100-Word Microstory Contest
Ready, Set, Write!
The 100-Word Microstory Contest is officially underway! You have until Friday, July 25, 2025, at 4 p.m. CDT, to compose and submit your microstory.
Prompts
In honor of the Iowa Memorial Union Centennial, write a fictional and original story inspired by one of these historical IMU photos.
Prompt A
Prompt B
Deadline and Submission Format
- Deadline: You must submit your completed microstory by Friday, July 25, 2025, at 4 p.m. CDT. Late entries will be ineligible.
- How to submit: You must upload your story at foriowa.org/write-now as a Word document (.doc or .docx), text file (.txt), or rich text format document (.rtf). Stories submitted in Apple’s Pages format will not be accepted. The name of the file must be the title of your microstory. For example, if the title of your microstory is “Autumn,” then the name of your file must be “Autumn.doc,” “Autumn.txt,” or “Autumn.rtf.” Contestants will also have the option of submitting their story via email to write.now@foriowa.org.
- Font: Your submission must be in 12-point Courier, New Courier, or Times New Roman typeface.
- Anonymity: Your name must not appear anywhere in the microstory document; you will submit your name only on the web entry form.
- Length: The maximum length for your microstory is 100 words. Entries with more than 100 words will be disqualified.
Learn More
To further inspire your creativity, enjoy some of these amazing writing samples from your fellow Hawkeyes: Check out entries from past winners and explore the University of Iowa's writing resources.
Winners' Prizes
Winners in each of the four grade-school categories will receive a writing prize pack and a $25 bookshop.org gift card. Winners in each of the two adult categories will receive a $50 bookshop.org gift card and a handcrafted wooden pen carved from the branch of a tree that is located on the University of Iowa campus. In addition, the winner—as well as honorable mentions—in each age category will be posted to the Write Now website.