Resident Welcome Guide

Q: When should I plan to arrive and leave?

We encourage people to arrive March 31st and leave May 1st. This means you're never traveling on the same day you have to publish a post. The hard deadline is 4pm on April 1st — that's shortly before when the opening session begins, and you don't want to miss it.

For the dates you can book, the room availability on havenbookings.space is your guide. Arriving earlier than what's listed is harder to arrange on our end, but feel free to ask — we may be able to work something out. The same goes for staying a little later.

(NB: Read below about the Bodega Bay weekend trip, which is also a time that you will come and go from Lighthaven.)

Q: How do I get set up on Slack?

Join the Slack workspace here, then DM Ben right away so he can add you to the right channels. Once you're in, here's what to expect:

• You'll be in about 5–10 channels where residents and staff coordinate.
• You'll also get your own personal Inkhaven channel for direct communication with the team. Lightcone doesn't use DMs for coordination — everything goes through channels.
• This is the Lightcone Infrastructure slack, where our org works, but you won't be exposed to most of that.
• Use the search bar to find messages, files, and prior decisions quickly.
• Check Slack often. This is where announcements, real-time updates, and most internal conversation happen. Lightcone doesn't run on email — operational communication lives in Slack.

Q: What facilities are available at Lighthaven?

You'll have access to many shared living spaces around campus. They include:

• Kitchens: 2 shared kitchens with 3 microwaves, 2 ovens/stoves, several full-height fridges and full-height freezers available for residents
• Gym: On-campus workout space for residents
• Laundry: Washer and dryer available on campus
• Podcast/recording room: Residents will have free use of the studio described at lighthaven.space/recording-studio
• Bathrooms: Towels & toiletries provided

Kitchen

Gym

Laundry

Podcast Room

Q: What are the food options?

You're welcome to buy and store your own groceries — Whole Foods is 3 blocks away and Berkeley Bowl is 10, both easily walkable, and Instacart delivery is also available.

We're also sorting out catered meals that you'll be able to purchase on-site. More details on that coming soon.

Q: How do I book a room?

Book through havenbookings.space. Rooms are first come, first served, so if you're staying on-campus, do it as soon as you can. A few things worth keeping in mind when you choose:

• On-site vs. off-site. Staying on the Lighthaven campus is more immersive — it's easier to wander into late-night conversations or eat snacks from the kitchen. The off-site houses are only a half-block to a block away though (a 2–3 minute walk), so you won't miss much.
• Bathroom setup. Some on-site rooms have en-suite bathrooms, some share with one or two neighbours, and a handful require a short walk outside.
• Shared rooms. Shared rooms group you with a few people of the same gender, and all shared rooms include an en-suite bathroom.
• Photos. The room photos on the booking site may be out of date — the space gets reconfigured between cohorts. Take them as a rough guide rather than a precise preview.
• Financial aid. If you're receiving financial aid, we'll follow up in Slack with more information, and a discount code for those who it applies to.

Q: How come there are no rooms available on the 17th to the 19th?

As is tradition, for one weekend of Inkhaven we are taking a road trip. We will be taking an off-site to a venue to Bodega Bay, in a curious mansion by the beach 90 mins North of Lighthaven.

"Bodega Bay helped us talk to people we wouldn't talk with otherwise."

"I felt less productive after Bodega Bay and perhaps the blame is that I established good rapport with everyone."

Q: Do I have to leave campus that weekend?

Yes. By default, all residents will be off-campus that weekend. One of the ways Lighthaven sustains itself is by hosting conferences and other events on campus, and that income helps make programs like Inkhaven possible. That weekend, we will be hosting one of those conferences.

Because conference guests will be using the rooms, you will need to fully clear yours and not leave belongings behind. We will provide on-site storage. If this would be unusually disruptive, please let us know in Slack as early as possible; we may be able to make exceptions.

Last time, most residents came to Bodega Bay, and many said it was one of the most fun and bonding parts of the month. Others visited friends, or stayed home if they already lived in Berkeley.

Q: What counts as my daily post?

Publish one new post each day. It must be at least 500 words and should be indexed on Google. Titles are optional, but encouraged.

Some things that count: Substack, Medium, LessWrong, personal website, AO3, fanfic.net.

Some things that do not count: Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, a comment, a GitHub project, a Google Doc, a Paywalled Substack post, two-separate-posts-whose-word-count-sum-to-500-words.

Do images count? Some people say an image is worth 1,000 words. We believe an image is worth as many words as are in the image. Same for tables.

Q: Can I write pseudonymously?

Yes — we fully support pseudonymous writing. Whether you publish under a pen name while going by your real name on campus, or you'd prefer to use a pseudonym with fellow residents too, either is completely fine.

If you write a post you'd rather not have linked back to you, you can opt out of sharing it with other residents or having it appear on the Inkhaven website. The one requirement is that you share it with the organizing team, who will keep it private. We need to verify that daily posts are being written — we just won't make yours public.

Q: Can I prepare writing ahead of time?

Yes, but you cannot finish it. It is very within the spirit of Inkhaven to finally finish something you've wanted to publish for weeks, months, or years (including pieces you already started). It is not within the spirit to have a fully completed essay that you just hit publish on.

A practical guide: you should do at least 500 words of real editing on the piece (additions, rewrites, or cuts) for it to count as a daily piece at Inkhaven.

Q: What does a typical day look like?

• 12:30pm: Lunch
• 1:00pm: Lunchtime announcements
• 1:30pm: Talk/workshop by advisor or guest
• 6:00pm: Dinner
• 7:00pm: Social activity
• 12:00am (midnight): Post-submission deadline

Q: I'm traveling internationally — got any advice for the border?

When border control asks your reason for travel, here’s a template you can use at the border:

“I’m here for a one-month writers’ retreat with talks and workshops, and to work on my own writing; I leave on [date].”

The two main reasons they might reject you are:

1. They think you're working or providing business value to anyone in the US.
2. They think you're not going to be leaving the US after the residency.

Key mistakes to avoid:

• Don't say you're providing business services to anyone in the US — even on a volunteer basis.
• Don't imply you're providing services to Inkhaven, or that you're making money from it. Even if you're receiving financial aid, should money come up, make clear that you're paying to attend.
• If you think they might be concerned about you not leaving the US after the residency, it helps to have a return flight booked, and proof of either a job outside the US or that you rent or own a property in your home country.

If you'd like an invitation letter for your visa or border paperwork, we can send you one with program dates, location, and contact details. Request it in your individual Inkhaven slack channel.

If you need an emergency point of contact, you can use me:

Q: I have a question not answered here?

Ask it in Slack! If it's specific to your situation, post in your personal channel (#your-name-inkhaven).

If it's something others might want to know too, post in #inkhaven-questions.