Case Study: NaNoWriMo boosts writer engagement and novel-completion rates with SurveyMonkey

How NaNoWriMo uses feedback to help inspire writers to finish a novel in a single month

NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit that runs a global November challenge encouraging writers to draft a 50,000-word novel in one month. With over 400,000 participants annually and a small staff, the organization faced the challenge of designing an engaging, inclusive program that actually helps people start and sustain momentum—while also understanding what differentiates those who succeed.

NaNoWriMo solved this by running rigorous, high-response surveys after events and using the insights to change outreach and programming: they moved messaging earlier in November, built prep materials and workshops, fostered online and local communities, and provided brainstorming prompts. The changes boosted early engagement and completion rates, revealed that reaching smaller milestones (like 10K words) already delivers major creative and confidence benefits, and helped the organization evolve its offerings to better support writers.

NaNoWriMo