National Novel Writing Month

November is... National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)!

What is NaNoWriMo?

In the writing community, November is one of the biggest months of the year. Authors all over the world set out with a shared goal in mind: to write a novel. National Novel Writing Month encourages authors to spend their month writing a first draft of a novel with a base goal of 50,000 words (about 1,667 words per day). 

NaNoWriMo started in 1999. Since then, the challenge has exploded on the internet, has gone international, and in 2006 it became a nonprofit organization. Volunteers from around the world host write-ins and create community Discord channels to keep writers motivated and in touch throughout the entire year. 

NaNoWriMo has even expanded beyond just the month of November. Now, there are programs offered year-round for writers, students, and libraries. These include Camp NaNoWriMo in April and July, the “Now What?” months in January and February, a Young Writers program for kids, teens, and families, the Come Write In program for libraries, booksellers, and community spaces, and a Municipal Liaison Program for volunteers. 

NaNoWriMo is also not exclusive to just novel writing anymore. Authors can sort their work into a variety of different genres and styles on the official website to set a goal for the month including academic writing, poetry chapbooks, short story collections, memoirs, and screenwriting! 

In 2022: 

• 413,295 writers participated in NaNoWriMo programs, including 85,000 students and educators. 

• 791 volunteer Municipal Liaisons guided 671 regions on six continents. 

• 1,038 libraries, bookstores, and community centers supported novelists. 

• 378,264 writing goals were set and tracked using NaNoWriMo site tools. 

• 51,670 writers met goals to become NaNoWriMo winners, including 21,326 young writers.