The spirit of National Novel Writing Month continues after non-profit shut down

The official non-profit behind National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) permanently shut down in April 2025, but as the second November without it begins, the writing spirit lives on.

What began in July 1999 in California as a 50,000-word challenge among 21 friends to write a novel in a month, evolved into NaNoWriMo, a large global tech platform and educational nonprofit that brought hundreds of thousands of writers together every year.

Though recent controversies drained its revenue and forced the organization to shut down in April 2025, the challenge has outlived the organization.

I honestly don't feel like that will affect writers because I think they'll just keep writing, Spencer Hyde, an associate BYU English professor and author, said.

Many other writers agree with Hyde in that NaNoWriMo is more than just an organization, it's a community.

While the challenge originally started in July, it was quickly moved to November to accommodate the cold, grey weather of the late fall San Francisco Bay Area. Since 2000, November has been National Novel Writing Month and writers have taken on the challenge to write a 50,000-word novel in the 30 days of November.

The organizations 2025 shutdown took the official website offline and ended the official registration for the annual event, but participants simply adapted. Hyde shared his experiences unofficially participating in the challenge with his creative writing students. He tells them it's important to just start, to focus on their ideas and write without hesitation.

It kind of pushes people into a space where they really have to test their limits, Hyde said. It's just so wonderful that they have something that they can shape and mold after that month.

The intense pace pays off in the end. Kamryn Riley, a BYU English major with a creative writing emphasis, commented on the satisfaction of completing a writing piece.

I also love the feeling when you have it completed and you have the full story and you can read it over and over and over again and just relish in what you've done, Riley said.

While the end result is rewarding for writers, Hyde noted that the most difficult part for many writers is simply starting. Kezia Burgoyne, a writer of poetry, short stories and newspaper columns, knows that intimidation firsthand. She said she admires writers who have the patience, creativity, logic and organizational skills to write an entire novel.

If I were to take on the National Novel Writing Month Challenge, it would be terrifying, but I know I wouldn't regret it, Burgoyne said.

The term BIC= Butt in chair was coined by Jane Yolen, an American writer, to encourage writers to sit down, put in the hours and write. NaNoWriMo encourages this method of writing.

Several major bestsellers began as rough drafts in NaNoWriMo including "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. Marissa Meyer drafted the first book, "Cinder," of her famous sci-fi series, The Lunar Chronicles, during a single NaNoWriMo. She began writing the following books in that month as well and totaled about 150,000 words in just one month.

However, some criticize the writing challenge for carelessly barreling through a story that needs different attention. Hyde commented on these downsides to the extremely fast-paced writing challenge. He said that sometimes stories need to be protected and writers should take it slow.

I sometimes feel like the NaNoWriMo mentality can get in the way of a more careful, protective kind of writing where writers really slow down and dedicate themselves to working through a scene, Hyde said.

However, Hyde still enjoys teaching his students to face their fears and start writing. He said different stories call for different writing styles and paces.

I will always promote it, but I also feel like I need to pull back at times and remind writers to protect their time and focus on their characters, Hyde said.

Whether or not a story needs careful, slower writing or to begin and end in the cold, grey month of November, other writing platforms and companies are continuing the NaNoWriMo tradition.

The publishing platform Reedsys Novel Sprint encourages writers to draft 50,000 words in the month of November and is offering prizes and agent introductions. ProWriting Aid is partnering with others to encourage fast writing in November, along with workshops and community events to support authors.

November isn't cancelled. The challenge never belonged to one organization. It's a goal, a deadline, and a lot of writers doing it together, a blog from Writing Habit, another organization with a November Novel Challenge, said.

Janna Maron, non-fiction book coach and editor, aligns with the critiques of the NaNoWriMo challenge and has created a NON-WriMo. She celebrates writing in the month of November by encouraging women to set their own goals and work at their own pace while writing non-fiction books.

NaNoWriMos mantra was: Everyone has a story to tell, and everyones story matters. Consider writing your story with us this November.

Although the official non-profit shut down, November remains a special time to appreciate creative writing and take part in the writing rush.