ProWritingAid’s Novel November Returns to Help Writers Turn Ideas Into Drafts...

LONDON — Denise Wilkerson began writing to preserve a remarkable family history for her children. During ProWritingAid’s Novel November challenge last year, she wrote nearly 70,000 words in just 30 days.

Months later, the opening of her manuscript, Persistence of the Kijimuna, won the company’s separate Novel Beginnings contest along with its $50,000 grand prize.

Novel November returns November 1–30, 2026, inviting beginners and experienced authors to work toward 50,000 words in a month. ProWritingAid helps them prepare, make time to write, and keep going through practical tools, expert-led events, and a global writing community.

Wilkerson found the encouragement she needed in classes, daily goals, and the Historical Fiction Writer Circle.

“I was just someone with a story that I wanted to tell and no structure to help tell it,” Wilkerson said. “Novel November [and ProWritingAid] became that structure.”

Writing a book takes more than knowing your craft. It also takes a habit you can sustain and ways to work through doubt and setbacks.

ProWritingAid focuses on the writer behind the writing, combining tools for planning, drafting, and editing with guidance on craft, habit, and mindset. Novel November puts that approach into practice, helping writers see their progress, build a routine, and find encouragement when they get stuck from a community of more than 100,000 writers.

That approach draws on years of work with writers and research into the psychology of writing.

In the foreword to ProWritingAid’s forthcoming white paper, The State of the Writer’s Mind, founder Chris Banks describes working directly with hundreds of writers and indirectly with millions. The paper draws on 874 survey responses and identifies common hurdles, including perfectionism, self-doubt, and overthinking even among experienced writers.

During the challenge, participants can::

*Write where they prefer: Measure progress in Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, and other writing apps.

*Make time to draft: Join daily group writing sprints to focus on their stories alongside other writers.

*Find help and encouragement: Get practical advice through expert workshops and community discussions, ask questions, share setbacks, and celebrate milestones.

“You might need help with a scene, encouragement after a difficult day, or simply a regular time to sit down and write,” said Hayley Milliman, ProWritingAid’s Director of Community. “That’s why we bring the tools, workshops, and community together. And when November ends, we’ll help you take a fresh look at your draft and begin revising.”

In its inaugural year in 2025, Novel November drew 68,000 writers worldwide who collectively wrote more than 353 million words. October preparation workshops are already underway, with December resources covering editing, publishing, and marketing manuscripts.

Participation, workshops, community events, and word-count tracking are free when you create a ProWritingAid account.

Register for Novel November at www.prowritingaid.com/novel-november

About ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid helps writers plan, draft, and improve their stories through writing and editing software, expert-led events, and a global writing community. Learn more at prowritingaid.com