For writers and readers
Becoming is built on a love of story — of characters who feel real, of worlds that matter, of the particular pleasure of a sentence that lands exactly right. If the game has sparked something in you, if you want to go further and write your own character from scratch, here is where to start.
For adult writers
Whether you're starting your first novel or looking to go deeper into the craft, these are resources worth your time — honest, practical, and genuinely good.
Community · Courses
A UK-based writing community built by writers, for writers — with free online retreats, flash fiction events, and short courses. Warm, practical, and refreshingly unstuffy. Free to join, with an optional membership for more.
writershq.co.uk →Craft · Video lectures
The bestselling fantasy author recorded his full university creative writing course and put it on YouTube for free. Lectures on character, plot, world-building, and the business of writing — all linked from his writing advice page. Exceptional.
brandonsanderson.com →Courses · Prompts
Free ten-day email courses on every aspect of writing and publishing, taught by working editors and authors. Their weekly writing prompts are a gentle way to keep the habit alive between larger projects.
reedsy.com/learning →Podcast · Publishing
Joanna Penn has been writing and publishing independently for over fifteen years. Her podcast covers the full journey — from the blank page to finding readers — with a calm, practical honesty that cuts through the noise.
thecreativepenn.com →Essays · Culture
The best literary magazine on the internet. Essays on craft, interviews with authors, book recommendations, and writing that takes literature seriously. A daily read for anyone who loves books and the people who make them.
lithub.com →Craft · Advice
The Guardian's celebrated series in which authors from Hilary Mantel to Neil Gaiman share the rules they write by. Contradictory, funny, and illuminating — proof that there is no single right way to write a novel.
Read the series →For younger writers
For children and teenagers who want to put their own words on the page — the best prompts, competitions, and communities out there.
Prompts · Daily
A new writing prompt every day of the year, built around a striking photograph. Simple questions lead young writers into the image and out the other side with a story. Works brilliantly at home or in a classroom.
pobble.com →Competitions · Community
Running writing competitions for children and teenagers since 1990. Stories and poems get published in real anthologies — something genuinely exciting for a young writer to hold in their hands. Free to enter.
youngwriters.co.uk →Visual prompts · Resources
Short films and images that invite young writers into a story before a word has been written. Beautifully curated and organised by theme — adventure, mystery, fantasy, real life. A wonderful starting point for reluctant writers.
literacyshed.com →Community · Competitions
A global writing community for teenagers aged 13–18, with monthly competitions judged by published authors, peer feedback, and prompts across poetry, fiction, memoir, and more. Free to join — 120,000 young writers and counting.
writetheworld.org →Tips · Inspiration
BookTrust has been getting children into books for over a hundred years. Their writing advice pages — aimed at different ages — are warm, practical, and written by authors who remember what it was like to start.
booktrust.org.uk →Literacy · Resources
For parents and teachers looking for deeper support — reading lists, activity packs, and research-backed guidance on building a genuine love of reading and writing in young people. A trusted voice on children's literacy.
literacytrust.org.uk →When you're ready
Writing your own story takes courage and time. Sometimes you just want to be inside one. Your character is waiting — a whole life to live, one choice at a time.
Begin your story