Impact
NaNoWriMo believes that:
Your story matters.
We are committed to a world that celebrates diverse voices, and encourages everyone to tell their stories.
In 2016, 928 volunteer Municipal Liaisons supported 445,179 participants on six continents.
A few pics from our social last night pic.twitter.com/teUsN7qQxp
— NYC NoWriMo (@nycnowrimo) November 5, 2016
You are capable of even more than you think.
We are committed to building writing confidence.
In a 2016 survey, 86% of respondents said that NaNoWriMo helped them learn what they can accomplish when determined.
89% of respondents said that NaNoWriMo made them more excited about writing.
In a 2013 independent study, 87% of student participants in our Young Writers Program said that it made them more confident writers.
Presenting 10 @NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program Winners! We met our word goals and are that much closer to being novelists! #NaNoYWP pic.twitter.com/xheG6IPAUQ
— Kimberly Hammaker (@mrshammaker) December 9, 2016
Download our Young Writers Program informational packet.
You can build worlds.
We are committed to creating real-life, vibrant, literate communities.
Every year, we partner hundreds of volunteers with their local libraries, bookstores, and community centers.
#Wrimos hard at work on the last day of @NaNoWriMo 2016! @sfarwawriters @artofwritingucb @ucberkeleylib #ComeWriteIn #CelebrateCreativity pic.twitter.com/olB26RJVZ5
— Shannon Monroe (@ShannonLMonroe) December 1, 2016
See more of NaNoWriMo’s numbers.
Annual Reports
- NaNoWriMo’s 2016 Annual Report: View or download on Scribd.
- NaNoWriMo’s 2015 Annual Report: View or download on Scribd.
- NaNoWriMo’s 2014 Annual Report: Download as a PDF.
- NaNoWriMo’s 2013 Annual Report: Download as a PNG.
- NaNoWriMo’s 2012 Annual Report: Download as a PDF.
In the News
“[NaNoWriMo]‘s made writing feel like something that’s achievable and, in the process, returned literature to a place of pop art possibility that it hasn’t been in for years.”
— Graeme McMillan, TIME Magazine
“Through [NaNoWriMo], which had my entire class intrigued, we learned how to develop a plot, build character descriptions and foreshadow, through writing our novels.”
— Julia Fox, The New York Times
“By having access to so many peers, thousands of people were going to emerge from [NaNoWriMo] with better stories — and better ability to navigate past writing snags — than they would have enjoyed otherwise.”
— George Anders, Forbes Magazine
- “NaNoWriMo Is Big for Writers—and It Helps Publishers, Too“, Publishers Weekly, October 2017
- “National Novel Writing Month: Writing 50,000 words with 10 other writers — in a castle“, CNN, November 2016
- “What a Novel Idea: Kids Take Up Challenge to Pen 50,000 Words During Nat’l Novel Writing Month“, The 74, November 2016
- “8 Best-Selling Books Written During NaNoWriMo That Show You It Can Be Done“, The Bustle, October 2016
- “Peer Pressure at Camp NaNoWriMo“, The Huffington Post, June 2015
- “20,000 New Yorkers Just Tried to Write a Novel In a Month“, New York Observer, December 2014
- “National Novel Writing Month Heads Into 16th Year“, Education Week, October 2014
- “Kids Get In On the Action with NaNoWriMo“, NPR, November 2014
- “7 Time Management Lessons from People Who Write a Novel In a Month“, Fast Company, November 2014
- “Rev Up for National Novel Writing Month“, School Library Journal, November 2014
- “A Novel in 30 Days: Libraries Embrace NaNoWriMo“, American Libraries, November 2014
Participant Testimonials
Part of why I love @NaNoWriMo so much and will probably always participate is because of its insistence that everyone’s story matters.
— Amy Fahrer (@nanobite1667) September 18, 2015
“[NaNoWriMo] helped me to find my voice again, gave me back the joy of writing and showed me that I could persevere and be a writer.”
— Jennifer Wilde, December 10, 2015
I had one student who hardly wrote at all, then NANOWRIMO, and he wrote 40,000 words! It was life changing. #NaNoYWP — Marie Graham (@mariegraham) September 24, 2015
“My eyes were opened as I saw students who had previously struggled to write a paragraph effortlessly filling pages and pages of a first draft. It also unlocked writing in other classes across the curriculum… It was revolutionary! The doors had been opened, and my students suddenly believed that they could write.”
— Nate Fleming, May 9, 2016
I feel #NaNoInspired when #NaNoWriMo forces me to simultaneously challenge myself to write more and refuse to acknowledge my inner critic — Jasmine Evans (@JasmineKEvans) July 16, 2015
“That’s the process I’ve seen during our write-ins and get-togethers: questioning our characters, plot, theme, and the quality of our own writing… Writing with others in my city has taught me to risk it all, work hard, and grow a thicker skin.”
— Quidec Pacheco, September 26, 2016
Share Your Story!
Did writing your novel get you through dark days? Did you meet your true love at a write-in? Did you just have a regular, straight-up blast writing this November?
