@DrSuzanne Let me answer this from a general applying-to-things stance, because I'm only one voice on our particular review committee and can't really answer for everyone who will be judging for us:

With this kind of opportunity, your audience will vary. I'd say that many or most residencies are looking for demonstrated capacity and practice in the discipline or media you are applying in. The past works / portfolio component of an application is essentially to gauge if you can do the thing you're saying you want to do, and to what level of craft you're currently operating. It legitimately might be harder to get accepted into an opportunity with limited past work in the genre. Are you qualified to apply? Absolutely. Might it be an uphill battle in what is often a competitive review process? Also possible.

However, I wouldn't take this as a reason to not apply or reach out when you see opportunities that speak to you. Instead, I'd focus on framing the project in terms of how it relates to your past demonstrated work, what the opportunity would offer you that academic publishing does not, what it would mean to you as a person, and what someone taking a chance on you and your project would allow you to do. I'd also keep an eye out for opportunities that seem tailored for what you need - memoir writing, or creative writing retreats for academics, etc.

If you're looking for these kinds of open calls, https://rivet.es/ is fairly good and https://adrianshirk.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-whole-utopianotes is fantastic if you can stomach subscribing to a substack.

I hope that's useful and good luck!!