Daily Q&A

Q:Ellie, in an effort to win NaNoWriMo for the first time in four years of writing, you are guilting yourself towards success. What does this entail? Do you think it will work?
A:I’ve heard from many people that they were able to succeed in their first NaNoWriMo because they didn’t

Q: Jamie, you're sponsoring halos for 30 other Wrimos. I see that you also have a halo. Are you actually an angel? What motivated this act of generosity, and how did you decide who to halo?
A: Thanks for asking! I decided to sponsor 30 halos for the 30 days of NaNoWriMo after getting a reply to my call on Twitter for people to donate. I

Q: Kerry, last year you wrote over 425,000 words. Did you misunderstand the winning word count, or are you just superhuman?
A: Wait! You mean the goal isn’t 500,000 words? You mean I

Q:Jamie, you raised a whopping $1180 for the 2007 Write-a-thon, and won a Dell Inspiron laptop for your efforts. How did you do it? And do you have any advice for Wrimos who'd like to attend the Write-a-thon this November?
A: First of all, I wouldn't have been able to do it without the fantastic

Q: Tim, Wrimos in your region have been including you in their novels for years. Rumor has it, the challenge is going out to NaNoLand at large: include Tim Mitchell in November's novel. What is it about you that inspires others to write you into their books? Are you a pirate? An alien? Or just an extraordinarily compelling person?
A: To the last three questions, yes,

Q: 4" poster tube, you can carry a mug, a t-shirt, and multiple posters inside of you. That is a lot! But once you've fulfilled that mission and the goods have been unloaded, what are you worth?
A: It has taken me a long time and some soul-searching to answer this question for myself. What I have found, though, is that there is life after

Q: Tavia, you are the Director for NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program. YWP has a T-shirt this year for the first time ever, and you just lifted the curtain on the brand new YWP website! In the midst of all these innovations, what is most exciting to you about YWP 2008?

A: That the site is being used, the

Q: Graham, you've designed some crazy, wonderful things for NaNoWriMo: viking helmet stickers, a guitar-playing unicorn, and even a winner's trophy filled with coffee! What was the most challenging project that you encountered as our resident designer?
A: It's all been pretty challenging

Q: Amanda, Seattle has the highest word count and funds raised of any NaNoWriMo region for two years running. That is some track record! As Seattle goes for three years in a row, I wonder how it is that the Wrimos there are so exceptionally motivated?
A: Here in Seattle, my Co-ML and I

Q: Brian, you designed our 2008 poster (a gift for $100 donors) and recently won the t-shirt contest for This American Life's pledge drive. It seems like you've got pretty good taste in clients! How much does the cause factor into your decision to take on a project?
A: Well, first I’d say you’re giving me