{"id":8504,"date":"2025-05-16T13:51:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T12:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.novlr.org\/the-reading-room\/?p=8504"},"modified":"2025-05-16T13:52:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T12:52:07","slug":"the-end-of-an-era-moving-beyond-nanowrimo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.novlr.org\/the-reading-room\/the-end-of-an-era-moving-beyond-nanowrimo\/","title":{"rendered":"The End of an Era: Moving Beyond NaNoWriMo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the dust settles on the news of NaNoWriMo’s closure, many writers are asking the same question: What happens now? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For two decades, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)<\/a> has been synonymous with November creativity, heartfelt community, and caffeinated writing sprints in dingy back bedrooms or moonlit kitchen tables. But while the non-profit that stewarded this movement has reached its final chapter, the spirit of NaNoWriMo is far from over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you missed the news, Kilby Blades\u2014current acting CEO of NaNoWriMo\u2014published a video to YouTube<\/a> earlier this year announcing the news that NaNoWriMo will wind down and outlining the reasons for its closure. I won\u2019t dwell on the reasons the organisation has had to close (there is plenty of that on the internet if you want to be part of that conversation), however, it is a big deal in the writing community and I wanted to talk about how that change will make waves for us, particularly come November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving beyond the organisation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NaNoWriMo has always been more than just a website or a non-profit. In fact, I know writers who took part that didn\u2019t even know there was an organisation attached. At its heart, it’s a simple yet powerful idea: dedicate one month to prioritise your writing and create a substantial piece of writing alongside thousands of others doing the same. This core concept transcends any single organisation and many writers who take part in November writing marathons have never even visited the official NaNoWriMo website or registered their novels. They simply know that November is when writers write<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From my years at Novlr, watching thousands of writers gear up for November each year, I’ve seen firsthand how the \u201cwrite a novel in a month\u201d challenge has become embedded in the writing world’s collective consciousness. The excitement in the lead up and the chatter on our forums as plans get underway is a chorus that we at Novlr HQ work along to as well, as Summer turns to Autumn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That begs the question, will we be singing the same tune this year?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new November landscape<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This November will certainly feel different. The absence of official word count validators, forums, and regional groups will create a void. But nature\u2014and writers\u2014abhor a vacuum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we’re already seeing is an organic redistribution of the community across various platforms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n