The joy of reckless writing lives on

Photo by Ajay Deewan on Unsplash

#writingcommunity  #booksky #amwriting  #writing Unfettered Treacle on Substack

I first attempted National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, for the uninitiated) back in 2010. My project was called Revelation Void, which sounds far more finished than it ever was. I managed to hammer out 50,000 words that November, technically a win, but I didn’t finish the novel. I crossed the line exhausted, clutching a half-formed story and far too many coffee receipts.

Every year after that, I tried again. Some years I made it halfway. Other years I tanked by week three. But I never lost the thrill of “Go! Write!” the community energy, the absurd optimism, the daily word-count adrenaline. The idea of trying to draft a novel in a month was a beacon, even when I sputtered out somewhere around chapter five.

And now, NaNoWriMo, as we knew it, is gone.

What NaNoWriMo Was

For anyone who missed its glory days, NaNoWriMo (pronounced NAN-oh-RY-moh) was a U.S.-based nonprofit that inspired writers around the world to attempt the impossible: 50,000 words in 30 days, every November.

It started in 1999 with just 21 brave souls and ballooned to more than 400,000 participants by 2022. Writers could set up profiles, post synopses, and connect through a global online community. Famous authors wrote “pep talks.” Local volunteers organized coffee-shop write-ins and midnight sprints.

The focus wasn’t on perfection; it was on momentum. NaNo taught you to shut up your inner editor and just get words down, messy, sprawling, glorious first drafts. For many of us, it made writing feel communal instead of lonely.

The Fall of NaNoWriMo

In April 2025, after more than two decades of late-night typing and caffeine-fueled camaraderie, NaNoWriMo announced it was shutting down.

It wasn’t sudden, the warning signs had been flashing for a while:

AI controversy: The organization’s stance on generative AI set off a storm. Their claim that condemning AI had “classist and ableist undertones” landed poorly, to say the least.Ethics scandals: Allegations in their Young Writers’ Program and mishandled complaints eroded trust.Volunteer burnout: Forum issues, leadership missteps, and disillusioned Municipal Liaisons slowly drained the life out of the movement.

By the time the official announcement came, it felt like a creative obituary. NaNo had built something remarkable, and flawed, and when it fell, it left a crater in the writing community.

Enter Novel November — A Fresh Start

But good stories always find a sequel.

Into the void steps Novel November, a 30-day writing challenge from ProWritingAid that’s free, friendly, and very intentionally not NaNoWriMo 2.0 — though it’s clearly carrying the torch.

Here’s how it works:

It’s free to join (just make a ProWritingAid account).You get October prep time, plotting tools, workshops, and sprints.During November, you’ll find guided writing sessions, community chats, and live events with bestselling authors.You can log your word count manually or through integrations with Word, Scrivener, and Google Docs.For every writer who completes the challenge, ProWritingAid donates $2 to Room to Read , a literacy nonprofit helping kids worldwide.

It’s like they took NaNo’s best DNA, the creative chaos, the communal drive, and rebuilt it with better lighting, and fewer existential crises (hopefully.)

Why This Matters (and Why I’m All In)

I’ve danced with failure under NaNo’s banner for years. I may have missed a year or two since 2010, but I’ve always loved the idea of starting something new every November, even if I don’t get very far. There’s something pure about that collective act of creative defiance.

Novel November feels like a lifeline.
We don’t need perfection; we need motivation to try again, to fail spectacularly, and to keep going anyway.

It offers:

A fresh, cleaner slate (no baggage, no drama).A structured rhythm: prep, sprint, finish.Community and accountability without a paywall.A charitable twist that turns word counts into good deeds.

Whether you’re tackling a novel, a series of short stories, or even a pile of blog posts, it all counts.

Let’s do it together.

How You Can Join Me

Here’s the quickstart guide:

Visit the Novel November page.Register (or log in) and confirm your account.Start your October prep, plot, brainstorm, warm up with their 10k sprint.On November 1, join me in writing 1,667 words per day (or whatever pace you can swing).Use the community, attend sprints, and celebrate the small wins.

I’ll be doing it right alongside you, late nights, caffeine, and all. They don’t have friend groups yet (it’s their first year, we’ll cut them some slack), but who knows? Maybe we’ll start our own.

If you’re joining in, drop a comment and tell me what you’re working on. Let’s see if we can fill November with a few more messy first drafts.