# Announcing Inkhaven 2: April 2026

I have come to spread the good word: we're doing Inkhaven again, this April 1 – 30. You can apply [**on the website.**](https://www.inkhaven.blog?ref=lw-post)

![Inkhaven photo](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto,w_800/v1767655643/image_68_laoa8d.png)

The cheers of the first cohort

Why are we doing another cohort?
--------------------------------

Inkhaven activates people as bloggers/writers. We had 41 residents, and *all of them* completed the program of 30 posts in 30 days.[^h7toaioq3v8] Of those 41, 30 have continued to submit blogposts to the Inkhaven slack since December 2nd, with those 30 publishing an average of 1 post per week since then.

But also because the month of first cohort of Inkhaven one was one of my favorite months of my life. I got to write, and be surrounded by writers that I respected.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto,w_1200/v1767655642/image_73_fkxkdt.png)

What happened the first time?
-----------------------------

As I say, people actually published. If we add in all the visiting writers and staff who also submitted posts to Inkhaven (e.g. I wrote for 20 continuous days of the 30), then here are some summary stats.

![](https://39669.cdn.cke-cs.com/rQvD3VnunXZu34m86e5f/images/ba945c4f31825b27468fd083afe82635a9b01df131e1129b.png)

To be clear, some of the residents did more than their mandatory 30. One day Screwtape published 3 posts. Not to be outdone, local blogging maniac Michael Dickens published 10 (!) posts in a single day. And on the last day, Vishal (who read an incredible ~80% of the content produced during Inkhaven) published a blogpost that has 22 short posts faithfully in the voice of the 22 different residents.

People overall had a pretty great experience. Here are some assorted quotes from the feedback form and blogposts they wrote about their experience.

> "Writer's block is fake now? I feel my mind extremely attuned to whatever happens in the day to try and spin something about it."  
> —Inkhaven Resident

> "I overcame a lot of my crippling perfectionism, and now I'm just excited to write!"  
> —Inkhaven Resident

> "This is the longest period of time that I've been in 'deep work'. Turns out I normally live in a state of constant low-grade distraction—the first week of its absence was disorienting."  
> —[Ben Goldhaber](https://bengoldhaber.substack.com/p/thirty-reflections-from-thirty-days)

> "Having the coaches around helped SO MUCH. I am finally around writers who can give me good feedback. All I've had access to so far in my life were English teachers, who were always too overworked to challenge me."  
> —Inkhaven Resident

> "I have a pretty clear idea about how to search for interesting ideas, and write about it from an opinionated perspective."  
> —Inkhaven Resident

> "I feel respected... I like when programs treat their participants like adults, and care more about the substance than the niceties."  
> —Inkhaven Resident

> "I can see doing this a lot, and forever. I could not imagine that before."  
> —Inkhaven Resident

> "This was one of the best experiences of my life."  
> —Inkhaven Resident

> "What a terribly wonderful month. I loved it all and never wanted it to end."  
> —[Jenn](https://www.jenn.site/comedown/)

What else happened?
-------------------

Over 20 established writers came by to offer support, feedback, classes, and advice. Scott Alexander, Gwern, Scott Aaronson, Adam Mastroianni, Alexander Wales, Andy Matuschak, Aella, Clara Collier, Ozy, Slime Mold Time Mold, Dynomight, and many more. Dwarkesh Patel came and did a Q&A, and CJ the X came and gave a midnight-talk on objectivity in art while drinking alcohol. 

These people contributed so much to the culture of Inkhaven and gave inspiration and feedback for the Residents' writing.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto,w_1200/v1767655641/image_52_k3muya.png)

How much did people like it?
----------------------------

Here's the feedback form that 39/41 people filled out.

![](https://39669.cdn.cke-cs.com/rQvD3VnunXZu34m86e5f/images/e5d6e96509f2abf14ec69307d1a7a6781c94a5a86e45d2a5.png)

I showed this to Scott Alexander and he described the feedback as 'good'.

To be clear, it wasn't for everyone. One or two people knew that 30 posts in 30 days wasn't going to be good for them, and one or two people had jobs to keep up that stressed them out, and I'm not sure it was worth it for them.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto,w_1200/v1767655638/image_67_piobse.png)

Did people get better as writers?
---------------------------------

![](https://39669.cdn.cke-cs.com/rQvD3VnunXZu34m86e5f/images/11bdf2609af639c16a4fd7725eb687c5aec041d45948a278.png)

I'd say that the main thing that happens is you actually write. That's the thing that happens here. Some people came in knowing what they wanted to write about, and they wanted to get it out. Some people came having no idea what they wanted, except that they wanted to explore. People had different goals and grew in different ways.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto,w_1200/v1767741762/writing_on_benches_trrifw.png)

What kind of writing did the people write?
------------------------------------------

All sorts. There was [history blogging](https://asourdays.substack.com/p/all-true-wealth-is-biological-part), [econ blogging](https://www.humaninvariant.com/blog/blame), [fictional futuristic vignettes](https://camilleberger.substack.com/p/burning-utopia), [health advice](https://vishalblog.substack.com/p/dry-scoop-your-creatine), [math blogging](https://signoregalilei.com/2025/11/20/judging-4d-shapes/), [dramatic personal life stories](https://www.jenn.site/my-dad-could-still-be-alive-but-hes-not/), [project management advice](https://bengoldhaber.substack.com/p/the-ball), [mental health advice](https://psychotechnology.substack.com/p/a-one-minute-adhd-test-2330), [fictional parody](https://tomasbjartur.bearblog.dev/rational-teletubbies/), [rationality blogging](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/NnTwbvvsPg5kj3BKq/lack-of-social-grace-is-a-lack-of-skill-1), [AI alignment blogging](https://mdickens.me/2025/11/20/research_wont_solve_non-alignment_problems/), [romance blogging](https://www.mutuallyassuredseduction.com/p/treat-your-husband-like-a-cat-the), [cyberpunk blogging](https://mynamelowercase.com/blog/robert-hookes-cyberpunk-letter-to-gottfried-leibniz/), [YouTube blogging](https://justinkuiper.substack.com/p/why-arent-there-any-youtube-competitors), [therapy blogging](https://joannabregan.substack.com/p/lessons-from-nine-years-of-relationship), [global conflict blogging](https://www.hfh.pw/wwiii-risk), [humor](https://bestjelly.substack.com/p/23-pieces-of-life-advice), [gender blogging](https://deathisbad.substack.com/p/are-things-masculine), and, of course, [writing advice](https://inchpin.substack.com/p/how-to-write-fast-weird-and-well).

You can view ~30 essays that did especially well on Hacker News, LessWrong, and/or as voted by Residents, [in the featured essays portion of the Inkhaven website](https://www.inkhaven.blog/#featured-essays).

![Inkhaven typewriter](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto,w_800/v1767657835/Typewriter_gobfhj.jpg)

Why should I do this?
---------------------

If you would like to grow from someone who wants to be a writer, or someone who blogs occasionally, or someone who has written some good things but not invested as much as you'd like into writing, Inkhaven is your opportunity to graduate into "actual blogger".

There were also many established bloggers who grew by doing Inkhaven—Michael Dickens, Tsvi BT, Angadh, etc. It's also an opportunity to cut out distractions and focus on your writing for a month.

![Inkhaven Food](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto,w_800/v1767655649/image_71_oiwx8l.png)

Why should I not do this?
-------------------------

I can think of around ~two people who knew that writing a single blogpost in a day simply wasn't how they could produce writing they're proud of, and have since taken substantial parts of their writing offline. I'm not saying this is good for literally everyone, though I do think it is good for most people who want to be writers.

I can think of around ~two people who had serious external commitments that made focusing on their writing difficult or painful during the month, and one of them may have regretted coming due to that.

![Inkhaven photo](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto,w_800/v1741830193/_ADS9814_1_iziirm.jpg)

Can I buy cute Inkhaven stickers?
---------------------------------

Yes! Jenn made some that [**you can buy here**](https://www.redbubble.com/people/kwrat/shop?artistUserName=kwrat&collections=4410365). I have them on my laptop.

| ![Inkhaven sticker](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/v1767659081/sticker1_y79rhs.png) | ![Inkhaven sticker](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto,w_600/v1767659080/sticker2_lauhhr.png) |
| --- | --- |

How much does Inkhaven cost?
----------------------------

The program fee is $2,000. Housing at Lighthaven starts at $1.5k, so the price is $3.5k.

Financial aid is available, and last cohort around half of the residents received some amount of financial aid.

What is the application process?
--------------------------------

Basically you just show us some of your existing writing, and we guess whether we'd like to read more of it from you.

How can I apply or find our more info?
--------------------------------------

[**Go to the website to apply and find out more info!**](https://www.inkhaven.blog/)

I look forward to spending April with some of you reading this :-)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto,w_auto/v1767655483/image_74_lfyt46.png)

Me talking to you at the start of April at the launch of Inkhaven!

[^h7toaioq3v8]: With the technical exception of one blogger who, in some effort to experiment as a rule-breaker, on his last day published a blogpost below the 500-word limit. So technically, instead of 41* 30 = 1230 mandatory blogposts, we got 1229, and the last one was a blogpost but it was just ~300 words. I'm going to roughly ignore this as being irrelevant in most relevant contexts about whether the program works and whether people complete it.