Welcome!
Submission Window Opens April 1st
We are an annual, creative nonfiction anthology publishing personal stories, essays, and memoirs from Greater Roanoke Valley natives.What do we mean by the Greater Roanoke Valley? Roanoke and all counties that share a border with it. This includes Craig, Botetourt, Bedford, Franklin, Floyd, and Montgomery. If you were born and raised in any of these counties, you are qualified to submit to this publication.Volume 1 submission window opens April 1, 2025 and closes on July 1, 2025.Submit your final draft to [email protected]We look forward to reading your work!
Voices of The GRV
Submission Guidelines
-Authors must be Greater Roanoke Valley natives. This includes the counties of Roanoke, Craig, Botetourt, Bedford, Franklin, Floyd, and Montgomery, all bordering Roanoke. If you were born and raised in any of these counties, you are qualified to submit to this publication. You don’t have to live in the area currently, but you must be from here as your hometown.
-Stories must be true! We encourage the “creative” part of creative nonfiction, but we are here to share and learn from true stories.
-Stories must be under 4000 words.
-Submitted work must be previously unpublished, which includes publication on personal blogs, social media accounts, and other websites. Previously published work will be automatically disqualified.
-Multiple submissions are allowed. You can send us as many as you'd like, but overall we prefer quality to quantity.
-Please include your name (as you would like it printed for publication) and your hometown in your submission heading.
-The submission window opens April 1, 2025 and closes on July 1, 2025.
-Authors accepted for publication will receive a response by the end of July. If we are unable to meet this timeline, we will notify all submitters of the extension. Accepted authors will also receive a free copy of the publication.
-Tell your own stories if you are able, and not someone else's. We don't intend to create gossip!
-Send your final drafts to [email protected] for consideration.
voices of the GRV
About Us
Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia, the Greater Roanoke Valley is a region rich in culture, history, and iconic natural landscapes.This slice of Appalachia has not only preserved generations of art, music, traditional crafting and homestyle cooking, it is actively home to a robust outdoor scene and ever expanding food, drink, and entertainment venues. This is made possible (and more charming) by the unique and industrious people that inhabit it.Voices of the Greater Roanoke Valley was created to give those that are from this region a place to share true stories of life in the valley. We encourage you to write about whatever you feel called to write about - whether your highest highs or lowest lows, a simple day you’d like to revisit, or anything in between.We want to hear your stories and share them with others. You don't need to be a professional writer, either. If your story is honest and captivates the spirit of the region we are here to recognize, you are qualified to submit.We look forward to reading your work!
Our Team
Kathryn Zamorski Henning
Founder & Editor---Salem, Virginia
Frequently Asked Questions
voices of the GRV
What is Creative Nonfiction?
Great question. Creative Nonfiction is a genre of literature where true stories can be told with the style and flair of our favorite fiction narratives.It is a place where our personal memories, essays, and histories can flower and expand into whatever expression necessary to appropriately describe and captivate the emotions, scenes, and impacts of the experiences.In short, it means we can catch a vibe and flow with our writing.The following resources provide a bit more information on this.
What Is Creative Nonfiction?
Voices of the GRV
How Do I Write a Short Story?
There are as many ways to write a short story as there are subjects to write about.That being said, we can set ourselves up for success by understanding some common and popular techniques that can support us in being able to articulate a narrative in a way that is compelling, coherent, and in an authentic voice.NOTE! The following tips are not a requirement for submissions! They are just suggestions.In general, many captivating stories will answer a dramatic or philosophical question throughout 3 parts: The Set Up, The Confrontation, and The Resolution. This is commonly known as the three act structure, and there is countless insight available for free online about it if you want to learn more.Some thematic questions that the story addresses might be, Does justice prevail? Is there such a thing as true love? Was the journey worth the struggle in the end? Is there hope for our main character?Overall, if the story has conflict, resolution, appropriate pacing, and isn’t written above the ability of the writer, it has a good chance at making an impact.Remember! Practicing is very important and cannot be understated. We suggest writing some short stories for practice to get the feel for your own unique voice, strengths, and places for improvement.The following resources offer some more insight to support your writing.
Three Act Structure - WikipediaHow To Write a Short Story10 Tips for Writing Short StoriesHow to Write Three Act Structure
Contact Us
© Voices of the Greater Roanoke Valley. All rights reserved.