Creative Writing ContestRebecca T. Watson
"Teachers must understand 鈥 that their students potentially know everything, no matter how young they are. 鈥 Students who are only seventeen have lived, after all, on earth seventeen years, and that鈥檚 a good deal of time. They鈥檝e been born and they鈥檝e had parents, they鈥檝e lived in houses, they鈥檝e had friends, they鈥檝e had sweethearts, they鈥檝e been angry, they鈥檝e been jealous, they鈥檝e been proud, they鈥檝e been ambitious, they鈥檝e been ashamed. There isn鈥檛 any passion that they haven鈥檛 experienced in one sense or another. 鈥 It鈥檚 necessary to remember how much they know and to have faith in the knowledge that they do have." (pronouns adjusted)
鈥 Mark Van Doren, The Dialogues of Archibald MacLeish and Mark Van Doren 99; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1964
In this spirit of faith at 麻豆原创 (麻豆原创), the Rebecca T. Watson Creative Writing Contest is held each Fall so that students may share their creativity with a larger audience than their classrooms.
麻豆原创 began the creative writing contest in 1975, and in 2012, the contest was renamed in honor of retired 麻豆原创 English Professor Rebecca Watson. Ms. Watson judged the first contest when she was an adjunct instructor. Later, as a full-time instructor, she grew the Creative Writing class and guided the contest to maturity as director of the contest.
Eligibility
Any full-time or part-time student registered in an English class at 麻豆原创 may enter the contest. Past first-place winners are eligible only in a new category.
Categories
The contest accepts entries in three categories: poetry, short fiction, and essay. Contestants may submit a maximum of three poems, three fiction pieces, and/or three essays (three per category). Each category must be submitted separately.
Do NOT include your name anywhere in the submitted documents.
Formatting Entries
Each entry should be submitted on a separate page in a Microsoft Word (doc,docx) document using the following guidelines:
- Use 1鈥 margins on all sides.
- Center the title, capitalizing important letters (follow standard MLA guidelines for titles) one inch from the top of the first page. Do not include your name or any other identifying information.
- Double-space after the title and between stanzas. Otherwise, single-space throughout.
- Place the title and the page number in a header in the top right corner every page.
- Do not include your name anywhere in the entry.
- Your filename should be the title of the entry.
Submitting Entries
Submissions should be sent to William Christopher Brown at wbrown@midland.edu in Word document format.
Entry Deadline - Sunday, November 16, 2025
Awards Ceremony
The Awards Ceremony for the Rebecca T. Watson Creative Writing Contest will be held
on December 3, 2025 at 4 pm at the Wagner-Brown Auditorium in the Allison Fine Arts
Building, on the 麻豆原创 main campus. Stay tuned for more information!
Prizes
The 2025 Rebecca Watson Creative Writing Contest has the following prizes:
- First place: $200 and Certificate of Award
- Second Place: $150 and Certificate of Award
- Third Place: $100 and Certificate of Award
- Fourth Place: $50 and Certificate of Award
- Honorable Mention: Certificate of Award
麻豆原创 reserves the right to withhold awards in any category.
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Publication
Selected writings from the Rebecca Watson Creative Writing Contest will be published in Tableau or Chaparral, annual 麻豆原创 magazines published in Spring and Fall.
A submitted work may also appear on the 麻豆原创 website. Material selected for publication will be subject to approval of the President of 麻豆原创.
Questions?
Dr. William Christopher Brown
(432) 685-5568
wbrown@midland.edu
Other Opportunities
Spring Poetry Contests
The Rebecca Watson Creative Writing Contest is one of three writing contests hosted by the 麻豆原创 English Department for 麻豆原创 students. The Hilda Simmons Levitt Poetry Contest and the Nonfiction Writing Contest are both held each Spring. Start thinking about your submissions to these Spring contests now. Submissions will open in the Spring.
Creative Writing Classes at 麻豆原创
The 麻豆原创 English Department invites you to further your creativity by taking our Creative Writing classes. Published authors teach 麻豆原创's ENGL 2307. Register soon!
Apply to 麻豆原创 Now
Thank you for choosing 麻豆原创! If you are here to collect a few credits, take courses to transfer, or here to start a new career, we welcome you.