Last month, we challenged writers to revise and submit a 400-word excerpt from their NaNoWriMo novel. From over 650 stupendous entries, we chose two Grand Prize Winners and three Honorable Mentions. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did! (For more stories, check out this forum thread.)

England, March 1939.

Rowan Everleigh was the sort of girl who drew one's attention, seated alone on a train headed north, wearing her oldest clothes and surrounded by a trunk, two suitcases, a small bird cage and an animal cage. The other passengers stared as they passed her. Fully aware of the stares and whispers around her, Rowan valiantly swallowed her fear and set her chin, reading from the book on her lap as if quite unconcerned... Read the rest!

She stared at the cat, and the cat stared right back at her. The cat had never seen a human either, and it was just as confused with this large two-legged creature as Katherine was with it. It slowly took a step in the direction of a scraggly patch of trees. The cat hesitantly turned her back on her and lowered her body to a crouch, her attention now of an invisible object... Read the rest!

We descended the stairs quickly and silently. I gripped Faith’s hand tightly, glancing over at her every so often to make sure the spell’s weird rule was still working. It always was—I was just feeling insanely paranoid. Internally, I knew it was stupid to underestimate magic. But if even one aspect of this plan failed, she and I would be in serious trouble... Read the rest!