Life Without Children January Writing Prompt
A celebration of the media that recognise, validate and hold space for the childless and childfree
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Well, here we are, everyone. Welcome to 2025.
I don’t know about you, but I’m shell-shocked and wobbly after a rather intense festive period. I hope to ease into the new year and gradually decompress from the silly season.
Something tells me I am not alone in these feelings, so be kind to yourself and peek back out into the big wide world slowly and gently.
Thanks for reading this piece which was originally published on Medium. If you enjoyed it, I’d love to hear your thoughts; please leave a comment or share it with a friend.
In these monthly prompts, I like to start by giving a head tilt to something I’ve listened to, watched or read during the past month that has left a lasting impression on me.
While waiting in Edinburgh airport for my flight back to Cork, I listened to the wisdom of Robert Nurden being interviewed on the Spinsterhood Reimagined podcast with the host, Lucy Meggeson.
You can listen to their conversation here.
Robert is the author of the book I Always Wanted To Be A Dad and is one of the very few men who speaks openly and vulnerably about his heartache of not being a father.
WOW! Just as an aside, Grammarly wanted to change my sentence above from “heartache of not being a father” to “fear of not being a father.” Even technology can’t sit with the discomfort that some people don’t become parents.
Even technology denies us our lived experiences.
I am deeply grateful to Robert for this articulate and honest discussion.
Life Without Children writing prompt for January
Last month’s writing prompt was all about navigating the silly season of Christmas.
As always, you are welcome to continue writing to our previous writing prompts and submit your stories to us at Life Without Children. Or you may even prefer to use our prompts for your private journaling.
You may even want to dedicate a journal to our monthly prompts and follow along each month to help draw out your inner feelings and get to know yourself better.
2024 was a great year for book launches. In fact, three of my favourite books were released last year.
Others Like Me: The Lives of Women Without Children by Nicole Louie
Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women by Professor Caroline Magennis
Fledging by Rose Diell
I’ve lost count of the number of books and articles I’ve read over the years, or the number of studies I’ve devoured, podcasts I’ve listened to, radio shows I’ve tuned into (and been interviewed on), social accounts I followed and even the odd film I’ve watched, that all centre on not having children.
I am grateful to all the media sources that help contribute to a healthy discourse on life without children. Without these, I would be at sea, drifting and alone. What about you?
Where would we be without the outspoken and pioneering voices, words and actions of all those childless and childfree people who have gone before us or walk alongside us today?
Living a life without children, whether by choice or circumstances, can be isolating and lonely. Sure, it can be empowering if this is a choice, but it still comes with challenges. And if it wasn’t a choice — damn it can be hard.
Sometimes, all it takes is for a piece of media to metaphorically take us by the hand and walk alongside us.
I feel we are spoilt for choice these days with an array of podcasts, studies, books, films, socials, articles, and art centring on people without children.
That said, I think all of us without children still feel like we aren’t represented adequately enough. And we aren’t. Because so many stories still shoehorn in the miracle baby for an unimaginative and crass happily ever after ending.
(Incidentally, mothers aren’t represented truly either, as I explain here).
And don’t even get me started on the storylines that have women who are staunchly childfree change their minds and realise a baby is exactly what they were longing for in life after all.
Yes, fuck you Big Bang Theory!
This is why, when we are represented in the media, we gotta shout about it.
January Writing Prompt: What media has inspired you?
There may be a particular book or film that helped you find peace in your childfree or childless life. Perhaps you swear by a social media account to ease your sense of other. Or might there be a podcast or piece of art that sings to your soul?
There may even be a song. Does anyone else here love Florence + The Machine’s song King?
So tell us, where do you turn to for solace and comfort? Do you have a favourite piece of media that has become a friend? Please share this with us and tell us how it has impacted you.
By the way, while we are on this topic, did you know that the NoMo book club has a book list full of books about not having children? And Nicole Louie has also curated a reading list with a staggering 116 books on this topic.
Tips for writing to our prompts
Make us feel something.
A powerful story is a human story. Sprinkle your writing with real experience and emotion.
Don’t forget to ensure your piece fits our submission guidelines.
Please read through our published stories on Medium to see what sort of thing we publish.
Use “writing prompts” and “life without children” as two of your topic tags.
Find out how to become a writer with Life Without Children here.
If you don’t use Medium and want to get started, this handy document will help you learn how.
Reflections from December at Life Without Children
Damn, you writers have yet again written some inspiring stories throughout December.
These are the editor’s picks for December.
So, here at Life Without Children, as long as the story meets the submission guidelines, I accept stories from everyone, including those with children.
My proviso is that those with children wanting to publish with LWC must write a piece that is a safe read for people without children and inclusive of all the ways someone may lead a life without children.
Not everyone can do this. Put it this way — I’ve had to reject quite a few pieces that were sanctimonious in tone.
Victoria Corindi 🌻is skilled and graceful in navigating this line. Her piece all about friendship is beautiful and heartfelt. This is what I describe as a bridge-builder story.
The Case For Friends Without Children (Even When You’re a Mom)
It would be remiss of me not to give a huge shout-out to our new writer to LWC (although an old Medium friend of mine), Maria Garcia, for her piece about the cross-over between hair length, ageing and fertility. Who knew that even hair carried connotations of prontatlism?
What Our Hair Says About Our Expectation to Procreate
Don’t let the title of this story by Lisa Kissane fool you into defensiveness. Yes, at face value it may appear a little controversial and at risk of appropriating the lived experience of the LGBTQIA+ community, but heck, I agree with every word she says. What do you think?
Why ‘Childless’ Is The New ‘Gay’
Did anyone else read that article in the New York Times? You know, the one about all the poor people who will never be grandparents? Well, if anyone was going to write an emotionally intelligent response to it, it was always going to be Charlie Brown
This Infertile Women Has Something To Say To Parents Whose Kids Don’t Give Them Grandchildren
My final story highlight from December was selected not only because the story is a fusion of vulnerability, originality, and empowerment but also because I was unashamedly stoked to see the author drop into my inbox and request to be a writer with LWC. Why? Because Y.L. Wolfe is, in my opinion, one of Medium’s best writers and someone I have followed, read and admired for many years.
My First Christmas Both Childless and Now Fatherless - and the Mother’s Love It Has Awoken in Me
What will January bring?
There’s nothing major happening in January for me, so perhaps we can fast-forward to some exciting news for February.
In February, I’m hosting a session all about Medium over at FLOW, an online networking space for non-parents.
It’s on 25th February and is open to everyone. For non-members there will be a small cost of £12.50. The cost is reduced to £5 if you sign-up to the FLOW newsletter, upon signing up you will receive a voucher, which is redeemable against this session.
You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.
Sign up for my session here.
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