2025 MWA Scholarship – Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity

Mystery Writers of America Mid-Atlantic Chapter

Student Scholarship Application Form To Attend Creatures, Crimes & Creativity (C3) Con Writing Conference

September 2025, Columbia, Maryland

Application Deadline: August 1, 2025

The Mystery Writers of America, Mid-Atlantic Chapter invites teachers, college professors and college students in our district (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia) to apply for a scholarship to attend the annual writers and fan conference, Creatures, Crimes and Creativity (C3) Con.

Scholarship recipients will meet successful novelists and writers, learn the craft of writing, and become familiar with the book publishing industry and what awaits a beginning writer.

If you are interested in writing novels or short stories in the genres of mystery, crime, suspense or thriller, we encourage you to apply for a scholarship and attend the conference. The scholarship covers your conference registration, conference meals and hotel. Travel and incidental expenses outside of the conference will be the responsibility of the scholarship recipient.

Deadline for submission is August 1, 2025. We will notify all winners by September 1, 2025.

Mystery Writers of America welcomes people from all backgrounds, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. We do not tolerate discrimination or abuse of any kind, including any form of sexual harassment.

Full Name

College Year

Major

Minor

School you attend or teach at

Phone

Personal email

School email

Street address

City

State

Zip

How did you hear about this scholarship?

Example of your writing (1).

Short essay on why you want to attend this conference (2).

Agents and publishers have guidelines for submissions. Here are guidelines for your writing sample and essay: double space, Times New Roman font, black type, one-inch margins on each side, doc or docx format. Applicants who fail to follow these guidelines will be disqualified.

(1) Please attach a file containing no more than 10 pages of your fiction writing sample. This may be a short story, a chapter or part of a chapter of a longer piece. If it is a chapter, please include a paragraph at the beginning giving context for the story. Include a title for your work.

(2) Please attach a file of up to 300 words of your reason for wanting to attend this conference.

Questions? Please contact MWA Chesapeake Chapter scholarship chair Rick Pullen at rick.pullen@verizon.net.