The Great Novel Challenge is to write a new novel within two months and turn it in to have me read it. (Yes, I will read and comment on each novel.)

Only rule for the novel is that it be original, not something from your inventory. But yes, it can be a new novel in one of your series or worlds. And you can't have started it before the first day of the challenge.

No genre limitations.

Length from 40,000 words minimum and up.

It has to be turned in to me by attached file in manuscript format by midnight West Coast Time on the last day of the second month after you started to count in the challenge. (If you end up starting in the middle of the month, your due date for each novel would always be two months from that date. That way it is possible to jump into the challenge at any time.)

I will not read or comment on your book, but if you send me a paperback, it might catch me and I will read it. Some have. But I still will not comment.

The cost is $600.

If you miss, at that point you get two regular online workshops or $600 credit toward any online teaching, such as Pop-Up series or lectures or classics or lifetime workshops.

So in essence, you are buying two workshops, just as my challenges have been in the past.

Some Help...

Every week on Teachable I will post a novel hint post dealing with something to do with writing novels. Each will be short, but over time they will add up to a lot of help on writing novels and how to think about writing novels. This stopped in 2020 and has not restarted.

The Great Challenge Reward…

First, you have a new novel every two months to get out to markets or up to readers for as long as you can keep the streak alive

Second, if you hit 6 novels in a year, you get three workshop credits ($900 credit).

And third, if in the following month after you turn in the novel to me, you send me a paperback of the new book for all six books during the year, you will get a lifetime subscription of your choice to all workshops, all lectures, all Pop-Up series, or Las Vegas workshops. (Yes, it is possible to publish a novel, do a paperback of it, and send it to me within a month. But you don't have to. The writing is the important part.)

So, in summary...

The Great Novel Challenge consists of the following…

--- Video help on writing novels every week.

--- Dean will read your novel and make comments and answer questions.

--- Novels must be minimum of 30,000 words, no upper length. Any genre.

--- If you miss, you instantly have credit for two workshops.

--- If you get all six novels done in the year's time, you will have $900 credit toward workshops.

--- If you send me a finished and published paperback within the month after you turn it in each time for the entire year (6 books), you get a lifetime subscription.

--- Cost is $600. (And yes, if you miss, you can buy back in and start over, but not with the credit. Credit is for anything else.)

--- Challenge starts any time you tell me you want to start. (That date will be your deadline every two months.)

--- Sign up on Teachable under The Great Novel Challenge header, where the novel advice videos will be each week.

Questions, write me at [email protected].

This is going to be great fun.