TINY MEMOIR CONTEST 2025

Inspired by the New York Times‘ recent Tiny Memoir Contest, the “tiny but mighty” William Jeanes Memorial Library invites ALL ages to submit a short, personal narrative in the month of March. 

  • The piece should be no more than 100 words (not including the title.)

  • Submissions open March 1st, and close at 11:59 pm on Monday, March 31st. 

  • One submission per person

What:
We’re looking for the best short (really short, amazingly short, so short it’s tiny) memoir you can write! It can be about one event in your life, or several.
How:
Need a place to start? Check out the New York Times‘ Narrative Guide HERE. See what writing prompts the Poets & Writers‘ magazine offers HERE. And check out THESE SEARCH RESULTS for more short prompts!
(Want to read Poets & Writers for free on your favorite device or browser? Click here to check it out from our Overdrive account, or look for it in the Libby app! Writer’s Digest and The Writer magazine are free to read as well!)
Need more help?
Join one of our Writer’s Groups this month: Sunday, March 16th with prompts, or Sunday, March 23rd for Silent Writing time!
Where to Submit:
You may use this form or stop in the Library to pick up a paper entry form at either Check-Out Desk and return it to the Reference Desk upstairs.
What Happens Next:
Then, we’ll print them out and display them around the Library in April, so patrons can vote for their favorites in each category. (One vote per age group, per person, please.)
Winners:
Prizes will be awarded to the Patron Favorite (the work with the most votes overall), and to the work with the most votes in each age group: 0 -11, 12-18, 19 and up.*
What You Really Want to Know–Prizes: 
A Moleskine Classic notebook and Amazon Gift Card for each age group winner, and a Kindle Paperwhite for the Overall Favorite!
The Legal Stuff:
  • The piece must be original and yours.
  • All submissions become the property of the Library.
  • Prizes are for local pick-up only.
  • Prizes are courtesy of the Nancy Corson Writing Fund of the Friends of the William Jeanes Memorial Library
*If the same work is Patron Favorite and the highest in their age group, they’ll receive the Patron Favorite, and the second highest in that age group will receive the age-group prize.
Questions? Write to us at jeanesinfo@mclinc.org
 
We can’t wait to read what you’ve written!

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