Is NaNoWriMo Still Worth It?

For a lot of bookish peeps, autumn means cozy sweaters, warm drinks in your favorite mug, and curling up with a good book, but for a lot of writers, it's a season of creativity with a hearty dash of chaos.

I'm talking about none other than National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo, an event that takes place every November and challenges writers to draft 50,000 words across 30 days.

I realize it's only September when this post is going live, but this is the time of year when many participants begin making plans for November.

There's a month-long planning period called Preptober ahead of NaNoWriMo that isn't mandatory but encouraged so you can get any outlining and such done and jump straight into drafting on November 1, so NaNo convos often start early (honestly not that far off from Halloween decor hitting store shelves in August, if not sooner).

NaNoWriMo has been around for a while, but it looks rather different now.

After a series of controversies (which I covered in this post), the nonprofit behind NaNoWriMo was shut down, though many alternative writing challenges were established to fill the void; it's also worth mentioning that plenty of writers still took on the challenge of NaNoWriMo on their own, apart from the official challenge.

All of this led many writers to ask the same question: is NaNoWriMo still worth it? As beloved as it was, it wasn't perfect. There were flaws and parts of its structure that some writers felt hindered them, yet others thrived and got a lot out of it—and I think that's a large part of why NaNoWriMo endures despite the OG challenge coming to an end.

At the time of writing this post, I don't know if I'll be doing NaNoWriMo this year. If anything, it wouldn't be in the conventional sense. I'd want to focus more on making progress with the draft of a current project than playing by the official rules and starting something totally new, and I'd probably adjust my word count to make it a little more feasible for my personal schedule (ie, I'm one of those writers who found myself struggling to keep up with the daily 1,667-word average but more on that later).

Let's weigh some of the pros and cons of NaNoWriMo in this post-NaNoWriMo era and see if it might still be worth it for you as a writer.

Pro — Building A Writing Routine

The challenge of reaching that daily word count can be great motivation to get your butt in the chair and words on the page and become the foundation for a consistent writing routine beyond November.

NaNoWriMo can be a chance to experiment with different writing habits and see what works best for you. For some writers, that might be writing every day. Some writers feel more productive first thing in the morning, while other fare better at night. You might do well with the Pomodoro method, or you may find it easier to write in a single, longer stint than in shorter sprints.

Habits take time to build. NaNoWriMo's thirty days can help you find your rhythm.

Pro — Climbing Out Of A Writing Slump

The traditional iteration of NaNoWriMo decrees that you start a brand-new writing project for the challenge. Speaking from experience, shifting gears and working on something different can help pull you out of a writing slump (it's actually one of the reasons I started a "for-funsies" WIP earlier this year, and one of the reasons I enjoy having this blog alongside my fiction writing).

NaNoWriMo offers a change of pace if you've been feeling stuck as a writer, whether you're beginning a new project or taking a new approach to your creative process.

On a similar note, it can also encourage folks to pick up the pen and try writing for the first time in a while or for the first time ever.

Pro — Community

This, in my opinion, is a significant part of why NaNoWriMo endures beyond its—for lack of a better term—implosion,

The forums on the NaNoWriMo website, albeit a contributing factor in one of the aforementioned controversies, were a space for participants to connect, trade writing tips, hold each other accountable, and cheer each other on. Depending on your region, you may even have been able to find in-person meet-ups to attend.

NaNoWriMo was the start of countless longstanding writing groups and friendships, and having those relationships is super important considering how lonely and isolating writing can be.

The weeks leading up to NaNoWriMo and during the event are great for making those connections, in part because of the common ground laid by chasing the same goal.

While the NaNoWriMo forums are no more, there are still plenty of ways to connect online. As November draws near, many writers will share glimpses of the projects they'll be working on. Engaging with these posts, especially if they're from a writer in your genre or at a similar phase in their writing journey, is a good way to start putting yourself out there. You may also be able to join Discord servers or groups on Facebook, etc. Several creators also host writing livestreams or have their Community tabs open for NaNo-centric chats. It's all a matter of knowing where to look.

Pro — The Alternative Challenges

After the announcement that NaNoWriMo as an organization would be shuttering, several NaNo-inspired challenges began to take shape out of a desire to keep the spirit alive. After all, just because the OG challenge is no more, we writers shouldn't deprive ourselves of the community and camraderie it fostered for decades.

With so many new options out there, you're sure to find one that suits you—possibly even better than the original NaNoWriMo did! Many of these challenges have their own parameters: different timelines, word count goals, and so on, and that can make them a great option for writers who were intimidated by the 50K in 30 days or experienced burnout because of it.

And if you're looking for a NaNoWriMo alternative to take on this November, check out my list here.

NaNoWriMo has its benefits, but it isn't all sunshine and matte blue Scooby-Doo fruit snacks. There are a couple of drawbacks that make prospective participants hesitate, including a few that have become even more prevalent now that the OG challenge is defunct.

Con — The Parameters

The one time I did an official NaNoWriMo, it didn't exactly go according to plan and I didn't have the best time.

A large piece of that was the parameters. Chasing the 50,000-word goal didn't seem that hard early on, only 1,667 words a day, but it didn't take long for me to punch my ticket to Burnout Town. Struggling to keep up with the daily target put a damper on my creative spark.

I obviously cannot speak for every writer out there, but it's very easy for life to interfere with your writing. As much as I would wish it, I can't take a November-long sabbatical from my day job to draft a novel. When I attempted an earnest NaNoWriMo, I was navigating a newly diagnosed chronic illness that zapped me of my energy and clouded my thoughts with a horrendous brain fog that made getting the words down that much harder.

We all have things going on, and these obligations and circumstances can make NaNoWriMo especially impractical.

Con — The Burnout

NaNoWriMo is a great way to start building a consistent writing habit, but the pressure can also lead to burnout that can actually make it harder to write.

Especially true if you're playing by the OG rules, you may find that chasing the daily word count isn't sustainable long-term. And speaking from my experience, participating in Preptober as somebody who had not yet realized that she's actually a Pantser had me feeling drained even before November.

There's nothing wrong with pushing yourself. Some writers thrive under pressure. And if that's you, that's fantastic. But it's not true for everybody.

NaNoWriMo burnout can be particularly fierce because there's so much intensity and excitement leading up to it; when the adrenaline begins to wear off, it can take its toll.

Con — The Community Feels Scattered

This one could just be my perception and the product of my algorithm.

One of my biggest pros for NaNoWriMo is its community. The difficulty of the original challenge inspired a sense of camaraderie that can be hard to find as a writer. And I genuinely think that was one of the reasons so many alternative, NaNo-inspired challenges popped up once the OG NaNo came to an end.

It's great to see there are so many options out there, whether you're a seasoned NaNo pro or are just dipping your toes in for the first time, but as it often happens when a massive group splinters, there are definitely times that the community feels scattered.

I look at it like a friend group of graduating high school seniors going off to different colleges. You may still keep in touch with them, but it can be hard to feel as connected when one person is at the local campus, another is in the next state over, and another is in an entirely different time zone studying abroad.

On the one hand, these smaller clusters may make it easier to find like-minded writers with similar writing goals, as opposed to being a small fish in the vast sea that was the NaNoWriMo forum, but you may also find it's harder to find your people because they're no longer in one space.

So. Is NaNoWriMo worth it?

That, my friend, is completely up to you. There are plenty of benefits to the undertaking, but there are also a few downsides to consider. It's something hundreds of writers look forward to every year, but there are just as many writers who bow out or play by their own rules.

Overall, I think NaNoWriMo is worth doing at least once, but if you find that it's not your thing or not feasible this year, don't beat yourself up over it.

If you are planning to do NaNoWriMo this year or have done it in the past, I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments!