Dear friends,

Growing up, I've always tapped into the creativity gene pool that I think came from my Mother's side of the family. From the moment I started reading, I would devour series from Goosebumps, Fear, and Harry Potter (the first two are quite surprising because now I can't even watch a scary movie at home with the shades open).

In fourth grade, I wrote a short story about a girl in Germany who escapes from the Nazi's to Denmark with her family. This story personally touched me because of my heritage and passion for justice. I submitted that book into a statewide short story competition and won. That's when things started getting serious.

My passion for writing and literacy, then turned into my passion for theater, which I consider another extension of great storytelling. I joined the California Theater Company's Summer Program and enjoyed every minute of my time onstage...and yes, my husband has told me that I still act like a Drama Queen every now and then.

And in high school, I joined the school's dance team, where I competed around the Nation and performed at halftime for the football team. Again, another form of storytelling through music and performance.

Now that I am a working professional, I've done everything in my power to resist becoming a cubicle drone. I continue to tap into my creativity by painting, playing guitar, and even starting my own Instagram Photo Jewelry store (email me at info@antiqster.com for inquiries )!

With all this said, I feel like it's time to come full circle and reach into the deepest parts of me to produce the ultimate baby...a full on, official NOVEL! 

That's right, I said it. This has been a dream of mine, and what better way to achieve this goal than through NaNoWriMo?! For the whole month of November, I will commit myself to writing every day until I create my masterpiece. 

Please help me achieve this goal of mine by donating to my fundraising page. It's so important to be creative and I want to support a great cause by going to the "Night of Writing Dangerously" in San Francisco this year, so that other kids and adults can delve into their creative souls. 

I want to thank you for your support, and I'll be sure to report back through my blog Guerrilla Graduate. You can see the post I wrote about NaNoWriMo here: http://guerrillagraduate.com/2012/09/11/nanowrimo/

And now...the official letter below:

Dear Friends, Family, and Righteous Supporters,

On November 18, the Office of Letters and Light will be bringing together the most mighty of endurance novelists for an event that will define our generation forever.

I'm speaking, of course, of National Novel Writing Month's Night of Writing Dangerously. It's a write-a-thon, and it will take place at the beautiful Julia Morgan Ballroom in downtown San Francisco. With your help, I can be sitting in one of these empty seats, writing my heart out and raising money for the Office of Letters and Light, NaNoWriMo's parent nonprofit.

Attendees like me must raise $250 to get in the door, and from there, a rich array of prizes, delicious food, and sumptuous writing time awaits. I, however, want to raise more than $350 so that I can bring my lovely husband with me. But this is not about my husband and me getting a treat-filled night of literary abandon. This is about children and adults getting the encouragement, structure, and inspiration they need to achieve their creative potential. Proceeds from the event will fund National Novel Writing Month's free creative writing programs in hundreds of schools and communities around the world.

The Office of Letters and Light does inspiration like nobody else (did I mention I'm writing an entire novel this November?). And on their behalf, along with my own personal birthday wish this year, I am asking you to donate on my behalf by November 14th, 2012.

Also, I will let you touch my raffle prizes if I win some.

Thank you for supporting me in my novel-writing quest, and for helping the Office of Letters and Light create a more engaged and inspiring world.

Love,

Maia