Entries will be accepted between December 15, 2025, and February 2, 2026.
WHO MAY ENTER?
The Creative Writing Contests are open to currently enrolled TCU students and TCU alumni. See individual contest descriptions for guidelines and eligibility requirements.
HOW MANY PIECES MAY I ENTER?
Entrants may submit only one entry per contest, and the same piece cannot be submitted to more than one contest. However, it is permissible for one entrant to submit several different manuscripts to several different contests.
WHAT'S THE DEADLINE?
Entries must be submitted via this website by 11:59PM on February 2, 2026.
WHAT FILE FORMAT SHOULD I USE?
Unless otherwise specified in the contest description, submissions must be attached as Microsoft Word documents and should not include any identifying information in the Word document.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF I WON?
Once the judging is complete, notifications will be sent by email.
AWARDS CEREMONY:
Contest winners should plan to attend the awards ceremony near the end of the semester. Everyone is welcome to attend. Award winners are encouraged to invite friends and family members.
PLEASE NOTE:
Contest judging is arranged by the Department of English. Judges' decisions are final. If you win, your entry may be published in the 2026 Creative Writing Awards online publication (see past publications here).
Genre/Guidelines: Research Paper or Essay Making use of Source Material
Open to: Undergraduate TCU Students
Word limit: 3000
Prize: $300.00
Sponsor:The Woman's Wednesday Club, Fort Worth
Awarded since 1958
Genre/Guidelines: Short Story or Incident
Open to: Undergraduate TCU Students
Word Limit: 5000
Prize: $300.00
Sponsor: The Woman's Wednesday Club, Fort Worth
Awarded since 1935
Genre/Guidelines: Essay Open to: TCU Graduate Students Word limit: 5000 Prize: $300.00 Sponsor: The Department of English Awarded since 1971
Genre/Guidelines: One-act play or an excerpt from a longer work
Page limit: 10, standard play or script format
Open to: Undergraduate TCU Students
Prizes: 1st: $500, 2nd $300, 3rd $200
Awarded since 1994
Genre/Guidelines: Nonfiction
Word limit: 5000
Open to: TCU Undergraduate Students
Prizes: 1st: $500, 2nd $300, 3rd $200
Genre/Guidelines: Original work (auditory, visual, or implied) produced or rendered through new media technology to enhance the performance of texts. The text may be entirely new media or traditional texts with such enhancements or supplements as web pages, PowerPoint presentations, DVDs/documentaries and magazines, and/or videos. Entries may be submitted on CD-ROM, or mounted on web.
Open to: TCU Undergraduate Students
Prizes: 1st: $500, 2nd $300, 3rd $200
Genre/Guidelines: Original creative writing work by a graduate student.
Open to: TCU Graduate Students
Prizes: 1st: $500, 2nd $300, 3rd $200
Genre/Guidelines: Entries submitted here should either be hybrids, blending at least two or more genres of writing, or experimental enough that they don't sit comfortably in any of the traditional genres.
Open to: TCU Undergraduate Students
Word limit: none
Prizes: 1st: $500, 2nd $300, 3rd $200
Genre/Guidelines:Poetry
Open to: TCU Undergraduate Students
Line limit: 100
Prizes: 1st: $500, 2nd $300, 3rd $200
Genre/Guidelines: Fiction
Open to: TCU Undergraduate Students
Word limit: 5000 words max
Prizes: 1st: $500, 2nd $300, 3rd $200