rewild workshop
Current Course
Before the MFA
Summer 2026
This generative workshop is for writers accepted to an MFA program that will start in the fall of 2026. We’ll talk about how to prepare for an MFA, both practically and mentally; things to know going into a program; getting into the right mindset and setting goals as well as boundaries; and creating a few new pieces to work with in fall workshops. Before the MFA is a grounding space to help find your breath after the stress of application and notification season and before the whirlwind of a potential move, orientation, and starting classes.
Course Details
Schedule
Sundays from 4-6pm MT / 6-8pm ET
May 31
June 7
June 14
June 21
Sessions will be held via Zoom. They will not be recorded, but materials will be shared which can be accessed at any time.
Course Outline
Week One: Why Write? (No, Really.)
Week Two: In Pursuit of Truth
Week Three: Beyond the SOP: Goals, Boundaries, and Intentions
Week Four: Generating New Work
Sliding Scale Cost
Tier 3 – $300
Tier 2 – $250
Tier 1 – $200
I use a sliding scale payment system designed to allow each individual to assess their own financial situation, privilege, and access to wealth, and pay accordingly. The below graphic, “The Green Bottle,” is a helpful tool in determining which tier you fall into. Those paying at Tier 3 offer a bit more in order to fund part of the tuition for those paying at Tier 1. This system allows me to ensure that the course is being adequately funded, while avoiding prohibitive payments that may lock some folks out of access.
If you have any questions or want to talk through which tier you may fall into, please feel free to email me.
10% of what I make teaching this workshop will go to Right Relationship Boulder in order to honor the Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Ute tribes who have long cultivated and protected the land I teach on here in Boulder County, Colorado.
Graphic from Radical History Club, via Alexis J. Cunningfolk and Embracing Equity
Sign up in two steps:
Fill out the form below with your contact information and the name of the course you’re signing up for.
Send payment via PayPal or Venmo @helenkarmstrong.
You will receive a confirmation email with Zoom details within 48 hours of sign-up.
This form will close when the class fills, so if it’s still open, there are seats!
If you have questions, please use the form or email rewildliterary@gmail.com.
Meet the Instructor
Helen Armstrong holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Brown University. She was a 2022 Tin House Scholar. Her work has been published in literary magazines such as Michigan Quarterly Review, Black Warrior Review, Jellyfish Review, X-R-A-Y, and more.
In addition to writing credits, she has over 8 years of teaching and editing experience in university and community settings. She’s worked with writers at Arcadia University, Brown University, and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. She’s also been a reader and editor for literary magazines such as Witness and Cleaver.