The ultimate writing challenge: 50,000 words. 30 days. Making creativity a #1 priority. It’s NaNoWriMo! In this episode of the KWL Podcast, US Manager Christine Munroe interviews Grant Faulkner, the Executive Director of NaNoWriMo.

Christine and Grant discuss:

• The origins of NaNoWriMo, which began in 1999 with 21 writers. It now supports hundreds of thousands of writers across the globe.
• Why November? If you can write a novel in November, you can write one anytime. It’s a busy time of year leading into the December holidays.
• The division between the “planners” and the “pantsers,” those who work out all of the details of their story ahead of time… and those who wing it on November 1. Grant recommends a middle ground of taking time in October to think through what you want to write, but also allowing the creative improv of NaNoWriMo to take your writing and ideas in new directions.
• NaNoWriMo’s…