Plan and Write Your Book in 60 Days
Join thousands of authors just like you and get your novel written. Plan your story in October with expert guidance and weekly lessons, then join our daily writing sessions in November to get your 50,000 words written.
psstYou don't need Dabble to join. It just helps. (And you can try it free for 14 days)
Writing a Novel is More Than Just Writing
Most people who "just start writing" never make it to The End. The 60-Day Novel Challenge sets you up for success and gets you there.
Aqua days are when a new lesson drops. Coral dots are live Q&A nights. Gold is kickoff. The coral square at the end is the part where you get to celebrate.
October
Weekly lessons and an exclusive template with exercises help you map out your premise, get to know your characters, and craft your story bible to prepare yourself for a month of writing.
November
50,000 words in 30 days. That's a lot of words—1,667 a day. But you have a thorough, proven plan to support you and a community of authors writing alongside you.
What comes with the 60-Day Novel Challenge
The Challenge is free for all writers to participate in, including access to the lessons, community, and more. You can try Dabble free for 14 days to get access to the exclusive template and exercises.
All of it's there to get you to The End.
The 60-Day Novel Challenge template
An exclusive Dabble project template filled with exercises and resources to help bring your story to life.
Video tutorials
Short walkthroughs on setting up your project, staying organized, and using the template so you spend November writing instead of hunting for that one note.
Daily writing sprints in November
Every day in November, three timed sprints in The Writing Group with a moderator keeping the pace. Show up, write, and encourage other authors to reach their goal, too!
Weekly lessons and live Q&A
A new lesson lands every Sunday. Midweek, bring all your plot hole, character, prose, and writing questions to a live Q&A with our experts.
A challenge goal tracker
Your 50K target is automatically set up inside Dabble so you can watch it fill up day by day. Hit your daily goals to see some confetti celebrate with you.
An exclusive Dabble theme for participants only
An in-app theme starring the Dabbler-favorite Stu the Duck, available only to writers who sign up for the Challenge. It's the closest thing we have to a secret handshake.
Key dates
Mark your calendars with all the special events happening throughout the 60 Days, starting with a kickoff workshop on October 1!
Kickoff workshop, live on YouTube
Doug walks you through the template, what to expect, and what it takes to write a novel in 60 Days.
Weekly lessons
Eight lessons in total, four on planning and four on drafting. These lessons will help you well beyond the 60-Day Novel Challenge.
Live Q&A
Bring whatever's stuck.
Writing begins
Sprints start. Three a day, every day, all month.
Finish line
50,000 words. A finished draft.
Bring whatever you write in. Or try Dabble free for 14 days.
The Challenge is open to every writer on every platform, as are the lessons, kickoff workshop, and daily November sprints.
The 60 Days template, exercises, bonus resources, the tracker, and the exclusive theme only work inside Dabble, and you can try it free for 14 days, no credit card required.
If you end up loving Dabble, 60-Day Novel Challenge participants get a special discount to write your 50,000 words in November (and an even bigger one if you reach that magic number).
“The Challenge was a very positive experience, and thanks to the team at Dabble I was shown once again that with planning, clear goals and a supportive community we can all write that book we've always wanted to write!”
2025 60-Day Novel Challenge winner
Are you ready to write your story in 60 days?
Signing up is super simple, and we'll send you the template, the schedule, and a nudge or two along the way.
Questions from writers
Is it really free?
Yes. The 60-Day Novel Challenge, the lessons, the sprints, the Q&As. All of it. Dabble itself has a free 14-day trial, and the Challenge template needs Dabble to open, but joining costs nothing.
Do I have to use Dabble?
No. Write in whatever you like. You'll miss out on the template, the tracker, and the exclusive theme, but the lessons, community, and the sprints are for everyone.
What if I already have an outline?
Great, you're ahead. Use October to pressure-test it with the lessons, or just show up for the community and start writing on November 1 with everyone else.
Is this the same as NaNoWriMo?
The 60-Day Novel Challenge started as a partnership with NaNoWriMo in 2024. With the NaNoWriMo organization declaring bankruptcy in 2025, we are carrying on the spirit and commitment to the writing community with 60 Days.
Unlike NaNoWriMo, the 60-Day Novel Challenge includes a month of brainstorming and preparing for writing a heck of a lot of words in November. Plus you get all the extra perks, like a community of authors and guided lessons.
What happens if I don't hit 50,000 words?
You'll have more words than you started with, a plan, and a habit. That's a win by any honest measure and more important than burning out on 50,000 words. Plus every 60-Day Novel Challenge participant can get a discount on Dabble, the world's best novel-writing software!
Where do the sprints happen?
All of the sprints will be hosted in the Dabble Writer Community. If you aren't a member, you can join here.