What If?
Every life contains crossroads.
Some are obvious: the job you didn't take, the relationship that never quite happened, the city you almost moved to, the degree you considered pursuing. Others are quieter: a conversation that changed your direction, a risk you couldn't afford to take, a dream deferred by circumstances beyond your control.
As writers, we often revisit these moments—not to rewrite history, but to understand it.
The Story Circle Network 2026 LifeWriting Competition invites you to explore "The Life I Almost Lived."
What would have happened if you had said yes instead of no? What path opened because another one closed? What version of yourself still lingers in your imagination?
Your story might be humorous, poignant, surprising, or deeply reflective. It might celebrate the life you ultimately chose or examine one that remained just out of reach. The theme welcomes true, personal writing that explores possibility, choice, chance, and the unexpected turns that shape our lives.
We look forward to reading your stories.
Submission window: August 1–September 30, 2026
Please read guidelines below carefully.
Submission form at bottom of this page; you must be logged in to see it. Not a member? Join us!
Awards
One prize of $100, one prize of $75, and one prize of $50. The first-place story will be published in the Story Circle Journal. All winning stories will be featured on SCN's website. Upon the judges' recommendation, other entries may be published in later issues of the Journal and in other SCN print or online publications. An award may be withheld if, in the opinion of the judges, no entry achieves the expected standard. The judges' decision is final.
Rules
- You must be a dues-paying member of Story Circle Network to enter. (To join, use our online membership form; you can pay online or mail your check to the address below.)
- The $25 entry fee can be paid online or by check.
- One entry per member.
- To be eligible, your entry must be unpublished. We define a "published" piece as one that has been reviewed and accepted by an editor, either for a print or an online publication. For the purpose of this contest, blog posts are not considered "publications."
- Each entry must be titled, and no longer than 1200 words. (The submission form accepts only 1200 words.) Keep a copy of your entry.
- Story Circle Network does not provide a platform for targeted political or religious argument, and such entries are not eligible.
- Story Circle Network does not accept work created (in whole or in part) using Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated text. Submissions found to be crafted using computer-generated text of any kind will be disqualified.
- Winners' stories must be available for publication in the Journal. However, if you wish your story to be published anonymously, we will remove your name.
- If you have internet access, you must submit your entry to us electronically by using our online form [see below].
- If you do not have internet access, mail your entry, typed and single-spaced, on 8.5 x 11" paper, to Story Circle Network, 723 W University Ave #234, Georgetown TX 78626. Include your check for the $25 entry fee. If you do not have access to a typewriter, we will accept entries that are clearly handwritten in dark black ink. Be sure that your name and address appear on your entry. Put the actual word count under your name/address. Include a 100-word bio to be published with your entry if you win. Entries must be received by the contest deadline. Please allow ample time for delivery.
- By submitting your story, you are giving Story Circle the right to publish it in the Journal, in its other print publications, and on its website. However, authors retain copyright.
- Prize winners in our writing competitions are ineligible to enter the same competition in the year following a win. You are, however, invited to serve as a jury member that year.
Submission form at bottom of page; you must be logged in to see it. Not a member? Join us!.
Criteria and Judging
The judges look for entries that are fresh and original, tell a compelling story in a clear and authentic voice, are responsive to the topic, and have been polished and carefully proofread for presentation in the competition. The most successful submissions are rich in evocative detail and avoid generalizations and abstractions. Entries will not be returned; evaluations will not be available.
Deadline
Your entry and your entry fee must both be date stamped (if online) or RECEIVED (if by USPS) NO LATER THAN midnight ET on the deadline date. If mailing your entry and/or fee, be sure to allow ample time for delivery. It is unfair to writers who observe these rules to ask for an exception.
Notification
Winners will be notified when the judging is concluded.
