The Women Who Raised Me

Some women raise us with their hands. Those hands may be comforting and warm, or they might be hurtful and violent.

Some women raise us through their steady presence. Some with their absence.

The women who raise us might do so with a recipe, a warning, a look across the room, a song in the kitchen, or a prayer whispered at the sink.

This month’s contest is an invitation to write about the women who shaped you. They may have done so by blood or by choice. Regardless of who they are, these women have left you with an invisible inheritance.

At Quill–House of Ink, we believe stories don’t only entertain. They preserve and clarify. They set something free. And often, the most powerful writing begins right where we came from.

The Prompt

Write a piece that explores the women who raised you (mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, mentors, teachers, friends, chosen-family elders, or caretakers.)

Your piece can be tender or furious, grateful or conflicted, quiet or bold. Let it be honest and vulnerable.

Consider exploring:

• what she gave you (and what she couldn’t)

• what she taught you directly vs. what you learned by watching

• what you inherited (habits, courage, fear, softness, silence, etc.)

• what you’re determined to keep, and what you’re ready to end

You don’t need a perfect relationship to write a powerful truth. You just need a willingness to look.

Required Element

Include one line of dialogue you can still hear in your head.

Maybe it is a sentence she said once or a phrase she repeated for years. Maybe it was a warning. Or a blessing, a joke…a criticism. The kind of line that lives on in you long after the room is gone.

Formats Accepted

• Personal essay

• Narrative nonfiction

• Poetry

• 150-1500 words

Prizes & Publication

1st Place

• Up to $250 cash prize (if we have at least 15 people enter, otherwise it will be a percentage of the entry fees)

• Publication on the Quill website

• Featured in the Quill Anthology

2nd Place

• $50 cash prize

• Publication on Resilient Stories

• Possible inclusion in the Voices Of Resilience series

3rd Place

• Publication in Medium’s Voices of Resiliency

Entry + Deadlines

• Entry fee: $30 for non-members (member discounts apply)

• Pay entry by: 05/18

• Submit your piece by: 05/24

To maintain anonymity during judging, you’ll receive a submission link by email after your entry is complete.

Enter here: https://buy.stripe.com/9B64gA8XP7MufCj5S3cQU08

Judging Notes

We’re not looking for “perfect writing.” We’re looking for writing that is:

• honest

• specific

• emotionally resonant

• shaped with intention

• connected clearly to the prompt

Sometimes the quietest pieces are the ones that stay with us the longest.

A Gentle Reminder

Your story is yours. You don’t owe anyone all the parts to it. Share what makes you comfortable.

Write what you want remembered, and what you want released.

We can’t wait to read your work.

*All submissions must be previously unpublished works. Any winning selections that include publication will belong to Quill and Resilient Stories. They can not be published in the exact way anywhere else.

Meet the Judges

Danielle Dahl

Danielle is the CEO of Resilient Stories and the Co-Founder of Quill—House of Ink. She has been writing since she was a teenager, and was first published in a poetry anthology at 16. Before turning 18, she wrote for one of the first online blogs and the local newspaper.

Since then, she has written over 1000 articles/stories for various online publications. She is also the author of Voices of Resilience: Volume One, with more volumes in the works as we type!

Danielle is also a Ph.D. candidate in psychology and fundamentally believes storytelling is medicine and can change the world.

Heather Estus

Heather is the founder and author of The Worthiness Formula, Worthy YOUniversity, and The Worthy Ranch.

She is also the Co-Founder of Quill—House of Ink and an artist.

Heather has a degree in Journalism and over 30 years of non-profit experience.

She is a storyteller at heart, whose mission it is to help others.

Her audience includes professionals, organizations, and individuals.

Hannah Olson

Hannah Olson is a public relations strategist, storyteller, and founder of Narrator Creative Consulting.

Known for her thoughtful, down-to-earth approach, Hannah blends strategy with storytelling to help people connect, build trust, and grow their impact.

She also teaches public speaking at Montana State University Billings and works as a freelance writer, bringing a strong voice and sharp perspective to everything she does.

Madyson Ruthann

Madyson Ruthann is a 20-year-old English major currently studying in the beautiful city of Barcelona. In the last few months, she has taken inspiration from numerous new countries and put them into her pen.

She was an editor of a local magazine before college, and continued her love of writing by pursuing it as a path for higher education. She started both her English and Economics degrees at the University of Colorado Boulder, and has been lucky enough to move her search for knowledge around the world.

Her true love is creative writing, specifically poetry. One day, she hopes to become the author of a poetic memoir. She believes that to become a great writer, you have to live through and beyond what is already written. It is our job as artists to create new worlds of the unknown, so those who come after can, too, become great.

The Dreamer’s Hand

Some dreams don’t disappear. They’re silenced, slowly, by practicality, fear, and the quiet decision to stop trying. Dreams are the whispers of our deepest desires, and in a world that rewards stability over passion, it’s easy to “grow up” and call it maturity. Sometimes it’s just neglect.

This first contest is our opening ritual at Quill—House of Ink. It’s for anyone who has ever felt the ache of a dream slipping away… and for anyone ready to return.

Theme

“Dreams can only die at the hands of the dreamer.” — Danielle Dahl, Quill Co-Founder

The Prompt

Write about a dream you “killed” through neglect, practicality, fear, or silence, and the moment you realized it.

End your piece with one of the following:

• (A) the first small step you took (or will take) to resurrect it, or

• (B) the sentence you wish someone had told you sooner.

Formats Accepted

• Personal essay

• Narrative nonfiction

• Poetry

Entry Fee

• $30 (non-members)
  Members receive discounted entry.

Prizes & Publication

1st Place

• $250 cash prize

• Publication on the Quill website

• Inclusion in the Quill Anthology

• Participation in a live reading event

2nd Place

• $50 cash prize

• Publication on Resilient Stories

• Participation in a live reading event

• Possible inclusion in the Resilient Stories Anthology

3rd Place

• Participation in a live reading event

• Publication in Medium’s “Voices of Resiliency” publication

Why This Contest

Quill exists for the return arc. For that moment when you find the courage to reclaim your voice. Not everyone who writes is trying to become famous. Many of us write to survive, to heal, and to give our inner life somewhere to go.

This theme is an invitation to do exactly that: name the dream, name the ending, and, if you choose, write the first line of the beginning again.

How to Enter

Submit your piece: Click here to enter. The submission form will be emailed to you.
Deadline: April 20th 2026
Word count/length: 150-1000
Eligibility: Open to all Montana writers

Judging

Entries will be judged on:

• emotional resonance

• originality and voice

• craft (structure, clarity, imagery)

• alignment with the theme

Winners will be announced on this page and on our social channels.

Past Winners

As Quill grows, this page will become a living archive with our contest history, winner spotlights, and the writing that helped launch this space.

Winner announcements and past selections will be published here.