Writing Challenge Templates — From Blank Page to Published
A writing challenge template is a pre-built, day-by-day outline that gives authors and writers a complete structure for running an engaging challenge. These templates handle task sequencing, community prompts, and participant progression so you can customize the content, add your voice, and launch in days instead of weeks.
Want more inspiration first? Browse our 10 writing challenge ideas or read the complete guide to running a writing challenge.
Template 1: 5-Day Writing Kickstart
Target audience: Aspiring writers, people who have been meaning to write but have not started
Goal: Break through resistance and establish a daily writing practice
Duration: 5 days
Day-by-Day Outline
Day 1 — Clear the Decks
- Main task: Write for 15 minutes without stopping. No editing, no backtracking. This is a freewriting exercise to silence the inner critic.
- Secondary task: Set up your writing environment. Choose a consistent time and place for the rest of the challenge.
- Community prompt: Introduce yourself in the group. What do you want to write, and what has been stopping you?
Day 2 — Find Your Story Seed
- Main task: Use the provided list of 20 story starters to write 300-500 words. Pick whichever prompt excites you most.
- Secondary task: Read your freewrite from yesterday and underline any phrases or ideas that surprise you.
- Community prompt: Share the story starter you chose and your first paragraph.
Day 3 — Build a Scene
- Main task: Take yesterday's story seed and expand it into a full scene (500-750 words). Focus on showing action, dialogue, and sensory detail.
- Secondary task: Read one short article on scene structure (provided in the challenge).
- Community prompt: Share one line of dialogue from your scene.
Day 4 — Write Through the Wall
- Main task: Continue your piece or start something new. Write 500 words minimum. If you get stuck, use the provided "unsticking" prompts.
- Secondary task: Time your writing session and note how long it takes to reach flow.
- Community prompt: Share what almost stopped you from writing today and how you pushed through.
Day 5 — Finish and Celebrate
- Main task: Write for 20 minutes. Then spend 10 minutes re-reading everything you have written this week and choosing your strongest paragraph.
- Secondary task: Write a one-sentence intention for your writing practice going forward.
- Community prompt: Post your strongest paragraph and your writing intention. Celebrate five days of showing up.
Promotion Tips
- Position this as a "zero experience required" challenge to reach the broadest possible audience
- Run it Monday through Friday to align with work-week routines
- At the end, offer a discount on your longer writing program or writing course that expires within 72 hours
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Template 2: 7-Day Word Count Sprint
Target audience: Writers with a work-in-progress who need momentum
Goal: Add 5,000 to 7,000 words to a manuscript in one week
Duration: 7 days
Day-by-Day Outline
Day 1 — Set Your Target and Warm Up
- Main task: Choose your daily word count goal (500, 750, or 1,000 words). Write today's words on your current project.
- Secondary task: Review your outline or notes. Identify exactly what scenes or sections you will tackle this week.
- Community prompt: Share your project title (or working title), your weekly word count goal, and where you are in the manuscript.
Day 2 — Build Momentum
- Main task: Write your daily word count target. Focus on moving the story or argument forward, not on polishing prose.
- Secondary task: Set a timer and track how many words you write per 25-minute session (Pomodoro method).
- Community prompt: Post your word count and one thing you discovered about your project today.
Day 3 — Push Through Resistance
- Main task: Write your daily target. If you hit a wall, skip ahead to a scene or section you are excited about.
- Secondary task: Read the provided article on dealing with writer's block and try one technique.
- Community prompt: What was the hardest part of writing today? How did you handle it?
Day 4 — Midweek Check-In
- Main task: Write your daily target. Review your cumulative word count against your weekly goal.
- Secondary task: Revisit your outline and adjust if your writing has gone in an unexpected direction.
- Community prompt: Share your cumulative word count and whether you are ahead, behind, or on track.
Day 5 — The Long Session
- Main task: Write 1.5 times your daily target today. Block out extra time and treat this as your "big writing day" of the week.
- Secondary task: After writing, highlight one passage you are proud of.
- Community prompt: Share the passage you highlighted.
Day 6 — Sustain the Push
- Main task: Write your daily target. You are in the home stretch.
- Secondary task: Note any recurring challenges from this week (time management, distractions, self-doubt) and write down one strategy to address each.
- Community prompt: What is the biggest lesson about your own writing process this week has taught you?
Day 7 — Sprint Finish and Reflection
- Main task: Write your final daily target. Then tally your total words for the week.
- Secondary task: Write a short reflection: What worked? What would you do differently? What is your plan for next week?
- Community prompt: Post your final weekly word count and your plan for continuing. Celebrate every word.
Promotion Tips
- Market this to people who already have a project in progress. The hook is "finally make real progress on the book you have been meaning to write"
- Share daily word count leaderboards (optional and opt-in) to create friendly competition
- After the sprint, offer a follow-up program: a 30-day draft challenge, a manuscript coaching package, or a peer critique group
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Template 3: 14-Day Short Story Workshop
Target audience: Fiction writers who want to complete and polish a short story
Goal: Write, revise, and finish one short story in two weeks
Duration: 14 days (Week 1: Drafting, Week 2: Revision)
Day-by-Day Outline
Week 1 — Draft Your Story
Day 1 — Generate and Choose Your Idea
- Main task: Use the provided brainstorming exercises (what-if questions, character interviews, setting explorations) to generate 5-10 story ideas. Choose one.
- Secondary task: Write a one-paragraph story summary: who is the character, what do they want, and what stands in their way?
- Community prompt: Share your story premise in one sentence.
Day 2 — Build Your Character
- Main task: Complete the character development worksheet. Know your protagonist's desire, flaw, and what they stand to lose.
- Secondary task: Write a 200-word scene from your character's ordinary life before the story begins. This is for your eyes only.
- Community prompt: Describe your protagonist in three words.
Day 3 — Map the Arc
- Main task: Outline your story using the provided story arc template (inciting incident, rising action, climax, resolution). You do not need every detail, just the major beats.
- Secondary task: Decide on point of view and tense.
- Community prompt: Share your inciting incident in one sentence.
Day 4 — Draft the Opening
- Main task: Write the opening of your story (500-800 words). Focus on hooking the reader and establishing character, setting, and tone.
- Secondary task: Read the provided article on strong opening lines.
- Community prompt: Share your first line.
Day 5 — Draft the Middle
- Main task: Write the middle section (800-1,200 words). Escalate the conflict. Raise the stakes.
- Secondary task: Check your outline. Are you hitting your planned beats, or has the story taken a turn? Adjust if needed.
- Community prompt: What surprised you about where the story went today?
Day 6 — Draft the Ending
- Main task: Write the ending (500-800 words). Resolve the central conflict. Give the reader something to think about after the last line.
- Secondary task: Read through your complete draft from start to finish without editing. Just note your first impressions.
- Community prompt: How did it feel to type the last line?
Day 7 — Rest Day
- Main task: Do not look at your story today. Let it rest. Read a short story by an author you admire instead.
- Secondary task: Journal about what you notice about the published story's structure, voice, and pacing.
- Community prompt: Share the story you read and one craft technique you noticed.
Week 2 — Revise and Polish
Day 8 — Structural Revision
- Main task: Re-read your draft with fresh eyes. Evaluate the overall structure. Does the story start in the right place? Is the ending earned? Mark any sections that need to be moved, expanded, or cut.
- Secondary task: Write a one-paragraph revision plan.
- Community prompt: What is the biggest structural change you plan to make?
Day 9 — Scene-Level Revision
- Main task: Revise each scene. Does it advance the plot or reveal character? Cut or condense any scene that does neither.
- Secondary task: Check that each scene has a clear goal, conflict, and outcome.
- Community prompt: How many words did you cut today?
Day 10 — Character and Dialogue Pass
- Main task: Read through focusing only on character voice and dialogue. Is your protagonist's voice consistent? Does the dialogue sound natural when read aloud?
- Secondary task: Read all dialogue out loud to yourself. Rewrite anything that sounds stiff.
- Community prompt: Share a line of dialogue that improved after today's revision.
Day 11 — Prose and Language Pass
- Main task: Line edit for prose quality. Eliminate filler words, replace weak verbs, vary sentence length, and strengthen sensory details.
- Secondary task: Read the provided article on self-editing for fiction writers.
- Community prompt: Share a before-and-after sentence from today's edits.
Day 12 — Proofread
- Main task: Proofread for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and formatting. Change the font or read on a different device to catch errors you have been overlooking.
- Secondary task: Read the story backward (paragraph by paragraph) to catch typos your brain auto-corrects when reading forward.
- Community prompt: How many errors did you catch today?
Day 13 — Peer Feedback
- Main task: Share your story with a partner in the challenge group (or the full group) for feedback. Read and provide feedback on someone else's story using the provided feedback guidelines.
- Secondary task: Take notes on the feedback you receive without arguing or explaining.
- Community prompt: What is the most helpful piece of feedback you received?
Day 14 — Final Polish and Celebration
- Main task: Incorporate feedback. Make your final edits. Format your story for submission or publication.
- Secondary task: Research 2-3 literary magazines, contests, or platforms where you could submit or publish your story.
- Community prompt: Post the title and opening paragraph of your finished story. You wrote a short story in two weeks.
Promotion Tips
- This challenge appeals to fiction writers who want structure and deadlines. Position it as a "guided workshop experience"
- Offer optional live feedback sessions during Week 2 to add a premium element
- After the challenge, offer a critique service, a fiction writing course, or a monthly workshop membership
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Template 4: 21-Day Author Platform Builder
Target audience: Authors who need to build an online presence and grow their readership
Goal: Establish a functional author platform with a website, email list, content strategy, and engagement plan
Duration: 21 days (3 weeks, each with a distinct focus)
Day-by-Day Outline
Week 1 — Build Your Foundation
Day 1: Define your author brand. Write your bio (short version and long version) and your one-sentence positioning statement: "I write [genre/topic] for [audience] who want [outcome]."
Day 2: Set up or audit your author website. Ensure it has a homepage, an about page, a books page (even if your book is not published yet), and a contact page.
Day 3: Create a lead magnet for your email list: a free chapter, a short story, a writing resource, or a reading guide related to your genre.
Day 4: Set up your email list with a sign-up form on your website. Write your welcome email sequence (1-3 emails).
Day 5: Audit your social media profiles. Choose 1-2 platforms where your ideal readers spend time and optimize your bios, profile images, and pinned content.
Day 6: Research and follow 20 accounts in your genre or niche (authors, readers, book bloggers, bookstagrammers, BookTok creators).
Day 7: Rest and review. Check everything you built this week. Fix any broken links, typos, or incomplete pages.
Week 2 — Create Content
Day 8: Write and publish a blog post or newsletter edition on a topic your ideal reader cares about.
Day 9: Create a content calendar for the next 30 days. Plan topics, formats, and publishing dates for your blog, newsletter, and social media.
Day 10: Batch-create 5-7 social media posts. Use the provided templates for author-specific content (writing updates, behind-the-scenes, reader questions, book recommendations).
Day 11: Write your second blog post or newsletter edition.
Day 12: Record a short video or audio clip introducing yourself and your writing. Post it on social media.
Day 13: Write a guest post pitch and send it to one blog, newsletter, or podcast in your niche.
Day 14: Rest and review. Schedule your social media posts for the coming week. Read and respond to any comments or messages you have received.
Week 3 — Engage and Plan Your Launch
Day 15: Engage meaningfully with 10 posts from other authors or readers in your genre. Leave thoughtful comments, not just likes.
Day 16: Host a short live session (Instagram Live, Facebook Live, or a Twitter/X Space) on a topic related to your book or writing.
Day 17: Write and send a newsletter to your list sharing something personal about your writing journey.
Day 18: Create a reader survey or poll to learn what your audience wants from you (blog topics, bonus content, event types).
Day 19: Outline your book launch plan or pre-launch plan. Set a launch date (even a tentative one) and list the 10 things you need to do before launch day.
Day 20: Recruit 5-10 people for your launch team (beta readers, early reviewers, friends who will share your book on release day).
Day 21: Final reflection and planning. Write your 90-day author platform goals. Share your progress, your biggest win, and your next steps with the group. Celebrate 21 days of building your author career.
Promotion Tips
- This challenge targets authors who are serious about building a career, not just writing as a hobby. Price it as a premium challenge or offer it as a free lead magnet for a high-ticket coaching program.
- Include a private community (Slack, Discord, or Chalzy's built-in groups) for participants to support each other and share wins
- After the challenge, offer ongoing author platform coaching, a book launch management service, or an advanced marketing course
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How to Use These Templates
- Pick the template that matches your audience and your goals. If this is your first challenge, start with the 5-day kickstart or the 7-day sprint.
- Customize the prompts and tasks to reflect your voice, your genre, and your teaching style. Swap in your own writing exercises, add video walkthroughs, or include excerpts from your published work as examples.
- Add your branding. Use your logo, colors, and author voice so the challenge feels like a natural extension of your platform.
- Load it into Chalzy. The platform handles daily content delivery, participant communication, and progress tracking so you can focus on engaging with your writers.
- Launch and show up. Promote the challenge, participate alongside your community, and deliver value that makes participants want more.
Need a deeper walkthrough? Read our step-by-step guide to running a writing challenge.
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