I hope this Memorial Day finds you well, and enjoying a little extra time to rest, reflect, and maybe even write.

Memorial Day always makes me think about how quickly life moves, the people we’ve lost, and the stories that remain behind. It’s a holiday that invites reflection—for those we’ve lost, for the passage of time, and for what truly matters.

As writers, we bear witness. We write about joy, injustice, grief, resilience, memory, and the small human moments that might otherwise be forgotten. Stories help us remember who we are—and sometimes imagine who we still might become.

At a time when so much competes for our energy and time, creative work can feel both fragile and necessary. Every edition of Writing to Win, Place, or Show is a reminder to keep going. Submit the poem. Finish the play. Revise the essay. Apply for the residency. Your work matters—and someone out there may need the story only you can tell.

As always, thank you for subscribing.

Now, on to this week’s opportunities…..

Lucy

NBC Writers Program, subm window June 1-21

https://www.nbcuniversallaunch.com/tv-writers-program

AACT New Play Fest, June 30

Supports the production of new plays in community theatres. Submissions will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to the first 350 scripts received. No fee for AACT member playwrights; $10 script processing fee for non-members. Only 1 script per playwright

https://aact.org/newplayfest-call-scripts

Alan Andres Writer-in-Residence Program, June 5

Provide an emerging children’s writer with the financial support, editorial assistance, and office space needed to complete one literary work for children or young adults.

• A total stipend of $70,000, paid in monthly installments over one year.
• The opportunity to request up to $2,500 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, or a critical reading of your manuscript.
• A private office in the Boston Public Library in Copley Square from October 2026 to September 2027. Office space usage is contingent on the Library being open to the public and it being safe to work onsite.
• Access to and use of the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections.
• A forum for the presentation/promotion of your finished literary work.
• Opportunities to establish connections with writers (including previous Fellows), publishers, artists, and the community-at-large through participation in/attendance at library readings, lectures, and other events.
• At the end of the residency, your completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s archives. (However, you retain all rights to your completed work.)

https://www.associatesbpl.org/events-and-programs/writer-in-residence-program/

Blind Spot Collective, Freshman Fifteen, June 28

Seeking Short Plays and Musicals. Visit: blindspotcollective.org/freshmanfifteen to learn more about the project and submission guidelines. Please follow ALL submission guidelines and read instructions carefully.

Chestnut Street Playhouse, New Play Development, June 15

We are looking for bold, engaging, original new works from emerging and established playwrights alike. This festival is designed not only as a performance opportunity, but as a collaborative workshop experience focused on helping writers develop the next best version of their piece. Playwrights submit scripts during the open call window. Be sure to number your pages and submit your document in PDF format. Please email a summary and sample of your script (first or best 10 pages ONLY), to submissions@chestnutstreetplayhouse.org

Questions should be directed to lisa@chestnutstreetplayhouse.org

https://www.chestnutstreetplayhouse.org/playwrights-fest-details

Chimera Projects, Made in Ohio, June 12

Made in Ohio is an interdisciplinary anthology and exhibition exploring the contributions Ohio has made to the American story over the past 250 years for Bowling Green State University’s Jerome Library in the fall of 2026. Timed to coincide with America’s Semiquincentennial (US250), the exhibition and anthology highlights people, places, and things created in Ohio through visual art and the written word.

https://www.chimeraprojects.art/submissions

Crosstown Arts, Residency, opens May 25

Crosstown Arts offers multidisciplinary residencies in Memphis, TN, to visiting and Memphis-based artists and curators working in any creative discipline including visual arts, music, film, and writing in all genres.

All residencies include a private studio workspace. Studios have varying configurations and amenities. In addition to a private practice space, musician residencies include other amenities through Crosstown Arts Musician & Artist Services department.

Live/work residencies also include a furnished private bedroom/bathroom next to a common living area and kitchen. Some accessible housing is available for differently abled residents. All residencies are offered at no cost to participants, who are responsible for covering their own studio materials and travel expenses to and from Memphis.

https://crosstownarts.org/residency/about/

Diez Minutos Festival, 10 Minute Plays, opens June 1, June 30 or first 100

Theme: Small Spaces. An international festival of ten-minute plays in English -- is back! No fee to enter; no geographic restrictions. You may submit only one play.

Submission period opens on June 1, 2026. Entries must be received prior to midnight U.S. Central Standard Time, June 30, 2026. Only the first 100 plays entered are guaranteed to be considered.

Send your play and contact info to: diezminutosfestival@gmail.com

For complete details, go to “Players Workshop San Miguel de Allende, Mexico” on Facebook.

Dramatists Guild Foundation, Communication Coordinator, start date 7/26

https://ideali.st/evRuoZ

DreamWrights New Fable Festival, 10-min plays, May 31

PA playwrights. We’re looking for original, family-friendly fables: 10–15-minute plays featuring 2–8 animal characters (real or imagined, no humans) that celebrate community, build character, and spark imagination. Questions? Email gregory@dreamwrights.org

Exploratorium, Artist in Residence, June 29

Applications for the 2026-27 Artist-in-Residence program are now open. For over 50 years, the Exploratorium’s Artist-in-Residence program has shaped the work of artists like Ruth Asawa, Ned Kahn, and Brian Eno, and now it’s your turn. Exploratorium AIRs receive a $15,000 annual stipend, support for travel, project management and financial support for residency projects, and access to Exploratorium facilities and staff expertise.

https://exploratorium.slideroom.com/#/login/program/88782

The First Line, Aug 1

The First Line is open for submissions for its Fall 2026 issue, with entries due by August 1, 2026. Writers must begin their fiction or poetry with the required first line: “The line of people stretched all the way around the block.” The journal accepts all genres and pays up to $50 for fiction.

https://horrortree.com/taking-submissions-the-first-line-fall-2026/

Highlights, Stories for children ages 2-6, June 30

We’re looking for great stories, fresh voices, and nonfiction relevant to the lives and interests of children ages 2-6. We adore whimsical stories that will tickle readers’ imaginations. We get excited by nonfiction that will teach kids (and parents!) something new. Stories should be paced so that they fit on four magazine pages, with a maximum of 160 words total. Nonfiction should reflect what’s interesting and comprehensible to a preschooler and is also capped at 160 words. We’re more interested in insects than biographies.

https://highlights.submittable.com/submit/43099/high-five-magazine

Jewish Plays Project, 16^th National Playwriting Contest, June 30

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN TO ARTISTS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS, DENOMINATIONS, FAITHS, CREEDS, RELIGIONS, and other IDEALS. We believe that Jewish identity and culture are specific manifestations of universal human cravings for spiritual, ethical, moral and worldly joy. “Matrilineal descent” is neither important nor necessary.

https://jewishplaysproject.org/artists/guide/

Kansas City Public Theater, June 1

Playwrights in Kansas City Metro Area. Theater Lab.

https://kcpublictheatre.org/theatre-lab-submissions/

Kate Medina Fellowship, Literary Narrative Nonfiction, June 15

The New York Public Library and Random House Publishing Group are pleased to offer the Kate Medina Fellowship for Literary Narrative Nonfiction. Applications for the inaugural cohort are currently open and will close on June 15, 2026. The selected fellow will receive a stipend of $30,000 to support four continuous months of research between September 1, 2026 and March 15, 2027.

Fellows at The New York Public Library will have access to the Library’s premier collections, dedicated workspace in the Vartan Gregorian Center for Research in the Humanities, and opportunities to engage with and contribute to the Library’s broad scholarly community, including through a presentation of their work.

https://www.nypl.org/about/fellowships-institutes/kate-medina-fellowship-literary-narrative-nonfiction

Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, 2-8 wk artist residencies, Sept 1

KHN is an artist residency program for writers, composers, visual, and interdisciplinary artists from around the world, located in Nebraska City, Nebraska, US. Apply for Artist Residencies between January 4th - June 25th 2027.

Guidelines and instructions on our website and in SlideRoom. KHN utilizes a blind jury process. Items reviewed by jurors are: WORK SAMPLES and STATEMENTS & must be ANONYMOUS, make sure to remove your name from work samples, statements, and titles.

khncenterforthearts.org

Little Theatre of Alexandria, unproduced one-act plays, May 30

We’re seeking original, unpublished, unproduced one-act plays (20–50 minutes) for our 2026 competition. Entries capped at the first 200 eligible submissions.

https://thelittletheatre.com/opportunities/#oneact

Maine Review, free submissions until May 30

The Maine Review seeks outstanding contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, including works in translation and hybrid forms. We are pleased to publish new, emerging, and established writers, and are committed to supporting representation, innovation, and literary artistry

McCaul Magazine, May 31st

Call for short stories, poems, essays, screenplays, and comics.

You may also submit illustrative or photographic work, which will be used to illustrate and enhance other people’s submissions in the finished issue about dreams, pay no less than $50 CAD

Mushens Entertainment

Juliet Mushens Is looking for: adult fiction across the genres – from reading group, to love story, to SFF, and most things in between. I am naturally drawn to books with high concept hooks, and page-turning plots. I grew up reading a blend of literary classics, love stories purloined from my grandma’s bookshelves, doorstopper fantasy and fanfiction – so my taste is broad!

https://www.mushens-entertainment.com/juliet-mushens

Nachtljocht Press, June 1

Previously unpublished fiction and plays, 3,000–12,000 words. No genre restrictions. No content restrictions.

https://www.nachtljocht.com/p/submit.html

North South Books, children’s books, submission window open

NorthSouth books is currently open to submissions for both agented and unagented children’s books that target readers ages 0-10. They’re particularly known for their picture books, and have a soft spot for fairy tales.

If you think you might have a story that they will want to publish, check out their website for their full submission guidelines.

https://northsouth.com/submissions/

Paperback Productions, original adaptations, June 26

TX playwrights. For our first Paperback Presents production, we are now accepting original script submissions for staged readings in July across one or more partner venues in Denton, potentially including Harvest House, The Bearded Monk, and Toasty Bros. One selected script will be produced, and the selected playwright will be compensated through our profit-sharing structure.

We especially encourage original adaptations of public domain literature and inventive reimaginings of familiar stories, though all original work is welcome. Scripts should run 60–100 minutes with casts of eight or fewer.

Submit through the Google Form linked here: https://forms.gle/ZwSueawWhwjoSU3S6

Quannapowitt Players, Holiday plays, July 31

Seeking new plays for Suburban Holidays, our annual holiday-themed play festival and fundraiser. Play submissions should be between 10 and 20 minutes in length and focus on a holiday. All holidays are welcome! Past plays have focused on everything from Christmas to Arbor Day, and everything in between. We even recently did International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Casts of varying sizes are welcome, as are shows that feature children. Please keep in mind that the festival is family friendly, so plays with excessive profanity or other inappropriate material will not be selected.

We will be selecting six shows for production. All submissions will be kept on record and consulted for future years. Our selected playwrights will receive a $100 stipend and will be produced as part of Suburban Holidays 15 in November 2026, with full production support (lights, sound, costumes, and minimalist set).

The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2026. Playwrights will be contacted by August 31, 2026, regardless of whether their play has been selected or not. If you have submitted a play in the past, please do not resubmit the same play unless there have been significant revisions. We also request no more than three submissions per playwright.

Qptheater.com

Smokelong Quarterly, Flash Fiction, June 15

No fee submissions May 15-June 15, SmokeLong publishes flash narratives--fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid (somewhere between fiction and non-fiction)--up to 1000 words. Include the word count and a print-ready, third-person bio with your cover letter. We prefer a simple cover letter.

https://smokelong.submittable.com/Submit

Swimm Betsy Hotel Miami, Poets, Residency, opens 6/1

Any woman-identifying (she/her or she/they) writer over the age of 25. Hybrid and multi-genre writers are encouraged to apply as long as the writing sample itself is poetry. The residency includes a four-day, three-night stay in The Writer’s Room at The Betsy-South Beach, a luxury, boutique hotel devoted to the arts and philanthropy located on iconic Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Florida. It also comes with a per diem to be used at any of The Betsy’s restaurants and/or room service.

Taos Onstage, Don Keefe Memorial Playwriting Contest, June 1

New Mexico residents only.

https://www.taosonstage.com/new-page-1

Texas Observer, Poets, May 31

Submissions are OPEN for our magazine’s poetry section through May 31, 2026. Send in your best, previously unpublished poem of up to 45 lines. 1 poem per issue receives a $100 honorarium. poetry@texasobserver.org!

Theatre Three, One-Act Plays, Sept 1

Playwrights may only submit one play per Festival.

Only unproduced works will be accepted.

Please do not submit works that have been submitted for previous Festivals.

Plays that have had staged readings or on-line productions are eligible.

No adaptations, children’s plays, or musicals.

Cast size maximum: 12

Length maximum: 30 minutes (no minimum)

Settings: Simple or suggested.

All submissions should be emailed as PDFs with the title in caps followed by the playwright’s name. Example: THE BASKET WEAVERS Jamie Martin

Play’s cover sheet must include the author’s information (name, address, telephone, email).

A short synopsis is encouraged

Any stage play format is acceptable.

https://theatrethree.com/one-act-play-submissions/

Tractor Beam, Stories or Comics about Water, June 30

For the sixth issue of Tractor Beam, we’re looking for stories about the role of water in soil, growth, land, and ecosystems large and small. We are specifically seeking anti-apocalyptic visions that explore the future of water in farming and food production, island ecologies, hybrid sea-soil technologies, the people who move water and the people water moves. Stories about drought, diaspora, and what gets carried downstream.

https://www.instagram.com/tractorbeam.earth/

Ucross, Artist Residency, July 15
Ucross provides each artist with living accommodations, meals, work space, and uninterrupted time so that the artists can focus on their creative process. Lunch and dinners are prepared Monday to Friday by a professional chef with ample provisions on hand for breakfasts and weekends. Lunches are delivered to individual studios; group dinners take place at 6 p.m. Towels and all linens are provided, as is weekly housekeeping for bedrooms. There is cell phone service and wireless internet throughout residency facilities. Residents are responsible for providing their own working materials and for their travel to Sheridan, Wyoming. There is no charge for a residency.

https://www.ucrossfoundation.org/residency-program.html

Village Playbox, One-Act Play Festival, June 29

Festival presented Sept 17-19. Haddon Heights, NJ.

Villageplaybox.org

Yaddo, Artist Residency, Submissions open June 1, close July 1

Cap of 1300 submissions. We offer residencies to professional creative artists from all nations and backgrounds working in one or more of the following disciplines: choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Artists apply individually. Peer review is the keystone of our selection process, with different panelists each season. Residencies last from two weeks to two months and include room, board and a studio.

https://yaddo.org/apply/

It’s official. After 20 years of serving on the board of 2 community gardens, I burned out. I want to focus more time and energy on my writing, before it’s too late. Life moves quickly. I’ve lost more friends lately, and I find myself returning again and again to Mary Oliver question from The Summer Day.

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

The good news: creative seeds are still blooming.

I’m thrilled to share that my monologue Down There was selected for the Social Justice Shorts Festival in St. Louis, MO (June 5–7), a collaboration between Bread and Roses Theater MO and A Call to Conscience Interactive Theater for Social Change. I’m especially grateful to have this piece included in a festival dedicated to work that sparks dialogue, empathy, and change.

Tickets are now on sale:
https://cur8.com/projects/breadandrosesmo

If you’re able to attend, please let me know what you thought. The lineup looks fantastic, and I wish I could see every piece myself.

Mid-month reminder: your creative work matters. The world will always demand your time and energy, but protecting space for your art is not selfish—it’s necessary.

As always, I welcome your success stories.

Shine on,

Lucy

AND NOW FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES —

New Play Fest, June 30

Supports the production of new plays in community theatres. Submissions will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to the first 350 scripts received. No fee for AACT member playwrights; $10 script processing fee for non-members. Only 1 script per playwright

https://aact.org/newplayfest-call-scripts

Diez Minutos Festival, 10 Minute Plays, opens June 1, June 30 or first 100

Theme: Small Spaces. An international festival of ten-minute plays in English -- is back! No fee to enter; no geographic restrictions. You may submit only one play.

Submission period opens on June 1, 2026. Entries must be received prior to midnight U.S. Central Standard Time, June 30, 2026. Only the first 100 plays entered are guaranteed to be considered.

Send your play and contact info to: diezminutosfestival@gmail.com

For complete details, go to “Players Workshop San Miguel de Allende, Mexico” on Facebook

Greetings, My Fellow Creative Souls —

It’s official. After 20 years of serving on the board of 2 community gardens, I burned out. I want to focus more time and energy on my writing, before it’s too late. Life moves quickly, I’ve lost more friends, and lately I’ve been asking what Mary Oliver asks in The Summer Day

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

The good news: creative seeds are still blooming.

I’m thrilled to share that my monologue Down There was selected for the Social Justice Shorts Festival in St. Louis, MO (June 5–7), a collaboration between Bread and Roses Theater MO and A Call to Conscience Interactive Theater for Social Change. I’m especially grateful to have this piece included in a festival dedicated to work that sparks dialogue, empathy, and change.

Tickets are now on sale:
https://cur8.com/projects/breadandrosesmo

If you’re able to attend, please let me know what you thought. The lineup looks fantastic, and I wish I could see every piece myself.

Mid-month reminder: your creative work matters. The world will always demand your time and energy, but protecting space for your art is not selfish—it’s necessary.

As always, I welcome your success stories.

Shine on,

Lucy Greetings, My Fellow Creative Souls —

It’s official. After 20 years of serving on the board of 2 community gardens, I burned out. I want to focus more time and energy on my writing, before it’s too late. Life moves quickly, I’ve lost more friends, and lately I’ve been asking what Mary Oliver asks in The Summer Day

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

The good news: creative seeds are still blooming.

I’m thrilled to share that my monologue Down There was selected for the Social Justice Shorts Festival in St. Louis, MO (June 5–7), a collaboration between Bread and Roses Theater MO and A Call to Conscience Interactive Theater for Social Change. I’m especially grateful to have this piece included in a festival dedicated to work that sparks dialogue, empathy, and change.

Tickets are now on sale:
https://cur8.com/projects/breadandrosesmo

If you’re able to attend, please let me know what you thought. The lineup looks fantastic, and I wish I could see every piece myself.

Mid-month reminder: your creative work matters. The world will always demand your time and energy, but protecting space for your art is not selfish—it’s necessary.

As always, I welcome your success stories. Thanks again for your support.

Shine on,

Lucy

AND NOW FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES

AACT New Play Fest, June 30

Supports the production of new plays in community theatres. Submissions will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to the first 350 scripts received. No fee for AACT member playwrights; $10 script processing fee for non-members. Only 1 script per playwright

https://aact.org/newplayfest-call-scripts

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Here’s a fresh list of opportunities to kick off the merry month of May.

If you’re new to my posts, welcome! I curate primarily no-fee opportunities for writers to shine. The exception …

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Thi…

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I’m racing to prep for the holidays, but wanted to get these opps out to you ASAP!

Shine on! And next year in….

Lucy

Al Blanchard Award, Mystery Writing, Apri…

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I hope this finds you well.

Many of you reached out to wish me a happy birthday—thank you for your kindness and warm wishes. I truly appreciate it.

Shine on!

Lucy

Alcazar Theatre E…

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Today is my mother’s birthday.

For many years, this day left me depressed—filled with sadness and questions that never had answers. I would wonder why she couldn’t care abo…

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“Never yet was a springtime when the buds forgot to bloom.”

~ Margaret Elizabeth Sangster (H/t Jan)

Taking a moment to share my apricot blossom…

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What’s giving me hope is seeing more people take action: speaking up, organizing, writing, calling, helping—doing someth…

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A is For…, Jan 31

One-acts and full-lengths 90 minutes or less. Plays that address re…

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How are we doing? Thirteen 13 days into 2026, and I am shaken to the core. No space seems safe. I have friends who stopped paying attention to the news, and I’ve tried to limit my daily digest, but that feels dangerous, too. It doesn’t help that we discovered we need a new roof. Thanks, atmospheric rivers.

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No submission fee

Submissions Window Open: JANUARY 2nd - FEBRUARY 15th, 2026

Results announced by early March, 2026

The International Human Rights Art Movement

is happy to announce the submissions call

for the upcoming

International Human Rights Art Festival: Hannah Arendt

Urban Stages

259 West 30th Street (btw 7th and 8th Avenues), NYC

Looking …

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What are you looking forward to in 2026? So many friends and colleagues are all hoping for a better year, a year filled with more light than darkness, but we know that hope is a commitment. Hope requires action.

I started this Substack last January to lift our spirits and amplify our voices. With so many deep funding cuts across the ar…

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Submissions to INCUBATE NYC 2026, are now open to playwrights based in or from QUEENS and THE BRONX.

Each selected playwright receives a $500 artist stipend, a weeklong developmental workshop with collaborators (director, dramaturg, actors) and rehearsal space, administrative support, and a public reading to s…

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Playwrights from around the world are invited to submit their original one-act plays for consideration in the upcoming festival. Showcase your work on an international stage and connect …

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