Can you write a novel from start to finish in only a month? In a word, “kinda.” Many folks have stories in their heads, and many could become a novel. For twenty-five years, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) was the place to go for us. But even without NaNoWriMo, a 50,000-word novel-writing challenge might be just what you need to turn your dreams into a book.
The Challenge
NaNoWriMo brought people from around the world together every November. Their task was to write at least 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. That challenge lives on through independent writing communities and alternative programs. I chose Novel November—a program sponsored by ProWritingAid—in 2025.
But why try this in the first place? And how can you give yourself a realistic chance of succeeding?
Why 50,000 Words?
The beauty of the Novel November program is it encourages people who have never written before to take on the challenge and get their words on paper. Fifty thousand words sounds intimidating, especially if folks have never completed a lengthy writing project. Mind you, 50,000 words isn’t a long novel, but it can still look like an insurmountable number of words. Breaking the goal into manageable pieces makes it considerably less daunting.
Reaching the goal of 50,000 words requires writing about 1,667 words every day. That number is doable for writers who create a routine and protect their writing time. My chapters are about 20,000 words long-ish, so writing a chapter a day keeps me on track.
Another feature of writing so quickly is it priorities progress over perfection. Note that I don’t suggest that writing quickly is finished writing: far from it. The November challenge is to create a first, messy draft, something I’ve spoken of before. The drafting process is not the time to perfect your writing. In fact, people who try to do that during the challenge often fail. Finetuning one’s writing during the challenge slows progress and many abandon their stories because they got bogged down.
Your first draft does not have to be a masterpiece. It simply needs to exist.
Prepare Before You Begin
This will get me into trouble, but I believe writing a novel takes preparation. This is the old “pantser versus plotter” controversy. Many successful writers simply sit down at the computer with only a few ideas in their heads and start writing. Others—known as planners or plotters—start with a detailed outline. I’m in the second category. Even without having a detailed outline, however, even pantsers have some ideas in mind. But for a first-time novel writer, I suggest having as much detail as they can create beforehand.
For example, start with a clear premise. What is your story about? Who is your protagonist? What does that character want, and what obstacles stand in their way? You don’t need to know every detail, but you need to have something in mind before you start. Failing to do so can create unnecessary anxiety. Even something as simple as a loose outline, a character sketch, or a list of important scenes may be enough to get started.
Make Writing a Daily Habit
Writing every day is one key to success for any writer, especially while working on a project. This is easier said than done. Work, family responsibilities, social commitments, and everyday distractions can quickly derail your plans—but not to worry.
Many writers choose a regular writing time and treat it like an appointment. For me, it’s often writing after I exercise and get showered in the morning, but I can write anytime. While working on short stories last summer, I wrote in the afternoons in our RV. Find the time that works for you, mark it off, and let everyone know this is your writing time.
The University of California, Irvine’s Writing Center emphasizes the value of consistent writing habits and supportive social networks in its article, The Best Practices for Writing Productivity. The Novel November website and network can help you with accountability.
You can also make the challenge more manageable by tracking your daily word count. A simple spreadsheet, notebook, or writing application can show your progress and alert you when you fall behind. That’s how I’ve always tracked my November writing.
And consider finding a writing partner or joining a community. Sharing your goals with others can provide encouragement, accountability, and a welcome reminder that you are not undertaking this challenge alone.
Keep Moving When The Words Won’t Come
Every novelist encounters difficult days. Perhaps your characters refuse to cooperate, your carefully planned plot develops a hole, or you simply can’t think of what happens next.
When that happens, resist the temptation to spend hours rewriting yesterday’s work. Make a note of the problem and continue with a different scene if necessary. You can return to the troublesome passage later.
Instead, try writing a brief scene description, exploring a character’s motivation, or allowing your protagonist to do something unexpected. Even an imperfect scene can reveal new possibilities.
Remember that the challenge is about producing a draft, not creating a finished, publishable manuscript. Revision will come later. Purdue University’s Writing Process resources explain the different stages of writing, including pre-writing, composing, and revising.
You Aren’t Done When The Month Is
Reaching 50,000 words is an accomplishment worth celebrating. However, you aren’t done with only a first draft.
Depending on your genre and story, 50,000 words might constitute a complete short novel or be only part of a longer work. Most of my mystery novels range between 65,000 and 75,000 words. My science fiction novels are longer. Your next step may be to finish the story, strengthen the plot, develop your characters, or eliminate scenes that don’t make the book stronger. In a word, you are starting the rewriting process.
My suggestion is to separate yourself from the writing once the draft is done for at least six weeks. The purpose of putting it away is to both celebrate and give yourself time to develop perspective. That way when you return to the book, you’ll be able to identify weaknesses and recognize strengths you overlooked while drafting.
I generally rewrite my work five or six times before passing it on to an external editor. But don’t feel obligated to publish your work. If you do, there are plenty of websites that will help you with the publishing process. I won’t get into that here.
Don’t Be Afraid
Many of us have stories to tell. Novel November—and similar challenges—offer you the opportunity to tell your story. And whether you reach the 50,000 words goal is irrelevant: what matters is taking on the challenge, developing discipline, and silencing your inner critic—at least temporarily. Further, even if you fall short of the goal, you will have learned something valuable about yourself as a writer.
What story have you been waiting to tell? Perhaps this November is the month to begin.
