Jasper Fforde!

This morning I woke to find another NaNoWriMo pep talk in my inbox.  These are invariably funny and encouraging, but this one was by Jasper Fforde - one of my favorite writers - SQUEEEEE!!!

I just have to share the first paragraph with you:

I once wrote a novel in 22 days. 31 chapters, 62,000 words. I didn’t do much else—bit of sleeping, eating, bath or two—I just had three weeks to myself and a lot of ideas, an urge to write, a 486 DOS laptop and a quiet room. The book was terrible. 62,000 words and only twenty-seven in the right order. It was ultimately junked but here’s the important thing: It was one of the best 22 days I ever spent. A colossal waste of ink it was, a waste of time it was not.

Thank you, Jasper!  The bio at the bottom also made me happy:

Jasper Fforde is the best-selling author of the Thursday Next and Nursery Crime books. He has been writing for twenty years, but only published for ten. His training took a while. His eighth book, Shades of Grey, will be published in January 2010. He lives and writes in Wales, has a large family and likes to fly aeroplanes.

Too bad his book won't be out in time for Christmas.