How to Write a 50,000 Word Novel in 30 Days


NaNoWriMo: A community-led project for anyone and everyone!

Did you know you can write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days? Yes, you! I know, it's mind-blowing. It's almost too good to be true, but trust me, this is the real deal. The secret - NaNoWriMo, my friend.

No, it's not a foreign word (don't worry I thought this at first), it's actually an acronym for National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo is an annual 30 day challenge that begins on the first day of November and encourages you to write part of a coherent story every single day throughout the month. The goal is to come out the other end with a 50,000 word (or sometimes more) novel.

Whether you're an intrigued beginner or a seasoned author, anyone can take part in NaNoWriMo. Here are the rules:

📖 The challenge begins on the 1st of November. That being said, if you feel like doing this during a different month then that's totally cool too. The main aim is to start at the beginning, or as close to the beginning of the month as you can.

📖 The challenge lasts for thirty days. If you begin your writing on the 1st of November, then the 30th of November is the last day of your writing. Similarly, if you begin your writing on the 13th of March, then the 11th of April is the last day of your writing.

📖 Pre-planning prior to the challenge is not only fine, but actually encouraged. Some might be able to come up with a great story premise in a matter of moments, but if you're anything like me, you may need days or even weeks to formulate an idea, brainstorm potential characters and their personalities. As long as you don't start actual writing until day one of the challenge then plan away.

📖 You must aim to write at least 1,667 words a day towards your novel. So, in actuality you should come out the other end with at least a 50,000 word novel, but there is a tiny bit of leeway 😉.

📖 Have fun! While this is a challenge that may push you to the furthest reaches of your creative mind, NaNoWriMo is designed to take a solitary and often lonely experience and turn it into an energetic, fun, and fast-paced community event. This is because there are now hundreds of thousands of writers all over the world that actively participate in NaNoWriMo. We are all in this together. While many people take part in the National Novel Writing Month annual challenge as a personal writing journey, there are also many websites including NaNoWriMo's official site that allow you to formally get involved with the challenge and other writing events, support other people's work, chat on creative forums, and more.

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Code written by Fiona Teddy-Jimoh