The mission of 海角原创 is to develop leaders for ministry in the local church and the world 鈥淭o the Praise of His Glory.鈥 Part of developing such leaders is to encourage the use of creativity and imagination. A creative writing contest is being offered to any 海角原创 student who wishes to develop and share his or her creative imagination. Please read and follow these directions:
- Write a 5-page short story.
- Use Times Roman 12-point, double space, and maintain a one-inch margin.
- Place a header on each page which includes your student ID number and the page number.
- Center the title on the first page of the entry.
- Email your entry to the听Financial Aid Office at financialaid@mbu.edu by 5 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026.
- In the email include your name, brief biographical information, and the reason for choosing to enter this contest.
- Attach your short story as a PDF file.
- To maintain anonymity, authors鈥 names will not be provided to the judges.
- By entering this contest, entrants affirm that this is an original work and grant 海角原创 the non-exclusive right to edit and publish this story.
The judges are looking for stories that are original, subtle, engaging, and interesting. Show, don’t tell. Avoid cliche genres such as spiritual allegory, fiction based on a Bible story, and other Christian fiction cliches found .
听For helpful tips on writing a good short story, see .
The winning author will be awarded a check for $100 and a copy of Dr. Steve Stratford鈥檚 published book, , which inspired this contest. The winning story will be published on 海角原创鈥檚 website and considered for inclusion in other 海角原创 publications. The prize will be presented at the Scholarship Dinner in April.
Our judges look forward to reading your entries, and the University looks forward to celebrating the creativity and imagination that future servants are developing.
Read our 2026 winners’ stories:
First Place: Rose Olson, When These Walls Come Tumbling Down
Second Place: Grace Wright, The Midnight Violin
PAST WINNERS:
2025: Richard VanNewkirk (First Place, The Smuggler) and Jack Bovay (Second Place, The Widow鈥檚 Reckoning)
2024: Anna Huffstutler (First Place, An Encounter) and Abigail Dorothy (Second Place, The Deaf Musician)