And with that, we close the book on another year of frantic novelling, caffeine-fueled word sprints, dizzying plot twists, and—of course—covers! I can’t articulate enough just how much each day’s amazing cover blew us away. No part of this incredible project would have been possible without the over three thousand submissions from all of you.

Before I get to the fast facts about this year’s series, I need to extend a few words of thanks.

Summer is drawing to a close, and it’s time to wish our interns farewell as they move on to share their awesomeness with the rest of the world. Before heading back to college, Emily Ehret, Editorial Intern Extraordinaire, writes in on the blog one last time to share how she handles endings in her writing and her personal life, especially when unexpected challenges come her way:

Us writers and our endings. We often spend so long agonizing over getting them just right. Sometimes, it takes us ages to pin them down. Can we ever really satisfy ourselves with an ending? How do we get it exactly right? How do we know when it’s over?

This summer, though, there were a couple of things I was certain of: I knew the ending of the novel I worked on for Camp in July, and I knew the end date of my internship—August 30th. So I knew exactly how long I had to work on my word count and get the most out of my summer at NaNo HQ. In some fantasy of productivity when I arrived here in June, I was certain I would write that ending before saying an elegant farewell and hopping back on a plane for Chicago.

August 30th is here, just as I always knew it would be. But what I didn’t fully expect was all the accompanying emotions.

The “Now What?” Months are here! In 2014, we’ll be bringing you advice from authors who published their NaNo-novels, editors, agents, and more to help you polish November’s first draft until it gleams. Today, Hannah Rubin, writer and NaNoWriMo intern, shares why it’s important to edit, even if you don’t plan on sharing your novel with anyone else:

At some point, I imagine that I will one day set my sights on the world of publishing—but for now, I am still caught in the indulgent honeymoon phase of simply writing because it is enjoyable, and challenging, and heartbreaking and, at the end of the day, one of the few activities that I can completely lose myself in. 

I’ve spent the last two months slowly meandering through edits: first confronting the metaphysical barrier of convincing myself to print the thing out, and then the physical barrier of actually reading through it. It took me nearly three weeks just to make it through that first part. 

As we dive deeper and deeper into these months of editing and revision, you might be wondering: why am I choosing to edit? Why do I continue to work my story over and over, read through old paragraphs with garish highlighters, pull my hair out over stale dialogue? Jot down possible character descriptions as I ride the train to work? Why not just press SAVE and stick the whole immaterial file somewhere deep into the codings of my computer; why not get started on something new and un-imagined?

Steve Genise, Development Intern: 

I guess I’ll start off simply. It’s been incredible interning here. It was incredible to be at the Night of Writing Dangerously and compare opinions on chainmail construction.  It was incredible to get to do my famous portrayal of Ophelia during the virtual write-ins. It was incredible to spend an entire day putting address labels on annual reports to be mailed. (And no, that’s not sarcasm.  The office aspect is all part of the package, and I dig that, too.)

But most importantly, it was incredible to be a part of this entire event. I’ve done NaNoWriMo before; sometimes I’ve won, sometimes I’ve lost, and this time, I lost hardcore. And you know what? That’s okay with me. Even though I didn’t reach that 50K mark, this was by far the best NaNoWriMo I’ve ever had.

Before this, I had never really participated in the NaNo community.  I hadn’t gone to write-ins or communicated with fellow Wrimos online; NaNo for me was always a solo trek. But after this internship, I really discovered what the NaNoVerse is all about: family. This November, the office was my family, the East Bay Region was my family, Wrimos as far away as Iceland that I got to speak with were my family, and that was really something above and beyond anything I had ever experienced during Novembers past.

NaNoWriMo has found its way into elementary classrooms and universities, foreign countries and hometowns. But did you know that NaNoWriMo also has a place in the prison system? Dedicated volunteers like Tilia Klebenov Jacobs give inmates an opportunity to voice their stories. Tilia will be teaching NaNoWriMo in four prisons in Massachusetts this fall. She also recently published a thriller titled Wrong Place, Wrong Time.

First, tell us about your book that just came out! Was it a NaNo project?

Yep!  My book is called Wrong Place, Wrong Time, and it was my 2009 NaNo-novel. It came out on June 1. A brief teaser:

When Tsara Adelman leaves her husband and two young children for a weekend to visit her estranged uncle, she little dreams he is holding several local children captive on his lavish estate. Mike Westbrook, father of one of the boys, kidnaps her to trade her life for the children’s. Soon Tsara and Mike are fleeing through New Hampshire’s mountain wilderness pursued by two rogue cops with murder on their minds.

That sounds great! You’ve also taught NaNoWriMo extensively in prisons. What inspired you to do that?

This past spring, we said goodbye to one of our favorite interns ever. We’ve only just come to terms with the reality of it. Here now is Ari’s last blog post. (Interested in our internship program? Check it out.)

Saying a good goodbye takes practice. When I wrote my second introduction blog months ago, I understood too, that I would eventually have to write a goodbye post as well. But that was too far beyond what I could plan for myself. But now that the day has come, I’m ill-prepared. Luckily, being an intern for a second time means it’s my second goodbye—I’ve had twice as much practice since the last time I did this.

Julie Murphy’s NaNoWriMo novel is set to be published in winter 2014. Side Effects May Vary is a story about sixteen-year-old Alice, who, after being diagnosed with leukemia, decides to spend her final months righting wrongs. But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission and is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done. Julie was lovely enough to answer our burning questions.

What have your NaNo experiences been like?

I have participated in NaNoWriMo twice. My first was in November of 2011 and the product was what is now Side Effects May Vary. My second time was actually Camp NaNoWriMo right after I sold Side Effects.

Man, I love NaNo. To me, it’s the Ironman Triathalon of writing—but with more junk food provisions—because if you’ve completed it, you wear it as a badge of honor. Plus, I thrive on a deadline. Without a deadline, I fall headfirst into my Netflix queue. And, ya know, the constant social media peer pressure doesn’t hurt.

After November’s over, revision time inevitably rolls around. What was your revision process like? Any words of wisdom?

It was a hot Saturday in July and NaNoWriMo’s two volunteer Municipal Liaisons (MLs) in New Jersey were doing something pretty spectacular in the recesses of the public library.

You may have read about Bill Patterson’s plans for Monkey in a Box on this blog a couple of weeks ago. On July 20, during the one-day writing marathon event, Bill (the aforementioned “monkey”) wrote for eight hours in a glass box at the Woodbridge Public Library, for a total of 11,500 words.

Richenda Gould, Bill’s co-ML and event facilitator, said her favorite part of the day was when a mom and her 12-year-old daughter came over to see what was happening.

During NaNoWriMo’s “In Your Pocket” Summer Drive, we’ll be posting “My First NaNo” stories from you, our amazing participants, and the writing tips you learned from your maiden voyage. Today, valiant intern Michael Adamson, finds himself grappling with severe writer’s block two-thirds of the way through his story: 

There was a dark moment for me around day 21 of my first NaNoWriMo experience. I was faced with a word-count debt fast approaching 12,000 words, and any realistic chance of winning was evaporating.

I had only myself to blame. Doubt and lack of motivation had impeded my progress during the first three weeks; sometimes I would go five days without writing so much as a single word.

Camp NaNoWriMo is gearing up for July, and many of you are already hard at work storming up ideas. Are you ambitiously planning on writing a trilogy, perhaps? Well, Susan Dennard published her debut young adult novel Something Strange and Deadly, the first in an intriguing trilogy blending historical fiction, horror, romance, and mystery, and on July 23, the sequel, A Darkness Strange and Lovely, will hit shelves. Read on to learn how Susan used three years of NaNoWriMo to master her trilogy:

How did NaNoWriMo help you draft your novels?

It’s so easy to put writing off—even for books on deadline—but there’s something about knowing that I’ll start on x-date, work like a madwoman until x-date, and then finish with 50K that really helps me hunker down. I also think the sheer insanity and support that other writers bring to the whole NaNo-experience really helps keep me motivated, even after that first week when my productivity always wants to flag.  

How has your NaNo experience been different each year you wrote a book in your trilogy?

Hello, gentle readers. My name is Sonja, and I’m the newest addition to the crack interning team at the office here in scenic Berkeley, California.

When I’m not participating in NaNoWriMo-related events (I know, at times it’s difficult to believe there is a life outside of it!), you can find me painting, fixing clocks, performing in musical theatre…

Wait a moment. This sounds familiar.

Too familiar…

Critically-acclaimed author Ally Kennen is no stranger to a challenge. She used NaNoWriMo to help her publish nine books, all while raising her three children. She tells us about her revision process, and shares just how to make room for writing in a bustling life:

When did you first attempt NaNoWriMo? What did it offer to you as a writer? 

I first attempted, and failed, NaNoWriMo in 2004, before I had any books published. NaNoWriMo felt delicious. Here was a community of like-minded dreamers, all passionate about writing. I loved the lighthearted approach and humor, but there was also a real determination to get those words done.

I’ve participated many times since. Sometimes I have failed miserably. Other times I have failed quite brilliantly, and a few times I have even achieved the magic 50,000 words. I adapt NaNoWriMo to suit me. It is never a waste of time. What I love about it is how it is so positive: this massive international wave of good intention and creative endeavor.

I have since had nine books published, all for children and young adults.

Could you tell us more about your revision process?

Do you remember when you first began to write down your stories? Alexis Ann Davis, pictured above signing her CreateSpace-published novel in Spokane, is one of the thousands of young writers supported by the NaNoWriMo community through the Young Writers Program, and the first to be spotlighted this year:

As a participant in NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program, seven-year-old Alexis Ann Davis reached her word-count goal last November, but didn’t stop there. She leapt into her next endeavor, and published her novel! For some writers, publishing daydreams come complete with money, fame, and fandom. For Alexis, publishing her NaNoWriMo novel has meant helping the community, gaining a sense of accomplishment, and daring to dream big.

Hello once and future Campers! How are you feeling on this fine May day? Blissful and free, like the pollen drifting on the breeze from tree to tree? Exultant, like the alpenglow that graces the mountain peaks with the first light of day? Triumphant, like the grizzly bear, emerging from a long winter with her playful cubs?

If you are anything like me, those three similes probably just made you a little bit nauseous (I mean, pollen? Really? You know what that stuff is, right?). If you had a Camp NaNoWriMo experience similar to mine, you might be feeling a little spread thin. You might be feeling disillusioned. If you are anything like me, you might be feeling unsure as to how to fill these new blocks of free time. 

Every year, during NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, Wrimos from around the world whittle their stories down to a short pitch for a chance to break into the industry with the help of pros Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry, also known as the Book Doctors. (They’ll also be donating the proceeds of their upcoming Art of the Edit webinar to NaNoWriMo!)

This year, Stacy McAnulty took top honors; read on to find out how a dinosaur egg can turn into a winning idea! (Click here to read Stacy’s original pitch, as well as the critique.)

Your winning pitch was about “a boy who hatches a dinosaur egg.” What inspired that idea?