January 2026 Challenge
Media
Every January, the world tells you to go fix yourself. New Year, New You. Rise and grind. Detox, optimize, and #lifehack your way to a better life. Ads and influencers tell you that your current self is outdated, and the cult of productivity steps into the spotlight. But what if you refuse to listen?
We want work that interrogates the idea that who you are is a problem to be fixed. Write about the pressure to upgrade your body, life, and identity—or the power of resisting. Send us your words about bodies treated like projects, morning routines gone feral, hustle culture masquerading as salvation, and more. When every signal is a command to improve, what happens when we surrender to the noise—or ignore it altogether?
We welcome writing of all forms: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid work. If it’s alive, urgent, and something you have to write right now, send it our way.
Three winners will be selected and published at the end of February.
Prizes:
January 1, 2026
up to 1,000 words of prose or 2 pages of poetry
$10