ADVERTISEMENTThis week, NaNoWriMo officially announced its closure.
National Novel Writing Month, commonly referred to as “NaNoWriMo”, was a United States non-profit organization that encouraged individuals to attempt writing a 50,000-word novel each November.
NaNoWriMo’s director, Kilby Blades, announced the closure due to financial issues and controversies that damaged the company’s reputation. The announcement was made in a 27-minute YouTube video posted recently.
NaNoWriMo started in 1999 with just 21 participants and gradually gained popularity as people aimed to collectively achieve its daily word-count goals. In 2006, it became a non-profit entity, and in 2022, there were 413,295 participants.
NaNoWriMo utilized the dreary weather of November as a motivation for aspiring writers to start writing their novels. Participants were expected to write an average of 1,667 words daily, without necessarily focusing on high-quality writing. If one managed to meet the word count, they would have a 50,000-word draft by the end of the month.
The organization expanded its goals as the community grew. NaNoWriMo introduced programs for young writers, in-person writing camps, and paperback copies of completed manuscripts. It also played a role in the birth of successful novels such as Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants”.
However, NaNoWriMo faced controversies and setbacks. In 2023, a significant number of users abandoned the organization due to its lack of action against a moderator accused of grooming children on another platform. Additionally, many writers were dissatisfied with NaNoWriMo’s stance on AI, claiming that it could be a useful tool in creative writing.
These scandals made it challenging for the non-profit to manage its finances. Blades acknowledged the loss NaNoWriMo’s closure would bring to the writing community and expressed regret. Despite the difficulties, she offered hope for the epilogue.
Even though NaNoWriMo has officially closed, its goal of using November as an opportunity for writing remains open to anyone who wishes to take on the challenge.
