The online Residency for writers:

winter 2026 Edition

take a short season to make real progress

on your writing

Make real progress on your story, level up your craft skills, and move forward in this flexible, writing-focused, two-month program.

(beach towels not included)

What do you get from The Winter Residency? Three things that matter:

• Confidence — you'll make writing a bigger part of your life
• Clarity — two months of individual, focused feedback and plot fixes
• Direction — a clear strategy map for the future

What is "The Residency"?

The Residency like registering for a secluded writing retreat, and getting time to focus on your stories -- only you don't need to buy a plane ticket and you can continue your normal life, work, family, and hobbies.

You have a story you're trying to tell -- whether that is a complete draft or the first few chapters. 

The Residency offers you a streamlined supportive environment to work on your writing, full of direct feedback and advice from me + encouragement, tools, and support.

And the new "winter" edition makes this all available to writers for a lower price in a more focused package.

The big idea of this program: you spend six weeks talking to me and your fellow cohort about your story, solving problems as you go. You pick what fictional project you want to work on and work -- with support and advice -- at your own pace.

The goal is to increase the amount of effective writing in your life. On one level, the program is designed to support and incentivise you to make significant progress on a novel project; on another level, The Residency aims to equip you with habits, toolkits, and skills that will help you succeed at many novels in the future. 

What makes this experience so exciting for writers? This is a program focused on you and how you will imagine, write, and revise your story. Through a framework of achieving small successes and working through your plotting problems with me, you'll be able to weave your way through the novel-writing process with new strength and ease.

Please note: there are no weekly group meetings in this program! Rather, you arrange a time on my calendar or with one of my genre specialists to discuss the next step for your story.

The major components of this program:

1. The Winter pathway: 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 cohort craft podcast: Every week of the program, you will be prompted to send in craft questions, and I'll answer all of them in a collective podcast episode private for our small cohort. These questions can be highly specific to your story or general knowledge questions about novels -- you can also submit a chapter and ask for advice. Try to test me! 

3. 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.

4. The accountability challenge (s): we will run two different accountability challenges -- pick one to join during your time in the program if you wish.

5. The monthly live check in sessions: we will meet once a month, while the program is running, to share notes and stories, update each other on our projects, and support each other.

What happens after the program?

At the end of the winter, we'll work together to fashion a strategic writing map for you and your book. This map will guide you through your intentions for your book and suggest areas to focus on. I'm not picturing this as "rah-rah-just-keep-writing!!" superficial cheerleading. Yes, one part of your Map will contain an exciting goal and a sequence of suggested next steps. But it will also highlight puzzles within your writing project and the values you want this book to exemplify.

• A rhythm of writing that invigorates your confidence
• A clearer understanding of what your story should be
• A practical, personalised map to guide the next stage

How do you get feedback?

This program is intensely feedback-focused. The goal is to create a virtuous cycle where, as you think about your story or write more, you get support and encouragement and advice -- setting you up to write the next part. 

Each week, you can ask a craft question on a specific issue in your current writing -- or a wider more abstract question about the writing life. 

You can also send in up to ten pages of the story (with a specific question attached) for me to read -- each week. 

Alternatively, you can submit a 1-2 page outline each week and ask a question about it.

I will respond to each question in our group podcast, so you'll hear my answer for every participant each week. This gives you a deep education in the craft as well as your own questions answered.

In addition, you'll have access to the Winter Pathway and its three "milestones" -- these are super prompts that help you assess your story and what it needs. As you complete these, we can meet over Zoom for a 30 minute conversation about your story and what I advise you do next (I'm picturing three conversations total). 

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? 

You are a writer. You want to write or make progress on a novel. Your central problem is "doing the writing." So this program creates a creative environment that guides you to doing that writing, well.

New This Winter: the constellation of chat bots

This winter, we’re adding something new: an additional circle of support, standing between my feedback and the course materials.

Writers in the Residency now get access to my constellation of GPT-powered writing tools — each one trained by me to solve a specific fiction-writing challenge.

• Milestone Bots to help you complete each prompt
• Feedback Scanners to spot repetition and flat scenes
• Reflection Tools that guide you to see what your draft is already doing

These are bespoke craft assistants, each trained to solve one craft issue — without writing a single word for you.

The chatbot constellation helps you keep moving between coaching moments.

You, the writer, sit at the centre of The Residency. My feedback and advice is like the closest circle around your work. And then these optional bots, guidelines, and bonus milestones are a wider circle of support around your work.

What are the limits on the feedback?

The original "Residency" cost $2,000. Writers loved the program

This "Winter" edition is meant to be deliberately streamlined and smoother -- to make it more accessible to a wider range of writers. 

- you can submit 10 pages a week for me to respond to (with a question you provide)

- you can submit a 1-2 page outline each week and ask a question about it

- feedback is weekly, so normally you would wait to the next week to ask a question about the feedback (other than practical, obvious "Um Daniel did you forget the attachment?" questions) -- unless something really is confusing or you feel unsure what to do next

- you are very welcome and encouraged to discuss my suggestions with other participants (during that week) in our private community forum

- unsure what to do next? Message me on the free voxer app and I'll respond!

Note: these limits are not simply there to keep the price down. Nor are they in place just so I can keep the program running smoothly week to week (although they do make that possible).

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 -- so that you get your own writing done.

On a typical week...

Each Monday, we'll share our weekly writing planners.

Each Tuesday, you'll send in a question for me.

Every week or two, you'll complete a new milestone and send it to me for feedback.

Every day -- if you choose -- you'll tell us about your progress in the accountability challenge.

How the program works + common questions

1. The Residency 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 complete each milestone in time. 
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, the support and guidance part of the program is over. But you will get all program materials with ongoing access.
4. Once registrations close, I will schedule the first coaching call with every participant to make sure they feel good about their project, do my usual plot whispering and problem solving, and to check they understand how to make the most of this program.
5. On Feb 4, we will begin, and we will work together for six weeks – to March 20th.
6. 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!
7. Important note: once we begin, we will not have weekly Zoom meetings or ongoing solo coaching sessions. 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 two months, and if you are feeling lost and need advice, I can absolutely hop on a call, as they say, but that’s not the focus of the program. Rather, you are working on your own book, at your own pace, chatting to me and the other participants about your progress. 
8. 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.