We believe community is one of the most important writing tools. So we’ve gathered information on a few different free writing communities and challenges supporting NaNoWriMo participants.
We know some of these communities well, but others we only know from word of mouth. We’ve included information on cost and age inclusion for each community, and we encourage you to explore their sites before joining to find what’s right for you.
There are many writing communities and challenges out there, and we’re excited to spotlight more in the future. Are you part of a community that you’d like to see featured? Let us know!
Without further ado, in alphabetical order…
4thewords
4TW is a web-based app that gamifies writing—you defeat monsters by writing words in battle! It offers its own writing software and goal tracking, daily challenges, and special events. There are a multitude of incentives like traveling to new in-game destinations, leveling up, and equipping your avatar with outfits and loot, all of which are aimed at keeping you writing. 4thewords also has a moderated forum on the website and a Discord community where you can interact with, befriend, and learn from fellow writers.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free with paid options
The 100 Day Writing Challenge
This is a free writing podcast by author Tim Clare. It offers daily 10-minute writing exercises in audio and also via transcript. They can be completed at your own pace but are geared toward building up a consistent writing muscle, and at the time of this writing, are still being produced daily.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
Cost: Free
Dabble’s 60-Day Novel Challenge
The 60-Day Novel Challenge by Dabble combines the basic elements of Pre-tember and NaNoWriMo. Writers use the first 30 days (October) to plan and outline their novels. And then use the second 30 days to write the novel. The challenge uses the goal of 50,000 words and offers daily writing sessions.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free+
FicFan’s NewNoWriMo
For lovers of fanfiction, NewNoWriMo is a NaNoWriMo-inspired challenge to write 50k words of fanfic during the month of November. You participate by posting your fanfic as you go on the FicFan website and by joining their Discord server for community. While the rules for the challenge are simple, there are comprehensive rules around how to use the website, including setting age-appropriate restrictions on your works before sharing.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free
First Draft November
First Draft November by Screen Play Editor is a 30-day challenge in November to write a full-length screenplay. The challenge is to start with a blank page on the first, and then write 90 formatted pages (which will equal roughly 90 minutes of film). You can write using any program. If you would like to use the Screen Play Editor program, they have a free limited version that works with Google Docs.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free+
Game of Tomes
Game of Tomes is a team-based writing challenge held thrice yearly (in November, April, and July). You compete against other Houses to write the most words. It offers fun fantasy-inspired lore around each House and the challenge itself, various live streams from Houses, a Discord server, and a tracker. There are comprehensive rules on how to count progression for rebels that may not have word-count goals.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free
InNoWriMo
International Novel Writing Month is a website where you can track your words during NaNoWriMo. It has a global and regional leaderboard.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free
Million Word Writing Challenge
Million Word Challenge is a personal challenge to write 1 million words in a year, which translates to about 84,000 words per month. This challenge emerged from Kate Cavanaugh Writes on YouTube, and while there isn’t a dedicated community for this challenge, anyone can take it on!
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free
NaNoWriMo.ca
NaNoWriMo.ca was created to revive and continue the NaNoWriMo writing challenge and community. While the website is a Canadian domain, it caters to writers around the world. It offers a page on resources, another on finding other writing communities (including local regions), and it features a moderated all-ages forum where you can connect with other writers.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free
NotNoWriMo by Freewrite
Freewrite is a company that offers devices geared for distraction-free writing. They’ve created a NaNoWriMo-inspired challenge to write 50k words in November specifically without the use of generative AI. They offer stats tracking and badges on their platform, a leaderboard, and community events like writing sprints. You don’t need to use Freewrite devices to participate in the challenge, though you do get discounts on devices by signing up.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free
Novel 90 Writing Challenge by AutoCrit
The Novel 90 Challenge: write 50k words in 90 days—from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31. It’s held by AutoCrit, an online software that connects you to editing, feedback, and publishing help. In this challenge, you’re able to join 1 of 3 community teams (Planner, Pantser, Plantser), each led by a bestselling author that writes in a similar style and can offer guidance to get you to your writing goal. There are word sprints, emailed encouragement, community events to keep you motivated, and you can talk with coaches to get advice and tips. At the end of the 90 days, there are prizes that all participants are entered into and grand prizes for folks that wish to share their manuscripts for feedback.
- Age Restrictions: 13+ with parental consent; 18+ otherwise
- Cost: Free to participate, though AutoCrit itself has paid plans available as well with more account features
Novel November
Novel November was created as an alternative for NaNoWriMo in 2025. It lets you set a goal—either the standard 50k in the month, or a custom one—and currently offers a forum, tracker, and awards you can win as you progress. The forum is run on a code of conduct that is geared around being all-ages friendly, offering full transparency—no edits, no deletes, and the code is publicly available—and is updated as more features are added.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free
NovNov by ProWritingAid
Novel November (NovNov) is a challenge to write 50k words during November. It’s hosted by ProWritingAid, a software that leverages tools such as AI to offer in-depth analysis, critique, and actionable advice on your writing. NovNov is free to participate in, and it offers live sessions with a number of bestselling authors throughout the month. It also offers prepping help in October and editing/publishing advice in December.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free, though paid tiers are available
Pathfinders Writing Collective
Pathfinders Writing Collective is an online community that focuses on being a safe space for collaboration and community. They have a website, Instagram, and Discord where folks can participate year-round or during their 4 yearly writing challenges in March, May, June/July, and November–January. Each challenge is geared toward different writing goals but customizable to every participant—you “pick your own path, your own pace, and how to define and track your progress.” Fundraisers are held during challenges; the proceeds go to other nonprofits.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free
Reedsy Novel Sprint 2026
Reedsy Novel Sprint 2026 is a 50,000 words in 30 days (November) challenge hosted on the Reedsy website. It’s free to join, offers prep and writing events, and has cash prizes, but you can only join by writing exclusively in Reedsy’s writing software, “Studio,” which has a free and a subscription version.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free
Rough Draft Challenge
The Rough Draft Challenge from the Heart Breathings YouTube channel (intro here) features a website where you can log in and set a goal for your writing project. You can update and track your progress throughout the month, and join the Facebook and Discord communities to stay motivated and share your progress with others.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free
Shut Up & Write
Shut Up & Write is a nonprofit that hosts group writing events in 80 countries. It offers in-person and online writing sessions and is completely free. This year, they also launched a month-long word-count tracker that lets NaNoWriMo participants set goals, log words, earn badges, and chart their progress. There are local chapters in many major cities that host weekly or monthly write-ins.
- Age Restrictions: 18+
- Cost: Free
Stop Writing Alone
Stop Writing Alone is a podcast/YouTube channel created by Nicole Rivera with the aim to help writers find a writing community to learn from and motivate each other with. It includes all manner of social media accounts to interact with and also offers a Facebook group, a network group, and a Substack page with updates on community events, new episodes, and videos.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free; optional $5 monthly tier offers extra VIP events, community, and accountability posts
Write Your Damn Novel
Write Your Damn Novel is a writing podcast and Discord community centered around writing a book in a month. It’s run by long-time NaNoWriMo participants (and NaNo 2.0 members) Kristina Horner and Liz Leo. The podcast offers advice on a multitude of writing-related topics and questions you may be asking yourself as November looms close. The Discord community is moderated and active throughout the year. It offers writing sprints and encouragement throughout November.
- Age Restrictions: 13+
- Cost: Free