Amtrak Has Mega Awesome Plan To Give Writers Free Rides
“I still like a train best for [writing]. I wish Amtrak had residencies for writers,” was the tweet heard around the world.
By 
Koty Neelis
Listen up, writers. Shit just got real. Amtrak has a plan in the works to give us – the beautiful, majestic writers of the world free rides. That’s right – FREE. As in, zero dollars. I think the last time I ever got anything free that was on the same caliber of cool was back when I was in the Pizza Hut Book-It program. (Dear Pizza Hut, it’s me, Koty. Can you please reintroduce that program for pizza loving, poor 20-something-year-olds? Thanks.)
You can’t get a free ride to anywhere, though. You can’t hop on a train to your mom’s house for taco night. No, these free rides are actually called “writer’s residences” and they’re for those interested in hopping on a long, round trip journey via train all with the sole purpose of writing. Guess you’re gonna have to get off Facebook, dipshits, and actually write something.
Writer Jessica Gross (The New York Times Magazine, TED.com) did a test run of the residency from NYC to Chicago and back and confirmed the sheer awesomeness of it all. The residency was “dreamed up by Amtrak fans and customers” via Twitter according to Julia Quinn, the social media director for Amtrak.
“I still like a train best for [writing]. I wish Amtrak had residencies for writers,” was the tweet heard around the world from Gross or at least, ya know, within the confines of Amtrak’s social media account. Amtrak was basically like, “Kay, babe. Let’s do this.”
The writing residency is still in its infancy stage and details are being hashed out regarding if there will be an application process, if it will indeed be completely cost free (Amtrak has to make sure it’s a good investment for them), and the different routes available.
The fact that this amazing opportunity is coming to fruition all because of the true #blessing Twitter is makes me so happy. It’s just like when R.L. Stine fans cornered him on Twitter and were like, “What the fuck’s up? Your fans are adults now and we want some 99 Fear Street type reading material from you again.” So because he’s a boss he wrote Red Rain for us. It was ridiculous, cheesy horror but also all sorts of incredible. Point being, we can make anything happen. Choo-choo! 
