Forget NaNoWriMo. Try the FriWriMo Alternative Instead
By Karen Stanley | Mabel and Stanley Publishing
If you're a writer, you'll know NaNoWriMo... National Novel Writing Month, the November challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days.
It was a brilliant idea. But the organisation behind it closed in 2025, and a lot of writers lost the November community and accountability they'd come to rely on.
So I've created something instead. And honestly? I think it suits how most writers actually work.
Introducing FriWriMo! The fabulous alternative to NaNoWriMo!
What is FriWriMo?
FriWriMo is Friday Writing Month. It's a free November writing challenge built on one simple idea... show up for your writing, on your terms, every Friday in November.
No 50,000-word target. No pressure to finish a whole book in a month. Just a commitment to sit down, open the document and do the work... four Fridays in a row. (I'll also bet that you'll be so motivated, you'll be squeezing in extra sessions as you feel yourself make progress!)
I'll be writing every Friday too. I'll share what I'm working on, where I'm up to and what's helping (or not). And I'm inviting you to write alongside me.
Why Fridays?
Friday is my protected writing day. I guard it fiercely, because regular focused sessions keep my manuscript moving forward much better than 20 minutes snatched here and there...and in my experience, that is true for many of the writers I work with.
Four Fridays is four real sessions on your manuscript. That's momentum. (That's potentially around 12 hours of writing if you only manage 3 hours each Friday...which is...@12k words. If you manage a full day each Friday, you could be doubling or trebling that figure!)
If you've been meaning to get back to your book for months, FriWriMo is your permission slip to make Fridays about your writing again.
How the November writing challenge works
Join the FriWriMo WhatsApp Group (link below).
Every Friday in November (6, 13, 20 and 27), you'll get a short prompt or nudge from me to start your session.
Share your word count, your progress, your wins or your wobbles in the group.
If you're posting about your writing, share your progress in your stories and tag Mabel and Stanley (@mabelandstanleypublishing). I'd love to cheer you on.
That's it. No complicated rules and no "failing" if you miss a week.
Who is FriWriMo for?
Fiction AND non-fiction writers. Whether you're writing a novel, a memoir or a business book, the challenge is the same: finding the time and keeping going.
It's for writers who work better with company and accountability. And it's for anyone who loved the NaNoWriMo spirit but found 50,000 words more daunting than motivating.
Join FriWriMo (it's free)
And if you're a fiction writer who wants accountability all year round, my Write Now Membership is a monthly writing community with accountability built in.
See you on Friday.
Karen
Karen Stanley is a hybrid publisher, writing mentor and author of 15 books. She is the founder of Mabel and Stanley Publishing and host of the Write to Publish podcast.
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