What is this?
A novel-writing accountability experiment led by
from the team behind Chill Subs, Sub Club, and Forever Workshop.About First Draft November
Welcome to First Draft November, a month-long challenge for writers who are ready to get that novel they’ve been dreaming of on the page! For the entirety of November, we’re diving into the wild, messy, exhilarating process of writing a first draft—together.
The goal is simple: move quickly, stay curious, and write without overthinking. No revising, no perfectionism. Just momentum!
Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you’ll get one deep, story-shaping question designed to inspire new scenes and help you understand your story better. As much as we aim to approach this draft with curiosity, a loose structure can be helpful. These questions double as both fuel for your word count and mini-lessons on story structure, so throughout the challenge, you’ll not only have pages written but also a clearer sense of your novel’s foundation.
And by the end of the month, you’ll have around 50,000 words—about 75% of your novel!
At its core, this challenge is an act of curiosity (and maybe rebellion): to let go of expectations, embrace imperfection, and write with courage and speed.
You’ll also find daily accountability spaces in the Substack Chat and Saturday check-ins to share progress and celebrate wins.
No one should write their first draft alone. Writers need writers, y’all!
Who’s ready?
P.S. → The full welcome post goes live tomorrow, October 23, with a complete breakdown of how all of this works and what’s ahead this month.
