Stories from the Threshold©
Every woman carries a story of becoming.
Not because she is rich or powerful or famous.
Because she has lived.
We are daughters of women who crossed oceans, survived hardship, raised children, tended the sick, buried the dead, created beauty, and supported the thriving of families and communities. Their stories rarely appear in history books, yet human survival relied on their courage.
Today, women continue to cross thresholds every day.
Thresholds of marriage and motherhood
Thresholds of grief and loss
Thresholds of caregiving and healing
Thresholds of leadership and adventure
Thresholds of reinvention and becoming
Stories from the Threshold© is a new series of anthologies published by Red Tent Press that elevate the voices of everyday women navigating life's most meaningful crossings. Stories of everyday women facing challenges, overcoming setbacks, reclaiming themselves, harnessing their gifts, and discovering who they are becoming. Together, they reveal the countless ways—small and large—that women shape families, communities, and the world.
These are not stories of perfection. They may not be stories of success. They are absolutely stories of resilience, wisdom, courage, heartbreak, healing, and hope. Stories that remind us we are not alone. Stories that help another woman find her way forward.
What is a Threshold Story?
A threshold story is a micro-memoir that tells an individual woman’s story of becoming.
Through reflection and meaning-making, lived experience becomes earned wisdom. And wisdom becomes a medicine story that helps another woman find her way forward.
Over time, threshold stories become legacy stories that preserve the lived experiences, courage, resilience, and wisdom of women for future generations.
Together, we create a story-based community organized around women's journeys of becoming.
Why Stories Matter
Stories help us make meaning of our lives.
When a woman tells the truth about her experience, something powerful happens. She reclaims her voice. She honors her journey. She leaves a trail for those who follow.
At Red Tent Press, we believe storytelling is both a vessel for becoming and an act of kinship.
Every story shared becomes a lantern for another woman walking through the shadows.
The Vision
Stories have always changed the world.
Historians estimate that the Enlightenment—which changed the trajectory of our world—was created by roughly one thousand people. Today, 624 women could change the direction of our nation towards true equity for women; 15,046 women could reimagine our world.
In writing our stories of navigating thresholds, of women’s courage and resilience, we remind each other of the power, promise, and potential of each woman living fully into her own becoming.
Storytelling is both a vessel for becoming and an act of kinship.
The Goal
100 stories by 100 women by December 2027.
624 stories by 624 women by December 2032.
Stories that will inspire, encourage, challenge, and accompany future generations of extraordinary everyday women.
You do not need to be a professional writer.
You simply need a story of becoming that feels important to share.
Because another woman needs the wisdom you earned by living it.
Threshold stories are not stories about what happens to women.
They are stories about who women become because of what happened.
Every woman crosses thresholds in her life. Some thresholds invite us into new possibilities. Some require us to summon unexpected courage. Some call us to challenge expectations and claim our place in the world.
We invite women to share stories of becoming—stories of resilience, wisdom, leadership, healing, and self-discovery—that may help another woman find her way forward.
Your story is your medicine.
Now your story may become another woman's medicine.
Stories of Becoming
Identity • Reinvention • New Beginnings
Who am I becoming?
Life’s thresholds we crossed to become who we were meant to be
Life rarely unfolds according to plan. A career changes. A relationship ends. Children grow up. A dream emerges. A new chapter begins. Stories of Becoming invites women to share stories of identity, reinvention, and transformation. We are seeking stories about finding your voice, changing direction, starting over, reclaiming forgotten parts of yourself, and becoming who you were always meant to be. These stories are not about perfection or success. They are about growth, self-discovery, and the choices that shape who we become.
Stories of Courage
Resilience • Loss • Perseverance
How did I keep going?
The moments we acted despite fear
Courage is rarely loud. Sometimes courage means speaking up. Sometimes it is staying. Sometimes it is leaving. Sometimes it is simply getting out of bed and facing another day. Stories of Courage invites women to share stories of resilience in the face of loss, grief, estrangement, illness, disappointment, uncertainty, or life's unexpected challenges. We are seeking stories about difficult choices, hard-won wisdom, and the strength to continue when the path ahead feels uncertain. These are stories of women who found a way forward, one step at a time.
Stories of Conviction
Leadership • Advocacy • Resistance
What did I stand for?
The moments we chose to stand firm
Every woman reaches moments when she must decide what matters most. Sometimes conviction means speaking up. Sometimes it means saying no. Sometimes it means challenging expectations, questioning systems, protecting what we love, or remaining true to ourselves when the cost is high.
Stories of Conviction invites women to share stories of leadership, advocacy, courage, and integrity. We are seeking stories about standing up for yourself and others, acting from deeply held values, taking risks in service of something larger than yourself, and refusing to compromise what you know to be true. These are stories of women who found their voice, claimed their place, and lived in alignment with their deepest convictions.
Pathways for Authors and Avid Readers
Published Author · Emerging Author · Emerging Writer · Story Keeper
If you become a Stories from the Threshold Author, you are saying yes to
Sharing your story as part of a collective effort to elevate the voices and lived experiences of women
Becoming part of a community of women writers and storytellers
Encouraging and inspiring other women navigating their own thresholds of becoming
Expanding your publication portfolio and increasing your visibility as an author
Creating a lasting legacy for your family, friends, and future generations
Because Red Tent Press is committed to telling the stories of women of diverse backgrounds,
no voices will be silenced. If you submit, you will be published.
Traditional publishing relies on gatekeepers who decide which stories deserve to be heard. They are focused on profit.
Red Tent Press takes a different approach. We believe every woman's story has value and deserves to be heard. More importantly, we are creating a story-based community organized around women's journeys of becoming.
Author Benefits
You will receive one softcover and one hardcover keepsake edition of the anthology.
You can purchase author copies at cost with no minimum, plus shipping: softcover ($5 softcover, $10 keepsake)
You have permission to resell books at the retail price
You may partner with your local bookstores or organizations outside of Texas
We will share a launch celebration on Zoom
25% discount on tuition to Your Book as Strategy, a two-part workshop that will help you develop your book as a catalyst to achieve your goals
10% discount on editing with Gretchen
Access to a marketing guide to help you amplify your voice and sell your anthology as a part of your business , passive income, or mission building (if relevant)
Community Benefits
Curated gatherings for Stories from the Threshold Authors
Access to discounted presales of future titles
We’re actively developing new opportunities for Stories from the Threshold Authors.
Call for Submissions Opening July 1.
Be the first to get the invitation.
Four Pathways to join the community.
Three books to choose from.
Published Author Pathway
You have published multiple stories, essays, articles, or books. You can produce a polished manuscript that requires little editorial support and you’re comfortable following submission guidelines independently.
You submit a publication-ready story. Your story will receive a professional editorial review and be returned to you for approval before publication.
Founding Author Investment: $50
Emerging Writer Pathway
Writing is a challenge, but you have something important to say. Maybe English isn’t your native language. Maybe you love to work in community. Gretchen has worked with more than 100 writers in just your position. Reclaiming Ourselves: Stories of Becoming may be just the writer’s circle for you. We’ll walk through each section of the story guideline, with lots of time for conversations.
Small gathering size: limited to 12 women per circle
4 zoom sessions over two months
Two 30-minute individual feedback sessions
Optional Writing Buddy
Bring a Buddy Discount
Circle Format
Session One: Orientation, Defining Your Theme, Outlining Your Story
Session Two: Writing a Strong Introduction
Individual Feedback Session
Session Three:
Session Four:
Individual Feedback Session
Developmental Edit with Gretchen
Final Edit
Emerging Writer Investment: $395
Emerging Writer Buddies Investment: $345 per buddy
Emerging Author Pathway
You’re confident about your writing but you haven’t written for publication or you haven’t written first person narratives. Maybe you’ve struggled to get your writing published. You don’t need hand-holding, but you would love some support. Gretchen has worked with more than 400 writers in just your position. Following this pathway, Stories from the Threshold Authors
Send Gretchen their best-possible draft.
She will do a developmental edit and have a 30-minute phone call or zoom to provide feedback and answer questions.
They will revise their story.
Gretchen does a second edit and returns it for approval before publication.
If necessary, we do a final round of editing.
Emerging Author Investment: $195
Story Keeper Pathway
Not every woman feels called to write her story. Maybe you are called to listen, witness, encourage, and carry stories forward. Maybe you love to be around authors. Maybe you long for community.
The Avid Reader Pathway is designed for women who love books, storytelling, and meaningful conversations. Join a community of readers who believe stories matter and who want to support women authors as they share their wisdom, resilience, and journeys of becoming.
Benefits
A hardcover keepsake of the first three anthologies
Early access to and discounted presales of future anthology releases
Invitations to zoom book launches
Invitations to author conversations and community gatherings
A place in a growing community centered on story, connection, and becoming
Founding Story Keeper Membership: $100