Is anyone still doing Nanowrimo?

On the end of an era

“Are you doing Nanowrimo?” My best friend ran up to me in the hallway after English class. She clutched a brand-new notebook to her chest and told me about her new fantasy story (we were deep into the Twilight years, so plenty of vampires were involved).

I was thirteen, and it was the first time I’d heard of Nanowrimo — National Novel Writing Month. I cheered on my friends all through middle and high school but didn’t participate myself until college.

I was a senior and really didn’t have time for a writing challenge. I remember the jittery, just-drank-three-cups-of-coffee feeling in my chest all month, half excitement and half anxiety. I crammed in words between classes and stayed up half the night trying to write while studying for a midterm.

I was hooked.

I joined Nanowrimo every year after that. I adjusted the goal to my needs, depending on what else was happening in my life. I never managed the full 50,000 words, but I wrote 30,000 a couple of times.

I usually completed the challenge on my own or with friends. At some point, I made an account with the official organization but rarely logged in (I can’t remember my username or password anymore). I knew there were forums and other resources, but I never used them.

Earlier this month, I asked myself the same question I do every October — Should I do Nanowrimo this year?

For the first time in years, the answer wasn’t obvious.

In case you haven’t heard…

When people talk about Nanowrimo, they’re talking about one of two things: the writing challenge (write 50k words of a novel in one month) or the official nonprofit organization that founded the challenge. The organization registers participants, helps them track their words, and provides support and resources through its website and forums. It also endorses local chapters where writers can meet up in person to write together.

The organization’s name is mud right now. Several scandals emerged in the past few years. I won’t go into the details here, but I recommend Savy Writes Books’s video breaking down the controversies (fair warning: the allegations are not for the faint of heart). I’ve already written an article responding to their most recent misstep when they published a tone-deaf statement about AI use.

Waves of controversy have left many writers feeling unsure. Many of us grew up participating in this challenge, and it’s not clear what comes next. Is the organization dead? And if so, what are we supposed to do now?

Mourning what we lost

In July 2019, I participated in Camp Nanowrimo for the first time. Camp Nanowrimo is similar to the November challenge, except writers can set their own goals. I signed up through the official organization, read the encouraging emails that landed in my inbox every morning, and tracked my word count through my account. I was working and in grad school then, so I needed the structure and accountability Camp provided.

By the end of July, I’d written 30,000 words of a new novel based on the myths of ancient Crete. By the end of August, I’d written another 30,000 words, completing my first draft. Unsure of what to do next, I joined a local writers’ group to ask for feedback. That’s where I met my husband.

That’s right. I might not have met my husband if it weren't for Nanowrimo.

You can imagine my horror at learning of the recent scandals. It was like someone had snatched the rose-colored glasses off my face, smashed them, and then handed me the broken glass. All those happy memories of cheering on my friends, writing in college, and working on the story that led me to my husband… They felt tainted now.

I felt a mix of betrayal and sadness. I sensed that an era was coming to a close. For 25 years, an entire generation of writers grew up participating in this challenge. Now, it’s not clear if the organization will even survive. Even if it does, things will never be the same.

In many ways, I’m lucky. I’m no longer in touch with that friend who first introduced me to the challenge. She’d officially participated annually since she was thirteen, so I can only imagine how she feels. I feel even worse for another acquaintance who ran our local organization chapter. She’d spent years cultivating relationships with people in the organization and writers in our town.

There’s a lot to grieve. Many writers have happy memories they need to reconcile with the bitter truth of what was happening behind the scenes. Whatever comes next, mourning what we lost is the first step.

Moving on

People will probably respond to the controversies in different ways. Some writers might quit altogether, leaving both the challenge and organization behind like an ex you never speak to again. Others might still participate with the organization, hoping things will get better.

Many writers will fall somewhere in the middle. I know people who plan to continue the challenge but not affiliate with the organization. They will participate solo, with friends, or with their writing groups. The official organization doesn’t need to be involved in any of this.

There’s no right or wrong thing to do here. Everyone’s experience is different, and people deal with hurt feelings in their own way.

The future of Nanowrimo

I predict that Nanowrimo will decentralize. Even if the organization persists, I think many writers will complete the challenge independently. After all, that's what many of us did, even during the good times. The idea of National Novel Writing Month is a good one, and it will outlive everything else.

Personally, I’m planning on completing the challenge this year. Come November, I will write as much of a novel as possible. I have no intention of affiliating with the organization, though. I’m grateful for the fond memories, but that’s what they are — memories. I’m ready to move on to a brighter future.

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Come write with me! Announcing Literary Launchpad

I’m excited to announce a project I’ve been working on. My husband and I started Literary Launchpad, a writing community for science fiction and fantasy authors!

The community will host our own November writing challenge. Literary Launchpad was my solution to the Nanowrimo problem. Members can write a novel (or whatever they want!) with the support of our new community. We’re getting ready with Preptober right now!

When you sign up for Literary Launchpad, you get access to monthly writing challenges, discussion forums, and opportunities for critique swapping. We share calls for submission so you can see which markets are open.

We’re also constantly creating and updating courses about every aspect of writing and publishing. My husband and I have walked different author paths (he’s a self-published novelist, while I’ve published short pieces in journals), so between the two of us, we know a lot about the publishing industry. We want to support writers of all skill levels, whether they want to self-publish or trad-publish.

If you like my work and need a group to write with next month, consider joining my community and writing with me! The first 100 people who sign up can join for $1 a month. After that, the price will go up to $5 a month for the next 100 people.

Looking forward to writing with you!