This is always the best part of the month

That is, the part that isn't actually the month, but rather before the month. Our combined word deficit is zero, which is the lowest it will ever be. Nobody's novels are yet suffering from gaping plot holes, and nobody's social lives are yet suffering from novels. For most of you, I'm sad to say, the exhilaration of standing here at the starting gate is as good as it will get. This is because most of you are cowards. For the few of you - the few of us, rather - who succeed, it only gets better from here, albeit in the kind of way that involved a lot of worse spots. Don't think that makes any sense? That means your critical faculties are still working. Turn them off for the next month. Join me.

Any way, here are this year's participants:

Kate Andrews
Josh Bazin
Elena Belyea
Justin Benko
Sarah Bidanjiri
Courtney Burr
David Climenhaga
Natalie Climenhaga
Shannon Collum
David Cournoyer
Adam Demaniuk (successful 2007 participant)
Andrea Enes
Ashley Geis
Madelaine Gierc
Katharine Hay
Amanda Henry (successful 2007 participant)
Daniel Kaszor (successful 2006 participant)
Elliot Kerr
Paul Knoechel
Julia Kozak
Cindy Leung
Scott Lilwall (successful 2007 participant, as well as a successful participant in other, non-U of A NaNoWriMos)
Jessica Lockhart
Janelle Morin
Ritika Nandkeolyar
Shawna Pandya
Darren Pleavin
Samantha Power
Erin Reddekopp
Eve Richardson
Ashraf Rushdy
Nadia Rushdy
Chris Samuel (combined word total from previous two attempts: ~550. But if he loses this year, it's going to cost him more than eight thousand bucks.)
Steph Shantz
Heather Smith (successful 2006 participant)
Steve Smith (successful 2006 participant)
Krystina Sulatycki
Nicholas Tam
Jay Ward

Previous successful participants Jake Troughton (2006) and Jenna Greig (2007) have decided not to join us this time.