Register for the challenge and join us on YouTube for live streams and discussions
Develop good writing habits to help you all year round with our series of encouraging email tips and additional livestream events.
First, we'll provide an object, location and verb which your story MUST use. Then, we'll throw in some twists. This exercise in flexibility will help train you to face any writer's block in 2026.
Submit your finished 1000 word story for a chance of winning one of a variety of fantastic prizes from AutoCrit!
If it does, here’s your chance to stop talking about writing and actually get started writing.
The Start Strong Writing Challenge makes it easy. We give you some prompts to start with, plus a livestream brainstorming session. Regular accountability checkups will help you keep track of your progress and the support of the AutoCrit Community will motivate you to finish in style.
You’ll even have the chance to have you story read as part of our weekly livestream, gaining instant live feedback from the AutoCrit team and your fellow contestants.
Joining challenges like the Start Strong Challenge is a great way to kickstart or level up your career and learn some author habits that will get you to your goals faster than ever.
Nope. It’s free! To participate in the challenge, you don’t have to be an AutoCrit Professional Member. However, all challenge participants will become AutoCrit Free Members. This will allow you to access the AutoCrit Hub and Writer’s Desk, which will be useful during the challenge.
If you are already an AutoCrit Professional Member, you’ll also have the chance to participate in exclusive pop-up challenges for additional prizes! Check the AutoCrit Community for more details.
If you choose to, yes! By the end of the challenge, we hope you’ll have crafted a new, 1000-word short story based on the template we provide. Submit your work to our judges, and we’ll choose a selection of the most striking or creative to win a prize. AutoCrit will make no claim to any rights whatsoever regarding your story – it remains entirely yours to publish wherever you like.
The prompts will be revealed on the first livestream and will also be emailed to you. Make sure to stay tuned to future livestreams and keep an eye on your inbox for the various twists along the way!
Schedule:
Challenge Opening Stream: January 7th, at 1 pm Eastern US
The Twist & Being Flexible as an Author: January 14th, at 1 pm Eastern US
The Second Twist & Learning How to Finish Projects: January 21st, at 1 pm Eastern US
Live Reading of Finalist Stories : January 27th, at 1 pm Eastern US
For the best benefit, we recommend you subscribe to the AutoCrit YouTube channel so you don't miss out on stream notifications.