Where did NaNoWriMo writers go after it shut down?

The community scattered across several platforms. Novel November (by ProWritingAid) launched a formal 50,000-words-in-30-days challenge for November 2025. NaNoWriMo 2.0 (nanowrimo2.com) is run by former volunteers. Many writers joined Discord servers and continued with independent writing tools like Unstoppable Ink for sprint sessions.

Can I still do writing sprints without NaNoWriMo?

Absolutely. Writing sprints never depended on NaNoWriMo — they just needed a timer and the commitment to keep writing. Free tools like Unstoppable Ink provide sprint timers with word count tracking, adjustable durations, and ambient sounds. No account or organization needed.

What is Novel November?

Novel November is a writing challenge launched by ProWritingAid for November 2025 as a successor to NaNoWriMo. It follows the same format: write 50,000 words in 30 days. It includes word-count dashboards, achievement badges, and community forums, with support from authors including Madeline Miller.

Writing Sprints
After NaNoWriMo

Q: What happened to NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) shut down on March 31, 2025 after 26 years. The closure followed a child safety scandal involving a volunteer moderator in 2023 and a controversial pro-AI statement in September 2024 that prompted board resignations and sponsor withdrawals. The organization lost roughly 30% of its annual budget and could not recover.

NaNoWriMo shut down in March 2025 after 26 years. The sprint tradition lives on. Here's where the community went and how to keep writing.

What Happened to NaNoWriMo?

National Novel Writing Month ran from 1999 to 2025, challenging writers to draft 50,000 words every November. For many, it was their introduction to writing sprints, word count goals, and the accountability of a deadline.

The organization faced two crises in its final years. In 2023, a child safety scandal involving a volunteer moderator led to the shutdown of all community forums, erasing years of threads and local group connections. In September 2024, a public statement defending AI use in writing prompted board resignations from authors Daniel Jose Older and Maureen Johnson, along with widespread community backlash.

On March 31, 2025, interim executive director Kilby Blades announced the closure, citing financial struggles after roughly 30% of the annual budget evaporated following the scandals. The website nanowrimo.org is no longer online.

Where the Community Went

Novel November

ProWritingAid, a former NaNoWriMo partner, launched Novel November for November 2025. Same format: 50,000 words in 30 days, with dashboards, badges, and community forums. Backed by authors including Madeline Miller.

NaNoWriMo 2.0

Run by former NaNoWriMo volunteers at nanowrimo2.com. The same 50,000-word November challenge with a low-friction approach: no mandatory sign-up or tracking software required.

Discord Communities

Multiple Discord servers emerged for displaced participants, including "NaNoWriMo Refugees" and "Our NaNoWriMo." Many regional groups also continued independently, severed from the parent organization.

Independent Writing Tools

Platforms like 4theWords, Shut Up & Write, and Unstoppable Ink absorbed writers looking for sprint timers and writing accountability without an organizational middleman.

Sprints Never Needed an Organization

A writing sprint is just a timer and the decision to keep writing until it goes off. NaNoWriMo made sprints visible, but they work just as well without a formal challenge attached.

The core idea is simple: set a duration, start the clock, and write without stopping. No editing, no backspacing, no second-guessing. The timer creates urgency, and the urgency creates momentum.

Whether it's a 15-minute sprint before work, a 30-minute deep session on a weekend, or a full 50,000-word November challenge with friends, the technique belongs to every writer who uses it.