Writers in Paradise has opened applications for a 2027 manuscript consultation with Sterling Watson, a faculty member whose practice centers on the close reading and structural assessment of long-form fiction. The opportunity is designed for novelists at a stage where sustained, professional feedback can meaningfully alter the trajectory of a project. Rather than a general workshop or a public reading, this is a private editorial exchange: the participant and Watson meet to discuss the manuscript, with Watson providing both a brief written report and a line-edited copy of the submitted pages. Participants may decline the line-edits if they prefer to receive only the report and spoken comments. The submission requires the opening 35 pages of a novel-in-progress alongside a synopsis. The synopsis must include a brief paragraph summarizing the novel and stating the project's status—whether it is an unfinished first draft, a completed first draft, or a completed draft that has undergone multiple revisions. If the submitted portion appears later in the work, the synopsis must also provide a detailed account of the pages leading up to the submission. This structure asks applicants to demonstrate not only the quality of their prose but also their capacity to articulate the architecture of the whole. The consultation is a paid opportunity: the fee is $25.00 USD. The deadline for applications is November 2, 2026. There is no specified prize, location, or publication attached. The value here is editorial attention—Watson's written report, his line-edits, and a meeting organized around the participant's own questions. It is a professional exchange for writers who understand that a novel is built through revision and who are prepared to engage with a reader who will address both what works and what does not.