Rewilding Craft: An Online Generative Writing Retreat
September 19 & 20, 2026
9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. PT / 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
Online (Zoom)
What are the essential elements of the craft of fiction? What makes a story come to life in a writer’s imagination, then enter the world as a living, breathing thing? At our online weekend retreat designed for writers of all levels, we reframe these questions to explore the elemental forces driving our need to tell and consume stories. Instead of traditional craft topics such as character, plot, structure, or point of view, we examine DESIRE, IMAGINATION, WILDERNESS, and WEATHER as your basic survival kit for rewilding craft, and telling stories that are urgent and alive.
“Rewilding” a landscape means restoring conditions for its vitality and growth; Rewilding Craft explores how we might recover our relationship to our own inherent creative vitality. Feeling stuck on a project, uninspired, or disconnected from your writing practice? Interested in trying something different? Come reconnect with your writing practice and your creative self.
First offered as a sold-out in-person retreat in San Francisco in summer 2025, The Dream Side is excited to present this accessible, online version with the same focus on craft and community building. In addition to four generative classes, there will be opportunities for structured social and writing time.
This is an offering from The Dream Side, co-led and co-taught by award-winning and bestselling authors Meng Jin, Rachel Khong, Susanna Kwan, and Shruti Swamy. Learn more about your instructors here.
Schedule
Saturday, September 19
9 to 10:30 a.m. IMAGINATION taught by Rachel Khong
Optional breakout rooms for quiet writing or socializing
12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. DESIRE taught by Meng Jin
Sunday, September 20
9 to 10:30 a.m. WILDERNESS taught by Shruti Swamy
Optional breakout rooms for quiet writing or socializing
12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. WEATHER taught by Susanna Kwan
1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Goodbye & parting words
By attending this retreat, you will:
- Learn unconventional approaches to fiction writing from four working writers, inspired by our own creative practices
- Generate pages of new writing with specific guided prompts
- Connect with curious and thoughtful community
- Jumpstart a new project, revitalize a stalling project
- Play, step out of your comfort zone, and take creative risks
- Come away with lasting tools to sustain a creative life
Retreat fee
Full price: $300
Scholarship rate: $100
Deadline to register: September 12
If the full price would be a financial barrier for you, please feel free to select the scholarship option—no questions asked. We trust you to choose what feels right based on your circumstances.
We are committed to making this accessible for all who wish to join, so if the scholarship rate is out of reach, please contact us at hello AT thedreamside.com! No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Register at full price
Testimonials
“This was my first experience doing a writing retreat of any kind, and it exceeded my expectations. The Dream Side brought together such a wide-ranging group of writers, whose backgrounds and experiences led to a very communal and eclectic atmosphere. The lectures were a major highlight... THANK YOU for reminding me why I do this.”
—Rewilding Craft 2025 participant
“I loved this retreat so much and I had a great time! The retreat was the perfect balance of lecture, individual writing time, and socializing. The craft talks were all so thoughtful and inspiring and I loved all of the prompts and interactive activities, as well. This retreat was amazing. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested and I'm looking forward to participating in more Dream Side events in the future!”
—Rewilding Craft 2025 participant
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but one of the writing prompts led to a germ of an idea that I’ve been developing. I think it will be my next novel!”
—Rewilding Craft 2025 participant
Recordings
This course is conducted on Zoom and will be recorded. Recordings may capture student’s video, audio, chat messages, and shared resources, and will be shared with enrolled students in this course. Recordings from this course may also be reused in future offerings of this class, and may be shared with asynchronous students.
Live participation—whether through video, voice, or chat—is deeply appreciated and helps create a vibrant, dynamic class environment. It also makes it possible for The Dream Side to offer more financially accessible versions of this course in the future.
Students who prefer not to appear on video may keep cameras off, adjust their Zoom display name, or request reasonable edits. Please feel free to contact The Dream Side to discuss options.
Refund policy
We understand that plans can change. If you need to cancel, refunds (minus Stripe’s 2.9% processing fee) are available through September 12, 2026. After that date, we won’t be able to offer refunds.
Questions?
Send us an email: hello AT thedreamside.com