The Incubator
A six-week program of intensive support, accountability, and community for advanced writers looking to make radical headway on a book manuscript.
The Autumn Incubator is predicated on the belief that community and morale are the invisible necessities of any multi-year creative undertaking. Co-led virtually by editor/writer duo Anna Vodicka and Colleen Kinder, this first-of-its-kind Incubator combines the structure of an MFA with the empathy and individualized support of psychology-based coaching.
“When I started the Incubator, I was making slow, sporadic progress on a project I wasn’t yet comfortable calling a book. Six weeks later, I’d finished a draft! Colleen & Anna have truly created something special: from the craft talks to book therapy, the table reads to the accountability texts, I felt so supported and inspired, start to finish.”
From September 5 through October 15, 2023, Anna and Colleen will guide a select cohort of writers through a program of helpfully pressurized writing. The Incubator kicks off with a week of goal setting and individualized coaching. Tailored weekly programming includes a daily virtual writing room, accountability partners, craft talks with guest authors, and one-on-one “book therapy”—a chance to dig in on anything that’s thwarting momentum, whether in the manuscript or the mind. Friday “table reads” punctuate and celebrate the week’s progress.
The Incubator can’t magically deliver writers to the last page of their books. But its singular combination of broad support and daily structure will immeasurably deepen and advance any manuscript, and propel writers forward with greater clarity and velocity, plus talented peers and readers for the longer haul. “The Incubator is a turbo-charger, a force-multiplier, an antidote to procrastination and loneliness,” says Brian Benson, author of Going Somewhere and an Incubator alum. “I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
ABOUT ANNA & COLLEEN
Anna Vodicka is a Seattle-based writer and editor who leads generative workshops at universities, prisons, retreats, and writing centers. Her work has appeared in AFAR, Brevity, Electric Literature, Guernica, Harvard Review, McSweeney’s, and Ms., and earned fellowships to Hedgebrook, PLAYA, and the Seattle Film School. Anna works with writers of all levels to nurture and sustain writing as passion, profession, and practice.
Colleen Kinder is the co-founder of the nonprofit magazine Off Assignment and editor of Letter to a Stranger. She has written for The New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, The Atlantic.com, AFAR, and The New York Times “Modern Love.” A graduate of U of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program, Colleen is a passionate educator and has taught writing at Yale, the Banff Literary Journalism Program, and Semester at Sea.
“All writers know that the writing itself can be quite isolating, so the Incubator was a miraculous way to feel like I was working “in the trenches” alongside colleagues. Even if my project (a deeply-researched work of nonfiction) was different from those of my peers, it was the experience of collective process and journey that was priceless, and it transformed the way I work and approach book challenges, even after the Incubator wrapped.”
WHEN
The Incubator runs September 5-October 15. Programming takes place Monday-Friday. Book Therapy sessions are held Thursdays, with daytime and evening slots available. An asynchronous experience of this Incubator is entirely possible: writing room and programming times will be determined by our cohort’s availability, and all guest lectures and group discussions will be recorded. We’ll work with each writer to make sure this program fits their life, work, and family situation.
RATES & APPLICATION
The cost of this 6-week Incubator is $3600, including 6 one-on-one Book Therapy sessions. There are full and partial scholarships available; please don’t hesitate to apply if finances are a barrier. A 20% deposit will be due upon acceptance, refundable only until August 22. Full payment is due by August 29th.
We aim to curate a cohort of uniquely qualified writers willing to feed a supportive creative ecosystem. To apply please submit here. Applications are due July 15. Applicants will be notified by July 24.
FAQ
The Autumn Incubator is capped at 6 writers
There is no workshopping of manuscripts, rather a focus on process and camaraderie with fellow authors
Sample seminar topics include: research, outlining, Scrivener, boundary setting, leveraging and muting technology, cultivating morale, navigating envy/comparison, and ergonomic wellness
Each week’s theme, lectures, and prompts build on the previous week’s content
Every Wednesday, we’ll host craft talks with guest authors
The Autumn Incubator is designed to support: 1. big progress on a big project; 2. swift momentum for a new creative undertaking; 3. a writing practice overhaul
Still have questions? Email autumnincubator@gmail.com, or attend our free info session (see here for date/time/Zoom link).