Year-Long Memoir Incubator: MFA-Level Generative Workshop

APPLY NOW!

The program will start on Thursday, March 19th, 2026.

During Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III: classes will meet every other Thursday, 7-9 pm CST

March 2026 - March 2027, with a schedule that includes breaks for vacation time (summer and holiday vacations)

Program Details

This Year-long Memoir Incubator is an in-depth MFA-level workshop for 8-12 writers who want to create a regular writing practice in a supportive community, with the goal of generating a full manuscript with substantial feedback along the way. 

This incubator consists of deep-dive craft lessons and analysis, workshop feedback and discussion, and mentorship with an experienced writer and instructor to guide you through the development of a full-length, refined manuscript.

About the Instructor

Leslie Contreras Schwartz is a multi-genre writer and author of the 2022 C&R Press Nonfiction Prize Winner From the Womb of Sky and Earth. She was a 2021 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow and the 2019-2021 Houston Poet Laureate. 

Leslie writes about feminism, generational trauma, mental illness, and disability and frequently gives lectures on writing about trauma and difficult subject matters. She is an experienced creative writing instructor at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Leslie is the author of five collections of poetry: the forthcoming Sweet Geometry (Kelsay Books, 2026); Black Dove/Paloma Negra (FlowerSong Press, 2020), a finalist for the 2021 Best Book of Poetry from the Texas Institute of Letters; and Nightbloom & Cenote (St. Julian Press, 2018) a semi-finalist for the 2017 Tupelo Press Dorset Prize, judged by Ilya Kaminsky. 

Her work has been featured in Paris Review, AGNI, EPOCH, Missouri Review, Iowa Review, [PANK], Verse Daily, Pleiades, Dame Magazine, Gulf Coast, and Houston Noir (Akashic Books, 2019), and 2019 The Best Small Fiction anthology, among others. Recent work has been featured with the Academy of American Poets Poem-A-Day. She has collaborated or been commissioned for projects with the City of Houston, the Houston Grand Opera, The Moody Center of the Arts at Rice University, and Apollo Chamber Players.

Contreras Schwartz is currently a poetry and nonfiction faculty member at Alma College's MFA low-residency program in creative writing and has taught creative nonfiction and poetry workshops at Rice University and Stanford Continuing Studies. She is a graduate of the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and earned a bachelor's degree in English at Rice University.

Program Structure

The 12-month workshop is divided into three phases.

During Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III, classes will meet every other Thursday at 7-9 pm CST (with breaks for summer and holiday vacations). Rescheduling due to emergencies and other unforeseeable reasons is up to the discretion of the instructor but will be avoided as much as possible.

Phase I: Craft Intensive and Generative Jump-Start

• Lectures and analysis of craft topics through close readings of texts.
  
• Generative writing exercises and mini-workshops.
  
• Individual meetings with the instructor for individualized guidance.
  
• Develop 15,00 words of your manuscript with a full developmental read.
  
• Guest speakers with a focus on craft.
  
• Accountability tools to write 5,000 words a month to a full manuscript.

Phase 2: Development and Workshops

• Continued lectures on craft techniques with writing exercises.
  
• Longer workshops focused on the full development of a manuscript.
  
• Advanced techniques to create structure and narrative connections.
  
• Individual meetings with the instructor for individualized guidance.
  
• Guest speakers with a focus on craft.
  
• Continued accountability tools to write 5,000 words a month.

Phase 3: Revision and Full Manuscript Completion

• Third workshop session with a focus on revision and completion of the manuscript.
  
• Intensive craft focus and feedback through workshops and mentorship.
  
• Individual meetings with the instructor for individualized guidance.
  
• Guest speakers with a focus on craft.
  
• Continued Accountability tools to write 5,000 words a month.
  

Guest Faculty

• Karen E. Bender, novelist (finalist for National Book Award)
• Joy Harjo, poet and memoirist (Poet Laureate of the United States)
• Anna Clark, nonfiction writer and ProPublica journalist
• Russell Contreras, nonfiction writer and Axios journalist
• Benjamin Garcia, poet (National Poetry Series winner)
• Matthew Gavin Frank, nonfiction writer and poet
• Donald Quist, nonfiction writer
• Others to be scheduled. Guest lecturers are subject to change, and additional guest lecturers may be added or replaced at the instructor's discretion.

APPLY NOW!

Course Readings

Course readings will be shared after registration. Excerpts will include work by Vivian Gornik, Esmé Weijun Wang, Carmen Maria Machado, Matthew Gavin Frank, Jeanette Walls, and more. 

Craft books will include The Art of Description by Mark Doty and The Situation and the Story by Vivian Gornik.

(Readings are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor).

What You Will Receive

• The 12-month workshop consists of three phases of four months. Classes will meet every other Thursday, 7-9 pm CST.
  
• Five one-on-one meetings with the instructor throughout the year.
  
• 3-4 workshop opportunities to receive peer and instructor feedback.
  
• Written feedback and mentorship during the writing of your manuscript.
  
• Developmental editing feedback at the end of the course.
  
• Knowledge of craft technique, writing and revising, and how to maintain a writing practice.
  
• A supportive community of peers.
  
• Substantial progress toward a refined full manuscript.
  
• Greater confidence in your ability as a writer and how to move forward.

Who This Program Is For

This workshop is designed for writers who are:

• Serious and committed writers who want to grow, explore, and develop writing skills.
  
• Able to commit 10-15 hours per week to their project.
  
• Ready with a draft when they’re ready to revise.
  
• Open to learning and collaborative feedback.
  
• Eager to contribute to an encouraging writing community and build camaraderie.
  
• Generous and conscientious students who will provide thoughtful feedback to peers.

Writers of any level are welcome – all that is needed is a willingness to learn and grow, being open to feedback, and ready to engage with a supportive workshop environment.

APPLY NOW!

Student Testimonials

“I'm so grateful for Leslie's guidance in the craft of memoir writing and in dealing with material that uprooted uncomfortable memories. Her suggestions for delving into and describing difficult scenes were pivotal for productive writing. I'm continuing to use the techniques I learned with happy success.”

"The reading selections were amazing -- such a broad selection -- Leslie's insights were incredibly helpful, and I could see students incorporating their learnings into their writing. That does not happen in every class."

"I liked the way Leslie incorporated deeply uncomfortable literature such that it encouraged the students to speak up and write intimately."

"I learned a tremendous amount in Leslie’s class through the lectures and discussion of readings. She thinks deeply about the writing craft, and she was able to convey insights about the craft of writing memoir much better than others."

Tuition Payment

Full tuition for the 12-month program is $7,200. You can pay the tuition in full, or payment plans of varying installments are available upon acceptance to the course. Accepted writers must commit to the full year and meet all assigned deadlines.

Additional Program Information

Tuition is $7,200 USD

• Between 8-12 writers will be accepted.
  
• Program starts March 2026.
  
• The mentorship is fully online and students may participate from anywhere.
  
• Meeting format: Zoom (Professional account provided by instructor).
  
• Level: All levels.
  
• NOTE: Shifting some dates around may be necessary but any changes will be communicated well in advance, if possible.

APPLY NOW!

FAQs

Why not an MFA program?

This program combines the best things about an MFA program—community, mentorship, and intensive craft analysis—with specialized and practical writing advice.

Why does this program cost so much?

The 12-month mentorship is an MFA-level course, taught by a published memoir/essayist who is also an experienced educator with years of creative writing teaching experience at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Your tuition helps pay your instructor a living wage, and covers the cost of booking guest speakers, dedicated and individualized instruction and feedback, scheduling events, and administering the program.

Can I get a refund if I do not complete the program?

Once paid, your full tuition is nonrefundable. This is a selective program with limited spots. We are making a commitment to you for the full year and expect that you will do the same. For this reason, there are no refunds after your tuition has been paid.

I finished the mentorship. When will I get published?

We can’t promise that every writer who leaves the 12-month manuscript generator will get published right away, or ever. Publishing is a tricky business, involving lots of luck and time—as students who enroll in this course will learn! That said, we strongly believe that we can help prepare emerging memoirists to better navigate the publishing industry with an emphasis on producing high-quality writing.

In the course description, there are mentions of meetings with guest speakers. I want the details right now! Why can’t I have them?

We confirm guest speakers on a rolling basis, as their schedules permit.

I barely have an idea for a full-length book. Is this class too advanced?

Maybe. How serious are you about the idea? If you just have an inkling, but you’re committed to coming in and focusing on that idea over the course of the year, this class might be the right fit for you. The key thing is that on the first day, you come ready to write. No one will write the pages of your manuscript for you, but this course can help you apply structure to your idea and motivate you to finish the draft.

I have written several drafts of a collection, and I can’t seem to find an agent or figure out the next steps. Should I take this class?

Absolutely. Sometimes, taking a collection to the next level requires cracking it open and figuring out how it works, and the insight of new readers can help that process along. This class will give you a new perspective on your work and offer concrete next steps for you and your manuscript.

Additional Program Information

• Tuition is $7,200 USD
  
• No more than 12 writers will be accepted
  
• Program starts March 19th, 2026
  
• The 12-month workshop is divided into three phases.
  
• During Phase I, Phase II, & Phase III, Classes will meet every other Thursday at 7 PM - 9 PM CST

NOTE: Shifting some dates around may be necessary, but any changes will be communicated well in advance, if possible.

Online Course Structure

The program is fully online and students may participate from anywhere. Come prepared for an engaging class with live interaction on Zoom each week and plenty of writing, reading, and talking.

APPLY NOW!