22 Writing Residencies, Grants, and Other Opportunities That Might Change Your Life
There’s a writing project that’s really important to you.
You need quiet, focused, uninterrupted time to work on it.
You’re craving wide open space on your calendar. No meetings. No notifications. No laundry. No dishes. No adorable-yet-demanding kids. Distraction-free time to think deeply and do your best work.
A private chef, housekeeper, massage therapist, pool, jacuzzi, and breathtaking villa with an ocean view wouldn’t hurt, either.
You’ve been dreaming about going on a luxurious writing retreat, like the one I host in Hawaii every January.
But maybe coming to the Hawaii Writing Retreat is not financially or logistically doable. (At least, not at this exact moment. One day!)
In the meantime, I come bearing good news:
If you love writing … you’re longing for a retreat … and you’re looking for something that costs zero dollars …
There are abundant options for you.
Below, you’ll find 22 residencies, grants, scholarships, fellowships, and other opportunities for writers of all levels.
Plus, a couple of writer-themed hotels at various price points, in case you want to book a solo writing retreat-for-one.
Whether you write fiction, poetry, or nonfiction … and whether you are an emerging voice (“I’ve never been published…”), seasoned pro (“All three of my books are New York Times bestsellers…”), or somewhere in between, you’ll find something for you on this list.
What Is a Writing Residency?
A writing residency is a program where you apply and share info about yourself, your career and achievements, and the project you want to focus on — your book, essay collection, multi-media project, or whatever you intend to create.
Your application gets reviewed by the residency program.
If you are selected, you get housing, meals, and other perks — free!
It’s essentially a writing retreat except you pay nothing. Sometimes, they even pay you.
Some residencies are quite luxurious. Others are more basic and humble.
Below, you’ll find several programs to consider.
While reading this list, if your heart starts beating a little faster (“Oh my gosh, this sounds incredible, I want to go!”) then I strongly encourage you to apply.
Someone is going to be selected. Why couldn’t it be you?
Writing Residencies
- The Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts Residency in Nebraska City, Nebraska
Who it’s for: Writers, composers, visual artists, and other creatives.
From the website: “The program is open to both emerging and established artists from around the world who can demonstrate a serious commitment to their work through prior exhibitions, performances, or publications.”
What’s included: Residencies are 2 to 8 weeks in length. Includes a $175 stipend per week, housing, and a private studio. Up to 78 people are selected each year.
From the website: “The historic town is beautiful and fascinating, with tree-lined brick streets, architecturally-interesting homes and buildings and the most museums per capita of any city in the Midwest.”
Details and how to apply: Visit the KHN Residency website.
- Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts
Who it’s for: Fiction writers, poets, and visual artists.
What’s included: 7-month residencies. Recipients receive housing, a monthly stipend, and studio or writing space. Around 20 people are selected each year.
Some recipients have gone on to win the Guggenheim Fellowship, MacArthur Fellowship, Prix de Rome, Pulitzer Prize, and the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Details and how to apply: Visit the Fine Arts Work Center website.
- Hedgebrook Writer-in-Residence in Freeland, Washington
Who it’s for: Women-identified writers of all genres. From the website: “fiction, nonfiction, poetry, TV screenwriters, playwrights, and songwriters are all encouraged to apply.”
What’s included: 2 to 3-week residencies including housing in a private cottage and meals prepared by an on-site chef.
From the website: “Each cottage has an upstairs sleeping loft with a hand-built double bed, lamps, rocking chair, chest of drawers, and a small closet.” “Stained glass windows, pottery sinks, and other features were designed and crafted by local artisans.”
Details and how to apply: Visit the Hedgebrook website.
- MacDowell Fellowship in Peterborough, New Hampshire
Who it’s for: Artists in various disciplines, including writers, visual artists, composers, filmmakers, architects, and interdisciplinary artists.
What’s included: Residencies range from 2 weeks to 2 months. Recipients receive a private studio, meals, and accommodations. MacDowell awards need-based travel grants and stipends.
From the website: “Peterborough is a small town in a rural corner of New Hampshire.” “MacDowell studios are scattered across a 450-acre property.”
Details and how to apply: Visit the MacDowell website.
- Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, New York
Who it’s for: Professional writers and artists.
From the website: Writers as well as artists who focus on “choreography, film, musical composition, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video” are welcome to apply.
What’s included: Residencies of 2 weeks to 2 months. Private bedroom and workspace. Financial aid and travel funds are available.
From the website: “Weekly room cleanings, plus linens and fresh towels are provided, and laundry facilities are available. Dinners are served communally in our dining room, while breakfast offerings and lunch are packed up for each artist to carry away.”
“Yaddo has common areas available for guests, several paths through the woods, a swimming pool, a pool table, a ping-pong table, and bicycles in addition to small libraries.”
Details and how to apply: Visit the Yaddo website.
- Art Omi Writers Residency in Ghent, New York
Who it’s for: Writers plus artists, translators, dancers, musicians, and architects.
What’s included: 1-week to 2-month residency. Accommodation, food, local transport, and public programming.
From the website: “Abundant, catered meals and comfortable, beautiful lodgings are provided in a scenic location.”
Details and how to apply: Visit the Art Omi Writers website.
- Hawthornden Castle Residency in Lasswade, Scotland
Who it’s for: Writers from all genres.
From the website: “The residency is international in character and welcomes applications from writers from all over the world. Creative writers of many kinds – poets, novelists, short-story writers, playwrights, scriptwriters, essayists, creative nonfiction writers, translators – are welcome to apply.”
What’s included: 4-week residency. A stipend of $1,000 is provided for writers traveling from Europe and $2,500 for those traveling from elsewhere.
From the website: “A peaceful setting for creative writers to work without disturbance.” “Writers have the use of a private study bedroom and other communal facilities including an extensive library, studio, drawing room, garden room, as well as the castle garden, walks, woods and grounds.”
Details and how to apply: Visit the Hawthornden Foundation website.
- Akademie Schloss Solitude Fellowship in Stuttgart, Germany
Who it’s for: Writers, artists, and scientists.
From the website: “German-language and international literature in all written forms (dramatic texts, lyric poetry, prose, essay, and translation).”
What’s included: Furnished live/work studio in Stuttgart, a monthly grant of €1,300, and travel expenses for arrival and departure.
From the website: “The Akademie maintains 42 living and working studios” including “two pet-friendly studio apartments.”
Details and how to apply: Visit the Akademie Schloss Solitude website.
- Randell Cottage Residency in Wellington, New Zealand
Who it’s for: New Zealand and French writers working on a full-length literary work.
What’s included: 6-month residency including accommodation in a heritage cottage, a stipend, and travel support.
Note: to be eligible for this residency, you must be a citizen or resident of either New Zealand or France. Check the site for additional requirements.
Details and how to apply: Visit the Randell Cottage Writers Trust website.
- Bogliasco Foundation Residency at the Liguria Study Center on the Italian Riviera
Who it’s for: Writers, artists, and scholars from around the world.
Open to “individuals of all ages and nationalities who are developing significant new work in the arts and humanities.”
What’s included: Residencies last for 1 month. Includes housing, meals, and a studio space. Recipients must cover their own travel costs.
From the website: “Live and work in bucolic surroundings on the coast near Genoa.”
Details and how to apply: Visit the Bogliasco Foundation website.
- NEA/U.S.-Japan Creative Artists Program
Who it’s for: U.S.-based writers, poets, and other creative artists interested in a cultural exchange with Japan.
What’s included: $20,000 for a 3-month residency in Japan, with an additional $4,000 per month for up to 2 more months, plus up to $2,500 for round-trip travel reimbursement. Covers housing, living, and professional expenses.
From the website: “Extremely competitive. Only five artists are selected. Applicants should anticipate a highly rigorous review of their artistry and should have compelling reasons for wanting to work in Japan.”
Details and how to apply: Visit the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission website.
Writing Grants and Scholarships
In addition to applying for a residency, consider applying for a writing grant or scholarship.
A grant or scholarship gives you funding to get your project done.
Some include mentorship, publication or visibility opportunities to share your work, collaboration with peers, and other valuable experiences in addition to funding.
Housing is usually not included. Some grants are referred to as “fellowships.”
A few options…
- NEA Creative Writing Fellowships
Who it’s for: Published creative writers of poetry and prose who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
What’s included: Fellowships of up to $50,000 are awarded annually to support writing time, research, travel, and general career advancement.
Details and how to apply: Visit the NEA Creative Writing Fellowships website.
- James Jones First Novel Fellowship
Who it’s for: U.S. authors who have not yet published a novel. Applicants should be working on a first novel-in-progress.
What’s included: A 1st-place prize of $10,000 is awarded annually, with two additional $1,000 awards for runners-up.
Details and how to apply: Visit the James Jones Fellowship website.
- CINTAS Foundation Fellowship
Who it’s for: Cuban writers and other creative professionals of Cuban lineage living outside of Cuba.
From their website: “CINTAS Fellowships acknowledge creative accomplishments and encourage excellence in architecture & design, creative writing, music composition, photography, and the visual arts.”
What’s included: This fellowship is $25,000.
Details and how to apply: Visit the CINTAS Foundation website.
- Speculative Literature Foundation Grants
Who it’s for: Writers of speculative fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
Multiple grants are available for writers at various stages and backgrounds, including emerging writers, established writers, and those from historically marginalized communities.
What’s included: Grants range from $500 to $1,000. Some include mentorship or editorial feedback in addition to funding.
Details and how to apply: Visit the Speculative Literature Foundation website.
- Miles Morland Writing Scholarship
Who it’s for: Writers who wish to write a full-length book of fiction or nonfiction.
From the website: “Open to anyone writing in the English language who was born in Africa, or both of whose parents were born in Africa.”
What’s included: Scholars will receive a grant of £18,000, paid monthly over the course of twelve months.
Details and how to apply: Visit the Miles Morland Foundation website.
- Sprinng Writing Fellowship
Who it’s for: Young writers between the ages of 18–25.
From the website: “For developing Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian, and South African writers with great potential and willingness to learn” and “who are passionate about developing their craft in poetry, fiction, or essays.”
What’s included: A 6-week virtual fellowship featuring weekly mentorship, writing assignments, and feedback.
Note: this opportunity does not include funding. Recipients receive education, encouragement, and support with their writing goals, and are paired with a mentor who reviews their work and gives feedback. Many fellows go on to become published authors.
Details and how to apply: Visit the Sprinng website.
Hotels for Writers
Maybe you applied for a residency, grant, or scholarship, but didn’t get selected this time around.
Or, perhaps you’re looking for a different kind of experience.
Why not book a room at a hotel with a literary theme? The perfect place to be inspired and get the words flowing!
Create your own dream writing retreat at one of these hotels…
- The Library Hotel in New York City, New York
Overview: Each floor is themed by Dewey Decimal categories. Rooftop Writer’s Den & Poetry Garden, plus 6,000‑book Reading Room.
Beds featured velvet throw pillows that say: “Book lovers never go to bed alone.”
Check out the Reading & Rosé package, which includes accommodation plus a classic novel, signature tote bag, and bottle of Proverb Rosé.
More details: Visit the Library Hotel website.
- The Writer Studio at Maker Hotel in Hudson, New York
Overview: A luxurious, book-lined 450-square-foot suite designed for solitude and creativity. Vintage typewriters. A writing desk overlooking Hudson’s historic district.
From the website: “Original oak fireplace and built-in bookcases from the 1800’s.” “Curated books selected in partnership with Strand Book Store in NYC.”
In addition to this literary suite, the Maker Hotel has 10 additional rooms.
More details: Visit the Maker Hotel website.
- Hotel 1928 in Waco, Texas
Overview: From the website: “An intimate 33-room hotel including four indulgent suites.”
Co-owned by Chip and Joanna Gaines (co-hosts of Fixer Upper on HGTV and founders of the lifestyle brand Magnolia), this hotel features elegant reading nooks, vintage design, and quiet communal spaces perfect for reflection and writing.
Curl up next to the roaring fireplace in a room filled with books. Heaven for writers and bibliophiles!
More details: Visit the Hotel 1928 website.
- Eaton DC in Washington, D.C.
Overview: This hotel includes a library lounge and co-working spaces.
From the website: “Within walking distance of the Smithsonian museums, Black Lives Matter Plaza, Capitol Hill, and the Convention Center.” “More than a hotel. Here, hospitality is a means for community, creativity, and culture.”
More details: Visit the Eaton DC website.
- The Kennedy School in Portland, Oregon
Overview: A former elementary school turned hotel, with classrooms transformed into cozy rooms, many with chalkboards and original details, plus a library-themed bar and quiet corners for writing.
Personal note: I have hosted writing retreats here in the past for my clients. It is delightful!
More details: Visit the Kennedy School website.
Closing Thoughts
Every writer needs a place where they can work without any intrusions. And yes, this includes people who write blog posts, podcast scripts, marketing materials, pitch decks for clients, self-published books, or anything else. It all counts as “writing.”
No matter what kind of creative work you’re doing, you’ll come up with your best ideas — and complete your project faster — when you’re in a beautiful, distraction-free environment.
If you are considering applying for a writing residency, grant, or another opportunity, and thinking, “Oh, they would never pick me…” I encourage you to apply anyway.
I’ve had many colleagues and clients who had this EXACT thought, applied anyway, and got picked.
You never know. It could be you.
As the famous sports quote goes, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Shoot your shot! It might change your life.
-Alex
PS. One more option to consider…
The Hawaii Writing Retreat
I host a writing retreat in Hawaii once a year. The next one is January 8-14, 2026.
Pick a writing project that’s important to you — your book, essay collection, newsletter, materials for your clients, or anything you want to focus on.
- Come spend a week in paradise.
- No kids, pets, laundry, meetings, or anything else tugging at your attention.
- Quiet, distraction-free time to get important work done.
Retreat Includes
- Five-star accommodation (6 nights, 7 days)
- Your own private bedroom and private bathroom at the villa (no sharing)
- Luxe amenities including a pool, jacuzzi, and fitness center
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Chef-prepared meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner, every day)
- Yoga and meditation classes
- Sound bath experience
- Full-body massage
- Whale watching adventure
- Guided nature walk through the Kona Cloud Forest
- An evening of live music with cocktails and mocktails
- Small, introvert-friendly atmosphere (eight retreat guests, max)
- One-on-one time to discuss your project, ask questions, and get input
- Coworking (online) after the retreat to keep the momentum going
- And other experiences to inspire you and get your creativity flowing
Most importantly, you’ll have lots of quiet time to work on your project. Leave the retreat feeling proud and accomplished (“I got so much done!”), refreshed, and energized, with your batteries fully charged for the year ahead.
Details and How to Book Your Spot
- Check out the brochure for details and pricing.
- Here’s where to reserve your room.
About the Author
Alexandra Franzen is a writer, award-winning editor, co-founder of a bookstore, and creator of 10 books and card decks.
Recent projects include Awestruck: 52 Experiments to Find Wonder, Joy, and Meaning in Everyday Life (Chronicle), Love Is Blind: the Date Night Deck (a collaboration with Union Square and Netflix), and an oracle deck for book lovers called The Bibliophile Deck (Clarkson Potter / Penguin Random House).
Her work has been mentioned in The New York Times Small Business Blog, The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Times, Fast Company, Inc., in Tim Ferriss’ newsletter, and she has appeared on the Peabody Award-winning radio show, Marketplace.
As a writing partner and editor, Alex works with a small number of clients each year — helping her clients write powerful books that touch readers deeply. Projects include Your Next Level Life by Karen Arrington (NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Instructional Literary Work), We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers (Wall Street Journal Bestseller), Unicorn Team by Jen Kem (USA Today National Bestseller), Rich Relationships by Selena Soo (USA Today and Los Angeles Times Bestseller), among many others.
Alexandra deleted all of her social media accounts 10 years ago. Instead of being active on social media, she writes a newsletter, called one of the “14 newsletters you need in your inbox” by Brit+Co.