Writers Residencies: How to Find The Right One for You
In one week, I'll be in a writer's residency in Tennessee. In honor of my upcoming residency, here's how I search for and choose residencies. It's something that's not talked about in MFA programs or writers' groups, and that can leave people feeling like it's not an opportunity for them.
How I Find Residencies
I use the following newsletters and databases to identify opportunities that interest me:
Creative Capital Alliance of Artists Communities Entropy CFS (Fellowships and Other Opps)
Once a month I'll batch read newsletters and add fun opportunities to a spreadsheet. A couple of times a year I will identify upcoming opportunities to apply for. Identifying opportunities ahead of time saves me time because I have a smaller pool of already-vetted professional development opportunities to skim through. Click here to grab a copy of the spreadsheet I use and save it for yourself.
Choosing the Right Residency
To decide if something is right for me, I look at the costs, suitability with my current goals, and fit for my career right now/in the near term.
Is there a specific project that I want to work on that is well-suited to this opportunity?
You can get a lot more done in a month-long stay than in a week or weekend, so matching my writing projects with the opportunity means I'm less likely to bite off more than I can chew. Knowing ahead of time what I want to work on allows me to be specific in my application on how the particular residency will help me meet a career goal.
I will also look at fit for someone at my career level.
If the residency is super established, it's going to get more applications. Standing out in the application pool is going to be more challenging. A newer residency will probably get fewer applications which means better odds for you! The same goes for a residency in a relatively unglamorous location or some place that is hard to get to.
What are the costs to me?
There might be an application cost to apply (I aim for under $30; some ask as much as $50 and some cost $0 to apply).
There can be costs to attend, though on the other side you’ll find that some residencies pay you a stipend or give a travel reimbursement.
Many charge a modest fee, which is typically less than the going rate for an accommodation in that area.
Many residencies have scholarships for under-represented writers that waive or partially subsidize your costs.
One residency that's on my list is the Vermont Studio Center. I've heard great things about it, and they do offer financial assistance, but the cost is $4,000 for a 4-week stay!
I don't have that much money set aside right now, so I haven't applied. I wouldn't want to turn down the opportunity because I couldn't pay the difference between their assistance on the going rate. If I apply, it’ll be when I feel like it’s the right fit for my current goals and I can afford a contribution.
I'm much more comfortable going for something when I know I can afford the opportunity and have crunched the true costs of attending.
This means thinking through transportation (I'm driving to Tennessee, but paid for a flight to Alaska for a month-long residency– no regrets there!) as well as the cost of food (unless they're feeding you) and other supplies. There might be an opportunity cost of lost work, aka what you would have earned if you weren't in monastic solitude working on your art for the week (I reached out to my regular clients ahead of time to let them know my limited availability and am front-loading my month with work).
Come up with a realistic budget before you apply for these opportunities so you don't fall in love with something you can't afford.
If it all feels overwhelming there are ways to create your own residency on your own budget.
That might look like pet sitting for a friend for a week and staying in their house, so you aren't distracted by your usual routine.
It might look like tagging along on a spouse's work trip and treating their hotel as your home base (which I've done).
Or hacking a writer's conference you won a scholarship to into a residency by writing in the lobby in your spare time (also done).
Or it could be renting a room you can afford off Airbnb or Agoda for a weekend-long retreat.
Bottom line: There are lots of ways to afford focused writing time, so think creatively about what works for you. My month in Alaska was super transformative not only for my writing but in terms of envisioning my best writing life, something I'm still working toward now. This blog post is a recap, if you'd like to learn more about my time there!
I wrote about
I've been sharing some of this information on my Instagram Reels, so follow me there or DM me there with any other questions about applying to residencies.
What I Read and Loved This Month:
I'm a Black Woman Who's Met All the Standards for Promotion. I'm Not Waiting to Reward Myself: We should all stand in our own power with as much authority as Koritha Mitchell. “As a Black woman, I am constantly reminded that I was never meant to do anything at the university but clean, so the standards for promotion were not set with me in mind. White men created them, so they are the ones best positioned to meet them. And yet, with everything in American society set up for their success, they often fall short. When they do, criteria magically change to accommodate them, but no one considers this to be a “lowering” of standards. That language emerges only if the beneficiary isn’t a straight white man,” Mitchell writes, explaining her mindset shift to celebrate herself without attaching external validation.
Digital News Report 2021: What Freelance Journalists Need to Know: Laura Oliver has a short, actionable summary of journalism trends and how they might impact freelancers.
My Latest Piece
Fault Lines - Voyages YA Journal has an excerpt from my queer Young Adult novel, which I’m so excited to share with you all!
Get your q’s answered:
Once a month, I answer your questions about the writing life and making it work for you. Want yours answered? Contact me here.