The Closet is one of fifteen categories in the writing room. Write in it before September 15 and you are entered. There is no form and no sign-up. Publishing is the entry.
Three given words, one per line. That is the whole rule.
Go to the room. Choose The Closet. You will be given three words — one of them an object from a wardrobe: the unremoved tag, the empty hanger, the winter coat. Put one word in each line and publish. Anything published in The Closet between now and 11:59pm on September 15 is an entry.
Not the saddest one and not the cleverest one. The one where the object does the work. Three lines, three given words, one each. Anything else is yours.
First: $300. Second: $150. Ten honourable mentions at $10 each. Every winner is published on the site, credited however you signed it.
Votes on the published page decide the shortlist. We pick the winners from it.
Closes 11:59pm on 15 September 2026. Winners announced 22 September.
The byline is optional and it is free text — use a name, a handle, or nothing. If you win under a handle, we announce it and you claim it by email.
Publish as many as you like; one entry per person is judged. English. Your own words.