NaNoWriMo :: NaNoWriMo Blog

John Scalzi

I haven't seen him on anyone's lists yet, and he's quite the entertainer in his blog. I think a pep talk from him would be both informative and humorous. :)

Nicola Griffith
Kelley Eskridge

Maeve Binchy

Deirdre Madden

Barbara Vine/Ruth Rendall

Gavin Kostick

Sebastian Barry

Gail-Nina Anderson

J. R. R. Tolkien is an absolutely wonderful writer. He is also dead.

I feel like Kate Klise (of Regarding the Fountain fame) would be able and willing to write a very good pep talk.

Alice Hoffman
Stephen R. Donaldson
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

I know it's probably too late to ask them...but I was so impressed by Garth Nix and Sarah Gruen writing!!!

Michael Chabon!

Rick Riordan
Jodi Picoult
Stephenie Meyer (I'm probily like, the 31st person to suggest her, but then you're more likely to try, so...)

I think that the list looks great but...I would be...there is not even an appropriate word for this. In short, trying not to sound like the teenager that I am, I would DIE if you asked Chuck Palahniuk (a genius writer-author of such books as Fight Club, Choke, and Haunted) to give a pep talk.
He is by far my favorite writer, and I would probably be able to crack out 10k a day if it meant that Chuck Palahniuk's name was waiting for me in my inbox.

I haven't gone through all of the posts but here are a few suggestions that may not have appeared before now:

Cherie Priest
Lucy Snyder
Etgar Keret
Haven Kimmel
Jim C. Hines
James McBride
Ian McEwan

Robin McKinley!!
Brian Jacques!!

My two cents...

If you could get Terry Pratchett to write an enthusiastic pep talk, that would be memorable--though I hear he is not well these days.

I would go for:

Stephenie Meyer (people may not like her novels, but her DEBUT NOVEL was Twilight and look how famous it is. You just don't get that kind of luck)
Mercedes Lackey
Neil Gaiman
Terry Pratchett (ooohh... PLEASE!)
Garth Nix (again)
Debi Gliori
Mary Hoffman
Phillip Pullman

Ohhhh! Neil Gaiman again, that would be entirely too fabulous!

Naomi Novik is an AWESOME WONDERFUL WOMAN and I adored her peptalk last year. As for new writers... Nnnngggk, you asked MURAKAMI? *laughs* I shudder to think of the surrealistic peptalk we'd get in reply. But in a nice way. I love that man.

Hmmm. Diana Wynne Jones would be fantastic, as would Terry Pratchett... Joss Whedon? :DD

And of course, I never get tired of your own wonderful peptalks, Chris!

Please please please NO Stephanie Meyer. Seriously. Do not want.

I think it would be keen to see a pep talk from Mur Lafferty, of the I Should Be Writing podcast, who is an amazing writer and a great motivator, but probably she's not famous enough :(

So, that said, I would suggest Christopher Moore & Neal Stephenson.

I vote for Wil Wheaton - a lot of people already read his blog: http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/
and he talks about his writing difficulties.

Another author is Jane Lebak who published Seven Archangels: Annihilation this year. She has a great sense of (sarcastic) humor. :-)

Plus, I really missed your inspiration, Chris. My first year, I was lucky that NP?NP! had just been published (did I miss the 2nd edition??) and I wouldn't have made it without your awesome humor along the way.

How about a sequel to the Nanoland Chronicles?

Neil Gaiman was lovely last year, so it would be great to have him back.

However, my inner fangirl screams out to invite JASPER FFORDE. His writing and worldbuilding make him a great inspiration to spec fic nanoers like myself and I'm also pretty sure that he's heavily involved with his fandom, so he might just say yes.

Stephenie Meyer
Stephen King
George R.R. Martin
Robin Hobb
Neil Gaiman

ANNE RICE!!!!!!!!!!!!

If she signs up I will love her forever. Which I already do, but still.

And I loved Garth Nix's!!!!

How about Mark Salzman?

Stephenie Meyer
Nora Roberts
Christine Feehan
Keri Arthur

I'm sure someone's said these, but Philip Pullman, Susan Cooper, Eoin Colfer and Carl Hiaasen.

I definitely agree with Orson Scott Card being included. I've actually had the pleasure of meeting him in person, and he's incredibly kind and generous. :)

To drop another few names into the hat...:

Dan Brown
David Baldacci
James A. Michener
J.R.R. Tolkien
Kim Harrison
Laurell K. Hamilton

I've made a deal with my sister that if either of the last two (who are her favorite authors) write a pep talk for this year's NaNo, she's going to do it, so I'm especially pushing for their inclusion.

It would be SOOOOO cool to have a pep talk from Jasper Fforde, have you read his "wordamentarys" about his books? Hysterical, and amazing!!!

I'd also second the votes for Terry Brooks and Orson Scott Card.

MaryJanice Davidson. Tanya Huff. Mike Resnick.

I've already seen votes for Stephenie Meyer, Orson Scott Card, Jim Butcher, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Jasper Fforde, Kelley Armstrong, and Spider Robinson, but let me add my vote to those, too.

Eoin Colfer
Terry Brooks
Terry Pratchet
Garth Nix - I loved his last year!
Orson Scott Card
John Updike

Lorrie Moore, please!
Charles Baxter also is awesome.

Any NaNoers who have published a NaNoNovel would be great! :)

God, Sara Gruen, Christopher Paolini, J.K. Rowling.

DANIEL HANDLER!!!!!!!! I mean Mr. Snicket!!

Stephen Fry
JK Rowling
Ridley Pearson
RICK RIORDAN!!!
Anthony Horowitz
Garth Nix (I loved his pep talk, I still read it)
Neil Gaiman (Another Good pep talk)
Phillip Pullman
Dan Brown

All of the above are my absolute favorite authors! I'd love to get pep talks from them.

Jonathan Stroud
Garth Nix
JK Rowling

STEPHENIE MEYER
STEPHENIE MEYER
STEPHENIE MEYER

please? :D
That would be so amazing!

in no order:
jonathan stroud
stephsnie meyer
susan cooper
garth nix
dave barry
tamara pierce
christopher paolini
marriane curley
j. k. rowling
I am repeating stephanie meyer...and god

Stephanie meyer most definitely would be amazing!

Gail Carson Levine! I think she'd be perfect.

I can't wait to read some original Chris Baty pep-talks! It's always better to read pep-talks from someone who actually knows what the readers are going through. ;)

Hm, some authors I'd love to hear from are:
Brian Jacques
Kenneth Oppel
Angie Sage
Garth Nix (I know we had him last year, but more pep talks from him would be fun)
Debi Gliori

I'd love to hear from:

Sherrilyn Kenyon
Lynsay Sands
Vicki Lewis Thompson
Johanna Lindsey
J.D. Robb

Thanks!!!

Patricia C Wrede would make my year a lot better!

I would love to hear from:

Greg Rucka
Warren Ellis
R.A. Salvatore
Mike Carey

And I can't wait to read your pep talks!

Last year as part of our post-NaNo celebrations my family and I attended a book-signing by Yann Martel in our city. It was the day after NaNo, and in our excitement at having completed a novel (plus the excitement of meeting YANN MARTELL!!!), we babbled incoherently about National Novel Writing Month as he signed our book.

He asked some questions about it, and said (rather enthusiastically too) that it sounded like an excellent concept. He's very much into literacy programs and the like, so I think it would not be too much of a stretch to see him writing a pep talk next year...

Kelley Armstrong,
Jim Butcher would be good too ,

I would LOVE JK Rowling. She would be such a HUGE inspiration, if you could get her.
Also, Neil Gaiman and Garth Nix are great.

Let's see... Who do I want? I'd say:

Brian Jacques,
Anne McCaffery,
James Patterson,
J. K. Rowling,
Christopher Paolini,
Patricia C. Wrede,
Emily Rodda

Just to name a few.

Oh, I can't wait for November!

Will Self?!

Neil Gaiman!!! Neil is awesome! His pep talk last year made my whole month.

It would be really cool if you could get Robin McKinley, Philip Pullman, or Susan Cooper to do pep talks too :)

TAMORA PIERCE!! And Anne Rice, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and J.K. Rowling would be awesome too!

I suggest asking Chuck Klosterman (Killing Yourself To Live). His black humor will keep me going - you too, probably.

Neil Gaiman has my vote! His peptalk did the trick and helped me keep writing through the week where you want chuck your laptop out a window and feed it to a python.
Also, Terry Pratchett would be AWESOME. :D
J.K Rowling...that would be bloody fantastic, and certainly a motivation to keep you writing! Plus, it'd make a great excuse to become a recluse from family and friends. "J.K Rowling told me to do it."

I'd like to nominate Elizabeth George - fine writer and teacher!

I would so totally love to have Kristan Britain speak to us! as well as Anita Stansfield, and Stephanie Meyer! they are all so amazing! oh yes and Julliet Marillier :) they are soooo awesome please have them! And I agree with the person who asked for a manga person to come. I would love for Hayao Miyazaki as well. he's incredible! the things he's done!

Simon Haynes :)

He's the cool sci-fi/humor writer from Australia and most inspiring :) He even writes in NaNo! :D :D :D

Please bug him for me :)