APPLY TODAY FOR OUR six month NONFICTION INTENSIVE 2025

The Redbud Six Month Nonfiction Intensive is a program designed for advanced writers who are ready to make serious progress on a book-length nonfiction project —a memoir, essay collection, work of literary journalism, or even a hybrid/lyric work. For 2025, we will select ten students who together will go through a half year of classes, group work, and one-on-one meetings and manuscript reviews. During the last classes of the intensive, we will discuss how to pitch and shape your project for the marketplace.

How does the intensive work?

Led by Redbud co-founders, Arshia Simkin and Emily Cataneo, the intensive will follow the same six weeks on, two-three weeks off model of our regular Redbud courses. Since Redbud’s founding in 2019, Arshia and Emily have taught hundreds of students and know how to help writers to access their most honest, most resonant, most impactful voice, and how to distill these unique stories on the page. The first class will be on Monday, January 13, 2025 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the class will continue to meet on Mondays at this time. Classes will meet in Jan-Feb, March-April, and May-June. During the on weeks, students will meet once a week at the Redbud Headquarters (719 N. Person St. Raleigh NC, 27604). The occasional class meeting may take place online over Zoom. Please note that during the off weeks between sessions, students are expected to use their time outside of class to make progress on their manuscripts.

A few other things to know:

·       At the beginning of the course, all students will read the same 2-4 books to help the class gain a common understanding of the different forms we are working in. The instructor will also recommend books to each student as models, inspiration, and/or comparable market titles. Analyzing how other texts ‘work’ and are in conversation with your project is as important as making page progress on a manuscript. Other books often illuminate possibilities and, sometimes, answers.

·       Students should come with an open mind and heart; a willingness to give, receive, and apply feedback; the understanding that some months it will be ‘easy’ to make progress while other months will feel like a slog; and a keen sense of community.

·       Generosity of spirit fosters collaboration and the close relationships needed for this kind of extended, demanding work: students should come prepared to give to the community as much or more than they expect to receive.

who is eligible to apply?

We encourage you to have taken at least two nonfiction classes with the Redbud Writing Project before applying. However, if you’ve taken other Redbud classes or nonfiction writing classes with other schools, or completed an MFA program, we will happily review your application.

In terms of where you should be with your project: both those who are drafting a book-length work and those who are revising a book-length work are welcome in the intensive. We ask that you have a solid idea for a project before starting the program.

We are looking for serious applicants who are ready to commit themselves to a demanding, rewarding six months of writing, revising, and learning and who are also supportive community members ready to work closely with a cohort of peers for an extended period of time.

why should you participate?

Writing a book-length manuscript is often a lonely, arduous process. The Redbud Nonfiction Intensive is an opportunity for dedicated, advanced students to receive rigorous, careful, supportive guidance on their nonfiction projects in a classroom setting. The intensive will provide students with accountability and motivation, and will give them the tools to tackle the hard middle parts of writing a book and finish what they’ve started. It will also provide students with camaraderie and support from other peer writers.

Please note that progress on a book-length nonfiction project will vary from student to student. Some writers will finish their book drafts, while some won’t—which is to be expected! Everybody works at a different pace, and it’s inspiring to work with peers and see what each person accomplishes over a dedicated period of months. That said, we’re seeking students who will enter the intensive with the intention of drafting or revising their project over the course of six months, and who can be adaptable as they face various challenges—both internal and external. The difficult truth is that life won’t stay still while you write your manuscript, and you’ll have to balance work, busy schedules, caretaking responsibilities, and all the outside facets of your life while taking on such an ambitious project. This nonfiction intensive will provide structure, guidance, and community as you tackle your writing goals—and the ultimate goal will be to help you make as much progress as you can on your book-length nonfiction project.

how much does the program cost?

Base price: $1499 for returning students, $1699 for new students

True price: $2600 for returning students, $2950 for new students

Note: The “true price” reflects the true cost of the class, which includes paying a fair wage to our staff and instructors, rental fees for the Redbud headquarters and for the community spaces where we host our classes, website and administrative/commerce fees, outreach and advertising to spread the word about our offerings, and the coordination and administration for our community classes, which serve people who could not otherwise access creative writing. The “base price” is the subsidized price. Please select the price that works best for you.

We will offer one scholarship to allow a student to participate in the course tuition-free. If you would like to donate to that scholarship fund to help your classmate, you’ll have the option when you pay for the course. All payments for the course are due by Jan. 10, 2025.

READY TO APPLY? Fill out the form at the link below by Monday, December 23, 2024 at 9 a.m. We will let all students know the status of their application by Jan. 1, 2025.