Chronicler NaNoWriMo

What is NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month) is a yearly challenge to motivate aspiring authors to write their novels. The challenge in the mundane world is to write 50000 words in the month of November. We clearly couldn’t use that, and decided to make our own version, but with the same spirit.

What is Chronicler NaNoWriMo?

In 2023,
Apprentice Nakis ran a small lore writing challenge for the month of November, providing 4 prompts. Each story had a minimum of 200 words, and people who completed all 4 prompts would be entered into a raffle. The prompts for 2023 were:

A conversation: At least two people talking about something

A day in the life: An ordinary day your persona might have

A struggle: Something that is or was a struggle for your persona

A family: A story revolving your person's family, blood or found.

In 2024,
Apprentice Squire Banjax took over running the challenge, and changed the format slightly. The list for this year was 10 prompts with a minimum of 300 words, where each completed prompt would give you an additional entry to the raffle. The prompts for 2024 were:

Meeting with an enemy: write about an encounter with your characters greatest foe

Finding of an ally: write about a meeting your character had with a friend

Fighting off your final breath: your character is at the end of the line, write about how they push through?

A vision of a god: some deity has shown your character something, write about what they saw

A nightmare: in your sleep, your characters greatest fear shows itself, write about it

A formative moment: Write about an event that shaped who your character is

A realization: write about a breakthrough your character had

A time of need: write about someone who helped uplift your character

A message: write a letter from your character’s perspective to someone else

A Sacrifice: your character made a huge sacrifice for something or someone, write about how it affected your character and those around them

In 2025,
Dragoon Antoinette and Apprentice Squire Banjax threw together a slightly new format once again. Providing 4 prompts every week, participants could choose one per week and write a story with an increasing minimum word count between weeks. The prompts for 2025 were:

Week One: Pick One of these prompts and write something that is at least 500 words.

Meeting with an enemy: write about an encounter with your characters greatest foe,

Finding of an ally: write about a meeting your character had with a friend,

Meeting your unit: write about the first time you met your unit and what made you sure they were the right place for you,

First night on my own: Write a journal entry from your character’s first night away from home.,

Week Two: Pick One of these prompts and write something that is at least 750 words.

A vision of a god: some deity has shown your character something, write about what they saw,

A nightmare: in your sleep, your characters greatest fear shows itself, write about it,

A formative moment: Write about an event that shaped who your character is,

Remembering Home: Describe a festival or holy day from your character’s homeland/race.,

Week Three: Pick One of these prompts and write something that is at least 1000 words.

A realization: write about a breakthrough your character had,

A time of need: write about someone who helped uplift your character,

A message: write a letter from your character’s perspective to someone else,

A choice: A magical being offers your character a choice. What is it—and what’s the cost? Do you take it?,

Week Four (Final Week): Pick one of these prompts and write something that is at least 1200 words.

Your Legacy: What song, tale, or rumor circulates about your character in taverns?,

A Precious Keepsake: Describe an heirloom or relic your character treasures—and why.,

Returning Home: Your character goes home for the first time in years, what has changed, are they famous, is there family still there?,

A Sacrifice: your character made a huge sacrifice for something or someone, write about how it affected your character and those around them