When Nature Tells a Story: Creative Minority Invites Students to Write Short Stories
Nature holds more than just beauty; it harbors stories about life, change, and the relationship between humanity and the environment. It is from this wellspring that ideas can blossom into works of fiction. This is the spirit that the Student Activity Unit (UKM) "Creative Minority" at Malikussaleh University, Indonesia, seeks to foster through its National Short Story Writing Competition, themed "When Nature Tells a Story."
The competition is open to students across Indonesia. The organizers are offering prizes for the top three winners, a "favorite" short story, and recognition for the 10 best entries. Each participant may submit up to three short stories, with the registration fee varying based on the number of entries submitted.
Azmi Mutia Alnur, Head of the Writing Division at Creative Minority, stated that the competition serves as an opportunity for the younger generation to develop their fiction-writing skills and express their ideas through short stories.
"The short stories must not contain any content related to SARA (issues concerning ethnicity, religion, race, or societal groups), pornography, politics, or violence," Azmi said on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
Every entry must be the participant's original work, previously unpublished, and not currently entered into any other competition. Registration is handled via an official link provided by the organizers. Participants are also required to follow the Instagram account @creativeminority and share the competition poster.
However, the initiative goes beyond the competition and the pursuit of prizes. Creative Minority has also arranged a learning space for participants in Lhokseumawe and the surrounding areas, offering a short story writing workshop led by a nationally recognized author.
"Participants in Lhokseumawe and its vicinity will also have the opportunity to attend a short story writing workshop with a national-level author," Azmi added.
The workshop will be held at the Bukit Indah campus of Malikussaleh University on Friday, October 30, 2026, featuring the short story writer Ayi Jufridar. In addition to writing short stories and novels, Ayi has taught at Malikussaleh University and currently serves as a member of the Lhokseumawe City Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu).
For the participants, this training offers an opportunity to learn directly from an author, refine storytelling techniques, and develop ideas into more compelling short stories.
“All participants will receive an e-certificate. It is a great chance for students to hone their fiction-writing skills,” said Azmi.
Beyond the writing competition itself, the initiative also aims to foster student achievement. Dr. Hadi Iskandar, advisor to the student organization KSM Creative Minority, explained that the competition serves as a selection process for potential representatives of Malikussaleh University for the Regional Student Arts Week (Peksimida).
However, he emphasized that prospective participants must still meet additional requirements as stipulated by the Peksimida guidelines. Dr. Hadi himself has frequently served as the head of the Malikussaleh University contingent for various editions of the event.
Through this competition and training, Creative Minority provides an opportunity for students to test their abilities, learn the craft of writing, and discover their own unique ways of telling stories about nature.
Participants can register via the following link:
Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdz1ECwZJ88OkYugN2D7AhiilrMM_Q28qXrjw0j3RYu5rWeTg/viewform
Information and payment confirmation:
- Adelya Permatasari: 0822-7795-9488
- Cut Dinda Risna Muly: 0895-1942-4514
You put words on something I have seen but never named, that stories thread. Small kindnesses compound quietly, nobody writes them down, everybody feels them. What is the one small thing that made this work?