The Penmen Review is Southern New Hampshire University’s online journal for creative writers, featuring resource articles, spotlight interviews and writing in all genres, selected by our editorial board from submitted work. The editors of The Review post new selections weekly.
We accept submissions four times a year, and new submission cycles begin on the first day of January, April, July and October. Simultaneous submissions are accepted and writers retain all rights to their work. There are no submission fees for writers for submissions nor are fees paid. Submit work and review our guidelines here.
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SNHU’s annual Fall Fiction Contest gives writers an opportunity to win up to $3,000 in SNHU scholarships, have their short stories featured in The Penmen Review and more.
The 10th annual Fall Fiction Short Story Contest kicked off on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, and ran through Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. After receiving more than 750 submissions, a panel of creative writing experts considered several factors during their review, including originality, structure, character arc, language and whether the story was engaging. Once the judging concluded, the top-scoring stories made it to the voting round, and the public weighed in on their favorites.
The winners of the 2024 Fall Fiction Contest are:
- First Place: “Train a Comin'” by N. Ryan Tucker
- Second Place: “Waiting for the Sun to Go Down” by Jesse Teller
- Third Place: “See” by Amy Midgett
- Fourth Place: “The Roller Coaster at the End of the World” by Jenel Alan
- Fifth Place: “The Five Stages of Grieving My Attention Span” by Megan Okonsky
Congratulations to all of our winners! Stay tuned for a special Word for Word event in January where the finalists will read from their work and answer questions from attendees.
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SNHU also hosts writing-related events year-round in the form of author readings, Q&As and discussions. Access recordings from Word for Word, SNHU’s online literary series, and catch up on the online MFA program’s Wireside Chats.
You can also listen to the creative writing episodes in Passion and Practicality: A Liberal Arts Podcast.
Visit the Southern New Hampshire University website for more information about online creative writing programs:
- Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
- Master of Arts in Creative Writing
- Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Find out what faculty from these programs recommend reading this summer.