JOIN PERSONAL ESSAY LAB

Now accepting applications!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new program, Personal Essay Lab, designed to guide passionate writers through a transformative three-month journey of revising and submitting personal essays or memoir excerpts for publication.

In six sessions that meet every other week, Personal Essay Lab will help writers place one or two essays in reputable media outlets or literary journals.

Our next three-month Personal Essay Lab begins February 7. Ready to apply? Please complete our application.

Please email us at bookinc@projectwritenow.org if you have any questions about the application process. 

Cristina Spencer is a writer, translator, and educator. She has an MFA in creative nonfiction from The Bennington Writing Seminars.

Cristina’s memoir, About Bliss: Fighting for My Trans Son’s Life, Joy, and Fertility, is forthcoming in October 2024. An excerpt from her memoir-in-progress, “Ludicrous,” a meditation on marriage and mortality, was recently published in KHÔRA.

She lives in Northern California with her partner, her kids, and their four cats. Competent, compassionate at-home care for her husband makes her writing life possible.

Our community-based program is focussed on both process and outcomes, with:

• Interactive Sessions: Participants will join six Zoom sessions where they'll discuss their work and provide constructive feedback in small groups.

• Online Collaboration: Our community thrives on Slack, where daily check-ins, goal-sharing, resource-sharing, and encouragement take place.

• Results-Orientation: The program will cover goal-setting, research, revision, and the submission process.

The program is structured around three key areas:

• Goal-Setting & Research: Establishing goals, researching target publications, and creating a personalized plan to support your overall writing objectives.

• Revision: Engaging in reading rounds and receiving personalized feedback from both peers and Cristina Spencer, our experienced Peer Artist Leader (PAL).

• Submission: Guiding participants through the process of submitting essays to target publications and managing responses.

To ensure the success of each participant, we're looking for writers who:

• Have a complete draft of a personal essay (1,500-3,500 words) ready for revision.

• Have completed book inc's Memoir Incubator or Project Write Now's six-week Personal Essay class, another Project Write Now creative nonfiction class, or have prior experience in a relevant writing workshop. 

• Are open to learning about the revision and submission process and are committed to supporting fellow writers.

• Cost*: $500 (payment plans and scholarships available).

• Schedule: We meet from 7 to 9 p.m. ET every other Wednesday on the following dates:



• February 7
• February 21
• March 6
• March 20
• April 3
• April 17

* Proceeds from the program contribute to supporting PWN's community outreach programs.

Claim your seat in the Personal Essay Lab now and elevate your writing journey to new heights!