Creative Residencies
The Gell Creative Writing Residency offers writers uninterrupted time and space to focus deeply on their work in a serene retreat setting. Residents enjoy private use of Gell Cottage, a newly renovated writers’ retreat nestled on 24 wooded acres just outside Rochester.
Here, you’ll find quiet writing spaces, expansive windows overlooking nature, trails for reflection, and the kind of stillness that allows ideas to breathe. Whether you are drafting a manuscript, revising a collection, or beginning something new, Gell Cottage is designed to support sustained creative focus.
Residency Experience
“We can’t thank you enough for the space, the grace, the beauty, the invitation. We are so full of the gifts of this place.”
“The foliage is popping brightly around you as you read this good-bye and thank you. I’ve taken in every bit of this deliberate, intentional beauty these past days. It’s been a charged transformation. You have a forever fan in me.”
Pricing
The Gell Residency is designed to support meaningful, uninterrupted creative time. Rates reflect private use of Gell Cottage and the surrounding grounds. A 3-day minimum is required.
Extended stays are encouraged and offered at a reduced daily rate to support writers working on long-form projects.
Contact
Questions? Email Chris Fanning.
Application Steps
Work Sample Guidelines
Please submit work samples as a single PDF and include your name on all pages.
Note: Individuals accepted for residencies will receive an invoice and contract via email. Payment can be made by check or online.
