What to expect
Writing the Wild uses two interwoven modes of learning: guided personal practices through postal mail and virtual gatherings in community.
Participants enrolled in the Writing the Wild cohort…
Receive monthly mail, containing writing prompts, creative exercises, books, art supplies, limited edition broadsides, and more, ending with a printed collection of work from cohort members.
…in order to…
Cultivate a creative toolbox and craft sustaining habits of urgent and honest expression that will extend writing practices beyond the 8-month container.
Gather twice or more monthly on Zoom to write, connect, and learn with guest writers, artists, and creative professionals.
…in order to…
Engage in a mutually-encouraging learning community, in these gatherings and through smaller Writing Circles (encouraged, but optional).
Each Writing the Wild cohort is designed for both new and established writers to learn alongside one another. We play at the edges of art and writing, of the personal and ecological realms, of the literary and mainstream worlds. Our cohorts of 45-65 writers act as an ecotone—a borderland between distinct habitats, where lives and ideas and expression meet. Here, we offer an in-between place where a unique diversity of life can flourish.
We see writing as both a contemplative practice and a method for active engagement in the wider world, responsive to the unique urgencies of our time. Developing our own creative rhythms is an essential component of living well.
Not sure if Writing the Wild is right for you? Contact us with questions or to learn more.
Registration
Enrollment for our 2025-2026 cohort is currently closed as we read and respond to applications. We may open another enrollment window later this summer—sign up for our email list to stay tuned or contact us with questions.
We do not require writing samples for our general applications. We welcome writers of all experience levels. The application is simple—we want to know who you are and what intrigues you most about Writing the Wild in order to help us discern a good, mutual fit.
What does the program cost?
Writing the Wild has several price-points available for self-selection. All price-points cover full cohort membership, including: monthly prompts, core texts, broadsides, and writing & art supplies, mailed to your home; participation in all cohort calls on our calendar; a piece published in (and a print copy of) our annual zine; self- and peer-guided writing circles (optional); and discounts on all labs (“ala carte” additions to the program).
Program cost: $3,895
This pricing funds the core of our program: the costs of monthly mail, including books, broadsides, art supplies, shipping, etc.; operating costs for running the program (Zoom, marketing, website, etc.); paying our staff and guests; and more.
Discounted price: $3,695
In an effort to make Writing the Wild accessible, this price is for those who are unable to afford the full cost and may be self-selected.
Generosity prices: $4,295 or $4,695 or $5,195
The generosity of our writers in choosing these price points enables us to: offer scholarships; support discounts; offer free, public events; add fun surprises for the cohort; and more.
We offer 8-month payment plans for those who need them (at all levels of the sliding scale), at a slight additional cost to cover the time spent invoicing (approximately $10 per month).
We also have limited, partial scholarships available. (Apply for a scholarship here—do not use our general application.)
Learn more in our FAQs.
On this journey, you will:
Craft durable, replicable creative habits through regular practice and innovative, playful, embodied methods.
Learn alongside guest artists and writers through dynamic written materials, workshops, readings, and conversations.
Create a collection of work that draws you closer to the mysteries of connection: with the Earth, an ecosystem of creative humans, and your own wild self.
Come away with a sense of renewal, your voice interwoven with the language of our wild Earth.
Our most transformative moments of growth are embodied, tactile: We can hear, taste, smell them. We can feel them. What sets Writing the Wild apart from other writing programs is the unique combination of on- and offline resources—while our gatherings are virtual, physical mail is a core component of engagement in this journey.
Packages
You will receive writer’s care packages during the year, which will include:
journaling materials
art supplies
core texts for your journey (8 or more books)
limited edition broadsides (printed poems with accompanying art) from our guests
a printed copy of the Writing the Wild Zine (a professionally-designed print artifact created just for the cohort, to which each participant contributes)
some surprises along the way
Prompts
You will receive monthly prompts throughout the year, rooted in our core texts and the seasonal rhythms of the Earth.
These prompts will invite you into :
writing (poetry, creative nonfiction, and a touch of fiction)
nature immersion (coming to know your own landscape)
creative cross training (simple artistic practices to sharpen your prisms of vision)
playful rest (essential to the creative life)
These prompts are co-written by Krissy Kludt, Stephanie Jenkins, J. Drew Lanham, and Rick Lindroth. (See Who We Are to learn more about the team.) You can download sample prompts here, if you’d like to give them a try!
Gatherings
We will gather approximately twice monthly on Zoom, on Tuesdays at 6pm Central Time. See the calendar for details. Our gatherings will include:
1. Workshops:
Intensive craft workshops with guest teachers and seasonal contemplative workshops with our guides. (See Who We Are for details about our guides and guests.)
2. Readings & Conversations with Guest Writers
Readings and conversations with a variety of writers and artists.
Sketch notes will be provided after each session—a copy of hand-drawn notes by Kate Rutter. (See Who We Are for details about our guests, and find examples of sketch notes on Instagram.)
3. Additional Gatherings
Other opportunities for connection and learning will be offered throughout the year, including peer-led or guided writing circles, listening sessions, panel discussions, and more.
Writers may also choose to supplement their program with Labs: additional “ala carte” workshops, which are open to the wider public, and available at a discount to cohort members. In-person events may also be available, some at an additional cost.
Offerings Beyond the Cohort:
Writing the Wild Labs
Writing the Wild Labs will be offered throughout the year. Labs are short term workshops around a particular theme or topic. You do not need to be a cohort member to participate in a lab. Writing the Wild cohort participants will receive discounted registration opportunities for all labs.
Learn more about Writing the Wild Labs here, or register for upcoming labs.
