3 Fully Funded Weeklong Residencies for Writers

Like most writers I know, I don't have the time or resources to attend multi-week and/or multi-month writing residencies. Even the residencies of this length that do offer stipends still present significant logistical and financial barriers.

Over the past 2 years, I've attended 3 weeklong writing residencies in Upstate New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Each one of these experiences gave me invaluable time to write and the chance to meet new writerly friends without breaking the bank. While I have a lot of thoughts on residencies and their impact on my creative practice, I'm saving those reflections for a later newsletter :)

For now, here's an overview of the 3 weeklong writing residencies I've experienced! Hopefully, this will be useful to potential applicants and folks on the lookout for shorter residencies...

Yellow Door Fellowship at Prospect Street Writers House

I spent a week at the Prospect Street Writers House in North Bennington, VT this past October as a Yellow Door Fellow. The writers house itself was bright, clean, filled with books and nooks to settle into and get to work. That week, I shared the house with four other writers, each of us staying in our own private suite.

We had cohort dinners each night (prepared by the indomitable chef Amy!) alongside director V. Hansmann. I spent much of my time at the PSWH solo, writing in cafes downtown or walking along one of the many nearby nature trails, so coming together every evening felt especially grounding and refreshing.

I recommend this residency to anyone looking for a balance of independent work time, community, and down-to-earth vibes. Both Shirley Jackson and Donna Tartt have connections to North Bennington, making it fun for fans to walk around town and find literary easter eggs (HINT: ask a librarian at the John G. McCullough Library about a certain ceramic feline 👀 ).

Info:

• General residency applications reviewed on a rolling basis (1 to 2 week residencies)
• Financial aid is available to general residency applicants
• Yellow Door Fellowships cover 1 weeklong residency
• Radiant Collective Fellowships cover 1 weeklong residency for writers living within a 70 mile radius of North Bennington, VT

Folkist Space Residency

Residencies through the Folkist Space in Clinton, NY are open to all creatives who fall under the umbrella of "folk artist." I spent my week there solo at the Garret on the Green, an immaculately curated apartment space steps away from downtown. Hosts Nora and Mike are folk artists themselves. They taught me so much about small town community, sustaining an authentic artistic practice, and persisting through the journeyman stage of a creative life. 🌈

The Garret felt both homey and luxurious–it was the perfect place to hole up and write while the snow whorled outside! There is a reason, before reframing its focus on folk artists, this residency was called the "Snowed-In Residency." It snowed a lot while I was in Clinton, but that didn't stop me from visiting the Kirkland Art Center, Hamilton College campus, and my personal favorite, the Clinton Pottery.

This is the residency for you if you identify your writing practice within the framework of folk artistry would benefit from focused, solo writing time. The cozy atmosphere of Clinton was an ideal retreat from my day job. Something felt especially satisfying about writing by vintage lamplight in the dark winter evenings at the Garret–like all I needed was a smoking jacket and pipe to complete the scene.

Info:

• Applications open in autumn
• Residents receive;
  • Weeklong stay at the Garret
  • $500 stipend
  • Studio space at the Kirkland Art Center
  • Welcome dinner from your hosts & $50 gift card to Nola's Restaurant

The Edith Wharton & Straw Dog Writers Guild Writing Residency

This one holds a special place in my heart as it was my first ever writing residency. During my time in Lenox, MA, I stayed at the lovely Brook Farm Inn, was driven to and from The Mount by museum staff, and had access to Edith Wharton's boudoir as my writing studio. I got to wander The Mount's grounds, had catered lunch every day with two other residents, and was given an exclusive tour of Wharton's book collection...not gonna lie, it was really validating to feel like a literary celebrity for a week!

This residency is geared toward emerging writers and I definitely felt the extra warmth and care put into the experience by The Mount staff and the Straw Dog Writers Guild. One of the highlights was us residents getting interviewed by a local news outlet about our work...again, way to make me feel like a hotshot.

I can't recommend this one enough to emerging writers. For me, this was the perfect first residency and I'm grateful that it introduced me to the Straw Dog Writers Guild–an organization I've been volunteering with for the past two years as a WiR application reader and now run a member interview column for their blog!

Info:

• Applications open on September 1st
• Residents receive;
  • $500 stipend
  • Travel reimbursement up to $250
  • Daily breakfast, lunch, and lodging
• Dedicated workspace at The Mount

Here are some of the books that kept me inspired during writing residencies!

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

I met Nana at the 2025 Key West Literary Seminar where I took his short story workshop. He was an excellent instructor who gave me some great advice about story concept and combating the impulse to "win" a workshop. A month after the KWLS, I was at the Folkist Space and am so grateful I brought a copy of Friday Black with me. This book is a wonderful mentor text for speculative fiction writers on executing a cohesive, compelling collection of short stories.

Belonging: a Culture of Place by bell hooks

While I was in my home state of Vermont at the Prospect Street Writers House, I felt compelled to write about "home." Belonging spoke to what I was exploring perfectly. What does it mean to be from a place? What does a return home mean when it doesn't feel like a "homecoming," when your experience there is entangled with trauma and uncertainty? So far, this is my favorite bell hooks book.

Trans Studies by Crystal Odelle and Distance Sequence by Luke Sutherland

During my time at the Folkist Space and at the Prospect Street Writers House, I worked on a chapbook idea I've been wrestling with for the past few years. Chapbooks are so unsung and are often such hidden gems, offering a space for experimentation, grit, and vulnerability that's harder to find in longer, "full-length" prose books. Trans Studies and Distance Sequence are two of my favorite chapbooks and were great companion texts while I was a WiR.