I can’t believe I’m actually writing this post. But today, I just got an email from NaNoWriMo that says that it’s finally ending. I really can’t believe it. NaNoWriMo’s been deteriorating over the years, especially over the abuse in the community forums, but still….
I can’t believe it.
And for me, I’m just so incredibly sad. Even with all the controversy going on, I can’t and refuse to deny that NaNoWriMo has been so incredibly life-changing for me. Even without the forums, there were still all the Dabble writing sprints.
NaNoWriMo brought me closer to other writers in a time when I was so lonely. I will admit that I was going through a really tough time in November of 2024. I had mild OCD, anxiety, and hypochondria (basically a mental health issue where you think you have every single terrible disease in the world). But even then, I was still writing. NaNoWriMo, as I’ve said, brought me closer to other writers. Because of it, I’ve made connections in the writing community that I never would’ve made otherwise. Some of my very best friends, I met through NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo gave me confidence in my abilities as an author. Yes, it did give me motivation to write. But it became more than that. Because through NaNoWriMo, I was meeting all these new people, I was meeting people who would later buy my books and support me through my author career. I made so many friends. And it gave me some sort of confidence to be like, “I won NaNoWriMo. I did this. I can do (insert whatever scary, new author opportunity I have).”
And for that, I will be eternally grateful. NaNoWriMo is what has kickstarted my author career. Without it, I’d never be at this point where I am now. I’d never have people buying my books (well, I might but it would’ve taken a LONG time), I’d never have all these friends, and I probably wouldn’t be interviewing all these amazing, brilliant, and kind authors.
I’m also incredibly glad that I didn’t wait till 2025 to participate since…. Well, you know.
NaNoWriMo has given me countless opportunities to take, and I am forever grateful.
So, yes. I’m so incredibly sad, and for me, this is heartbreaking news. And as much as I truly do just want to mope about (and I probably will), that’s not all I want to do in this blog post. Yes, NaNoWriMo is ending. And yes, it’s incredibly sad.
But just because this program is ending, that doesn’t mean you guys should stop writing or interacting with other writers. You may need to find some other way to find your writing buddies. And that’s okay. It might take a while, but I have absolute faith that it will happen.
You guys are all amazing writers. And I know that even without NaNoWriMo, you will do amazing things. Because yes, NaNoWriMo is what’s given me and so many other writers countless opportunities. But I think that mostly, it’s really up to you, to take that opportunity and believe in yourself. You don’t need NaNoWriMo for that.
In my opinion, all you need to achieve your dreams, isn’t NaNoWriMo or some writing program. It’s a dream, belief, and hope. It’s your courage and all your achievements, as small as they may seem. You don’t need a program to give you opportunities. All you need is a little bit of hope and courage (and we all have that inside of us, so don’t you dare say you’re not courageous!) to make your own opportunities.
Because I thought that I didn’t really have any.
And that really wasn’t true at all.
NaNoWriMo just really gave me the courage to go out, find these opportunities, take them, and… make them my own, I guess? It showed me that there are opportunities out there, even as hard as it might seem.
I believe in each and every one of you. And I believe that even without NaNoWriMo, you will do amazing things. Keep writing, keep reading, keep dreaming, and keep telling your stories. You will get there someday. Who knows, perhaps you’re there already. 🙂
May the stars forever light your path,
Isabelle.
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