2026 Telling Women’s Stories Writing Contest

Call for Submissions

The SMSU Women’s Center (in conjunction with the Women’s Studies Committee) invites submissions to the annual Telling Women’s Stories creative writing competition. Telling Women’s Stories is a chance for students to share a creative writing piece about the unique experiences of women in the world. This may take the form of a fictional or nonfictional short story. Each submission should focus on the lived experiences of women, but authors of all gender identities are encouraged to submit.

Entries will be published on the Women’s Center website in a 2026 Telling Women’s Stories anthology. Student winners of the competition will earn cash prizes of up to $200.

• 1^st Place: $200

• 2^nd Place: $100

• 3^rd Place: $50

Participants in the contest will be invited to share their stories at a public reading in the Whipple Gallery.

To enter, simply complete the following steps:

1. Write your creative piece (poetry, short story, personal narrative, or other literary piece) emphasizing and exploring the perspective of being a woman. You may choose to include images in the body of your story. Your submission may be no longer than 5,000 words.
2. Save your story in a .docx or .pdf format.
3. Create a cover sheet for your story, including the following information (see example below):
   
   1. The title of your creative piece 
   2. Your name 
   3. Your email address 
   4. Your gender identity (e.g., woman, man, nonbinary, transfem, demiboy, or another term best connected to your current gender identity)
   5. Your expected graduation year 
   6. Your major 
   7. One phrase you’d like to offer to other women 
   8. Confirmation that you allow your piece to be posted in the 2026 Telling Women’s Stories Anthology on the Women’s Center website. 
4. Submit your document and your cover sheet to the competition by emailing SMSU.WomensCenter@smsu.edu
5. Entries are due by April 1, 2026.

Eligibility

• Must be a current SMSU student

Please email any questions to SMSU.WomensCenter@smsu.edu

Sample Entry Sheet

1. The title of your creative piece: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 
2. Your name: Maya Angelou 
3. Your email address: maya.angelou@my.smsu.edu 
4. Your gender identity: Female 
5. Your expected graduation year: 2027
6. Your major: English-Creative Writing 
7. One phrase you’d like to offer to other women: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” 
8. Confirmation: I confirm I allow my piece to be in the 2026 Telling Women’s Stories Anthology