Setting: A library-based author event earlier this year. Time: The latter portion of "set up" time, prior to the doors opening to the public. An author who said she writes young adult novels walked up to my booth and picked up my display copy of Society of the Sentinelia. She read the back cover. Her face lit up.

I've been a dedicated NaNoWriMo participant for years. Each November, I challenge myself to draft a book—or at least the first 50K words...