The Basics

This section contains the most common questions about the Young Writer's Program

How often do you do this?

Every November!


Who will read my novel when I'm done?

Anyone you want. If you are doing NaNoWriMo as a class, your teacher or your fellow classmates may read your novel. But it's mostly entirely up to you who gets to read your newly written masterpiece.


Do you edit or publish the finished products?

We'd love to be able to publish everyone's work, but our connections to the fiction-publishing world end at Kinkos. You are welcome, however, to put excerpts from your novel-in-progress up on our site.


Does NaNoWriMo own to the rights to novels written during November?

Nope. All words are yours and yours alone. Novels emailed in at the end of the month for word-count verification are deleted, unread, after being verified.


When can I sign up?

Any time! Simply click the Sign Up Now link at the top of the page and fill everything out.


When is the cut-off date for sign-ups?

There is not cut-off date! Starting October 1, 2007, we're opening NaNoWriMo sign-ups to our young writers all year round.


When do I start writing?

At 12:00:01 am local time on November 1.


How do you win? Are there judges? What are the prizes?

The way to win NaNoWriMo is by attaining your word-count goal by midnight on November 30. Every year, there are many, many winners. There are no "Best Novel" or "Quickest-Written Novel" awards given out. All winners will get an official "Winner" web icon and certificate.


Can I handwrite my novel?

Absolutely. We can't verify your word count, but verification from our website is just icing on the NaNoWriMo cake.


What if I start and don't finish?

That's ok. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Plus, all of our young writers receive a "Participant" certificate just for attempting such a daring feat!


What if I hit my word count but I'm only halfway through my story?

If you easily pass your word-count goal, then head for the NaNoWriMo main program's 50,000-word limit. Even that is not necessarily a stopping place. Many of our adult participants write past 50,000 words in order to finish their stories.


How many novels have been written through NaNoWriMo?

1999: 21 participants and six winners
2000: 140 participants and 29 winners
2001: 5,000 particpants and more than 700 winners
2002: 13,500 participants and around 2,100 winners
2003: 25,500 participants and about 3,500 winners
2004: 42,000 adult participants, 300 young writers, and just shy of 6,000 winners
2005: 59,000 adult participants, 3,000 young writers, and 9,769 winners
2006: 79,000 adult participants, 15,000 young writers, and 13,000 winners
2007: 101,510 adult participants, 18,000 young writers, and 15,333 winners


Has anyone had their novel published?

Quite a few! Here's the list so far...

How do you define "novel?" Does fan fiction count? What if I want to write interconnected short stories rather than a novel?

We define a novel as "a lengthy work of fiction." Beyond that, we let you decide whether what you're writing falls under the heading of "novel." In short: If you believe you're writing a novel, we believe you're writing a novel too.


Why are you doing this? What do you get out of it?

NaNoWriMo is all about the magical power of deadlines.

Part of the reason we organize NaNoWriMo is just to get a book written. As satisfying as it is to reach deep within yourself and pull out an unexpectedly passable work of art, it is equally (if not more) satisfying to be able to dramatize the process with friends or with your classmates and teachers.

The other reason we do NaNoWriMo is because the glow from making big, messy art, and watching others make big, messy art, lasts for a long, long time. It changes the way you read, and think, and changes, a little bit, your sense of who you are. We like that.


Is it true there's an official guidebook to NaNoWriMo?

There is! Director Chris Baty compiled all of his tips, tricks, and caffeine-intake strategies in a book called No Plot? No Problem! Along with Chris' long-winded ramblings, the book also contains eloquent, sage, and hilarious tips from NaNoWriMo veterans, who should probably know better by now.

Plus there are now grade-appropriate, mind bending, creative writing Young Novelist Workbooks. The workbooks come packed with worksheets and activities, including character questionnaires, novel-related art projects, and much more.


How do you pronounce NaNoWriMo?

NAN-no WRY-mo.


Oh. I've been saying it NAN-no WREE-Mo.

That's ok too.