6 Best Alternatives To NaNoWriMo (An Ultimate List)

NaNoWriMo has finally shut down after 25 years of being an inspiring and quirky online community where thousands challenged themselves to write an entire novel every November.

After a share of scandals (that I won’t go into here), underfunding and bad management, NaNoWriMo announced in April 2025 that it was officially shutting down its website.

And that’s left thousands of pensmiths in grief – our beloved autumn tradition of pounding out daily word counts is gone.

So where do we go from here? And how can we stay inspired to write, challenge ourselves and find like-minded friends?

I scoured the internet (as a longtime NaNoWriMo user) to find the best alternatives to NaNoWriMo to keep my annual writing traditions going – and to start some new ones.

Here are the best online writing communities I’ve found that are perfect NaNoWriMo alternatives:

1. AutoCrit Novel 90 Writing Challenge

This 90-day novel writing challenge is the closest alternative I’ve found to NaNoWriMo.

If you miss those coffee-fueled writing November days of NaNo, then AutoCrit’s Novel 90 Writing Challenge is a great alternative.

The concept is similar to NaNo: write an entire novel – but in three months – with daily word counts and a supportive community.

There are two separate annual challenges. The Summer Novel Writing Challenge goes from June 1st to August 31st and focuses on shorter work. The Fall Challenge runs from October 1st to December 31st and focuses on longer works.

AutoCrit Novel 90 Writing Challenge offers:

• weekly live streams packed with tips
• daily motivational emails
• teams to join based on your writing style
• writing sprints

AutoCrit is a great option if you thrive on community and healthy competition. They offer prizes and draws to everyone who completes their novel – and teams that cheer you on.

2. StoryADay

StoryADay is a free, month-long writing challenge that gets you writing one short story every single day.

And the best part is – it’s coming up in May! So if you’re going through NaNoWriMo withdrawals right now, you can move on by throwing yourself into a brand new writing challenge.

It’s a great way to flex your creativity muscle and play with ideas and genres outside of your comfort zone. It’s also great if you want to practice your storytelling skills – no matter if you’re an aspiring novelist or not.

StoryADay offers:

• daily creative writing prompts in May
• a supportive community of writers
• guest prompts from award-winning authors

StoryADay was founded in 2010 by creativity coach Julie Duffy as a way to motivate writers towards a sustainable writing practice. Since then, thousands of its writers have gone on to finish novels, get published and discover the joy of storytelling.

3. Shut Up & Write!

Shut Up & Write! is a free community created to help writers get more writing done.

And it’s a really close alternative to NaNoWriMo with more than 100,000 members, weekly events and real-life meetups (or you can organize your own).

There’s a lot of variety and different challenges you can join – whether you’re writing a novel, penning poetry or working on a writing project.

Whatever your schedule or your genre, you’ll find a writing challenge that caters to your needs.

Shut Up & Write! offers:

• gatherings (nearby or online) for writers
• tools that help you write quietly, away from distractions
• over 150 online events every week
• accountability and support from fellow writers

Founded in 2007, Shut Up & Write is a community-driven platform with both hosted writing sessions online and local meetups.

4. Pathfinders Writing Collective

Pathfinders Writing Collective is a free space for writers and creatives of all kinds that hosts customizable challenges throughout the year.

It’s a great community-focused platform where you can set your own pace, join a team and connect with other writers who’ll cheer you on. It’s also a fun and playful space with bear mascots and colored teams.

Pathfinders offers 3 different challenges a year, including a March Madness month-long challenge, a summer June-July challenge and the famous 3-month end-of-the-year challenge.

Pathfinders Writing Collective offers:

• flexible writing challenges where you set your own goals
• an inclusive community that offers accountability
• challenges where you compete for the time you spend on a writing project

Pathfinders Writing Collective was founded by two friends (Rain and Jen) who bonded over NaNoWriMo and later decided to launch their own space as an alternative.

5. 4thewords

4thewords feels like an addictive video game that gets you writing to defeat monsters, unlock higher levels and win rewards.

4thewords is mentioned a lot on Reddit as a great NaNoWriMo alternative – and it has the same fun, game-style competitive feel of NaNo.

There are also writing teams to join that take on large multiplayer monsters – and help you reach your wordcount goals together.

4thewords offers:

• writing battles and endurance sprints to get you motivated
• a streak system to help you build stamina for long projects
• a forum with a community of writers and special events

4thewords was founded by a gamer who decided to give his writer’s block a name (Wignow) and rewarded himself for defeating the monster. It’s the most teen-friendly challenge on this list (and also my personal favorite).

6. myWriteClub

myWriteClub is a no frills platform where you set goals, invite friends to your cheering section and keep track of your progress.

Whether you’re writing a novel or a haiku a day, myWriteClub lets you set measurable goals and share them with a network of friends to help you stay motivated.

There’s a nifty bar that slowly edges towards your goal and turns green when you’ve reached it. It’s a simple and streamlined way to harness the power of community.

myWriteClub offers:

• options to share your goals and milestones with friends
• a progress bar that tracks your progress
• a tracker system to set any number of goals

myWriteClub is still in the beta stage but it’s perfect if you want an easy and straightforward way to get some accountability and community.

Read next:

51 Inspiring Quotes About Journaling (To Get You Writing!)

Writing By Hand: 16 Reasons Why It Beats Typing

24 Inspiring Journaling Examples (To Get You Writing)

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