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Apply now to join the Evergrey Writing Group

The deadline is December 31, 2016 at midnight. Read on to learn more.

Every day in this newsletter we work to connect you to the city and to each other so you can find your own awesome ways to live like you live here. As part of that, we think it’s really important that Seattleites of all backgrounds talk to each other about their own experiences in their own voices — especially if their voices aren’t usually part of the city’s conversation. That’s why we’re launching the Evergrey Writing Group.

Here’s the plan: We’ll choose a handful of people to meet with regularly over the course of three months. At each meeting, we’ll discuss and help you develop your ideas for essays, personal narratives, whatever you most want to express about your place in this city. And if you’re interested in having your piece published by The Evergrey, you can pitch it to us! We have a limited number of stories we’ll publish each month, and if yours is accepted, we’ll pay you for your work.

Ready to apply? Nice. Click this link to make a copy of our application, fill it out and share it with [email protected]. Have more questions? Read our FAQ:

Who should apply for this?

We’re not necessarily looking for “experienced” writers. We’re looking for people in and around Seattle who want to work with a group of their neighbors to find stronger, more powerful ways to express themselves to the city. Do you find yourself writing long posts on Facebook when you’re moved to share something that’s important to you? Maybe you have an eye for seeing things other people don’t and sharing those things on Instagram. Everyone has a unique perspective on the city. If you want to share yours, we want to help.

We’re calling it a writing group, but if you want to do video, audio, or a series of gifs, it’s all good as long as we can send it out in our newsletter. Fiction is totally cool, too.

What kinds of stories are you looking for?

You’re going to bring your own ideas, but just so you have a sense of what we’re looking for, here are a few examples of writing prompts you could use to help you think of topics:

  • Write about about a time you remember loving Seattle. What was happening in the city and in your life?
  • Write about a time you felt like you didn’t belong or a time you were frustrated with the city. What was happening and what was your place in it?
  • Let’s say it’s a year from now. You’re loving Seattle and this place feels amazing. What’s happened in that year to make you feel that way?

Will I get paid?

Yup, you will get paid for any work that we decide to publish. We have a limited budget for a certain number of stories per month. We will not be paying people to participate in the writing group. But we’ll work super hard to make sure that members who don’t end up publishing a piece with us learn as much as they’d like from the awesome group we’re putting together.

Can I publish my work somewhere else?

Yes, absolutely. We hope you pitch to us first, but you’re welcome to pitch anywhere else you’d like.

How often will you meet and do I have to be at every meeting?

Right now we’re thinking there will be five meetings over the course of three months. We ask that you do everything in your power to make every meeting. Your participation is one of the key ways this group will be as valuable as it ought to be for each of your fellow group members. Once the group is formed, you’ll find meeting times that work best for all of you.

I’m a freelancer and don’t want to be in a writing group. Can I just pitch you stuff?

We don’t have the bandwidth to go through a lot of pitches and work individually with freelancers right now. (We hope to in the future!) So if you aren’t interested in being part of a writing group, or feel like you wouldn’t get much out of workshopping your material and helping others with theirs, that’s cool, and this probably isn’t the right opportunity for you.

Who will I be working with?

Marika Malaea. She’s an incredibly talented local writer (and Evergrey reader) who will lead each writer’s group meeting. She’s creative as hell, knows the work that goes into unleashing powerful personal narratives, and explores the city like it’s her job. She’s also kind of hilarious. So, we think you’ll have fun. Here’s her post on identity and race that got picked up by WordPress Discover. Here’s her blog, The Hamazon. And here she is on Twitter @marikamalaea. You can’t wait to meet her.

Evergrey cofounders Mónica Guzmán and Anika Anand will be around as well, helping to workshop your stories (‘cause we kinda love to do this stuff), but Marika will be running the show.

How do I apply?

We’re so glad you asked! Make a copy of this application and share it with us at [email protected].

When will I find out if I got in?

Applications are due by the end of 2016 — that means by December 31 at midnight. We’ll announce Writing Group participants by January 12, 2017. We’ll aim to have our first meeting in January. Then two in February. Then two in March. Five meetings total.

Have you ever done this before?

Nope! We just launched in September, so we’re brand new and can experiment with wild ideas like this one. You’ll be our guinea pigs and we’ll want lots of feedback about what works and what can be improved.

This sounds so cool!

We’re glad you think so! Get those applications in and let us know if you have any other questions at [email protected].

We look forward to hearing from you!