Wonks, marathoners, and storytellers: Describing the participatory culture of NaNoWriMo

The purpose of this study was to describe National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and to investigate the experiences, perceptions, and literary activities of participants. The goals of this study were: I) to gain a deep understanding of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo); 2) to respond to the gap in research literature concerning NaNoWriMo; 3) to identify themes that may be relevant for postsecondary writing curriculum and instruction, particularly within the contexts of motivating writers; and 4) to contribute to the online qualitative research methodology knowledge base. Two research questions guided this study: How do participants describe their National Novel Writing Month experiences? How might these experiences inform postsecondary curriculum and instruction?;An online qualitative case study methodology was employed to address these research questions. Data were collected from four sources: participant observations, an online questionnaire, follow-up email interviews, and the collection of online artifacts. Data were analyzed thematically and emerging themes were reported. Findings are presented categorically and include rich descriptions of the NaNoWriMo site along with participants' experiences and perceptions.;Findings of this study suggest that NaNoWriMo functions as a fandom, a participatory culture, an informal learning space, a writing group, and a community of practice. It encourages freewriting and positions participants as writers. The combination of intrinsic motivation, choice, and accomplishment provided by the NaNoWriMo challenge promotes participants' feelings of self-efficacy and encourages persistence in a sustained writing project. Future research concerning NaNoWriMo is recommended.