2025-26 Artists of Promise Creative Writing Competition
Call for Submissions
Each year, the Maricopa County Community Colleges District sponsors the Artists of Promise Creative Writing Competition—a district-wide competition to encourage and recognize student writers currently enrolled in any of the ten MCCCD colleges. We are proud to announce the opening of the 2025-26 competition to all MCCCD students in the categories of poetry, fiction, essay, and one-act plays/scripts. All interested MCCCD student writers are encouraged to submit their best creative works.
Entries from each of the four categories will be blind reviewed by a panel of experts in the corresponding discipline. Final placement will be determined by practicing writers from outside MCCCD. Students who place in each of the categories will win remuneration as follows.
- First Place - $500
- Second Place - $200
- Third Place - $100
Additionally, first-place finishers in each category will have their submissions entered into the national Artists of Promise competition, sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College, to receive consideration alongside the best student writing from across the country.
GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- This competition is exclusively for MCCCD students; all MCCCD faculty are ineligible. A contestant must be a for-credit student at one of the MCCCD colleges during the semester in which the contest accepts submissions (fall 2025).
- Students who have previously won first place in a category are not eligible to participate again in that category.
- Entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m., Friday, December 12, 2025.
- Only one entry per category may be submitted by an individual.
- Entries can be previously published as long as the publication was part of a specific MCCCD school. Submissions that have been previously published with national magazines, journals, etc. are ineligible.
- Entries must be email attachments submitted to creative writing competition coordinator Jeremy Broyles at the following address: [email protected]. A confirmation email response will be sent to verify the submission has been received successfully. Please note the document must be word-processed in 8 1/2 x 11” formatting and use 12-point type (unless the work in question requires alterations for specific creative effect).
MAXIMUM LENGTHS
- Poetry - 67 lines
- Fiction - 3,000 words
- Essay - 2,000 words
- One-Act Play/Script - 3,000 words including stage direction and production notes.
The upper right corner of each page of the entry must include the title of the submission and page number. The student writer’s name, however, should not be included anywhere within the submission. Your name appearing anywhere on your creative writing entry will result in disqualification. All questions/concerns regarding formatting requirements can be directed to Jeremy Broyles at [email protected].
WINNING ENTRIES
Winning entries will be notified by March 6, 2026. All winning entries will be required to complete additional documents including a district purchasing portal, W9 form, and talent release form, which will be provided by the MCLI. All documents will be required prior to receipt of award funding.
COMPETITION CONTACT
All questions/concerns from students and faculty alike can be directed to Jeremy Broyles, Mesa Community College faculty and Artists of Promise creative writing competition coordinator. He can be reached at [email protected].
All submissions, as email attachments, are to be sent to the same coordinator and email address as listed immediately above.
“You have to be immensely daring, very skilled and imaginative and willing to tell everything on yourself. You’re told time and again when you’re young to write about what you know, and what do you know better than your own secrets?” – Raymond Carver
**The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District.
The Maricopa County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, visit http://www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.