Overview:
This Fellowship was established to encourage and inspire new, high-quality writing by parents of children under 10. The word count is intentionally low (there are CHALLENGES inherent in being a parent!) and the count changes every year, to incentivize the creation of new work.
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 as a All-Access Member of Pen Parentis (including access to the accountability group of your choice), and will be offered the opportunity to read their winning story online at the Pen Parentis Literary Salon on the second Tuesday of November. The winner will be reading alongside three established writers who are also parents with the opportunity to interact personally with these authors. The confirmed readers will be available by September.
Second and Third Place winners will receive $500 and $250 and each place-winner will become part of our exclusive (and lovely) Fellowship Ring which includes a year of Pen Parentis All-Access Membership (with the accountability group of your choosing) -- we zoom twice per year.
(Gratitude to The deGroot Foundation for doubling the prizes!)
The winning story will be published in Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine (both online and in print) as well as included in the annual Dreamers Writing Anthology.
The winner will reign as the Pen Parentis Fellow from November 2026 through November 2027, and will gain full access to Pen Parentis Member perks during that time period. (It's a lot, so knock our socks off with your writing!) From time to time, as career opportunities arise, they will be presented to the Fellow.
Submission deadline:
April 17, 2026
Word Count/FORMAT:
Submissions call for a new, never-published fiction story—any genre, on any subject—of up to 440 words, double-spaced in Times New Roman 12 point or similar font, with one inch margins. (This word count is intentionally small so that you can write something new - be brilliant!)
DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME OR ANY SORT OF CONTACT INFO ON THE STORY ITSELF--ONLY THE TITLE OF THE STORY AND WORD COUNT. Please number your pages.
We no longer accept mail-in submissions.
Write something new! You can do it!
PEN PARENTIS MEMBERS:
If you are a Pen Parentis Intro, Pro, or All-Access Member, your first entry is free (at higher levels, your second and third entry are also free, see website for details.)
Put only the title of the story and its word count on the manuscript. Please number your pages!
IMPORTANT FOR ALL ENTRANTS:
One dependent child MUST still be under ten on November 12, 2026 for a writer to be eligible to win this Fellowship.
Please do NOT add any additional information in your cover note, even if you have published a thousand novels and won the Pulitzer. Just give us the information we request. We judge blind and prefer to be surprised by your extensive credentials.
Entry Fees will not be refunded. Simultaneous submissions are okay, please let us know if it is accepted elsewhere (we are thrilled for a writer when this happens! Acceptance is always good news!) Multiple submissions are fine: simply submit as if you were submitting for the first time.
Cover letters are not necessary. If you would like to tell us how you felt when you heard of our Fellowship and/or how you heard of us, we may use that as a testimonial on our website.
JUDGING:
Judging is blind and based only on the following 5 criteria:
- adherence to contest rules
- creativity
- narrative arc
- emotional truth
- elements of surprise, humor, writing skill, and/or layers of depth.
FAQ:
Q: Can I send my [insert genre/style/language]?
All genres and styles of unpublished fiction are welcome. English must be the primary language and if we don't speak the secondary one, you better be pretty convincing. No plays or poetry (we love them, but sorry, no. If your narrative poem "can work" as fiction, please submit it as fiction. We love experimental fiction!) Novel excerpts are acceptable if they can stand alone as a story - don't tell us it is a novel excerpt until you win, we are judging stand-alone narratives.
Q: How do you feel about simultaneous or multiple subs?
Simultaneous submissions ok, but notify if published elsewhere.
Multiple submissions welcome, but separate entry fee for each submission (see above).
Q: How do I know if I am a Member or not?
Intro, Pro, and All-Access Members support Pen Parentis by monthly donations. If you are not making a monthly donation to Pen Parentis, you are either a Basic Member or you have just heard about us. Hi! Feel free to upgrade your Membership if you like! (find out more at Penparentis.org).
Thanks for your support. It helps offset costs like this Submittable subscription.
Q: I made a mistake, can I send you an edit?
No. Please proof your work before you send it.
Q: I have a very good reason you should refund my entry fee, will you please consider it?
No. Entry fees will not be refunded.
Q: What if I won before?
Previous CASH winners of this fellowship are not eligible. Finalists, long listed & honorable mentions are absolutely encouraged to try again. Second or Third place winners who did not win cash awards are also fine to try again!
Winner: please list our Fellowship in your writing bio for the 12 months following your reading!
See our website at penparentis.org for past winners.
Help my form isn't working!
For any technical questions related to filling out the online form, contact support@submittable.com.
New York Times bestselling novelist Lauren Grodstein has been teaching creative writing in Paris for over twenty years. Her weeklong workshop is designed for anyone ready to complete a manuscript—or anyone who has already finished a book and wants guidance on next steps.
Expect practical lessons and frank conversations with writers, editors, and agents. Participants will learn the ins and outs of editing, querying, publishing, and building a sustainable writing life.
Prizes:
- One (1) First Prize: Full scholarship to the Paris Writers Workshop, July 19–24, 2026
- Two (2) Second Prizes: 50% scholarship
- Three (3) Third Prizes: 30% scholarship
All winners will also receive a full manuscript consultation and individualized guidance on a publishing plan, and all participants benefit from a vibrant writing community and industry connections.
Please note: prize does not include lodging or airfare, but the Workshop is able to help find low-cost housing for participants.
To find out more about PARIS WRITERS, click through on this link.
For more about Lauren, click here.
How to enter:
- Submit 5–10 pages (double-spaced, 12 pt. font) from your work in progress or your completed manuscript.
- Submissions are blind: do not include any names or identifying information on your work.
- Contest fee: $10 donation to Pen Parentis, a national nonprofit serving writers who are also parents. (Note, you do not have to be a parent to enter this contest)
Contest dates: March 10–24 Winners notified by: April 15
Please note: Lauren Grodstein is a Pen Parentis author, however, the contest is judged and run solely through Paris Writers. For more info contact submissions@pariswriters.com