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It was October 1, 2025. Our inaugural Young Novelist Challenge page was published, the shiny new classroom resources were posted, and November was right around the corner. But were we ready?

The anticipation of our first Young Novelist Challenge felt a lot like the first time I told my students that they would be writing their own novels in November: what if the size of the challenge scared them away? What if they had no stories to tell? What if no one wrote anything?

Then I remembered how enthusiastically my students dove into writing their stories, crafting characters and plotting plots like they were born for the challenge. So I unclenched my jaw, released a deep breath, and trusted that we had done all that we could (in a very quick three months) to support teachers and young writers in the NaNoWriMo challenge.

Happy May, writer! It’s so great to see you again. 

The NaNo 2.0 volunteers and I spent the last four months hibernating in a cozy cave that Kristina found for cheap on Airbnb. I think one of the bats we shared the space with stole my eye mask, but it was otherwise a refreshing winter slumber.  

And now? Now we’re firing up the coffee urns, sweeping away the content cobwebs, and planning for our upcoming year of creative mayhem. We just had a big team retreat to prioritize all our plans, and we’re excited to share details here and in our newsletter this month. 

Like you, the NaNo 2.0 volunteers participated in November’s writing adventure. Are you curious as to what they accomplished? (And would you like to compare it to what they had originally planned? Hmmm?) I was, so I interviewed them to see how their November of writing abandon played out. Here’s what they had to say.

I just got off a Zoom call with Netflix regarding the TV/Film rights to my debut novel, Face the Night. Typing that sentence almost feels like writing fiction. I’m supposed to be browsing Netflix, not pitching them!

How did we get here? Well, it all started on a bright and blustery morning: November 1, 2017.

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break can test the mettle of the strongest teacher. And if your students have just wrapped up a monumental writing challenge like NaNoWriMo, how do you keep them engaged when a two-week vacation is right around the corner?

While the actual writing of their novels may end on November 30th, their enthusiasm for their stories will probably continue. Why not tap into that enthusiasm with a novel-related project? Here are some that my 8th graders enjoyed:

Phew! November was a sprint! We all did something truly amazing over those thirty days, and that’s something to celebrate… but, first, I personally could use a nap.

So, why do I still feel like I should be racing to hit my daily word goal? Why are my characters still running through my mind? Why am I still dreaming about my plot holes? Doesn’t my brain understand that I did the thing, and now I would like to turn it off for a while please?

Hello writers!

What does success feel like to you? I’m not talking about external measurements of success, but how it feels in your body and heart. Do you feel lighter? Does the air feel alive? Do you just feel happy?

What I want to talk to you about today is celebrating the small successes. 

Congratulations! If you’re reading this, hopefully you’ve either met your goal, or you’re close enough to taste victory. Whether you sprinted, crawled, or dragged yourself to the finish line, a win is a win… and now it’s time to make it official.

Step 1: Head to the Validator

To claim your NaNo 2.0 winner goodies, you’ll need to use the official NaNo 2.0 Validator.

The validator confirms your final word count and unlocks your winner’s rewards. It gives you that classic “I really did it!” feeling, right in your browser.

I had my wisdom teeth removed the day before Thanksgiving when I was in college. It was the only day my dentist could work me in while I was home for the holiday, and the timing sucked. I love Thanksgiving, and my mouth was just about out of commission during the feast. Still, I found a way to make it work.

Most Thanksgiving food is soft, which helped. I scraped off tiny forkfuls of mashed potato and stuffing and pumpkin pie with my front teeth, and smushed it against the roof of my mouth with my tongue so I wouldn’t have to use my molars. Each bite was painful but delicious. I didn’t have to miss out on my favorite meal of the year—I just had to approach it differently.

As we roll into the final week of NaNoWriMo, we may find our word count slumping along with our writing energy. November 30 is right around the corner! How can we make it to our writing goal in these last few days?

If you haven’t figured out how your story will end (or you know, but haven’t gotten there yet), by all means keep writing towards that end. One way to make that a little easier is to go ahead and write the end. Just skip to it now. Sometimes we see a scene clearly in our minds and can’t wait to bring it to life. If you write your final scene, it can be easier to work backwards from there to connect where your story is now to where it will conclude.