In February, we challenged you to submit a 400-word excerpt from your NaNoWriMo novels. From over 650 fantastic entries, we chose two Grand Prize Winners and four Runners-Up. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did! (For more excerpts, check out this forum thread.)

The headlights of a lone car flashed through the trees. Morgan drummed her fingers on the steering wheel and accelerated up the incline smoothly. A full-bellied moon dripped pale white light across the forest, but it would still be too dark out under the trees for human eyes. Not that it would matter, she had brought a flashlight this time. The truck leveled out on the desolate road and Morgan checked the rearview mirror compulsively. There was no way he was still following her... Read the rest!

"I got ‘er," he shouted over the bustling crown. "I got the thief!" To Bianca's horror, the man raised a slip of parchment in his other hand. On it was a sketch of her face - braided black hair, freckles and all - as well as the words, WANTED ALIVE. For Crimes Against the Village and the Patrol; for Trespassing and Destruction of Property; Thievery; and Evading Capture. A man in a chain-mail shirt, plumed helmet, and black drawstring pants with a red stripe walked over. A legeon had arrived. He read out the poster to her... Read the rest!

Jax was locked in combat. Sweat dripped down his forehead. His heart hammered so fast, he felt it in his collarbone, choking him.

His eyes zipped around the room, searching, when—

Bzzt. Crackle, snap.

The lights began flickering wildly. A hot and metallic smell tainted the air. He heard several circuits short out behind the wall. He bolted into the kitchen, something he should've done before... Read the rest!

"Why didn't you tell us about the ghost?”

Wendy shuffled around a bit on the ground of the school’s costume closet. She knew she’d have to come clean to her make-shift Family eventually, but having three pairs of eyes on her didn’t make this any easier.

"I... thought it would be best to wait until Mars was here," Wendy decided. It was a half-truth, wasn’t it? The other half, was, well… she didn’t trust them... Read the rest!