Best Writing Challenges Beyond NaNoWriMo

If you had asked me last year what the best writing challenges to participate in yearly were, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) would have been the top of the list, and I know I’m not the only one whose opinion has changed since then.  

Every November, between 500,000 and 600,000 writers dive into some kind of writing challenge, with NaNoWriMo being the big one that pulls in the most participants. But with the recent NaNoWriMo drama, a lot of writers are ditching their old go-to and are now searching for new options to tackle their fall and winter projects—kind of like wandering through a creative desert looking for a new oasis.

That’s where this list comes in! If you’re ready for something different this November, here are some awesome alternatives to help you find your next writing adventure.

The Best Writing Challenges To Join This Year: 

NaNonFiWriMo (National Nonfiction Writing Month)

Focus: Nonfiction writing

Goal: Writers aim to complete a nonfiction work in the month of November.

Perfect for: Writers focusing on memoirs, essays, research papers, or any other nonfiction project.

NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month)

Focus: Poetry

Goal: Though traditionally held in April, some writers like to do a poetry challenge in November. The goal can be to write 30 poems in 30 days.

Perfect for: Poets who want to focus on daily writing practice.

NaNoEdMo (National Novel Editing Month)

Focus: Editing rather than writing

Goal: Typically observed in March, but some writers adapt it for November. The aim is to spend 50 hours editing a manuscript.

Perfect for: Writers who have finished drafts and want to focus on revising.

WriYe (Writing Year)

Focus: Writing throughout the year, with smaller goals set each month.

Goal: Writers set their own annual word count goal and break it into monthly challenges, including November. While there isn’t an official website, here are some ideas for each month to keep you writing: One Full Year’s Worth of 30-Day Writing Challenges for 2024. 

Perfect for: Writers looking for a more flexible, long-term writing commitment.

StoryADay Challenge

Focus: Short stories

Goal: Typically run in May and September, but some participants take on this challenge in November to write a story every day or several short stories within the month.

Perfect for: Writers interested in exploring short stories or flash fiction.

November PAD (Poem-A-Day) Challenge

Focus: Poetry

Goal: Write a poem every day in November. The Writer’s Digest PAD challenge runs this in April, but some writers take it on in November to complement NaNoWriMo.

Perfect for: Poets who want a structured but manageable daily writing goal.

FlashNano

Focus: Flash fiction

Goal: Writers commit to writing 30 flash fiction pieces in 30 days during November.

Perfect for: Writers wanting to work on concise, quick stories.

The Writers’ Den (Discord and Reddit Communities)

Focus: Community-driven writing challenges

Goal: Online writing communities such as Discord servers or subreddits host their own versions of writing sprints, challenges, and events similar to NaNoWriMo. These spaces allow for personalized challenges with more flexible rules and year-round participation.

Perfect for: Writers seeking a less structured environment and ongoing interaction with other writers.

MilWordy (Writing Year Challenge)

Focus: Long-term, high word count challenge

Goal: Some writers have shifted from NaNoWriMo to MilWordy, a challenge to write one million words in a year. This breaks the goal into manageable monthly or daily tasks and encourages writers to focus on word count throughout the year, not just in November.

Perfect for: Writers with long-term goals and those working on multiple projects.

#WriteFightGIFClub

Focus: Writing sprints with a playful competitive twist

Goal: This Twitter-based community runs regular writing sprints and challenges year-round, with a humorous and competitive spirit. Writers use GIFs and playful banter to motivate each other through regular writing sprints.

Perfect for: Writers who enjoy interactive and light-hearted engagement with fellow writers.

#5AMWritersClub

Focus: Early morning writing routines

Goal: This Twitter community is based on the idea of getting up early to write and forming a consistent habit. While it’s not a month-long or seasonal event, many writers participate to foster discipline and accountability over time.

Perfect for: Writers looking to develop a daily writing habit with early morning inspiration.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG)

Focus: Encouragement and support

Goal: IWSG is a year-round group offering support and motivation for writers who struggle with self-doubt, anxiety, or creative blocks. They also host their own annual short story competition and various challenges throughout the year.

Perfect for: Writers needing ongoing encouragement and a supportive writing community.

World Anvil’s Summer Camp

Focus: World-building

Goal: World Anvil is a world-building tool for writers and creators. Their annual Summer Camp in July offers prompts and challenges to help world-builders expand their universes and develop rich settings for stories, games, or other creative projects.

Perfect for: Writers interested in world-building and fantasy/science fiction creation.

Indie Author Collaboration Groups

Focus: Networking and promotion

Goal: Several online communities and Facebook groups geared toward indie authors (such as “20BooksTo50K” or “Indie Author Coalition”) often organize November-specific writing or marketing challenges. Authors can collaborate for cross-promotions, newsletter swaps, or even joint giveaways to boost visibility. Here’s a list of The Top 7 Writing Groups for Indie Authors from Draft2Digital.

Opportunities: Collaborate on book bundles, joint author promotions, or blog tours. These partnerships can increase your audience reach and help with marketing efforts alongside writing goals.

#WriteMentor

Focus: Mentorship program for emerging writers

Goal: WriteMentor provides mentorship opportunities for aspiring authors, helping them develop their manuscripts and navigate the publishing industry. While the main mentorship programs run earlier in the year, November is a great time to work on your manuscript in preparation for next year’s application cycles.

Opportunities: Work on refining your manuscript for submission to mentorship programs or pitch contests. Some mentors or previous mentees also form partnerships with indie authors for accountability.

The Indie Author Project (IAP)

Focus: Library partnerships and writing contests

Goal: The Indie Author Project offers writing contests and opportunities to get indie-published books into libraries. While their major contests may not specifically fall in November, it’s a great time to start polishing manuscripts for future submissions.

Opportunities: Partner with other indie authors to improve your manuscript or share marketing tips on increasing library presence and discoverability.

The Creative Academy for Writers

Focus: Writing community and courses

Goal: This platform offers writing challenges, courses, and events designed for indie authors throughout the year. They may offer specific November challenges or writing prompts that can help indie authors during their NaNoWriMo efforts.

Opportunities: Join writing sprints, partner with other academy members for feedback, or use the courses to polish your manuscript as part of a November challenge.

Pathfinders Writing Collective 

Focus: The Pathfinders Writing Collective is a free, inclusive, open community space where writers and creatives of all kinds can connect, collaborate, and cheer each other on. 

Goal: To help writers achieve their goals—whatever their goals may be—PWC will host fun, totally customizable challenges throughout the year (you pick your path, your pace, and how you’d like to track your progress). PWC’s very first challenge, #PaWriCo24, will begin Nov. 1st, 2024 and extend through Jan. 31st, 2025.

Opportunities: As the PWC community continues to grow, flourish, and take on challenges, we hope to promote a rotation of fundraising opportunities, so while bettering ourselves, we can better the world at large. During #PaWriCo24 we’ll be hosting a three-part fundraiser (one fundraiser per month) complete with super cool raffle prizes!

Heart Breathings Writing Community 

Focus: One of the fundamental purposes of this community is to write together in ‘sprints’. This idea is taken from the Pomodoro Method and stems from the idea of focusing only on writing without any distractions for a limited period of time, taking a short break, and then writing again.

Goal: These writing sprint livestreams happen simultaneously in the Heart Breathings Facebook group and on YouTube, but some of them are streamed only on Facebook. Work on whatever project you’d like and connect with other writers while you’re sprinting. 

Opportunities: Join an established writing community with other writing opportunities such as Double Down Day and Our Virtual Writing Retreat. 

To wrap it up, while NaNoWriMo has been the go-to writing challenge for November, there are tons of other awesome options out there for writers to explore. Whether you’re into nonfiction, poetry, editing, or just want something more flexible, there’s definitely a challenge for you. With November just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to jump in and find the best writing challenge and competition that fits your style!

Need a head-start planning your next project? Don’t forget to read How To Create A Basic Novel Outline and How To Create Characters With Complexity & Depth.

Know of more writing challenges that take place in November or year-round that aren’t already on my list? Leave a comment for me on this blog post. I’d love to add them!