Our CURRENT Writing Fellow:
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THE PEN PARENTIS WRITING FELLOWSHIP FOR NEW PARENTS
OPENS FOR SUBMISSIONS MARCH 1 – APRIL 17, 2023 One talented writer who is the parent of at least one child under 10 years old will receive $2000 to further their writing career, a year of mentorship, and will be offered the opportunity to read their winning story online at a Pen Parentis Literary Salon in Fall 2023. Their winning story will also be published in Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine (both online and in print) as well as included in the annual Dreamers Writing Anthology.
Second prize and third prize will likewise be welcomed into our Cycle of Support and receive $500 and $250 respectively.
See FAQ for even more on the prize!
Submissions call for a new, never-published fiction story—any genre, on any subject—of up to 531 words, double-spaced in Times New Roman 12 point or similar font, with one inch margins.
Please note: we change the word count each year! One of the goals of this project is to keep parents working — motivating all writers to continue to create new high-quality creative writing at the very busiest time of the parenting journey. We keep word count intentionally low. Write something new! You can do it!
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
Put only the title of the story and its word count on the manuscript. Nothing to identify the writer.
On that note: Judging is blind and based only on the following criteria:
All genres and styles of unpublished fiction are welcome. Entry fees will not be refunded. Previous Pen Parentis Fellows and 2nd/3rd Prize winners are not eligible if they received a cash prize.
(Anyone who did not receive a cash award is encouraged to try again!) Winner: please list our Fellowship in your writing bio for the 12 months following your reading in NYC!
Submission period ends April 17, 2023 (midnight EST).
Entry fees fund the operation of Pen Parentis, Ltd, with priority given to the maintenance of this Fellowship. $5 of the fee covers our costs of accepting credit cards. Accepted Document Types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf (Submissions for this year’s Fellowship are open March 1 – April 17. Thanks!)
You must be a current paid-to-date Title Member to take advantage of this offer. Please use the special link found below. (Your entry fee can not be refunded if you accidentally submit the usual way, sorry) First Entry FREE FOR ALL TITLE MEMBERS (supporting subscription levels from $10/mo Laundry Marker and up): click here. You must be logged in to see the page. Second Entry FREE for all $15/mo SHARPENED PENCIL LEVEL members Third entry – FREE for all $20/mo FOUNTAIN PEN LEVEL only members Write your stories! Submit your stories! (find out about becoming a supporting Title Member of Pen Parentis) Winner will be announced on the Pen Parentis website and by email or phone to the winning author on or before September 1 of the entry year. Please make sure that author contact information includes email and phone! Shortlisted entries will be announced on the website only – please check back in September to see how you did! You can also sign up for Basic membership (at no cost) to have contest results delivered to your inbox. Prize:
2010 Fellow Abby Sher read with Jennifer Egan and Darin Strauss
3. Rewards! The new Fellow will ALSO receive $2000, by check, and be presented at a Pen Parentis Literary Salon, in conjunction with their reading of the winning work. We will mail the check to an address you provide after the public presentation. Second Place $500 & a one-year Title Membership 4. Accolades! Pen Parentis will ALSO publicize writing success stories on behalf of the Fellow for the entire year of the Fellowship with #PenParentisFellow. 5. AND mentorship? YES! For one year after their win, Pen Parentis encourages, but does not require, attendance to subsequent Salons and participation in a weekly Accountability Group in order to 1) be introduced to other authors and 2) network regarding prospective editors, agents, and readers. Pen Parentis will continue to mentor this author throughout the year and connect them to prior Fellows. FAQ ANSWERS:
YES: Fill out ALL of the requested information on the Submittable Form including the number of children you have and their prospective ages in November of the year you enter.
OF COURSE: If you move during the year or change contact info, remember to let us know! We can’t tell you you’ve won if we can’t contact you!
STILL PREGNANT? If you are currently pregnant with your first child or hoping to adopt your first child before November of the year you enter, please wait and enter in the following year. This contest is for people who are currently taking care of young kids and trying to write. (You’ll see…)
HOW MANY KIDS? One dependent child MUST still be under ten on the date of the November salon of the year of your entry for a writer to be eligible to win this Fellowship. It’s fine to have more, but you can’t have fewer and remain eligible.
IMPATIENT? Top Winner will be announced on the Pen Parentis website and by email or phone to the winning author on or before September 1 of the year you enter. Winners list will be sent out shortly thereafter to all who submitted and posted on our homepage. Expect no other communications.
Important note: Entrants must be the parent of at least one child under 10 yrs old at the time of the public reading. While we accept submissions from anywhere, applicants are advised that payment will be in US dollars and drawn on a US bank and fees & taxes are the responsibility of the recipient. Sponsors:The Pen Parentis Fellowship is generously supported by a grant from the Sustainable Arts Foundation in California, Amazon Smile Foundation, and individual donors. With major support from our loyal friends at:
In association and with great thanks to:
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