Stop Rewriting the Same Draft: Two Incredible Year-Long Incubators to Finally Finish Your Book in 2026
by Writing Workshops Staff
A day ago
You've been writing the same book for how long now? Maybe it's been two years. Maybe five. Perhaps you've lost count. The draft sits there, half-finished, structurally wobbly, waiting for you to figure out what it needs next.
You've likely read craft essays, listened to podcasts, and told yourself that this will be the year.
But here's what nobody tells you: most writers don't need more inspiration. They need sustained guidance, honest feedback, and a community that won't let them disappear into the revision wilderness alone.
As Electric Literature's education partner, we're excited to share two incredible year-long manuscript incubators.
Both programs start in January 2026. Both are limited to just 12 writers. And both are designed to do one thing: get your book done.
FOR FICTION WRITERS
Year-Long Novel Incubator with Joss Lake January 6 – December 2026
Joss Lake's debut novel, Future Feeling, was longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award. He teaches fiction at Columbia University and has guided writers through the MFA process for years.
This program is for novelists with an early draft (ideally 25,000+ words) who are ready to transform messy pages into a polished, publication-ready manuscript.
What you'll get:
→ Five one-on-one sessions with Joss
→ Two full developmental reads (beginning and end)
→ Four workshop rounds with your cohort
→ Guest faculty, including agents, editors, and novelists
One of those guest faculty? Denne Michele Norris, Electric Literature's own editor-in-chief.
APPLY TO THE NOVEL INCUBATOR →
FOR NONFICTION WRITERS
Write Your Nonfiction Book in a Year with Melissa Petro January 15 – December 2026
Melissa Petro is the author of Shame on You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification (Putnam/Penguin Random House). Her students have published in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Cut, The Nation, and beyond.
This program is for memoirists, essayists, and narrative nonfiction writers at any stage, whether you have an idea or an existing draft.
What you'll get:
→ 75 hours of instruction across 25 sessions
→ Five one-on-one sessions with Melissa
→ A finished manuscript OR book proposal ready for submission
→ Guest faculty, including agent Betsy Lerner (Forest for the Trees), Ryan Harbage, and Laura Mazer
APPLY TO THE NONFICTION INCUBATOR →
THE DETAILS:
Both programs meet every other week via Zoom, and you'll need to commit 10–15 hours per week to your project.
These aren't passive courses. They're intensive, selective, MFA-level programs for writers who are serious about finishing.
Applications are open now. Space is limited to 12 writers per incubator.
"After this program, I became less nervous about writing and felt gradually that 'writer' is something I could call myself." — AJ, Novel Incubator alum
"Working with Melissa not only held me accountable to finishing my memoir, but made me a better writer." — Shannon O., Nonfiction Incubator alum
Make 2026 the year the draft becomes a book.
APPLY NOW →
WritingWorkshops.com is Electric Literature's education partner, offering online workshops, destination retreats, and year-long mentorship programs for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting.
