by Nita Sweeney
Each November since 1999, hundreds of thousands of writers around the globe have taken the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge. Their goal? Write 50,000 words of fiction in 30 days. NaNoWriMo thrived by creating a global online and in-person community that offered a deadline and a structure that made an impossible goal doable.
Unfortunately, in April of this year, the nonprofit behind NaNoWriMo ceased operations for a variety of reasons, some scandalous, some financial, some organizational. As a result, the official website, forums, regional write-ins, and word-count trackers are no longer available.
If you were a WriMo (a NaNoWriMo enthusiast) like me, or had always meant to sign up, you might wonder: What now? While the official event will no longer happen, the spirit of NaNoWriMo lives on. Because writers will always find ways to write, they will also create gatherings, set ridiculously-ambitious goals, and support each other through the messy, exhilarating work of drafting books.
Here is a wholly incomplete list of NaNoWriMo alternatives:
Create Your Own Challenge
At its core, NaNoWriMo was simple: a self-imposed word-count goal within a fixed time frame. You don’t need an official website for that. Choose a goal that excites and challenges you whether it’s 50,000 words in November, 10,000 words in a weekend, or 100 words a day for a year.
Set your start and end dates, write down your rules, and commit. Maybe shout it on social media to add accountability. Create your own spreadsheets or use an app like Google Sheets, Notion, or Airtable to track your progress. A paper calendar will do. Feel the dopamine hits as you check off each day.
Join Online Writing Communities
The real magic of NaNoWriMo wasn’t the word tracker; it was the community. Writers encouraged each other, celebrated milestones, and shared the inevitable struggles of drafting. You can find that sense of connection in other places.
- Discord Servers: Many writing-focused Discord groups now host their own word sprints and challenges. A quick search for “writing Discord” will reveal dozens of welcoming communities.
- Reddit: Subreddits like r/nanowrimo, r/writing, and r/keepwriting remain active and supportive.
- Facebook Groups: Plenty of former NaNoWriMo regional groups have migrated to Facebook, where they continue to hold events and cheer each other on.
- Novel November (NovNov): The folks at ProWritingAid have created something that looks a lot like NaNoWriMo. It might scratch the WriMo itch.
- Reedsy Novel Sprint: The Reedsy folks have come up with their own version as well. It includes prizes up to $5,000.
These spaces offer accountability, camaraderie, and sometimes even lifelong friendships.
Explore Year-Round Challenges
Other organizations have long offered similar programs:
- Camp NaNo (Independent Spin-Offs): While the official camps once run by NaNoWriMo are gone, many writers still host their own “camps” in April and July. These are smaller, flexible challenges that let you set your own goals.
- StoryADay May: A long-running challenge where participants draft a short story every day in May. Great for generating raw material and experimenting with style.
- 12×12 Challenge: Aimed at picture book writers, this challenge encourages participants to draft 12 manuscripts in 12 months.
- FebFlash or FlashNaNo: Various unofficial events focus on short fiction bursts rather than novels.
Sniff around the interwebs and find a challenge that fits your genre, style, and schedule.
Find Writing Apps and Tools
If what you’ll miss most about NaNoWriMo is the word-count tracker, plenty of apps exist to fill that void.
- 4thewords gamifies writing by turning word counts into battles with monsters.
- Pacemaker lets you set detailed writing plans and track progress with visual graphs.
- Scrivener (beloved by many novelists) has built-in project targets and daily word goals.
These tools won’t replace community, but they do provide structure and motivation.
Form or Join a Writing Group
One of the best legacies of NaNoWriMo is that it introduced writers to each other. If you miss that, why not start—or join—a smaller writing group?
A group can be as casual as a weekly coffee shop meet-up where everyone writes for an hour, or as structured as a critique circle with scheduled submissions. Online groups via Zoom or Slack can work just as well as in-person gatherings. Check Meetup for preexisting groups, too.
Having even one accountability partner can provide the same kind of encouragement NaNoWriMo once offered at scale.
Redefine “Winning”
NaNoWriMo offered a clear benchmark: 50,000 words in 30 days. But many writers felt crushed when they “lost” by falling short of that number, even if they’d written more than they ever had before.
You decide what success looks like. You could:
- Finish a messy first draft of any length.
- Write daily for a month.
- Revise a project
- Keep a writing journal.
Focus on progress to sustain a healthier, longer-lasting writing life.
The Spirit Lives On
While it’s sad to see NaNoWriMo go, we writers are tenacious and resourceful. We’ll find ways to gather, cheer each other, and prove that creativity thrives in many ways.
After all, NaNoWriMo was never just a website.
Tiny Bio
Bestselling author and coach Nita Sweeney “won” NaNoWriMo eighteen times. She used the challenge to draft three of her books including the award-winning memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target and the Wall Street Journal featured Make Every Move a Meditation. As a coach, Nita helps artists (mostly writers), athletes (mostly runners), and leaders (mostly lawyers) thrive. Learn more about Nita and her work at nitasweeney.com.
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