Get a jumpstart on your New Year’s resolution with 30 unique writing exercises, unlocking every day of January!
Whether you’re writing for the first time or breaking old habits, our 30-day writing challenge is the perfect companion to help you achieve your writing goals — and have fun along the way!
Each day of this 30-day writing challenge, you’ll receive a fresh, original prompt or exercise. Just set aside 15 minutes to develop new skills, and cultivate a healthy, inspiring, and accountable writing habit. Let’s make writing a part of your daily routine!
The Writing Life introduces you to a wide range of inspiring techniques to kickstart your creativity — from freewriting to audio prompts — all practiced in manageable, bite-sized chunks throughout the month. As you progress, you’ll also receive supplementary resources, including expert tips and interviews with industry masters, to deepen your skills and enrich your writing journey.
I found the whole experience very stimulating and having had writer’s block for a novel I’ve been trying to write for years (and still only 25,000 words in) – this was just the push I needed – thank you!
Although the prompts focus on writing fiction, they are an excellent tool for exploring and refining all types of storytelling, including memoir and journalism.
At the end of the 30 days, we’ll check in to see how you’re feeling and help you take your next steps, equipped with your handy new writing toolkit!
Take part online from anywhere, at any time that suits you.
The challenge begins Thursday 1 January 2026, sign up now →
Once purchased, it’s yours to keep forever!
I looked forward to my daily dose of writing most days. Sometimes I felt that what I wrote was not very good, but what was good was that I wrote it. I loved the character work and feel that I even have the barebones of a story based on the characters I invented.
The Writing Life is powered by Teachable, an online education platform for learning, coaching and growing.
When you click the link above, you will be taken to the Teachable page, where the course sits. You will have access to this course, as well as our other self-paced courses, from here.
Purchasing the course means you will have access to each day’s prompt as it unlocks.
For just £1 a day, you’ll receive…
- 30 original writing tasks, each taking no more than 15 minutes to complete
- Friendly advice and supportive teaching from Holly Ainley, our Head of Programme and lover of stories
- A mix of written, video, audio, and visual content
- Suggested further reading from some of the great writers, past and present
- Tailored, supplementary resources from our extensive digital library, The Writing Hub
- Recommendations for your next steps, along with an exclusive discount on other NCW Academy products.
I have participated all through March and found it to be a brilliant step-by-step framework for writing. Well-paced, clear instructions, helpful back-up material and all at an amazing price.
Daily sparks include…
- Engaging all five senses to create vivid, immersive experiences
- Drawing on nature and weather to reflect emotions and experiences
- Shaping characters through the items they carry
- Mapping out plot using a three-part structure
- Analysing film clips to draft and refine dialogue
- Using music to inspire mood and ideas while writing
- Exploring new forms by writing between or beyond the lines of existing works
- Writing from the perspective of animals
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