Application for Medill's George R. R. Martin Summer Intensive Writing Workshop 2026
Application for Medill's George R. R. Martin Summer Intensive Writing Workshop 2026
Page 1 of 6 - Program Details
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APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 12, 2026 (at 11:59 p.m. CT)
Program Overview
“Write every day, even if it is only a page or two. The more you write, the better you’ll get… If you don’t exercise those ‘literary muscles,’ you’ll never develop them.”
-- George R.R. Martin
Long before George R.R. Martin created “Game of Thrones,” he was a student at the Medill School of Journalism, graduating in 1970 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Journalism and in 1971 with a Master’s of Science in Journalism. Decades later, Medill is thrilled to be launching the third George R.R. Martin Summer Intensive Writing Workshop, a writing boot camp for mid-career journalists who have a burning story to tell in the creative realm and want to cross over into writing fiction.
Medill is committed to identifying talented, established journalists with an idea for a specific fictional project and immersing them in a nurturing and supportive environment. We will provide writing time, reflection, discussion and collegial workshopping of novels in progress. We believe this focused time, space, guidance and mentorship will help these journalists produce exceptional creative works.
The workshop -- which will take place at Northwestern University’s Evanston, Ill., campus July 7 to 15, 2026 -- will focus on writing fiction. GRRM Fellows will have the opportunity to learn from award-winning novelists and writing instructors. The aim is to have fellows arrive with pages of a novel that they have already been writing so we can workshop it together.
Eligibility:
This program is designed specifically for mid-career journalists. Applicants should have at least five years of experience in the field, either full-time or freelance.
Application Process:
In this application form, you will be asked to submit the following items:
- a resume
- a cover letter
- a list of five recent professional or creative achievements
- a description of the specific project you plan to work on while at Medill, noting why the George R.R. Martin workshop would be valuable to you in this creative process
- a work sample of 10-30 pages of fictional prose. This sample MUST come from the novel that you plan to workshop at Medill. It also must be the very beginning of the novel.
- the names and contact information of two professional references
All submissions, including your work sample, must be primarily in English. Works that have been written in other languages then translated into English are not eligible. We will not accept any applications or sample pages that have been generated using artificial intelligence.
You will be able to save your progress and return to work on your application. Once you start the application, you will receive an email with a personalized link to reopen the application.
Selection Process:
All completed applications will be reviewed after the specified deadline for submissions. A jury of field experts in fiction and writing will review applications, with final selection decisions being made by Medill.
Timeline:
- Applications open: November 2, 2025.
- Applications close: January 12, 2026 (at 11:59 p.m. CT).
- Decisions will be sent in March.
Costs:
Participants will receive funds for transportation from their home base to Chicago (basic roundtrip economy airfare, or similar), lodging in a single room at a group hotel, and all meals during the program. Participants are responsible for their own incidental expenses – this includes airline luggage fees and ground transportation from their home to the airport as well as within Chicago and Evanston.
Additional Information:
You can read full program details and FAQs at our
George R. R. Martin Summer Writing Workshop homepage.
Questions? Email us at
grrmworkshop@northwestern.edu
Are you ready to begin your application?
*
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 12, 2026 (at 11:59 p.m. CT)
Program Overview
“Write every day, even if it is only a page or two. The more you write, the better you’ll get… If you don’t exercise those ‘literary muscles,’ you’ll never develop them.”
-- George R.R. Martin
Long before George R.R. Martin created “Game of Thrones,” he was a student at the Medill School of Journalism, graduating in 1970 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Journalism and in 1971 with a Master’s of Science in Journalism. Decades later, Medill is thrilled to be launching the third George R.R. Martin Summer Intensive Writing Workshop, a writing boot camp for mid-career journalists who have a burning story to tell in the creative realm and want to cross over into writing fiction.
Medill is committed to identifying talented, established journalists with an idea for a specific fictional project and immersing them in a nurturing and supportive environment. We will provide writing time, reflection, discussion and collegial workshopping of novels in progress. We believe this focused time, space, guidance and mentorship will help these journalists produce exceptional creative works.
The workshop -- which will take place at Northwestern University’s Evanston, Ill., campus July 7 to 15, 2026 -- will focus on writing fiction. GRRM Fellows will have the opportunity to learn from award-winning novelists and writing instructors. The aim is to have fellows arrive with pages of a novel that they have already been writing so we can workshop it together.
Eligibility:
This program is designed specifically for mid-career journalists. Applicants should have at least five years of experience in the field, either full-time or freelance.
Application Process:
In this application form, you will be asked to submit the following items:
- a resume
- a cover letter
- a list of five recent professional or creative achievements
- a description of the specific project you plan to work on while at Medill, noting why the George R.R. Martin workshop would be valuable to you in this creative process
- a work sample of 10-30 pages of fictional prose. This sample MUST come from the novel that you plan to workshop at Medill. It also must be the very beginning of the novel.
- the names and contact information of two professional references
All submissions, including your work sample, must be primarily in English. Works that have been written in other languages then translated into English are not eligible. We will not accept any applications or sample pages that have been generated using artificial intelligence.
You will be able to save your progress and return to work on your application. Once you start the application, you will receive an email with a personalized link to reopen the application.
Selection Process:
All completed applications will be reviewed after the specified deadline for submissions. A jury of field experts in fiction and writing will review applications, with final selection decisions being made by Medill.
Timeline:
- Applications open: November 2, 2025.
- Applications close: January 12, 2026 (at 11:59 p.m. CT).
- Decisions will be sent in March.
Costs:
Participants will receive funds for transportation from their home base to Chicago (basic roundtrip economy airfare, or similar), lodging in a single room at a group hotel, and all meals during the program. Participants are responsible for their own incidental expenses – this includes airline luggage fees and ground transportation from their home to the airport as well as within Chicago and Evanston.
Additional Information:
You can read full program details and FAQs at our
George R. R. Martin Summer Writing Workshop homepage.
Questions? Email us at
grrmworkshop@northwestern.edu
Are you ready to begin your application?
Let's get started!
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