I was five years old and have never finished a novel. Never have I found myself in a situation where I felt encouraged to actually put my words out. All the feedback from other writers, the area meetings and message boards made me feel like I was part of something larger.
The world needs programs like NanoWrimo. Writing and communicating make human beings able to understand each other. It allows for us to build connections. NanoWrimo encourages reading and writing. It forces people to educate themselves without being run through the ringer. It is vital to the continuation of building human connections. It is important. For one month, all around the world people write. Isn't something to brings people together something that should be supported?

I first learned of NanoWrimo from my 12th grade English teacher. I took an extra class of his called "Writing 12" and it taught us the basics of becoming a published author, what to know, how to go about achieving these goals. Anyways, our "final" or end of the semester test, was completing NanoWrimo. Except that year I didn't register on the website and all that. But I did complete it, and actually continued that novel to reach 65,000 words! But then for the next two years after that, I decided to officially register with a friend of mine from the United States and we supported each other through emails. By going on the website, I got supportive emails, learned of other people in my area who got together to write, it was fantastic! I had so much fun and even got an email from LEMONY SNICKET! I will definitely be back next year!

Some things are just awesome, like NaNoWriMo and the people at the Office of Letters and Light.

I wrote a book in a month, how many people can say that? A lot more than normal because of OLL. And it's not just the prestige of being a novelist.

If it hadn't been for NaNoWriMo, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have ever been able to say I wrote a book (period). I'm one of those people who needs to be prodded into action and a total perfectionist once I get going. NaNo made me stop second guessing myself and just go for it.

So thank you, NaNoWriMo.
Switcher Six was complete at 51,073 words, which is about 51,072 words more than it would have been without OLL and their peptalks.

Maybe the best thing about OLL and NaNoWriMo is that you're not only writing a novel, you and a billion other people are all writing a novel too- you can commiserate, congratulate and honestly just help each other. It's nice being part of an organization where you can make honest friends and learn the tips and tricks that other writers use. (:

I came across a poster advertising Nanowrimo in my local supermarket and decided to take part. Although November 2010 was my first Nanowrimo, I am an avowed fan of Nanowrimo and the offices that run it. I have donated what I can to the organisation and I only wish I could have given more. The humour, encouragement and support that the office provides is immeasurable. In fact, I have saved some of the 'pep talks' they sent out and read them when I'm feeling down. On 29 November I uploaded my 50613 word novel to their website and it is difficult to describe my sense of accomplishment and pride. I eagerly await Nanowrimo 2011!! If I lived in the States, I would happily take part in their other projects!!!!

For almost 10 years I have had an idea for a story shaping and forming and morphing in my mind, and though I have written a few scenes that jump out in my mind, I never really bothered to actually sit down and try to write it out. A few years ago, I heard about NaNoWriMo and was intrigued by the whole idea of writing a novel in 30 days. I first attempted it in 2009 with a related back story, but I did not get very far. In 2010, I decided that I would use my 10-year-old story idea. In November, not only did I write 50,000 words on my story, but I also made new friends from my area. Though my story is no where near complete, it's still a big start -- a start that wouldn't have happened without NaNoWriMo as a starting point. The satisfaction of "winning" was overwhelmingly amazing that I would highly recommend the program to other aspiring authors. NaNoWriMo sent out pep talks from well established writers who had very sound advice as we trudged through the word swamp. The organization also gives fantastic advice on how to just get started and write. Without them, so many people would have stories floating in their heads and never make the effort to put them on paper. Even if many people do not pursue publishing, it's still in physical form where other people close to them may enjoy it. Also knowing that money I have donated or used to buy merchandise is being used to help form creative writing programs for young authors makes me feel like my money is being used for something worthwhile. Creativity should be fostered, and the Office of Letters and Light is here to make that happen. Thanks to them, many amazing authors and stories will emerge where they may otherwise be locked away.

I have participated in what is known as the "NaNoWriMo" for the past four years of my life. At the time I was fourteen, and after being told by numerous people that I had a talent for it, had decided to become an author. I wanted to write. I was passionate about it, and I knew I wanted to do it. The only problem was how. I didn't know anything about writing a novel. But after the crazy month that is writing 50,000 words, I began to love it. Nothing else has proven to me what I'm capable of, the drive it takes, and yes, all the things you can achieve if you truly, truly want it. NaNoWriMo has proved an enriching experience in my life, one that I love and truly get passionate about every year, almost as much as improving my writing. It helped me take one more step toward my dreams.

I started with Nano in 2004, and I have participated every year since then. In that time, I have seen it grow from a bunch of (half-crazed) writers to a flourishing organization. I am particularly proud of the outreach to young writers, but everything about NaNoWriMo and The Office of Letters and Light is terrific. They have a light-hearted, humorous, casual air, and they foster a supportive, nonjudgmental, and generally fun atmosphere using forums, blogs, videos, and graphics. The original idea was inspired, and I have loved my Novembers since discovering it, but every year OLL seems to grow better and better. Thanks to Nano, I've finished and published three books and have great starts on three more, and I've had great fun doing them all. There is nothing else like OLL, and their value to writers can't be put into dollars and cents.

I've participated in NaNoWriMo, run by the Office of Letters and Light, for the past two years. More importantly, however,as a high school writing teacher, I've used the resources and ideas from NaNoWriMo to inspire my students to also take part. It's hard to explain the intense satisfaction a 17-year-old gains from knowing that he can accomplish a goal that seemed at the beginning of the month to be impossible. The resources, support, and encouragement provided by the Office of Letters and Light, from the website to the municipal liasons, is vital to my students' success in this challenge. Because of NaNoWriMo, each year I graduate a class of creative writers who can take on the world as empowered individuals. They wrote a novel while they were still in high school! They can do anything!

I took part in the NanoWrimo competition for the first time last year and it was wonderful. Here in Pakistan one rarely gets chances like these to get to know other people who share the same interests as oneself. So it was a change from the terror filled life of us Pakistanis (what with the terrorism and all) and I'm eager to take part in this competition this year as well.