National Novel Writing Month – NaNoWriMo – challenged writers to draft a 50,000-word novel during November, which works out to 1,667 words a day. The non-profit that ran the event closed in 2025, but the idea lives on in writing groups, forums and personal challenges every November and throughout the year (Camp-style challenges in April and July, or any month you choose).
A big target only feels manageable when you know where you stand. This calculator compares your current word count with where you should be, projects the date you will finish at your current pace, and recalculates the daily target you need from here on. Fall behind by a few days and it tells you exactly how many extra words a day will get you back on track.
It also converts words into time. Drafting fiction is much slower than copy typing – most people compose at 10–30 words per minute – so entering your real writing speed shows how many minutes a day you need to set aside and how many hours the whole draft will take.
How to use the NaNoWriMo Calculator
- Word count goal
- Challenge start date
- Challenge end date
- Today is
- Current word count
- Is today’s writing already in the count?
- Your drafting speed (words per minute)
Results update as you type, every field has its own unit menu, and everything is calculated in your browser.
How it works
Set the goal and the challenge start and end dates, enter today’s date and your current word count, and say whether today’s writing is already counted. The calculator measures days elapsed and left, divides to get averages and targets, and converts words to time with your words-per-minute speed.
Worked example
A 30-day challenge with a 50,000-word goal has a daily target of 1,667 words. After 11 days (today counted) you have written 15,000 words – 1,364 a day and 3,333 words behind schedule. At that pace you would need 37 days, finishing a week late. 35,000 words remain for 19 days, so you need 1,842 words a day; at 15 words per minute that is about 2 hours a day and 38.9 hours in total.
Daily targets for common goals
| Goal | 30 days | 60 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30,000 | 1,000 | 500 | 333 |
| 50,000 | 1,667 | 833 | 556 |
| 80,000 | 2,667 | 1,333 | 889 |
| 100,000 | 3,333 | 1,667 | 1,111 |
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Word count goal | A number |
| Challenge start date | A date |
| Challenge end date | A date |
| Today is | A date |
| Current word count | A number |
| Is today’s writing already in the count? | Choose one: Yes – count from tomorrow, No – I can still write today |
| Your drafting speed (words per minute) | A number |
What each result means
- Challenge length = [Challenge end date] – [Challenge start date] + 1
- Target words per day = [Word count goal]÷[Challenge length]
- Progress = ([Current word count]÷[Word count goal])×100
- Days elapsed = clamp([Today is] – [Challenge start date] + [Is today’s writing already in the count?], 0, [Challenge length])
- Where you should be today = min([Word count goal], [Target words per day]×[Days elapsed])
- Ahead (+) or behind (−) by = [Current word count] – [Where you should be today]
- Words left = max([Word count goal] – [Current word count], 0)
- Days left = max([Challenge end date] – [Today is] + 1 – [Is today’s writing already in the count?], 0)
- Writing hours until you reach the goal = [Words left]÷[Your drafting speed (words per minute)]÷60
- Total writing time for the whole goal = [Word count goal]÷[Your drafting speed (words per minute)]÷60
Formula
Daily target = goal ÷ challenge days · average = words written ÷ days elapsed · needed per day = words left ÷ days left · finish date = start + goal ÷ average · writing time = words ÷ (words per minute × 60)
Worked example
Inputs — Word count goal: 50,000; Challenge start date: 2026-10-15; Challenge end date: 2026-11-13; Today is: 2026-10-25; Current word count: 15,000; Is today's writing already in the count?: Yes – count from tomorrow; Your drafting speed (words per minute): 15.
Results — Challenge length = 30 days; Target words per day = 1,667; Progress = 30 %; Days elapsed = 11 days; Your average per day = 1,364; Where you should be today = 18,333; Ahead (+) or behind (−) by = -3,333 words; At this rate you will finish on = Fri, November 20, 2026; Words left = 35,000; Days left = 19 days; Words per day to reach the goal = 1,842; Writing hours until you reach the goal = 38.9 h; Daily writing time needed = 123 min; Total writing time for the whole goal = 55.6 h.
Key terms
- Word count goal
- The total number of words you want to write in the challenge.
- Daily target
- Goal divided by the number of days in the challenge.
- Writing sprint
- A short, timed burst of writing, often 15–30 minutes, used to measure and boost speed.
- Projected finish
- The date you would reach the goal if you kept your average pace.
Frequently asked questions
How many words a day is NaNoWriMo?
50,000 words in November's 30 days is 1,666.7 – round up to 1,667 words a day.
Is 50,000 words a full novel?
It is a short novel – about the length of The Great Gatsby (≈ 47,000 words). Most adult fiction runs 70,000–100,000 words, so many writers keep going after November.
How long does it take to write 1,667 words?
At a drafting speed of 15 words per minute about 1 hour 51 minutes; at 30 wpm about 56 minutes.
I am behind – how much do I need to catch up?
Enter today's word count: in our example 15,000 words after 11 days, so 35,000 words remain for 19 days – 1,842 words a day.
Does NaNoWriMo still exist?
The organisation that ran it closed in 2025, but writers still take on the November challenge independently and in local groups; this tracker works for any dates and goals.
What is a realistic drafting speed?
Most people compose new prose at 10–30 words per minute, much slower than their copy-typing speed. Time a 15-minute writing sprint to measure yours.