Even though the annual November writeathon known as NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is no longer a thing,* you can still get started on that novel in November. A new Substack is here to help you out.
Introducing First Draft November, a new writing challenge for aspiring novelists.
The brainchild of Kailey Brennan DelloRusso, an author, writing coach, and editor in chief of Write or Die Magazine, First Draft November challenges all who sign up to crank out 50,000 words toward their first draft of a novel during the month. That’s “a little over 1,000 words a day (1,667 if we want to be exact) for the entire month,” she writes in her announcement of the challenge. “By the end of it, you’ll have about 50,000 words—roughly 75% of a novel—that you can shape, revise, and build on. No small feat!”
A word of caution for the perfectionists among us: Don’t expect to end this project with a perfect draft.
“The most important thing I can tell you is this: This draft will be messy,” Kailey writes. “And that’s exactly what we want. Don’t polish. Don’t overthink. Don’t look back. This draft is about discovery and curiosity. It’s about being playful (this can be fun, you know!). These guiding questions are meant to inspire, not to make you feel like you need to know everything to proceed.
“Every scene you write is progress, every word is momentum. By the end of November, you’ll have something real on the page. Something with a beginning, middle, and end that you can mold and shape and revise.”
Interested? Why not sign up and check out the First Draft November starter kit, which includes free access to The Novel Writing Workshop (a resource of The Forever Workshop Substack) for the entire month.
Happy writing!
* As one reader points out in the comments, NaNoWriMo has been rebranded to Novel November and is under new management.
Image via Pexels.
Andy writes! 
I had a Blogger friend from Jersey who used to enter that. I could never get into it..
Yeah, write that novel anyway !
I’m gonna give it a whirl! Did your friend ever write a novel?
Many thanks for the link and best of luck with the novel! Actually, in September 2025 NaNoWriMo returned with a new name, Novel November. UK-based ProWritingAid, alongside bestselling authors like Madeline Miller, is relaunching the event in 2025. Partners include Scrivener and Kickstarter, and writers can register for the free event.
Thank you for sharing the new information about Novel November! I will update this post accordingly.