In the last few years, a whole bunch of you folks kindly helped me stay focused on my writing by joining some challenges with me. One of those challenges was for short stories in December, because it’s hard for writers to find writing time in the holiday season.
I’m getting back to writing full-time, and right now, a challenge would be counterproductive for me. I have a novel to finish, a novella to write, and some other fun things ahead.
But…a number of you have asked about doing the challenges again, so Dean and I set up a December Challenge. Here’s how Dean put it on his blog:
Here are the details…
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- Level One… Challenge yourself to write 4 short stories in December.
- Level Two… Challenge yourself to write 2 short stories in December.
- Facebook Private Page… Kris will start a private Facebook page for only those in the challenge. Dean and Kris will both be in and out regularly to answer questions and offer help in keeping motivated.
- Webinar Check-in… Middle of the month there will be one live webinar for only those in the challenge to talk about how to keep writing through the holidays and other questions. Date and time announced to everyone.
- The Reward… Part One… If you manage the challenge, when you are complete, you will send all of your stories (2 or 4) at the same time to Dean and he will read them for SALES. Not as an editor, but for how the stories will help your sales, meaning he will look at the opening, read the entire story, and look at the ending to see if it will bring you more readers. He will do this within two days of getting the stories. And unlike an editing read, he will critique the story some in regards to sales.
- The Reward… Part Two… You can send your sales copy with each story and Dean will tell you if it will sell the story or hurt sales. And give suggestions on how to fix it. Again, in two days after getting the stories.
- The Cost… $250 for Level One, writing four short stories in December.
- The Cost… $150 for Level Two, writing two short stories in December.
- How to Get in the Challenge… Send the fee for which challenge you want to PayPal to the email address dean@wmgpublishingstore.com
If you are buying into one of the Really, Really Great Challenges on the half-price sale, this would be a great warm-up to do before starting those challenges in January.
A Facebook private page, a webinar check-in, and the challenge of writing stories through the holiday season. And getting sales feedback on them when finished to help with your sales in the new year.
And yes, if you sign up for the 4 stories challenge and only get two, that counts and you can send in the two. But not saying that to let any of you off the hook, just trying to avoid a bunch of questions because I would ask the same thing. (grin)
Hope to see you in the challenge. With the Facebook private page and the webinar mid-month check in, you won’t be alone battling the challenges of writing in the holidays. And there will be a lot to learn all the way around.
(PS… this is not on Teachable or WMG Writer Store, so no subscriptions or credits apply. This is a stand-alone challenge.)
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If the December challenge doesn’t work for you, but you want a challenge, here are some of the others that are on sale this week.
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For those who want something even more substantial to change your new year and how you approach it, ONLY UNTIL MONDAY NIGHT LATE, we are putting all the challenges on sale for 50% off. Sign up now, start on January 1st or anytime, prepare to start over the next month, working on changing the mindset so 2026 does not end up the same as the last few years.
Again, this sale ends when the Mindset class starts on Monday, December 8th.
Sign up now and start any time you want… You accomplish any of these challenges, you get the $10,000 value Lifetime Everything Subscription.
The five challenges are:
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- Super Great Challenge (one short story a week for a year, published in the next two weeks after you turn it in.)
- Super Great Novella Challenge (one novella a month for a year, published in the next two weeks after you turn it in.)
- Super Great Novel Challenge (one novel every six weeks for a year, published in the month after you turn it in.)
- Super Great Kickstarter Challenge (five Kickstarter campaigns in a year, each funded and each must be fiction.)
- Super Great Publishing Challenge (publish one major book (novel, collection, omnibus) every three weeks for one year.)
More information about each one on WMG Teachable.
To get any of them in this next week at half price, simply use the code word
CHALLENGE
Hit purchase, put in the code and hit apply and you can get it for 50% off. If you miss, you get $600 in credit you can use for anything on Teachable except another challenge.
Again, the half price is only good for one week on the challenges and you can start any time you like.
Lifetime Everything Subscribers, you can do the challenge for yourself and not the subscription unless you want to pay the fee and try to earn someone else the subscription. If that is the case, let me know. Skin in the game is always a very real motivation.
Change it up, challenge yourself to get different results for 2026.
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Challenges work. I wouldn’t have gotten anything done in the last two years without them. So, if you find yourself in need of something to push against, here are a number of things.
All the best,
Kris