It’s NaNoWriMo, Day 25.

Maybe, despite your best efforts, you’ve fallen off the NaNoWriMo wagon. (It’s ok!)

Maybe you’re already a winner (congratulations!) and are psyched to continue writing.

Either way, what you need right now is… Beyond NaNoWriMo: Writing Challenges for Everyone.

If you’re starting to think about writing goals for 2014, pay particular attention to the ongoing/monthly challenges. These smaller, quieter challenges are designed to keep you writing year-round. If you establish a daily writing practice, when November 2014 rolls around, 50,000 words in a month will either seem like a piece of cake (you’ve got this!)—or completely unnecessary. Remember: just a little bit of writing each day adds up over a year:

100 words a day = 36,500 words in a year.
250 words a day = 91,250 words in a year.
500 words a day = 182,500 words in a year.
750 words a day = 273,750 words in a year.

Keep in mind that 80-100k is a good length to aim for if you’re writing a novel. See Colleen Lindsay’s breakdown of novel lengths for specifics. In other words: by writing just 250 words day, you could finish a novel in a year.

Are you a fan of writing challenges? Which ones have worked for you?