Announcing the 2023 Writer Unboxed UnConference Scholarship: How to Apply

Therese here to introduce the 2023 Writer Unboxed UnConference Scholarship!

This year’s scholarship prompt involves this year’s conference theme, ALL IN, and is a response to something I’ve seen within myself and with other writers around me: The Great Dousing of the Flame.

The amount of writers ‘giving up’ at present is concerning. Abandoning or shelving projects, dropping off social media, falling behind on WIPs, losing their motivation, listening to ‘that voice’ in their heads. It saddens me ✍🏻📚😕

— Stephen Black (@stephenRB4) June 8, 2023

I suspect the reason for this phenomenon is a sense of overwhelm with life’s chaos, with a drop or flood’s worth of why bother? thrown in for good measure. It can be poison for the artist who doesn’t turn all of that extra into fuel. And even though I knew that intellectually, it sure hadn’t been easy to get beyond it personally.

When I first conceived of this year’s event, what I had in mind was something that would be jarring in the best of ways–something that could push a person out of a unfulfilling cycle and into something that would fuel them forward. I grabbed my phone and dictated the following:

Consider the effect of covid/existential crisis/loss/feeling mortal/how many minutes before midnight?/feeling that time is all we have—this moment, right now, so what will you do with it? No more waiting for inspiration, for a rainy day, for something to click, for someone or something to settle so that you can do what your bones and marrow call you to do, what you want desperately to do, what you were born to do. Today: Go “all in“ on your story, on your dreams, for your readership, for those who love and believe in you, for your community, for yourself. Because tick has never guaranteed tock. This is what we have. This moment right here. This incandescent present. So be present for it. Right now. Write now. Write on.

I wanted to structure the event around the concept of chaos, too, and show how we can often work with chaos rather than be reduced by it. (You can learn more about the event’s genesis HERE and our sessions HERE.)

There are ten of us who will lead attendees through our five days together in Salem, Massachusetts, and I couldn’t be more excited about what we have in store for you–especially those of you who’ve struggled these last many years.

And if you’d love to attend, if you need this event but finances stand in your way, this is the opportunity for you.

What does the scholarship winner receive?

Not only will this year’s scholarship winner receive a ticket to the 2023 Writer Unboxed UnConference, they will receive contributions we’ve been gathering as a stipend to help cover additional expenses (travel, hotel, meals, etc)–an amount that will be $600 or greater. (The stipend is only available to someone attending the event, and will be presented on our first night in Salem.)

If you’d like to contribute to the stipend for this year’s Scholarship winner, there is still time! All donated funds go toward the stipend. Learn more HERE.

Who should apply?

If you’re interested in an UnConference focused on deep craft and community-centric extras–

If something has held you back, but you’re ready to go ALL IN on your work-in-progress–

If you have an unrelenting passion for the craft of writing fiction–

If you might not otherwise be able to attend this year’s UnConference (11/6/23- 11/10/23 in Salem, MA) but are seriously interested–

then we hope you’ll consider applying for this year’s scholarship!

What is the process?

Please send the following three items to UnConferenceScholarship@WriterUnboxed.com:

1. A response to the question, “What about your work-in-progress calls you back time and again, despite challenges?“
   (300 words or less, in the body of the email)
2. A response to the question, “What makes you believe that you’re ready to push past barriers and go ALL IN on your manuscript and that the Writer Unboxed UnConference can help you to achieve your goals?”
   (150 words or less, in the body of the email)
3. A Word document or PDF attachment showing five consecutive pages of your manuscript

What is the deadline?

The application deadline for this scholarship is in two weeks: Friday, June 23rd.

Write on!