The biggest NaNoWriMo alternative in 2026 is ProWritingAid's Novel November, a free 50,000-word challenge in November that lets you write in any app. Others include the Reedsy Novel Sprint (50,000 words with cash prizes, written in Reedsy Studio), AutoCrit Novel 90 (October to December), World Anvil's NovelEmber, Order of the Written Word's 30,000-word challenge, Dabble's 60-Day Novel Challenge, RAWR and StoryADay.
NaNoWriMo, the nonprofit behind National Novel Writing Month, announced in spring 2025 that it was shutting down. The idea it made famous, 50,000 words of a novel in the 30 days of November, didn't go anywhere. Several organisations now run their own November challenges, and most are free.
Details below come from each organiser's public pages and from round-ups by ProWritingAid and Reedsy, checked in October 2026. Dates and prizes change from year to year, so confirm on the organiser's site before you sign up.
The alternatives at a glance
| Challenge | Run by | Goal | Where you write | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novel November | ProWritingAid | 50,000 words in November | Any app; progress tracked on their dashboard | Free account |
| Reedsy Novel Sprint | Reedsy | 50,000+ words in November | Reedsy Studio | Free to enter |
| Novel 90 | AutoCrit | 50,000+ words, October to December | Not tied to one app | Free registration |
| NovelEmber | World Anvil | 50,000 words or a custom goal | World Anvil tracks progress | Free account (limits apply) |
| November Challenge | Order of the Written Word | 30,000 words, 15 poems or 8 stories | Any app; log in their Discord | See their site |
| 60-Day Novel Challenge | Dabble | Outline in October, 50,000 words in November | Any app; some resources need Dabble | Free to join |
| RAWR | Rogue Writers | 25,000 to 100,000+ words or custom | Any app; tracked on TrackBear | Free |
| StoryADay | StoryADay | One short story a day | Any app | See their site |
Novel November (ProWritingAid)
The largest replacement so far. You set a 50,000-word goal for November, write in whatever app you like, and track your progress on the Novel November dashboard. ProWritingAid runs cowriting sessions through the month and free sessions with published authors, and you earn badges as you go. There's no cash prize. You need a free ProWritingAid account.
Best for: writers who want the closest thing to the old NaNoWriMo experience, with a big community and no lock-in to a particular app.
Reedsy Novel Sprint
A November challenge with a 50,000-word target and, unusually, cash prizes judged by a Reedsy panel. Reedsy has listed $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 for the top three. There are prep events, workshops and a Discord. The catch is that you draft inside Reedsy Studio, Reedsy's free online editor.
Best for: writers who are motivated by a prize and are happy to write in a browser editor.
AutoCrit Novel 90
A longer runway: Novel 90 runs from October to the end of December, so you can plan, draft and keep going past November. You join one of three teams (planners, pantsers or "plantsers"), each led by a bestselling author. Submitting work for judging is optional.
Best for: writers who know 30 days is too tight, or who want to finish the draft rather than stop at 50,000.
World Anvil NovelEmber
A November challenge for worldbuilders and fantasy writers, run by the worldbuilding platform World Anvil. You can aim for 50,000 words or set a custom "rebel" goal, such as turning a tabletop campaign into a novel. Progress is tracked on an honour system with a dashboard widget and a winner's certificate.
Best for: fantasy and science fiction writers who already use World Anvil or want to.
Order of the Written Word: November Challenge
A smaller, gentler challenge: 30,000 words of a novel, 15 poems, 8 short stories, or revising an existing manuscript. The community lives on Discord, with scheduled writing sessions and a bot that tracks your stats, and it describes itself as AI-free.
Best for: writers who found 50,000 words discouraging, and poets and short story writers.
Dabble 60-Day Novel Challenge
Two months instead of one: outline in October, then write 50,000 words in November, with weekly workshops and daily sprints. It's free to join, though some resources need a Dabble subscription.
Best for: planners who want structured prep before November 1.
RAWR (Rogue Writers)
A free challenge running through October and November with flexible goals from 25,000 to more than 100,000 words, or your own target, with badges and tracking on TrackBear.
Best for: writers who want to set their own number and track it publicly.
StoryADay
Not a novel challenge: you write and finish a short story every day, with optional prompts. It usually runs in May; in 2026 it also runs in November.
Best for: writers who want variety, or who'd rather finish thirty small things than one big one.
Running the challenge on your own
You don't need an organisation to write 50,000 words in November. You need a daily number, a way to count, and a way to stop yourself from editing chapter one in week two.
- Work out your daily target. 50,000 words over 30 days is 1,667 words a day. The word count goal calculator adjusts for rest days and for starting late.
- Write in sprints. Two or three 25-minute sessions a day add up. The word sprint timer logs each one.
- Keep a prompt list for stuck days. Our novel writing prompts point back into your own story.
- Track your words somewhere you'll see them. TrackBear and MyWriteClub are free trackers if you want something public, or use a spreadsheet.
Our 30-day plan for writing a novel in November covers preparation, the week-by-week dips and what to do when you fall behind.
Which one should you pick?
- You want the old NaNoWriMo feel: Novel November.
- You want a prize to aim for: Reedsy Novel Sprint.
- You need more than 30 days: AutoCrit Novel 90 or Dabble's 60-Day Novel Challenge.
- 50,000 words feels like too much: Order of the Written Word's 30,000-word goal, or RAWR with a custom number.
- You write fantasy or build worlds: NovelEmber.
- You'd rather write short stories: StoryADay.
Most of these let you write in any app, so you can join one for the community and still draft wherever you're fastest. Reedsy's sprint is the exception, because it requires Reedsy Studio.
Frequently asked questions
Is NaNoWriMo still running in 2026?
No. The NaNoWriMo nonprofit announced in spring 2025 that it was shutting down. The November challenge continues through other organisers, and many writers simply run it on their own.
What is the best NaNoWriMo alternative?
For most writers, ProWritingAid's Novel November is the closest replacement: free, 50,000 words in November, a large community, and you can write in any app. If you want prizes, look at the Reedsy Novel Sprint. If you want more time, try AutoCrit Novel 90.
Are NaNoWriMo alternatives free?
The main ones are free to join. Some need a free account with the organiser, and a few offer paid extras, such as Dabble's subscription resources.
Do I need to use a particular app?
Usually not. Novel November, Order of the Written Word, RAWR and StoryADay let you write anywhere. The Reedsy Novel Sprint requires Reedsy Studio.
How many words a day is 50,000 words in November?
1,667 words a day for 30 days. With one rest day a week, it's about 1,924 words on each writing day.
