8 Writing Challenges To Boost Your Creativity

Steven Pressfield said “It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance.”

Oftentimes, you find yourself wanting to write, but don’t know where to start. There can be a situation where you feel a bit of a slump and need some innovative writing ideas to pick you up. A great solution to this is taking writing challenges. They inspire you to write something incredible and motivate you to be consistent.

Here are the 10 best writing challenges that you can try.

1. NaNoWriMo

The “National Novel Writing Month” challenge is one of the most renowned writing challenges. The idea sees enthusiastic participants from all over the world.

To take this challenge, start writing your novel on the first day of November. The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days and finish your very own novel in a month. The idea of completing the novel is flexible, and you can continue working on it even after 30 days.

This challenge appears ambitious and daunting at first glance. But it can go a long way in helping you reach your dream sooner. This is the best writing challenge for writers who wish to get their novel published. Hundreds of NaNoWriMo participants have gotten their work published so far.

2. One-Line Horror Story

You have aced the art of writing if you are able to scare your readers. The challenge helps you achieve this pedestal of mastery over your writing.

You have to come up with a sentence that matches the impact of a horror story. A good horror one-liner gives is a power pack of adrenaline rush. It has the potential to leave the reader bewildered and scared. wanting for more.

For a good one-line horror story, work on a sentence structure that has room for premise and climax. Introduce the element of surprise in the form of a hair-raising twist.

Take this challenge if you want to learn the art of saying more in fewer words.

3. One Minute Writing Challenge

New writers pay heed as this is the best writing challenge that you can take. The process of taking the 1 minute writing challenge is quite simple.

Set aside one minute every day. In this one minute, write about anything that you feel like. You can also take cues in the form of writing prompts. Take a pen and paper and start writing. You don't have to set a timer. You can stop when you feel 1 minute has passed.

The point of this challenge is to let your creativity flow in a quick, spontaneous manner. It also helps in getting over the subconscious hindrances.

4. Micro Story Writing Challenge

A micro story is a short story, usually below 300 words. This is an excellent practice for writers to work on their story-telling skills. It is quite challenging to weave a spell-binding tale in just 300 words or less.

Taking the micro-story writing challenge will push you to choose the right words, prose, and narration style to tell your story in the best way possible. This writing challenge will help you introspect and grow as a writer.

5. Unusual Elements

This is a fun, off-beat writing challenge to take. In this challenge, you ask someone to suggest four random, unrelated elements. For example ice, beach, ring, and leopard. You can come up with elements on your own if you like. Now, combine all four of these odd elements in a way that makes a regular, interesting story.

Use your ingenious storytelling to make the chosen elements fit right in and not seem out of place. This is the writer’s equivalent of Masterchef’s “Mystery Box Challenge”. This is one of the best writing challenges that lets the imagination run wild.

6. Journal Writing Challenge

This is a very simple and wholesome writing challenge. In this challenge, you set aside a little time every day to pen down your thoughts and feelings. Write about anything that is on your mind. We recommend that no matter what you choose to write about, make it a point to write about at least one good thing that you are thankful for.

Focus on the little things that make you happy every day. The blessings that you tend to overlook and often take for granted. Not only is this a therapeutic way to practice gratitude, but it is also a great way to enhance the conversational style of writing.

This is one of the best writing challenges that you can take, as it will help you grow not only as a writer but also as a person.

7. Dreams

Let’s be honest. We have all thought about doing this at least a couple of times in our lives. How many times have you woken up, remembered a vague dream you had, and then forgotten it later? Sometimes, you may remember your dream all of a sudden, randomly during the day.

In this challenge, you have to give words to your dreams. It’s almost like your dream is the creative writing prompt that will help you build your story through a journal.As soon as you remember what you dreamt, take a piece of paper and write it down. Narrate it in the most descriptive and detailed way you can. The purpose of the dreams writing challenge is to help you become a more expressive writer. It will also elevate your visual writing skills.

This is one of the best writing challenges that new writers can take. The fun part about this challenge is a journal full of interesting and wacky dreams, which you can read whenever you want!

8. Love Beyond Boundaries

Love is a powerful entity that empowers and uplifts the soul with inexplicable emotions. However, the definition of love is subjective. In the "Love Beyond Boundaries" writing challenge, you write about what love means to you. It can be a person, an activity, or a thing that you are passionate about and love. You can write a poem, short story, or a haiku. No matter what you write, make sure that it is something meaningful to you.

This challenge helps you in finding ways to express strong emotions. It also teaches you to get over the fear of getting judged for feeling a certain way. You will also discover the addition of vividness and eloquence to your writing style.

Practice makes a man perfect, and what better way to practice than to challenge what you know? By taking these creative writing challenges, you set out on a path of constant improvement. The journey teaches you about your writing skills and proposes areas of betterment. You become your own mentor, and you actively learn from your mistakes.

What you write doesn't need to be shared, and you can choose to keep your work to yourself. It is although advised to put your work in front of an audience and earn some honest critique. If you feel comfortable doing so, you can look at platforms like GoSocial. GoSocial app allows you to take fun writing challenges and get inspired by the work of fellow writers. Choose the duration of the challenge, earn streaks, and participate in contests to earn exciting rewards. This will keep you motivated and driven to keep writing fabulous pieces every day.