From its humble beginnings with 21 participants and six finishers (or “winners” in NaNoWriMo parlance) the contest has grown exponentially, to 42,000 participants and just shy of 6,000 winners last year.

“Winners” in quotes? Has it gotten to the point where the only acceptable winners are in sports? Because by definition the rest become losers, and would suffer untold harm to their self-esteem? I wonder if she writes/reports for NPR on the side.

*Rant OFF*

Oh, at the thought of Eisner and Reno having a private meeting, I shudder.

Damn you! I thought that you were being serious! I fell for it hook, line, and sinker, you stinker!

It was totally worth the effort.

Hey, that’s quite a story! Maybe you could write that novel for NaNo next year.

There was a certain amount of political intrigue in last year’s attempt at NaNo, and I did receive suggestions that I do a “meta” novel this year (in which I tell the fictionalized tale of a writer attempting to complete a novel in 30 days). Perhaps I ought to combine the two and tell the tale of the writer whose efforts are constantly being thwarted by the agents of a conspiracy that reaches into both the federal government and the entertainment industry (or maybe just corporate America). Though his identity is stolen (or perhaps deleted) and he is being pursued by dark-suited men driving black SUVs, the would-be author still finds the time to crank out 1,667 words a day throughout the entire month.

That would sure make any excuse I come up with for not writing every day seem lame.

You should just add this stuff to your wordcount, man. Really!

It’s 377 words, which is probably more than I wrote at Panera this evening.