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Have you always wanted to write a novel? Perhaps you’ve been too scared to start, haven’t had time, or stalled after the first few pages? NaNoWriMo can help!

Many things make the NaNoWriMo formula work: community, accountability, creative momentum, etc. If you get the formula right, NaNoWriMo is magic (which is why so many of us in the NaNo-verse cling to it even after the demise of the non-profit).

Like you, the NaNo 2.0 volunteers are preparing for their upcoming November writing adventure. 

What are they hoping to accomplish? How much planning are they doing? And what kind of tasty treats are they packing for the journey?

I interviewed some of our team members to find out!

I read a book last year that changed how I write. 

When I was in school, we were taught creative writing using the Snowflake Method. The Snowflake Method begins with a story idea and builds upon it, progressing from a single sentence to three paragraphs and ultimately to three pages. 

This method created a vivid beginning, but I often get lost in the middle because it left many questions unanswered, mostly due to a disconnection between my scenes. That all changed after reading Lisa Cron’s Story Genius.

The Story Genius Method begins with the main character, and you don’t start with the story, but with what happens before the story begins.  

To start, you need to figure out a few things about your main character.

We’re over a week into Preptober, which means writers everywhere are dusting off their keyboards, plotting their stories, and getting ready for another year of creative chaos. 

No matter how you personally prepare to dive into NaNoWriMo, I think there’s one thing we can all agree on…

We like swag. I mean, right? Who doesn’t? 

That’s why we’re so excited to announce the release of our very first set of Writers Swag badges!

We’re kicking off swag season with a 2025 NaNoWriMo Participant badge, along with a set of badges designed to tell the world what kind of writer you are.  

These are perfect for social media or anywhere you want to boost accountability and find writing buddies. 

Welcome to our NaNo 2.0 Community Spotlight series!

As a way to celebrate the wider NaNoWriMo community, we’ll be highlighting some of the many amazing groups putting their own spin on this writing challenge. From Discord communities to writing groups to new full-fledged writing challenges, these programs remind us that the real NaNoWriMo is the friends we make along the way. ;)

Today we’re talking with Lucie from Rough Draft Month!

Hi Lucie. Can you introduce yourself and your group, and tell us a little about what you do?
My name is Lucie Lane! I am the co-founder and communications director for Rough Draft Month, which is a community-focused artistic challenge that takes place in both November and June.

Welcome to October! You know what that means–we are less than one month away from the start of NaNoWriMo. Don’t panic! October—affectionately called “Preptober”—is a great time to plan your novel.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably contemplating writing a novel in November, which means you’re about to start an exhilarating, monumental, and somewhat-ridiculous but awesome challenge. 

Whether you’re a meticulous “planner,” an impulsive “pantser,” or somewhere in the middle (a “plantser”), you will need to answer a few questions for yourself to be able to understand where you want your story to go. 

If you’re staring at a blank page right now and starting to sweat, we’re here for you! 

The bell rings, my classroom door flies open, and Tony comes hurtling through. “Can we write today, Mrs. Bradley? Please, PLEASE tell me we’re gonna write today!” He glances at the whiteboard, sees “writing” on the agenda, and throws his hands up in celebration. “YES!”

In three decades of teaching, I had never seen 8th graders this eager to write. Of course, there had always been enthusiastic young writers out there, but even they didn’t beg me (loudly) for writing time. But this student, a self-professed not-a-writer, had jumped into the boldest, bravest, most terrifying assignment I had ever given… And he discovered he loved to write.

I was embarrassingly sweaty at our first meeting. 

It was early July, 2025. I was parked on the side of the road, talking with longtime National Novel Writing Month volunteers, former staff, and Young Writers Program teachers. 

The big question on the agenda: What could we do about NaNoWriMo?

After a rocky run, the team who’d taken over the organization in 2024 had announced they’d run out of money and were shutting everything down.   

Soon, the website that had encouraged millions of writers over the past 26 years would disappear. And NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program, taught in over 10,000 classrooms, would vanish with it.