There’s no one right way to write a novel (or a story, memoir, poem, essay, message in a bottle, birthday card to your gecko, etc.). Some writers at NaNoWriMo like to dive headfirst into a rough draft with nothing but their imagination and something to write with—we call them pantsers, since they write by the seat of their pants. Even if you like to prepare (hello, planners!), there’s still no one correct way to do it, and what works for one writer or story might not work for another. That’s the beauty (and the hair-pully-outtie-ness) of creativity!
We’ve gathered these resources to help support you on your creative journey, but we know there are many other paths to follow. The more we learn, the more we’ll add (and maybe you can help us grow our knowledge!).
Planner, pantser, plantser, and everyone in between—go forth and write!
Pep Talks
Pep talks are inspirational letters written by well-known authors during NaNoWriMo just for you. Need some inspiration or motivation? Check out our archive!
NaNo Prep 101
Get ready to write a novel – during November or at your own pace – using our resources to help you generate an idea, create characters, construct a plot, build a world, organize your life and community, and find time to write.
The “Now What?” Months
During NaNoWriMo’s “Now What?” Months, we provide resources and tools to help you set goals and continue your creative writing journey, whatever that means for you. Think of it as NaNoWriMo Part II: choose your own adventure! It’s not a community writing challenge like National Novel Writing Month, but the chance to explore next steps at your own pace, including finishing a novel, revising a draft, and/or navigating publishing pathways.
Novel-Finishing
In some ways, finishing a novel is exactly the same as starting one. In other ways, though, they’re two very, very different beasts, no more alike than puppies and sharks. (Sidenote: Please do not put puppies and sharks together to test this theory, thank you.) That’s why we developed resources for a National Novel Finishing Month (AKA NaNoFinMo)!
Revision
Maybe you’re just dipping your littlest toe in the glorious mud puddle that is revision, or maybe you’ve been wading through the wordy muck for years. We hope you find something here that supports you, whether that’s a revision guide, a video, a blog post, an editor or agent event, or something else!
Memoir
These resources are for anyone who has ever wanted to tackle a strange, true story—your own! Explore tips and tricks on writing a book about yourself and your life.
NaNo Coach Archive
Every year, we get a fantastic team of published authors to act as your guides, cheerleaders, and mentors during NaNoWriMo. Check out the NaNoWriMo page for this year’s coaches, or explore the archive on our blog.
Camp Counselor Archive
Every year, we get a fantastic team of published authors to act as your guides, cheerleaders, and mentors during Camp NaNoWriMo. Check out the Camp NaNoWriMo page for this year’s counselors, or explore the archive on our blog.
Additional Resources
Dive deeper into our (dare we say impressive) array of resources!
- NaNoWriMo blog
- NaNoWriMo YouTube channel (including our library of Virtual Write-Ins, writing tips and exercises, and advice from NaNoWriMo YouTube Guides)
- Instagram (including highlights from author takeovers)
- Upcoming live events hosted by NaNo HQ
- The official NaNoWriMo Google Calendar
