No Mo' WriMo

If you're missing the NaNoWriMo forums or looking for a better word counter, you're in the right place.

The organization behind NaNoWriMo is currently grappling with a number of problems. As a result it's no longer in a position to offer many of the services it normally does, and many former participants would not use them if it did.

We're collecting a list of alternatives for those who'd like to take on a 50,000 word challenge this November. See below!

Alternatives

Community

Word Counters

Goodies

The Story So Far...

NaNoWriMo was originally established as a challenge to write 50,000 words of original fiction during the 30 days in the month of November. Since then, it has grown into a non-profit organization that has operated a number of programs besides the original November challenge.

The past few years saw NaNoWriMo mired in a number of controversies. Among them:

  • Allegations that a volunteer moderator on their forums was grooming teens, and that NaNoWriMo failed to take effective action to protect youths participating in their program.
  • Reports of patterns of moderation on their forums that resembled censorship.
  • Resignation of virtually their entire Board of Directors. An interim executive director was promoted from within, but the new organizational structure is otherwise unclear.
  • A finding that their volunteer program was not in compliance with California state law, and hadn't been since the beginning.
  • A statement in support of generative AI that was widely seen as tone-deaf given that their audience and supporters were largely creatives. Followup statements criticizing opposition to generative AI as ableist were seen as similarly inappropriate.

As a result, changes have been made to the NaNoWriMo program. The ones most visible to participants are:

  • Shutting down the forums until safe spaces can be created for vulnerable participants.
  • Suspension of the volunteer program (including Municipal Liaisons, who organized local events) pending background checks and formal training.

As of this writing, there is no clear schedule for the forums reopening or volunteer events resuming.

Further Reading

NaNoWriMo have published a position statement and summary of their work to improve the organization on the official NaNoWriMo website.

Community members have published their own timeline of events.

And finally, there's always the "officially unofficial" NaNoWriMo wiki if you're looking for further resources or history.