Hello friends,

You may be aware of my annual writing obsession.National Novel Writing Month is fast approaching, and with it... the Night of Writing Dangerously.

It's a write-a-thon fundraiser, taking place in San Francisco, oh-so-close to where my boyfriend lives.

You see where this is going.

For me to take my place at this glorious event, I need to raise $200. My personal goal is to raise $300 - an extra $20 for each of the novels I've written through NaNoWriMo so far. And all of this is for the serious side of NaNoWriMo: seeing to it that children and adults get the encouragement, structure, and inspiration they need to achieve their creative potential. Proceeds from the event will fund NaNoWriMo's free creative writing programs in hundreds of schools and communities around the world.

I'm asking you to donate.

But like me, you get some incentives.

I'm writing a novel this November. My working title for it is "Revenge of the Plot Bunnies", with the idea that plot bunnies ("ideas which gnaw at the brain until written") become literal and try to take over NaNoWriMo. Make a donation, and somehow you will make it into my novel, which will be available to read online as I write (I'll send a URL in October).

For donations up to and including $20, I will give you a cameo of some kind: a character named after you, or if you suggest a plot bunny idea - something that's gnawed at your own brain, perhaps - I'll incorporate it into my novel. If you'd rather something outside the book and you live in Vancouver or plan to visit Vancouver soon, I will also offer tea and baked goodies at my place. You can also suggest a comparable alternative incentive.

For donations over $20 up to and including $50, you can have a bigger role: suggest a theme or a plot idea to explore, or a story to use as a character's backstory, or just about anything that you've really wanted to see happen in a novel and I'll incorporate it somehow. Please keep these family friendly. If you'd rather something outside the book and you live in Vancouver or plan to visit Vancouver soon, I will also offer dinner at my place. You can also suggest a comparable alternative incentive.

For donations over $50, first of all: you are amazing. Up to five novel/character/plot/etc suggestions will be welcomed and incorporated, but I will also provide you with a signed, professionally bound copy of my novel draft. Take a look at the photo above to see what my copy of last year's novel looks like. If you'd rather something outside the book and you live in Vancouver or plan to visit Vancouver soon, I will also offer dinner and dessert at my place. You can also suggest a comparable alternative incentive.

You can donate online here, or provide me in person with cash/cheque donations: Canadians, I don't think we are able to get tax deductions, but check the "where donations go" page to confirm: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/wheredonationsgo