Prep for your novel by finishing first
Finish a story every day for 30 days.
One prompt a day: a genre, a location, and an object that has to appear in the story. Keep it under 1,000 words. The goal is never length. The goal is finishing.
At the end you'll have 30 finished stories, your real daily writing pace, and a collection you can publish on Amazon.
Join the waitlist
Join and I'll send you a free 7-prompt pack, then let you know when the challenge opens.
- 7 prompts in 7 different genres
- Each one gives you a genre, a location, and an object
- Write each story in under 1,000 words
- Try a week of the challenge before you decide
No spam. Unsubscribe any time.
- Since 2015publishing fiction
- 5self-published books
- 3 a monthflash fiction stories on Patreon since April 2019
How it works
Get the day's prompt
A genre, a location, and an object. Same three ingredients every day, different combination.
Write under 1,000 words
Idea, structure, ending, all in one sitting. A short story can't hide a weak ending.
Finish it, even if it's rough
A bad-but-finished story beats a good-but-abandoned one. Finishing is the skill you're training.
The prompt rules
Genre is the story's main genre. A reader should be able to tell which one you drew.
Location is where the story takes place, for at least part of it.
Object has to appear in the story. It can be central or in the background.
Try one now
Here's a sample prompt that isn't in any pack. Write it today, keep it under 1,000 words, and finish it.
Sample prompt
Under 1,000 words. Finish it today.
A free prompt pack when you join the waitlist
7 prompts across 7 genres, sent to your inbox. Try a week of the challenge before you decide.
Two ways to take the challenge
Self-Guided
$45 one time
For writers who want the structure and will keep themselves on schedule. On sale December 1, 2026. Start any day.
- 30 prompts covering all 17 genres, from that month's set (a new set comes out every month)
- The written challenge guide: daily schedule, tracking your real pace, and how to finish
- Companion videos on YouTube
- Step-by-step guidance for publishing your 30 stories as a flash fiction collection on Amazon
Guided Community on Skool
$500 one time
Early pricing while the program is new. The price may change for future cohorts.
For writers who want to go from 30 rough stories to a published collection, with help at every step. The first cohort starts Friday, January 1, 2027, with the first live class on Tuesday, January 5. After that, cohorts start in January, March, May and September.
The 60 days
What's included
- Live classes every Tuesday and Thursday, 6:00 to 7:30 PM Eastern: open Q&A where you bring your questions and I answer them directly
- Recordings of every live class
- Video lessons on Skool that go deeper than the YouTube videos, plus the written guides
- Using AI as an Editor: get edit suggestions on your own stories while you keep every decision. AI gets a vote, but the author gets the veto.
- A Cover You Can Upload: design your collection's cover with AI tools, including the disclosure step Amazon requires for AI-generated covers
- From 30 Stories to a Book: choose which stories make the collection and in what order, then build your Amazon listing: title, description, categories, keywords and price
- An optional cohort anthology you can submit a story to
- Everything in Self-Guided
Live classes end on day 60. The videos and guides stay with you for one year from your start date, so you can take longer if you need it.
Program members only: after your year, you can stay on for $29 a month or $299 a year. You keep the full video and guide library and the community, plus a new pack of 5 prompts every month and a monthly live Q&A.
I'm Steven Meehan. I've been publishing fiction since 2015, I've self-published five books, I've posted three flash fiction stories to Patreon every month since April 2019 without missing a month, and my novel Dead Man's Hand was republished by Silversmith Press in 2024. I've done NaNoWriMo, and I've written flash fiction for years. This challenge is how I'd prepare for a 30-day novel today.
Commonly asked questions
Who is this for?
Writers who start stories and don't finish them. It's built for anyone preparing to write a novel who wants to prove they can finish something first, and for anyone who used to do NaNoWriMo and misses having a 30-day challenge.
Do I need writing experience?
No. Every story is under 1,000 words, and the goal is finishing, not perfection.
What's the difference between Self-Guided and the Guided Community?
Self-Guided gives you the 30 prompts, the written guide, the YouTube videos, and guidance for publishing on Amazon, and you work at your own pace. The Guided Community adds a 60-day cohort on Skool: daily prompts with the group, live classes twice a week, deeper video lessons, class recordings, and step-by-step help through revising and publishing.
When does the next cohort start?
The first cohort starts Friday, January 1, 2027, with the first live class on Tuesday, January 5. After that, cohorts start in January, March, May and September each year. Join the waitlist and I'll email you the exact dates.
When can I start Self-Guided?
Self-Guided goes on sale December 1, 2026, and you can start any day after that. A new set of 30 prompts comes out every month. You get the set that's current the month you buy.
When are the live classes?
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00 to 7:30 PM Eastern, during the 60 days. If a class falls on a federal holiday, including an extra holiday added by executive order (such as Christmas Eve in some years), it moves to the next business day at the same time.
What if I can't make a live class?
Every class is recorded and added to the Skool video library.
What if I miss a day of writing?
Each day's prompt stays available in Skool, so you can catch up. The goal is still one finished story a day.
How long do I have access?
Live classes run through day 60. The videos and guides stay available for one year from your start date. After that, program members can stay on for $29 a month or $299 a year.
Who owns my stories?
You do. Your collection is published in your own Amazon KDP account, under your name. The cohort anthology is optional, and only stories you choose to submit are included.
Do I have to publish?
The program walks you through publishing, but your collection is yours. Whether and when you publish is your decision.
Does the program use AI?
Some video lessons show how to use AI tools as an editor for your stories, to design a cover, and to decide the order of your stories. Using them is your choice, and the stories stay yours. The rule I teach: AI gets a vote, but the author gets the veto. AI can suggest edits, cover ideas, and story orders, and you decide what stays. Amazon doesn't require you to disclose AI used to edit or refine your own writing, but it does require you to disclose an AI-generated cover when you publish. The lessons cover both.
Will the price change?
$500 is early pricing while the program is new. The price may change for future cohorts.
Do you recommend tools or services?
Yes. Some are paid links, which means I earn a commission if you buy through them. I'll always say when a link is a paid link.
Is there a guarantee?
No. I can give you the prompts, the classes, the guides, and my help, but I can't write your stories for you. What you finish depends on the work you put in, so I don't guarantee results. The refund policy below covers what happens if you need to leave.
Can I pay over time?
Yes, for the Guided Community. At checkout you can choose Afterpay to split the $500 into installments, subject to Afterpay's approval.
What is the refund policy?
This program does not include a results guarantee. Refunds are based on time remaining, not on how many stories you finish.
Guided Community ($500): full refund if you cancel before the cohort starts. During the 60 days, refunds are prorated by the days remaining. If a real conflict comes up, you can move to the next cohort once instead. After the 60 days end, there are no refunds.
Self-Guided ($45): no refunds once the materials are delivered, except for duplicate charges or files that don't work.
Graduate membership: cancel any time. You keep access until the end of the period you paid for. No refunds for partial periods.