How To Land A Writing Residency
How my debut memoir helped nab four writing residencies and how you can too.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve made it a habit to apply to residencies as regularly as I can. I started freelance writing in 2017 and had a big learning curve in terms of knowing what opportunities I could apply to, how to find residencies, understanding the application materials needed, and just how to hit that sweet spot before sending in my application.
It took months of applying and getting rejections until… BOOM! In August of 2019, I got my first acceptance to a journalism fellowship. Then a few weeks later, I got another email - news of my first acceptance into a writing residency. Since doing my residency at Sangam House in November 2019, I have applied to dozens of other residencies and fellowships. From applications related to my debut memoir alone, I’ve been accepted into four writing residencies.
But before we dive deeper, let’s cover a few basics.
Q: “What is an artist or writer residency?”
A: An artist or writing residency can take many forms, but bare-bones, it’s an opportunity for an artist to work in a space away from their normal life and have largely uninterrupted time to work on their craft. Some residencies require application fees. Some require travel to get there. Some are solo residencies and others involve living with other artists. Some cater to emerging, mid-career, or season writers. Some residencies are a few days, a few weeks, or a few months. And some even cost money.
Q: “What are writing residency applications like?”
A: Most writing residency applications ask for a writing sample (might be 10-50 pages, a few poems, or past articles), an artist statement (where you explain your creative approach and work), project summary (what you plan to work on during the residency), resume or CV, website, social media links, cover letter, etc.
Q: “What do you get as a writer in residence?”
A: It is typical for residencies to offer free lodging. It is a little less common for residencies to offer travel stipends or food. Some residencies, like Yaddo offer housing and food. Millay Colony for the Arts offers “groceries, chef-prepared communal dinners, private bedroom, and studio, shared living/kitchen space, workstation, laundry room, B&W darkroom, access to Alumni and Nancy Graves Memorial libraries — all provided free of charge.” Other residencies may request that writers host workshops or talks.
Q: “Do I need to be a superstar writer to apply?”
A: Not necessarily! Writing residencies range from wanting emerging writers, mid-career writers, or more established writers. Or writers from certain demographics, like The Baldwin House Residency.
Next up… How To Get Into A Writing Residency
Tip #1: Start building your body of work
Getting into writing can sometimes be the hardest part. But start simple. Pick a genre or genres that you want to delve into, then start submitting your work to presses, publications, or self-publishing online, through websites like Medium or Substack. I started writing online by blogging to practice essay writing, then writing pieces for Teen Vogue and Outside Magazine in 2017. Having a body of work both allows you and people reviewing your applications to have a bird’s eye view of your work.
Tip #2: Make it a practice to find and note various writing residencies and deadlines.
I started doing this on Twitter and by signing up for various newsletters. Writers of Color and Res Artis are two Twitter accounts that I follow with lots of writing-related opportunities. In terms of newsletters, I’m a big of Sonia Weiser’s Opportunities of the Week and StudyHall. When I see a residency that I like, I immediately add it into a Google Doc or Note titled “RESIDENCIES TO APPLY TO” and note the residency by the month that its application deadline is due.
Tip #3: Get a writer’s website
This is something I personally think will set you apart from other writers. Make your own personal website where you keep your bylines, blog posts, etc. Have the design be clean and sharp or attention-grabbing. Either way, having a good writer website shows that you have a body of work and you know how to display it. Additionally, thinking up the language for your website pages may lend to things you need to fill out for the application.
Here is my website for reference.
Google Domains offers domain names for as low as $9 a year.
Tip #4: Start applying and organizing your application materials
Save your application materials in a Google Drive folder. I organize my Residency Folder by year, then make additional sub-folders for each residency to save your application materials. This step is helpful because you can mix and match language from different applications, especially if you are applying to residencies with similar vibes.
Tip #5: Cater your application materials to the individual residency
This is sort of a two-step tip. First, try to apply to residencies that fit your niche, genre, or background. If you’re white, don’t apply to residencies that ask for POC or black folks. If you are of a marginalized identity, it may be better to find and apply to residencies that won’t have an unconscious air of white-washing. Once you know which residencies will be more conducive spaces than others, make sure that your application language speaks to the residency’s core values.
Tip #6: Don’t use overly flowery language. Talk about your writing as if you are a rave reviewer.
This was one tip that helped me a lot when I started applying to residencies. As an emerging writer, we may sometimes try to overcompensate for our nervousness by using unnecessary words to describe our work and practice. Don’t do this. Try to use language that is natural to you. Talk yourself up but in a concrete and succinct way. And be personable!
Tip #7: Pick your strongest writing sample!
Of all my tips, this is one of my most important. For most residences that I’ve applied to, I’ve used a chapter from my debut memoir that I wrote in 2018. When I wrote it, I had that magical feeling in my chest that I really went there with my subject matter. That chapter alone nabbed my four residencies, earned the interest of my agent, and had led to so many opportunities. If you pick a sample from your work that you LOVE, your love will shine through.
Bonus Tip: Apply to artist support grants and use part of the money for application fees.
To end, I’ll just say that my first writing residency with Sangam House was amazing. As an avid traveler, I was both geeked and terrified that the residency was in India, a place I’ve always wanted to go to. The other writers were a joy to be around. I spent many late nights talking to another writer, Manan, and reading poetry to each other. All of the time away in a new place was so inspiring that I added 40,000 words to my book, wrote two other essays, and started writing a feature-length film script.
To get a little taste of my time in India, check out this talk that I did at the Bangalore International Cultural Centre:
Now that you have my tips on how to apply and LAND a writing residency, get out there!
These are great tips, thank you for sharing! On another note, your website design is great. Did you happen to design it yourself?
this is so groundedly helpful. thank you for sharing!