Grant Faulkner is the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month and the co-founder of the online literary journal 100 Word Story and the Flash Fiction Collective. His stories and essays have appeared in dozens of publications, including The New York Times , Writer's Digest , and Poets & Writers . He is the author of Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo .

Rebecca Stern has experienced NaNoWriMo from every angle: she had her fifth- and sixth-grade students participate in the Young Writers Program when she was a teacher, did a victory dance in the 50K winner's circle in 2014, served on the Associate Board, was their Director of Programs, and is now their Young Writers Program and Development Consultant. She lives in San Francisco.