Well hello there, Reader!

Yes, it’s me, your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat. Back in your inbox 📥 with more helpful advice 😸

Amidst all the chaos of mass protests and the dumbest president in history tariffing penguins 🐧 maybe you heard the other, other news this past month.

You know, about National Novel Writing Month (and all of its companion challenges) being dead. Like super dead. 😵☠️🪦

If you read my post last fall, literally no one is surprised at this point. The folks in charge of NaNoWriMo more than dug their own grave. 🪦 Hell, they practically hired a whole fleet of CAT diggers.

But maybe you’re like a lot of us, Reader, and you miss the idea of NaNoWriMo. You just wish there wasn’t all that toxic baggage that led to its demise. Well then, I’ve got you covered, Reader!

Here are 3 NaNoWriMo alternatives:

1) Host your own writing challenge

If what you’re missing is the challenge aspect of NaNoWriMo, why not create and host your own creative challenge? This is what I did back in September with my Scenetember Challenge.

I challenged my fellow storytellers to write a 250-500-word scene based on the 30 prompts provided. Much like the prompts I provide each month, these were designed to inspire creativity, encourage positive and healthy writing habits, and challenge others to approach their creative process in new ways.

In fact, word-a-day prompt challenges like these feed into the “gamification” aspect of writing that some of us crave to get motivated.

So whether its word sprints or creating a short story in a weekend, if the thrill of a challenge is what you enjoyed about NaNoWriMo, try your hand at crafting your own.

2) Find a new community

NaNoWriMo isn’t the only pen in the case, Reader. There are plenty of fun and welcoming writing communities out there. So why not seek out a new one that suits your needs?

If you’re looking for an in-person meet-up, try book festivals or the public library.

Or if forums are more your speed, scroll through Writer Threads or Reddit > writing and you’re sure to find like-minded folks.

3) The thrill of starting something new

For some, NaNoWriMo gave them permission to try their hand at writing something new. Be it a new genre, style, or a new pen name.

It’s as simple as picking a prompt from Pinterest and writing something. And let’s not forget, Reader, each month I add new prompts to the Story Prompts Archive to help spark your next great story.

However, NaNo need not be your only excuse to try writing something entirely new. You could start on the first of the month (like today). Or next Monday.

Or even a random day in the middle of June, like I did back in 2019. I had just had emergency oral surgery, and my therapist suggested I work on an entirely new project while I recovered. That led to me writing 70K in one month and 200K for the year.

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So even though NaNo has gone the way of the dodo 🦤, Reader, you can still seek out new alternatives to fill that writing challenge hole in your life.

Well until next time, this is your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat wishing you a wonderfully creative week.

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Your cohort in storytelling,

Kat Vancil

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PS 👉 As always, thank you for the support and well wishes during my period of mourning. Losing a family member is never easy, but losing a parent is especially hard.

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Semi-Rad Brendan Leonard Writer, artist, filmmaker, columnist for Outside Magazine. My newsletter about creativity, adventure, and enthusiasm goes out to 15,000+ subscribers every week. Subscribe​

Hello there, this is your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat, letting you know that I earn a small affiliate commission from purchases of books and other products mentioned in these emails. If I received a free or promotional item for review, it will be noted in the email per regulations.

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