Writing Internship
Dear Applicants,
Sharing the craft of writing is not simple. The work itself is deeply internal. The essential part of the process happens in silence. When I write, I am either sitting and thinking, walking and thinking, doing chores and thinking, or writing. None of these moments are visible from the outside. There is nothing to shadow. The core of the work cannot be demonstrated in real time. And yet, writing is a profession. Professional knowledge can be shared.
My experience as a writer is unusual. I have worked across genres, across languages, and across countries. A significant number of my works have been produced, which means they have survived collaboration, revision, limitation, and reality. Details of my creative biography are available on this website and on IMDb. I’d be happy to share my knowledge and, perhaps more importantly, my practical experience with you. Other members of the Nightingale Gray Creative Group, writers, directors, and producers, will be joining me as well.
If you decide to apply, please note, I will personally select the participants. I will read your submitted work and make the decision myself. I have no formal criteria other than creative productivity, discipline, determination, and talent. One especially important part of the application is the list of completed works, not necessarily published or produced, but completed by you, even if it is a poem or a short story. It is essential that you have many ideas and, more importantly, the ability to bring them to completion.
Participation in this internship will not secure a career for you, nor does it guarantee employment. But you are a writer and you can build that yourself, not only for your own sake, but for others as well.
Many times, I have watched a film come to life from a screenplay I once wrote alone at home in pajamas, in the middle of emotional turbulence, often with very little money, and I have been struck by the transformation: something that existed only as a thought becoming real: a set, a crew, work for dozens of people, new paths for actors and directors.
The stories we choose to tell shape perception, influence reality, and affect lives, while also accomplishing something as practical as creating jobs. Yes, as writers, we have the power to bring such transformations into being. That is what we will be working toward.
I would be glad to have you join me.
For further context, please see the essays “About Cakes” and “Pay It Forward,” followed by a brief note from Jacob, the internship coordinator.
Natalia
Hi, I’m Jacob,
I’m the editor and coordinator of the internship program. I’ll be your primary point of contact, and all initial inquiries come directly to me. I’ll do my best to summarize and explain everything, so no one feels hit over the head with this block of text.
The full curriculum of the program is available for download here. It has all the detailed information and breakdown of the most important and official sections and terms regarding the internship. But we will come back to that later. First, let’s make it a little easier on all of us and just let you know how this will all work.
The first step is to submit anything you’re working on or any completed works. Your submission is central to the selection process. You will be able to upload only one document. Please compile excerpts from different works into that single file. The total word count must not exceed 5,000 words. Please include only work that you have written independently, not as part of a group project.
Variety is welcome. Unusual genres and experimental work are strongly encouraged, everything from novels and poetry to screenplays and narrative writing for video games. Your one-on-one sessions will be devoted to your creative experiments and to finding the genre and form that best serve your individual talent. Writers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome.
Now some words about the curriculum. This is a 16-week educational internship designed for writers who want to develop their craft across different formats. It’s a structured training and mentorship program, not a job. It’s unpaid, and participants don’t do any work for the company. Instead, they learn, observe, and develop their own writing. At times, interns may also shadow the team at Nightingale-Grey Creative Group to see how real projects are handled.
The program is built around two main parts: group masterclasses and individual mentorship. You’ll take four online masterclasses, each 90 minutes long, and you’ll also have four private one-on-one sessions, each an hour. Everything is led by Natalia Nightingale-Grey and happens online. There may also be optional opportunities to sit in on meetings, lectures, or other activities beyond the core sessions.
The masterclasses are very practical. They focus on how writing actually works in professional settings. Across the sessions, you’ll cover things like how to develop an idea into a full project, how to adapt a book for stage or screen, how screenwriting works, and how to build a novel. There’s also guidance on how collaboration works with directors, producers, actors, and agents. It’s focused on real process, not theory.
Alongside that, there’s a second layer to the training: a writing method based on Konstantin Stanislavski’s principles, adapted by Natalia specifically for writers. The goal is to make your writing psychologically convincing and dramatically clear.
In addition to the group sessions, you get four private one-on-one meetings focused entirely on your own writing. Before each session, you submit material, and then you spend the session discussing it in depth.
At the end of the program, if you complete it successfully, you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion. You may also receive a Letter of Recommendation, depending on your work and participation. After the program, there’s an option to continue working with Natalia privately.
If you and our team end up cliquing by the end of the term, we can discuss the possibility of you joining the creative group for future projects. Again, the full curriculum is available for download here. Please read it before applying.
There is no set deadline for applications. We will be taking submissions throughout the year. Once the internship group is full for the Fall, we will immediately begin filling up the next group for Spring. Official dates will be announced.
We hope you now have a clear sense of what makes our program so cool and unique, and we would love to welcome you as our interns. If you’re ready to apply, please prepare a 5,000-word piece for your creative submission and proceed to the application.
Kindly,
Jacob
Educational Writing Internship
Duration: 16 weeks (8 sessions)
Program Dates: August 27, 2026 – December 10, 2026
Delivery Format: Online
Cohort Size: 7–10 participants
Admissions: Competitive selection process
Application Fee: $40 (non-refundable)
Program Fee: None