The online Residency for writers:

AUTUMN 2026 Edition

take a short season to make real progress

on your writing

I will personally diagnose your story, pair you with a trained coach, and guide you through six weeks of focused, individual feedback.

Starting the week of August 24th

There are 20 spots. I review every application and tell you if you would be a good fit.

When I came out of academia, I somehow seemed to have forgotten how to write a novel. Sitting down with you has really helped me control the chaos. All of a sudden — boom, boom, boom — everything fell into place. I sat down and I wrote 10 hours that day, straight.

The best writing education..."

Ashland Pym

You KnOW YOUR BOOK. YOU LOVE TO WRITE. SO WHY ARE YOU STUCK?

I've worked with hundreds of writers. And while everyone is different, there's a pattern I see a lot. 

Often a writer has a great sense of how their story should begin (usually, they've already written the first quarter or third) and a good picture of the ending.

And beyond that, this writer often has a vivid and powerful impression of the world of their story, as if they can see this other world through a telescope (with the characters moving around and having conversations).

But when I ask questions about the middle half of the book, that same writer seems less sure. Either the middle is very hazy, or it sounds like a collection of discoveries about the backstory, or the writer can tell that the middle feels like a long sequence of "and then..."

Why is that? What's going on?

You have a gift. You have the ability to imagine people and places that never existed. That's the "telescope" faculty that sets you apart.

Unfortunately, that talent alone isn't usually enough to write a complete, successful novel. You also need a sequencing, plotting, designing faculty that does justice to your vision and which will be compelling for the reader (without forcing you into a formula machine). 

My unique approach is called character-first writing. It's a system that shows you what your reader is most looking for at each stage of the story: at the beginning, in the middle, and as we come towards the end. This approach allows you to turn your vision into a novel-length story that you can write and that other people can enjoy.

And in the Residency, we don't merely talk about it in general. We apply it to your book, starting on day one.

We begin with novel whispering

At the very start of the program, you and I will meet one on one to discuss your book. Past Residents have called these sessions "book whispering" and are often shocked by how much progress we make in one sitting.

 I begin the session by asking a lot of questions. I don't simply listen to you talk about your story; I build up a picture o what the story means to you and why you've pictured it being told a particular way. I listen until I have a sense of both where you're feeling stuck or unsatisfied -- and also where you wish the story could get to. 

Then I share how I see your vision appearing on the page as a novel. I'm not telling you to follow a formula; my goal is to take your highest ambition for your story and help you tell it in a way that you can finish and a reader will love.

This is never a laundry list of possible edits, but rather a focused intervention that clears your path. We'll discuss elements of the story that are taking up too much space or big developments that arrive too late. 

Often writers add one moving part too many to their stories (a troublesome additional POV, three chapters of getting to the story, and so on) and then they aren't sure what to do when the process slowly jams up. 

These comments are not meant to be divine script; you can push back, disagree, and I'll pivot, offering new solutions.

As the session draws to a close, we usually switch to talking about pacing. I'll show you how to present the ideal version of your novel in a classic "four acts" or four quarter structure, gaining the reader's interest early and building to a meaningful character arc. 

For many writers, this session alone is worth the price of the program. 

THEN we move into Weekly one-to-one coaching

Next: based on our conversation in the book whispering call, I'll assign you to a trained Character First Fellow, a (human) coach who is an expert at my approach and who can help you execute the plan we created. 

Every week, you meet your coach one-on-one for a half-hour session. They can read a short scene (1-5 pages), answer plot questions, and help you stay on track. 

The Residency is a "group" program in the sense that you begin your cohort with a small group of fellow writers. However, all the feedback in the program comes from me and your trained coach. You are not workshopping or critiquing other writers' work (unless you and the other participants set this up privately). Rather, you are working one on one with a coach (and me).

In this program, you are never handed a pile of conflicting feedback and left to sort it out. There is no haze of deciphering a dozen pieces of workshop feedback or anxiously relying on a peer to help you decide what to do next. 

In this program, peers are there to cheer you on, encourage you and keep you accountable (not to teach you). All the teaching is done by expert coaches.

Writers love these coaches

In a few cases, writers in The Residency only talk to their coach after this point (not using the tools or the weekly question and answer podcast). I don't recommend this approach, of course (you should use all the parts of the program at your disposal), but I can see why some busy people make this choice.

These coaches are so helpful and the experience of a weekly one to one meeting is so powerful.

"It's been a really good six weeks, thinking about the story at a different level. What Katherine did a really great job with each week was making me talk about my book in really clear language. When you've got a coach who's like, 'Oh — I see it.'"

Josh Bishop

And I ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IN OUR private podcast

Most writers focus on chapter and act-level questions with their coach. But what about on-going, big picture advice? 

Each week of the program, usually on a Tuesday, you can submit a craft question for me. I'll record all my answers in a weekly craft podcast just for this cohort. This means that each week you'll hear me answering not just your problem but everyone else's. It's like a comprehensive craft training, as you see me solve plot problems in a variety of styles and genres, week after week. 

For your weekly question, you can even send me a short summary or three-page outline of your current draft and I'll share my thoughts, advising on a subplot, structural issue, or turning point.  

Finally: you gain ongoing, no deadline access to my unique tools and techniques

To round out the program, I've created a series of great tools, prompts, lessons, and manuals. These include plotting guides, multi-page imaginative thought exercises, and writing practices to overcome the fears and fatigue that we all experience in long creative projects. 

A Unique Design to help you write

There are lots of great programs for writers. The Residency's design is a little unusual. 

Some programs could be called "how to guides" -- they explain how to write a story or a chapter or how to create a character.

Some programs could be called "accountability groups" -- they encourage you to keep writing.

And some programs could be called "discussion groups" -- they focus on conversations about books or sharing chapters.

All of these programs can be great. But The Residency is different to all of them.

Why? 

Those programs teach writing in general. The Residency starts with your book in particular.

So the Residency runs in the only order that works: diagnose this particular novel first, then do the writing -- with a clear plan, and with an expert in your corner every week.

Other components of this program:

1. The Autumn pathways: I've prepared a short sequence of focused prompts to help you re-see and assess your writing. These milestones are like super-charged, levelled-up writing prompts, guiding you to re-think and re-see your project in productive, powerful ways. In other words, rather than having to just "work on my book," you'll have an achievable, practical, straightforward plan for each week of the program. 

2. The weekly planner: Each week, you will complete our one-page writing planner (asking about your goals and concerns for the week's writing) and, if you like, share it in our community forum.

3. The accountability challenge (s): we will run a low-lift but meaningful accountability challenges that writers love -- join if you wish.

4. The community forum: cheer each other on and celebrate your progress!

OTher key facts

1. It is all online, so there is no physical building or writing retreat offered here. Part of the magic of an in-person retreat is that you can get away from your regular life for a week or two. I am compensating for that reality by making this a six-week program: you can give it a small amount of time each day / week (as much as your real life allows you) and get a lot in return. An hour or two each week will let you get writing done, talk to your coach, and absorb my weekly craft lessons.
2. If this is all online, why call it a “residency”? Because that connotation is exactly what I’m going for in this program. In a writing residency, the role of the retreat or host is to set you up to be as productive and capable as possible. You get the support, environment, tools, lessons, and community to help you write your best. It is not, however, a “done for you” experience with a hands-on coach or a ghost writer. The goal is to inspire and equip you.
3. When the six weeks are over, you will keep all program materials with ongoing access.
4. What if I need a break or have a holiday planned or can’t start on time exactly? This will be perfect for you – take the time off!
5. Important note: once we begin, we will not have weekly group Zoom meetings. I want to state this simply so you know exactly how this program is supposed to work. Yes, we might have Zoom get-togethers during the six-weeks, but that’s not the focus of the program. Rather, you are working on your own book, at your own pace, chatting to me & your coach about your progress. 
6. In addition, every Tuesday, you’ll be able to post craft and plot questions for me. Each week, I’ll record a private podcast episode for the group responding to everyone’s questions / requests for advice. You can get as particular and focused and specific as you like in these questions.