Hill House Writers Policies

Hill House Writers Retreat is a Grant Based Writers sanctuary. The value for a one week stay is $750.00. Our residency space is limited to 4 guests/couples per week. Although the grant will cover a one week stay, shorter stays are permitted. Our current focus is on the craft of writing but will be branching out to the other arts in time.

To apply for a grant, please fill out an application form and provide a non-refundable $30.00 processing fee via pay pal (which accepts credit cards and direct withdrawal from your checking account) Applications will not be considered without the application fee, the fee is required to complete the process. Accepted candidates will be allowed to residencies on a first come first served basis. Consult the calendar page under reservations to see our current vacancies. There will be a $50.00 reservation fee to hold your spot.

Travel to and from Nashville or Huntsville is the responsibility of the resident. See our links to discount fairs available or see, bargain travel section of our web site. Hill House writers will provide paid transportation in cases of need or hardship. Please let us know if you might require special assistance as soon as you are notified of acceptance.

Criteria for acceptance:
Genre writing is acceptable as well as any form of poem, screen writing, play writing, fiction or non-fiction. Songwriting is accepted but must be accompanied by a recording as it is next to impossible to "hear" the intent of a lyric without the accompanying music - this is a special consideration and the applicant should call or email prior to submission. The music will not be judged, but the lyric must follow the general rules of songwriting .
Parody will be taken as stand alone writing - we cannot always be counted on to get the inside joke, sorry but we lead a pretty isolated life. Erotic writing is acceptable, if there is a point. Getting the reader off sexually is not enough of an accomplishment for acceptance - while you are at it, write for men as well as women - one or the other or both will be reviewing your work. Take risks - it is only through risk taking that we will know your level of confidence. It is necessary for a writer to stretch.

Send your best writing, but do not over work a piece. Natural writing is preferred. Spelling and American English grammar count. Writing style is not as heavily weighted as clarity of communication. Originality and creativity should be kept within their place. Read Elements of Style. If you break any of the rules, there should be a compelling and obvious reason.

Your bio is an example of your writing and as such will also count toward acceptance. Your letter of intent should also be considered as a stand alone example of your writing. These two collateral examples are to be concise and show economy; word count is critical.

One week at Hill House includes:

1. Transportation to and from the Nashville International; or Huntsville Airports (We are equidistant from Nashville, TN and Huntsville, AL).

2. A Private room in a bed and breakfast setting. 4 Bedrooms have a separate entrance and kitchen as well as common area and a shared bath with private shower and private bathtub. One bedroom has a private bath and a fireplace in the room, and is on the main level of the house with the kitchen. (see picture of "blue" bedroom) The downstairs kitchen is stocked with light foods and beverages (juices and teas). A week long residency includes 3 meals daily taken family style or privately. All or most of the food used in preparation is organically grown and as much as possible or is grown on the surrounding acres. Special consideration is made toward non-pre-processed foods. The tendency is toward natural and gourmet with an eye toward balance and proportion. Vegetarian, raw foods or special diet meals are available with advanced notice. Whenever possible Hill House will utilize local foods, raw dairy products, etc. Whenever possible, we will also attempt to create all foods from scratch.

3. A typical stay begins Friday late afternoon and ends the following Friday at noon.

4. There is limited maid service available, the washer and dryer are available for guest use. Towels and soaps are provided. Again, please notify ahead of time if you have special needs or allergies.

5. There are no critiques at Hill House Writer's. Discussions are scheduled around meals and in the evening. At times, workshops will be scheduled with residents. These occur on the weekend of arrival. Hill House will make every attempt to schedule events that are tailored to the specific needs of the residents at any given time. The programs are custom made for individual groups. Please be sure to supply us with as much information as possible about your interests and specialties.

6. At times, residents may be requested to lead discussions or workshops. This is on a request/volunteer basis. No one will be expected to present if they are not willing and comfortable. Our staff can assist in any and all presentation needs.

7. Hill House Writers in located in Rural Tennessee. We have made every effort to provide high speed internet through wireless connection. The house is connected to the internet via a satellite up and down link. Currently, upload speeds faster than 50kbps are prohibitively expensive. We will upgrade our facilities as the technology becomes available. We welcome residents to bring their own laptop computers. The internal network is a wireless fast Ethernet 802.11B network.

8. The 34 acres of grounds surrounding Hill House has cultivated trails, springs and contemplation areas. It is a fenced horse farm and may also have sheep, cows, water buffalo, chickens, hawks, and various domestic pets on site. Availability of riding horses is limited and requires an advanced notice of interest to accommodate.

For horse owners, Hill house is nestled in Fox Hunting country and we welcome your trailered horses to accompany you (with advanced notice as well) We ask that you Please do not bring your dog, as our dogs have been known to be territorial and in reality, we are borrowing the house from our cats who would not take well to strange K9s on the property. There may be a small charge for horse care. Note that the Hill House stable is under construction, but you are welcome to pasture your horses while you are visiting.

9. It goes without saying that there are several animals inside and outside the house at Hill House. If this causes a problem, please contact us to discuss.

10. There are plans to install an in-ground pool - we will post the completion date on the web site. Swimming in the pond(s) is not recommended due to indigenous wildlife.

11. Hill House does not support or condone smoking of any kind. Cigarette smoking is permitted only in a designated area on one of our covered porches. Smoking anywhere but in a designated area will result in early dismissal from the retreat. We are serious about this.

We hope to see you. We expect to add more residencies as we become better known.

Good Luck