Write Your Novel in 30 Days.
Plan with purpose. Draft with confidence. Finish with momentum.
Join thousands of serious writers using PlotForge’s structure-first workflow. The free tier gets you through Week 1—upgrade when you’re ready to finish.
Architect → Draft
210 & counting
60–90 mins
Reserve your seat
Join the next cohort
Pop in your email to receive the Day 0 orientation, daily prompts, and accountability reminders from contact@plotforge.app.
What you get
The Novel-in-30 toolkit
We built the challenge around PlotForge’s strongest workflows so every day you earn tangible progress.
Daily guidance email
30 actionable prompts from contact@plotforge.app with one focused task per day so you never wonder what’s next.
Structure-first curriculum
Micro-lessons on plotting, pacing, characters, and continuity—each maps directly to a PlotForge feature.
Optional AI boosts
Use Draft Assist, Scene Surgery, Voice Engine, or stay 100% manual. You stay in control.
Community + accountability
Discord badges, daily check-ins, and in-app progress tracking keep you honest and motivated.
Tangible output
A fully structured outline plus 6–12 chapters (25–40K words) ready for revision or polishing.
Challenge framework
4 arcs. 30 focused days.
Every phase stacks: plan, draft, expand, strengthen.
Plan the spine
Week 1 · Foundation
Idea → beats → outline → characters → world → emotional arc. Lock canon before drafting.
Draft the opening
Week 2 · Momentum
Chapters 1–3, refinement loops, writing sessions, and early consistency scans for stability.
Build the middle
Week 3 · Expansion
Chapters 4–6, scene surgery, snapshots, and timeline work to keep Act II tight.
Finish & polish
Week 4 · Strength
Chapters 7–8, voice work, developmental passes, exports, and next-step planning.
How it works
Your calendar for the next 30 days
Every task maps to a PlotForge feature. Week 1 is free-tier friendly. Weeks 2–4 are where you’ll draft 1 chapter per day—perfect upgrade timing.
Days 1–7
Week 1 · Architect Phase
- Day 1: Create your project & capture the raw idea.
- Day 3: Generate (or handcraft) your full outline.
- Day 5: Build your character bible & relationship web.
- Day 7: Consistency check—lock lore before drafting.
Days 8–14
Week 2 · Momentum
- Draft one chapter per day using the Outline-to-Draft flow.
- Log progress in the dashboard checklist + Discord.
- Use Scene Surgery for pacing audits every three chapters.
Days 15–21
Week 3 · Draft Marathon
- Most writers hit the 8K free cap here.
- Starter ($12) unlocks 50K words + Voice Engine light.
- Daily prompt focuses on midpoint twists & stakes.
Days 22–30
Week 4 · Finish & Polish
- Finalize final act beats, climax, and denouement.
- Use Scene Surgery + Consistency engine for QA.
- Export draft packets for betas or editors.
Accountability stack
Daily experience
Every morning you’ll know exactly what to work on. Emails, in-app tasks, and Discord check-ins keep you moving without overwhelm.
Daily email drip
30 messages from contact@plotforge.app. Day-by-day tasks, word targets, and feature tips (“Day 12: stuck? Highlight the scene and use Scene Surgery”).
In-app checklist
Dashboard banner tracks each milestone. Mark chapters complete, watch your progress ring fill, and unlock celebration badges at Acts I, II, and Draft Complete.
Discord cohort
#novel-in-30 channel with daily word-count roll call, “Win of the Day” thread, and office hours with the PlotForge team.
Sample email
Subject
Day 12: Stuck? Use Scene Surgery.
Hey writer, today we’re hitting the midpoint. If the pacing feels off, highlight the scene and hit “Analyze Pacing” in PlotForge. Scene Surgery flags sagging beats and suggests trims.
Target: 1,800 words or one chapter draft.
Accountability: drop your progress inside #novel-in-30 so we can celebrate the midpoint with you.
– Team PlotForge
Upgrade moment
Free tier covers Week 1 + ~10K words
Weeks 2–4 target ~1.5–2K words per day. That’s when the Starter plan ($12) pays for itself. Instead of “buying software,” writers are investing to finish their book.
- Free plan: outline creation, character + worldbuilding templates, 8K monthly AI words.
- Starter ($12): 50K words, voice engine light, consistency scans, export packs.
- Pro ($24): 200K words, advanced AI drafting, premium exports, priority office hours.
Community proof
Finish alongside serious authors
“Novel-in-30 forced me to stop tinkering and actually finish. The timeline + daily prompts were my safety net.”
Jess P.
“I burned through my free 8K by Day 9. Upgrading felt obvious—I wasn’t paying for software, I was paying to finish.”
Andre L.
“The Discord channel gave me the same energy NaNoWriMo used to, but with structure and real guidance.”
Sloane M.
Live counter
Writers currently on day 12: 84 · Upgrade conversions this month: 42%
Long-form strategy
How to write a novel in 30 days
Sustainable drafting is about structure, not heroics. Here’s the workflow hundreds of PlotForge authors follow each month.
1. Architect before you draft
Spend the first week locking structure. Apply a template, then customize every beat with your character motivations. Document your lore, relationships, and foreshadowing inside PlotForge so you never slow down later.
2. Set a daily floor, not a ceiling
1,500 words or one scene per day is enough to hit 45K+ in a month. Use PlotForge’s Draft with AI when you need acceleration, but stay in manual control so revisions don’t balloon.
3. Protect continuity as you go
Scene Surgery, Consistency Reports, and the relationship web catch plot holes before they metastasize. Run a scan every three chapters to keep your world rules intact.
4. Finish stronger than you started
Week 4 is dedicated to Act III, denouement, and export. Because your lore, characters, and beats were locked in Week 1, the final stretch becomes execution—not frantic rewriting.
Still have questions?
FAQ
Do I have to use AI to finish the challenge?+
No. PlotForge is designed for writers who want structure first. You can draft every word manually, mix in AI suggestions, or only use the planning tools. The workflow adapts to how you write.
What if I miss a day?+
Life happens. Each email includes catch-up guidance so you can merge tasks or adjust your outline. The Discord check-ins keep you accountable without shaming late days.
Is the challenge free?+
Week 1 lives entirely inside the free plan. Most writers hit the 8,000-word cap around Day 10—perfect timing to upgrade to Starter ($12) or Pro ($24) so you can finish the draft.
When does the cohort start?+
A new cohort kicks off every Monday. As soon as you join, you’ll receive the Day 0 orientation email, Discord invite, and dashboard checklist.
What happens after 30 days?+
You keep full access to your project, notes, and drafts. Cohort participants get a wrap-up live session, plus an invite to the Revision Sprint if you want ongoing accountability.
Ready?
Stop browsing tools. Start finishing chapters.
Join the next Novel-in-30 cohort, meet writers serious about their craft, and draft your book in one month with structure—never stress.
Already a PlotForge member? Joining the challenge does not change your plan—you’ll just get the accountability stack.