With just ONE WEEK left until the 2026 Short Grain Contest for Poetry and Fiction closes, we hope this Short Q&A with judges Billy-Ray Belcourt and Suzette Mayr will ignite your motivation to polish up those poems and short stories and hit the send button!
Contest Deadline: April 1 at 11:59pm
$4500 in cash prizes + publication in Grain
Q. Can you describe, in just three words, what elements a winning poem/story must have?
Billy-Ray Belcourt: Thoughtfulness, emotion, style.
Suzette Mayr: Fresh, vivid language.
Q. What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve received on your own writing?
BB: I don’t remember where I read this or heard it, but: “Writer’s block” is simply an indication that you may need to spend more time with the world.
SM: Long before I’d published anything and at a time when I had written maybe 11 poems total in my entire life, my poetry professor Fred Wah looked at a poem I’d written and that I was deludedly proud of, and he said, “It’s full of clichés!” Even though his feedback irritated me beyond words, I reread the poem and saw that he was absolutely right. Ever since then, I’ve been careful to avoid clichéd language in my writing as much as I possibly can, and I’ve learned to suck it up when it comes to editorial advice from wise people whom I respect.
Q. What’s a recently published book you highly recommend?
BB: Horses by Jake Skeets
SM: Flamer by Mike Curato
Q. For those poets/writers who might be feeling nervous or hesitant about submitting their work to a writing contest, what encouraging words or advice do you have for them?
BB: Be purposeful; submit to contests judged by writers you like. Understand that it is part luck, part mystery, part hard work. Look for outlets of recognition outside the literary industry at the same time. Take a whimsical approach to it all!
SM: I remember submitting writing to a lot of contests when I was a beginning writer. I think I won only one writing contest ever, but I loved participating in them anyway because each one gave me a concrete deadline and incentive to write. I guess my advice is to use contests to your advantage in any way you can, and remember that in the end writing itself should always give you some kind of secret joy, no matter what. If you keep on going, you'll only get better.
Ready to submit? Guidelines Here.
