The once iconic National Novel Writing Month organization has recently come under fire for comments they posted regarding their support of AI usage during the novel writing process. While their original post has been deleted in haste, that didn’t stop many prolific authors and members who once utilized their community to turn away. Long story short, NaNoWriMo is dead. But fear not, we’ve compiled a brief list of other writing organizations you can join and collaborate with as you crank out your novel this November.
4thewords
4thewords is an innovative writing software that blends fantasy video gaming with writing goals to motivate writers through unique and entertaining challenges. The mechanics of the game are similar to other RPGs, with main objectives, side quests, special challenges, and a slew of opponents to challenge.
Gameplay is relatively simple. Each monster or quest will have a timer attached to it, and you have that much time to get a certain number of words written. But if that stresses you out, don’t worry. The time allotted for each challenge is not designed to have you rushing but to encourage you to get started right away.
While this is a paid program, membership comes in at a mere $4 per month. Compared to other tracking and goal-setting software, this is definitely on the low end of the spectrum. Additionally, if you just can’t let go of your writing platform, this site might take a bit of getting used to, as the games require you to write your initial draft for each quest in their provided text editor.
SavvyAuthors
SavvyAuthors is a forum-forward platform that also offers informative articles and blog posts, classes and events, and even has a section where members can highlight books they’ve written using the platform. With hundreds of conversations across forums spanning book recommendations to writing tips and tricks to the latest book news, there’s a constant stream of bookish chatter occurring on the site.
Membership to SavvyAuthors is free and comes with a weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the goings-on of their site. And in a world where forums seem to be a dying art, this community is a veritable gold mine.
Classes offer paid opportunities to dive in with experts into all elements of the novel-writing process. From creating evocative first chapters certain to draw your readers into developing complex characters that will leave readers’ hearts bleeding over their backstories to breakdowns of the hero’s journey to leverage the classic story structure to your absolute advantage, there are a plethora of options for every kind of writer.
Shut Up & Write
Shut Up & Write is a collaborative workspace offering both online and in-person events where writers can come together and work on their projects. They offer different length sessions, with a classic session being one hour, an extended session is longer than one hour but shorter than two, and a marathon session is over two hours. At the end of each session they always offer an optional social time, too!
Don’t worry — just because you’re collaborating in the same space (whether virtual or IRL) doesn’t mean anyone will be able to see what you’re writing — unless you want them to! If you’re looking for someone to read or critique your work outside of a scheduled session, they encourage members to connect with one another during the social time at the end of each meeting.
As promised on their website, Shut Up & Write sessions are, and always will be, 100% free. They encourage writers of every level to join and participate in their collaborative work environments! This is a perfect option for socialites and introverts alike, as you can participate as much as you’d like in the social time at the end or leave right after the session is over!
Whether you’re looking for some fantastical gameplay to elevate your motivation, chatrooms to collaborate with and learn from your writing peers, or virtual or in-person spaces to dedicate some time to your writing and maybe make some connections, any (or all) of these communities have some wonderful features to offer writers throughout this novel writing season! What do you think? Are you going to give any of these programs a try? Let us know on our socials!
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