Since 2016 we offer a couple of different internships and over the years we’ve met so many young talents. Here are some of the magnificent people, mostly up-and-coming writers, who have helped us and have contributed to what the Wellstone Center is:

For young would-be writers, internships at the Wellstone Center in the Redwoods writers’ retreat center offer an invaluable opportunity to soak up a newfound appreciation for all that goes into writing and how it can be a lifelong passion. We assume interns have learned a lot about writing in the classroom and through their own intense reading of books they love, but classroom learning can only take you so far. We offer hikes through the redwoods, thoughtful time in the garden, Tuesday Night OpenMic sessions for reading your own work and giving feedback to others, and a mix of other activities to encourage and stimulate young writers. We also offer, through our work with Wellstone Books, an inside look at bringing books from the idea stage to working manuscript to finished book, getting written up at the New Yorker and New York Times, or hitting the Northern California Bestseller List.

As Wellstone Center co-founder Sarah Ringler told the San Francisco Chronicle in a recent article, “Part of the reason we do what we do is to challenge people, in a way. Not to make them feel uncomfortable, necessarily, but to provoke something else and to get people a little bit out of their shell and try to imagine a different way of living. … Writing isn’t always the active typing of words — it can also be something leading up to that that is a necessary step. The hike may be the most valuable thing that (a resident) is doing with their whole day because it enables them to have half an hour of productive writing.”

We are looking for area college students in related disciplines who want to come to WCR in Soquel at least three days a week during spring term to gain a thorough education in the realities of writing and book publishing. We tailor each internship to the interests and talents of individual interns, but seek to challenge our interns to learn through active involvement in our development of new programs and in our outreach efforts to get the word out on what we’re doing, both locally and nationally, through social media, paid advertisement and other methods.

Wellstone Books interns (10 to 15 hours a week for three months) – We are looking for area college students in related disciplines who want to come to WCR in Soquel at least three days a week during spring term to learn about book publishing and writing. We hope our interns will also want to contribute their own writing, and for example our essay collections Night Running, which was published in April 2016, featured an essay by former intern Kelsey Eiland. Interns get practical experience in: editing, working with authors, book promotion, book event planning and execution, and development of new book projects, including generating their own ideas and, in some cases, seeking out authors.

Wellstone Center in the Redwoods resident interns (25 hours a day of work for three months) –  We seek hard-working people eager to learn and share in our vision who can learn and develop at a writers’ retreat center. We ask you to be an active, communicative and responsible individual who takes pleasure in working and living here. We cook delicious meals together, practice yoga, take long hikes, have intense discussions and offer advice and mentoring on reading and writing, all leading up to a highlight of the week, Tuesday Night OpenMic when we read from works in progress. Potential resident interns who are working on a writing project will be given preference. If you would like to get your hands dirty, please join us for pruning, weed pulling, raking, trail clearing, planting, trimming and housekeeping chores!  Resident interns live with us for three months; they receive no pay, but have food provided for meals and are encouraged to cook once a week and participate in our common evening meal.