2024 Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency

Now in its eleventh year, the Adirondack Center for Writing offers a free, two-week residency to six writers (2 poets, 2 fiction writers, and 2 non-fiction writers) at a lodge on Twitchell Lake in New York state, where author Anne LaBastille wrote the Woodswoman series. Enjoy unfettered time to write, explore, relax, and share family-style meals in community with other writers. 

Six residents will be chosen: three from the Adirondack region and three from anywhere in the world. For more information about what constitutes the Adirondack region, see the FAQ below.

Application Period: April 15 – May 19, 2024
Residency Dates: September 22 – October 6, 2024
Notification: July 2024

The residency is generously provided by the estate of Anne LaBastille, who wrote books capturing the beauty and challenges of the region, including Woodswoman and Beyond Black Bear Lake from her cabin on Twitchell Lake. During the residency, writers can take a short paddle to the site of her property and explore the forest where she researched and wrote her books. 

The Lodge at Twitchell Lake provides an abundance of physical space, and each resident has their own bedroom and bathroom. There are plenty of writing spaces in and around the property. Internet access is available, but limited (email ✔️; Zoom ❌). Most cell phones will not get service, but a landline is available in the lodge. Meals and food are provided. Excursions from the property are welcomed. We will provide rides to the property from the train station or airport in Albany, but we prefer residents bring their own vehicles. 

Application Requirements

1. Cover Letter: In the space provided in Submittable, include a brief, third-person bio and a work plan detailing your goals for this residency.
2. Writing Sample: Please send up to 10 pages of your best writing in the genre you will be working in at the residency. Prose: 10 pages max. Poetry: 10 poems max. NOTE: Make sure your name does not show up anywhere in your writing sample. Writing samples that include your name will not be considered. Quality of written submissions will be our primary consideration when accepting applications. 
3. Application Fee: $30. Your application fee ensures that the residency can remain free to selected residents.
4. (Optional) Editorial Feedback on your Application: additional $60. By selecting to receive Editorial Feedback, you'll get a detailed, 500-word letter from one of our panelists (Leah Hampton for Fiction, Athena Dixon for Nonfiction, and Noah Stetzer for Poetry) on the strengths and areas for improvement in your writing sample. 

We do not accept printed applications. 

Contact info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org or 518-354-1261 with any questions.

FAQ

How does ACW define living in the “Adirondack region”? We consider the lines of the Adirondack Park to be blurred. Anyone living in the “North Country” region of New York State should apply under the “Adirondack Region” application. The Adirondack region / North Country includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties, and shares an extensive border with Canada. It also contains the cities of Ogdensburg, Plattsburgh, Saratoga Springs, Watertown, and the U.S. Army’s Fort Drum military base. Generally, if you live in New York State north of Saratoga Springs, Utica, or Syracuse, you live in what we consider to be the Adirondack Region. Still unsure if you live in the Adirondack Region? Please do not hesitate to email us: info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org 

What if I don’t live in the Adirondack region year-round? As long as you live some part of each year in the North Country, you may apply under the “Adirondack Region” categories.

I’m not from the Adirondack Region. Can I still apply? Absolutely. We have three spaces for writers who live in the Adirondack region, and three for writers who live anywhere else.

What do you mean by a "work plan"? In your cover letter, alongside a brief 3rd person bio, you should include some information about how you plan to use your time at the residency. You do not need to write a specific daily schedule, but rather share about your broad goals for the residency. Will you be working on novel revisions? Putting a collection of poems together? Gaining inspiration for a new project? Your transparency about how you envision yourself using the two weeks will give us reassurance that you will be a productive and active resident. A paragraph or two should suffice. 

Single space or double space? Double spacing is preferred for prose writing, but 1.5 spacing will work if need be. Single spacing can make it challenging for reviewers to read on a screen. That said, submissions will not be rejected based on the spacing. 

I'm a playwright. Can I still apply? Yes, you can apply under the "Fiction" section. Same goes for Screenwriters.

I can't pay the application fee. Do you have any waivers? Yes, we can offer a limited number of fee waivers on a case-by-case basis. Send us an email at info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org with your request, and we'll get back to you within 48 hours. Fee waivers can not be applied to the fee for the optional Editorial Feedback.  UPDATE: All fee waivers for 2024 have been claimed.

Who makes the decisions about who is selected for this residency? Each application is reviewed by a genre-specific panel made up of past residents and published authors with whom ACW frequently works. Finalists are presented to ACW leadership for final decisions. 

What's this Editorial Feedback option all about? By selecting to receive Editorial Feedback, you'll get a detailed, 500-word letter on the strengths and areas for improvement in your writing sample. Each year we receive requests from applicants curious about how to make their application stronger. Since the writing sample is the primary factor our panelists use to rank applications, we're offering applicants the chance to get a clear, thorough review of their writing from the perspective of a trained editor, wide reader, professional author, and past Anne LaBastille Memorial resident. For fiction, the editor writing feedback letters will be Leah Hampton; for nonfiction: Athena Dixon; for poetry: Noah Stetzer. 

Note: if you elect to receive this feedback and you are also selected for the residency, you'll still receive feedback. Questions about this Editorial Feedback option? Reach out to Tyler at info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org. 

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The mission of the Adirondack Center for Writing (ACW) is to inspire the love of writing, reading, and storytelling. We are a 501(c)3  nonprofit organization based in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park in  New York State. Learn more at www.adirondackcenterforwriting.org.