Focusing on the length of a work rather than the quality, writers are encouraged to finish their first draft quickly so it can be edited later at their discretion.

[6] Writers wishing to participate first register on the project's website, where they can post profiles and information about their novels, including synopses and excerpts.

Regional volunteers called "Municipal Liaisons" help connect local writers, hold in-person and virtual writing events, and provide encouragement.

Freelance writer Chris Baty started the project in July 1999 with 21 participants in the San Francisco Bay area.

group to facilitate socialization between participants and, after the posters began asking about guidelines, he set most of the event's basic ground rules: the novel must be new, cannot be co-authored, and must be submitted in time to be verified.

[10][11] Though Baty was happy with the large turnout and popularity of the event, it almost did not happen, as the website had a number of problems[10][11] leading to participants being asked to post themselves as winners on an honor system; in the end, 700 people would do so.

The next year, the NaNoWriMo team began the Municipal Liaison program where volunteers could act as moderators in the forums as well as send out the first set of pep talk emails.

[14] In 2005, NaNoWriMo was registered as a nonprofit organization due to the event growing strongly every year,[7][8] which became the Office of Letters and Light.

[24] This stance generated controversy in the online community, with many on social media stating they were withdrawing support of or participation in the NaNoWriMo event.

[27] In response to the controversy, NaNoWriMo stated that their "commentary on ableism and classism was relevant to the bullying dynamics we were seeing across our social channels".

Organizers of the event say that the aim is to get people to start writing, using the deadline as an incentive to get the story going and to put words to paper.

Beginning November 20, participants can submit their novel to be automatically verified for length and receive a printable certificate, an icon they can display on the web, and inclusion on the list of winners.

[42] Ultimately, NaNoWriMo staff agreed to sever their partnerships with Inkitt and Manuscript Press and update their vetting processes to prevent it from happening again.

[46] The Board of Directors found that the NaNoWriMo's staff had a history of overpromising and underdelivering as well as a lack of transparency/community accountability and too few people trying to do too much.

[47] In November 2007, NaNoWriMo hosted a fundraising Write-a-thon event called "The Night of Writing Dangerously", held in San Francisco.

[49] Starting in 2002, NaNoWriMo ran a Laptop Loaner program for those without regular access to a computer or word processor.

Functional used laptops were donated by NaNoWriMo participants, and borrowers were required to send a $300 deposit with proof of identity and cover the cost of return shipping.

[50] In 2004, NaNoWriMo started the Young Writers Program (YWP), a writing workshop aimed to aid classrooms of kindergarten through 12th-grade students.

Teachers register their classroom for participation and are sent a starter kit of materials to use in the class which includes reward items like stickers and pencils.

Lesson plans and writing ideas are also offered as resources to teachers, while students can communicate through the program's forums.

Fifty percent of net proceeds from 2004 to 2006 were used to build libraries in Southeast Asia; three were built in Cambodia, seven in Laos, and seven in Vietnam.

Camp NaNoWriMo participants may choose their word count goal, similar to the Young Writers Program.