The traditional NaNoWriMo goal is 50,000 words in November. Over 30 days, that works out to about 1,667 words per day. If you plan to take days off, divide 50,000 by your available writing days to find the daily target that fits your calendar.
Use the word-count table below to track a steady 30-day pace. If you fall behind or begin late, calculate a new target from the words and writing days you have left.
The original NaNoWriMo organization closed in 2025, while community-led November writing continues. The familiar 50,000-word target remains an option for a personal challenge; organized events have their own current rules. NaNoWriMo.ca explains the distinction.
How many words per day do you need for NaNoWriMo
Divide your monthly word goal by the number of days you expect to write. A day when you cannot write should not count as an available writing day.
| Word goal | Available writing days | Daily target |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000 | 30 | About 1,667 |
| 50,000 | 26 | About 1,924 |
| 50,000 | 25 | 2,000 |
| 50,000 | 20 | 2,500 |
| 30,000 | 25 | 1,200 |
| 20,000 | 20 | 1,000 |
The rounded figures give you a whole-word target. Writing 1,667 words on all 30 days produces 50,010 words, so you have a small cushion over 50,000.
Before choosing a target, look at one ordinary week. Identify the sessions you can protect, then consider the rest of the month. If you know that several weekends or evenings are unavailable, account for them now.
A simple NaNoWriMo word count tracker
Copy this table into your notes or print it. Enter your cumulative challenge total in the last column after each writing session. For a November 1 start, day 1 is November 1 and day 30 is November 30.
The goal column divides 50,000 evenly across 30 days and rounds each cumulative target up to a whole word. It assumes you write every day. Use the daily-target calculation above if your schedule includes days off.
| Day | Cumulative word goal | Your cumulative total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,667 | |
| 2 | 3,334 | |
| 3 | 5,000 | |
| 4 | 6,667 | |
| 5 | 8,334 | |
| 6 | 10,000 | |
| 7 | 11,667 | |
| 8 | 13,334 | |
| 9 | 15,000 | |
| 10 | 16,667 | |
| 11 | 18,334 | |
| 12 | 20,000 | |
| 13 | 21,667 | |
| 14 | 23,334 | |
| 15 | 25,000 | |
| 16 | 26,667 | |
| 17 | 28,334 | |
| 18 | 30,000 | |
| 19 | 31,667 | |
| 20 | 33,334 | |
| 21 | 35,000 | |
| 22 | 36,667 | |
| 23 | 38,334 | |
| 24 | 40,000 | |
| 25 | 41,667 | |
| 26 | 43,334 | |
| 27 | 45,000 | |
| 28 | 46,667 | |
| 29 | 48,334 | |
| 30 | 50,000 |
“Cumulative total” means the words you have counted toward this challenge so far. If you start November with an existing manuscript, record its starting word count separately. That keeps earlier work from being added to your November total by accident.
How to catch up when you fall behind
Calculate your next daily target using:
Remaining words = word goal - words completed
New daily target = remaining words / remaining writing days
Round the daily target up. Count writing days from your next session through your deadline, including the deadline day if you expect to write then.
For example, suppose you finish November 10 with 12,000 words. You still need 38,000 words to reach 50,000. If you can write every day from November 11 through November 30, you have 20 writing days left:
(50,000 - 12,000) / 20 = 1,900 words per writing day
If only 16 of those days are available, the target becomes 2,375 words per writing day. That is a different commitment, so compare it with what your recent sessions have actually allowed.
If the new target is impractical, choose a smaller goal or a later deadline for your personal project. You might aim to finish an act, reach a turning point or build a month of regular writing. An organized challenge may require its original deadline for completion or prizes.
What if you start November late
Starting on November 6 gives you 25 calendar days through November 30. With no words written and a plan to write every day, reaching 50,000 would require 2,000 words a day.
If you expect to write on only 20 of those days, it would require 2,500. Your personal schedule determines the workload even when the calendar deadline stays the same.
Use the same calculation for any starting date. Keep a note of the date range and available writing days so you can check the number later.
Turn a daily word goal into a writing session
A word target tells you how much progress you want. Leave yourself a scene instruction that tells you where to begin: “Mara reaches the gate, but her brother still has the key.”
If you want to use short writing sprints, measure a few of your own sessions. Suppose a session produces 420 words in 20 minutes. Four similar sessions would produce 1,680 words and take 80 minutes of writing, plus breaks. Treat that as one planning example; research, difficult scenes and interruptions can change the pace.
Keep a small story bible for details you repeatedly stop to find. A note about who holds the key can save a search through several chapters while you are trying to finish a scene.
What should count toward your word goal
For your own challenge, decide how you will count before the month begins. You could track new manuscript words, the manuscript's net increase, or a revision measure such as completed scenes. These measures answer different questions.
New words drafted can include passages you later remove. Net increase can fall when you cut a scene. Keep those figures separate so a revision day does not quietly change the meaning of your tracker.
If you join a November event, follow that event's rules for existing drafts, planning notes, revisions and tools.
What happens after 50,000 words
Reaching the target may leave you with a finished first draft or a substantial part of a longer book. Record the next story task while it is clear: finish the ending, resolve an open thread or review the manuscript after a break.
When you begin revision, use your notes to check names, objects and character knowledge against the text. The worked continuity check shows how to turn a suspected contradiction into a specific passage to review.