Applications are now open for the January 2027 cohort.

The Unconventional Novel is a year-long program for fiction writers working on novels that reach beyond traditional norms — books that bend genre, braid points of view, move in spirals rather than pyramids, or think like poems. Over four ten-week seasons, you'll workshop up to 100 pages of your novel, receive four critique letters and four one-on-one conferences with instructor Miranda Schmidt, and read four unconventional novels alongside a small cohort of writers working in the same territory.

Program at a glance

• Instructor: Miranda Schmidt, author of Leafskin (Stillhouse Press, 2025)
• Begins Tuesday, January 5, 2027 and runs through Tuesday, December 14, 2027
• Weekly via Zoom on Tuesdays, 8:00–10:00 PM ET (5:00–7:00 PM PT)
• 40 class meetings across four seasons, with breaks between each
• Tuition: $5,900 USD, payable in full or over time via Shop Pay or Affirm
• Small application-based cohort

Read the full program description →

What you'll need to apply

• 15 pages of your novel in progress (.doc, .docx, or .pdf), with your name and project title on the first page
• A short description of your novel (100 words or less)
• Where you are in the writing process (250 words or less)
• What makes your novel unconventional (175 words or less)
• What interests you about this course and your goals for the year (250 words or less)

Set aside about 30 minutes. We recommend drafting your responses in a separate document and pasting them in, since the form does not save partial progress.

Key dates

• Register for Info Session #1: Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 5:30–6:00 PM PT / 8:30–9:00 PM ET
• Register for Info Session #2: Monday, November 30, 2026, 6:00–6:30 PM PT / 9:00–9:30 PM ET
• Application deadline: Thursday, December 10, 2026
• Notification of acceptance: by Monday, December 27, 2026
• Optional cohort orientation: Tuesday, December 29, 2026, 5:30–6:00 PM PT

Applications submitted after December 10 will be reviewed as space allows. Info sessions are optional and have no bearing on your application.

Is your novel unconventional enough? If you're asking that question, it probably is. Many unconventional novels aren't overtly unusual at first glance — they may look traditional until you examine their foundations or hit a choice the author made midway through that doesn't fit the norm. If you keep getting feedback telling you to amplify conflict, make your characters make sense, or fit your narrative into a three-act structure when you know that isn't the book you're writing, this program is for you.