 Contests & Activities: May 28, 2025 Issue [#13128] |
This week: Collapse of NaNoWriMo Edited by: Annette traveling til 6/3  
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1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
| Writing a whole novel during the 30 days of November was a hard task, but oh so satisfying when completed. |
Collapse of NaNoWriMo
In summer of 1999, a group of writers got together in Berkeley, California, with the goal to write the first draft of a novel in 30 days. As their circle grew, they became an organization that first spread to the whole U.S. and then expanded to become a world-wide phenomenon.
How did it work?
The lions share of work was done by unpaid volunteers. Thousands of writing enthusiasts around the globe helped keep the event small enough for writers of all regions to have a place to feel supported locally.
Was NaNoWriMo a contest or an activity? A little bit of both. Every writer was in a contest with themselves to cross that magical goal post of 50,000 words written before the stroke of midnight on November 30th in their time zone. To those who chose to attend in-person write-ins, it was also an activity. A place to meet other local writers and build friendships based on being a just crazy enough to even try to write that much in a short amount of time.
In April 2025, NaNoWriMo was shuttered.
What happened? How could a place that was so successful at growing so big break apart? There are many rumors and no good, complete answers. The little I could find were complaints about a lack of transparency and support for the volunteers by the main organization. Whatever the truth is, it is only known to those who had access to the inner working of the organization.
How does this relate to Writing.Com and our site? We have tons of member hosted contests and activities. We have participants from all over the globe.
Transparency is the answer. Anyone who offers an activity or contest has to figure out how to create a set of rules that keeps the playing field level for all participants. And, yes, tooting our horn, we are all very civil with one another and tend to be supportive of each other.
If I could make one request to all you contest and activity hosts: Please PLEASE use "Writing Contests @ Writing.Com" and "Activities @ Writing.Com" to let us all know about the many fun things you dream up for us. The newsfeed is fleeting. Help everyone in the community to have the best chance to take part. Don't let your contest or activity go unnoticed.
How many times (if ever) did you attempt to win at NaNoWriMo? How many times did you win? |
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