Unfold: 30 days of Writing in Community
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Each year, poets around the world attempt to write 30 poems in 30 days throughout the month of April. Have you tried it before? It can be exhausting and feel impossible and lonely.
Enter: Unfold. Unfold is a daily virtual writing workshop led by Tristan Richards (me!). Each day in April, we’ll connect for about two hours (the list of times is at the bottom of this page!) to read some themed poems, get our creative engines running, write a poem, and read our work to each other. You’ll meet lots of other writers, challenge yourself to try writing in new forms, and ideally, have a ton of fun along the way. Our month together will culminate in a public showcase of poems written in our community. Committing to a regular writing practice is hard. Community helps. Structure helps. Unfold can bring you both! In April 2025, we'll meet at the following times:
* On Tuesday, April 1, we'll meet from 7-9 pm CDT instead. |
© Offbeat Artistry
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tell me more
A story unfolds, page by page, word by word. A blanket unfolds to comfort us. Other things that unfold: the thin paper of a morning newspaper. The outfit you laid out the night before. Your towel after a hot shower. The chair you carried to the beach. A map that’ll help you get to where you’re going. Your sore legs after a cramped airplane ride. A building collapsing to make room for something new. The instruction manual that you only kind of understand as you put together a new Ikea bookshelf. Money. Hands after prayer. Posters. Moving boxes. Have you ever heard a plant crinkle as it unfolds a new leaf before your eyes? Your life is unfolding in front of you. There’s a letter from a friend in your mailbox, waiting to be opened. When something is folded, we can’t see what’s inside yet. There is pressure in holding yourself together. A folded body does not take up space. Unfolding allows us to expand, to reveal ourselves, to see more clearly. It helps us see what’s waiting to be released.
I believe you can write 30 poems in 30 days, and I want to help you get there. It’s an honor to watch this workshop unfold each year.
The beauty of unfolding is in the expansion. An idea shows up small and grows. We start shaky and unsure until we’re confidently unfolding the paper where our new poems live. When paper is folded, it’s impossible to fully straighten out the creases. You carry your past and your progress with you, and there are poems in every wrinkle. They’re already in you. This workshop will help you pull them out and bring them to life.
I believe you can write 30 poems in 30 days, and I want to help you get there. It’s an honor to watch this workshop unfold each year.
The beauty of unfolding is in the expansion. An idea shows up small and grows. We start shaky and unsure until we’re confidently unfolding the paper where our new poems live. When paper is folded, it’s impossible to fully straighten out the creases. You carry your past and your progress with you, and there are poems in every wrinkle. They’re already in you. This workshop will help you pull them out and bring them to life.
Unfold team
Tristan Richards - Founder & Lead Facilitator
Carson Elliot - Teaching Assistant
Yoda Olinyk - Moderator
Danielle Estelle Ramsay - Camp Unfold Logistics Coordinator
Lisa Criswell - Camp Unfold Travel Coordinator
Street Team
Carson Elliot - Teaching Assistant
Yoda Olinyk - Moderator
Danielle Estelle Ramsay - Camp Unfold Logistics Coordinator
Lisa Criswell - Camp Unfold Travel Coordinator
Street Team
- Neecie Buitre
- Meggie Cronin
- Ally Gall
- Emmi Kerr
- Danielle Estelle Ramsay
- JP Thorn
what others are saying
Here is a list of articles, interviews, podcasts, and more we've been featured in!
- What are your plans for April's National Poetry Month? (March 2025, Jess Janz)
- How Poetry Changed Me: Tristan Richards (March 2024, Third Place Poetry)
- Burnout and Belonging: Being Present in Your Own Life (December 2023, Pause, Purpose, Possibility Podcast)
Typical Workshop Structure
Zoom links are emailed to participants (through Google Classroom) the day of the workshop. Each day will be a different Zoom link, so I recommend deleting the daily emails after you attend a workshop. Previous Workshop Themes
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Guest HostsEvery few days, a guest host will take over the workshop for the day! These facilitators have ranged from well known poets and professional teaching artists to meditation guides and pastors—and everything in between. Each guest host brings their own special touch to the Unfold community.
The Unfold membership gets you access to all guest hosted workshops (including recordings). Past guest hosts have included José Olivarez, Sierra DeMulder, Guante (Kyle Tran Myhre), Jess Janz, Sabrina Benaim, and many more. Interested in becoming a (paid) guest host? Email [email protected] - I'd love to chat! Here is a brief overview of Unfold! |
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2025 Guest Hosts
Ariana Brown
Fri. April 4: 3-5 pm CDT Body, Medicine, Futures |
Noor Hindi
Sat. April 5: 11 am-1 pm CDT An Ode to an Ode |
K. Iver
Wed. April 9: 7-9 pm CDT Way Back When |
Adam Clay
Tue. April 15: 11 am-1 pm CDT Meaning in the Music |
Amy Kay
Wed. April 16: 7-9 pm CDT Last Meals |
Jovan Mays
Sun. April 20: 7-9 pm CDT Nothing Just IS |
Ollie Schminkey
Mon. April 21: 7-9 pm CDT Speaking Back to the Apocalypse |
Erin Dorney
Sun. April 27: 7-9 pm CDT Fold Forward (Zines!) |
2022 Guest Hosts
Special thanks to our 2022 guest hosts: Laurence Hart, BEE LB, Stephanie Tollis, Danielle Estelle Ramsay, & Emmi Dawne
2023 Guest Hosts
Week 1 Guest Host: Laurence Hart
Wednesday, April 5: 7-8:30 pm CDT Workshop: More Than a Crumb: Writing About Joy |
Week 2 Guest Host: Sierra DeMulder
Wednesday, April 12: 7-8:30 pm CDT Workshop: Negative Space |
Week 2 Guest Host: Sabrina Benaim
Thursday, April 13: 9-10:30 pm CDT Workshop: An Unlove Story |
Week 3 Guest Host: Julia Lemke
Monday, April 17: 6-7:30 pm CDT Workshop: What I Know Without Words |
Week 3 Guest Host: Jess Janz
Saturday, April 22: 10-11:30 am CDT Workshop: The Smallest Thing Possible |
Week 4 Guest Host: BEE LB
Sunday, April 23: 10-11:30 am CDT Workshop: Self As Animal |
2024 Guest Hosts
José Olivarez
Tuesday, April 9, 2024: 11 am-1 pm CDT Nothing to Laugh At: Using Humor in Poetry |
Sierra DeMulder
Friday, April 12, 2024: 3-5 pm CDT |
Jess Janz
Tuesday, April 16, 2024: 11 am-1 pm CDT |
Sabrina Benaim
Wednesday, April 24, 2024: 7-9 pm CDT Letting the Details Lead the Way |
Lyd Havens
Sunday, April 28, 2024: 7-9 pm CDT On Intimacy |
Guante (Kyle Tran Myhre)
Monday, April 29, 2024: 7-9 pm CDT Anthemic Writing |
2024 Alumni Led Workshops
Yoda Olinyk
Fri. April 5: 3-5 pm CDT Chef's Kiss |
BEE LB
Sat. April 13: 10 am-12 pm CDT Too Broke to Joke About It |
Julia Lemke
Wed. April 17: 7-9 pm CDT The Practice of Being Seen |
Annalise Parady
Sun. April 21: 7-9 pm CDT Alt Love Poems |
2025 Pricing
Unfold Live Track registration closed on April 8, but you can still join us through a day pass or our asynchronous track!
Day Pass |
Asynchronous Track |
Fund a Scholarship |
$30 |
$150 |
$50 |
Don’t have time to come to workshops often? No worries! You can also register for one workshop at a time, for $30 each. Please register 24 hours in advance to ensure you get the Zoom link. You can see the list of dates and times at the link below and in the calendar section below. Please note: If you think you’ll attend more than 11 workshops, buying the membership will save you money, and you won’t have to worry about registering each day. |
Write along with us on your own time! The asynchronous track includes:
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Purchase this item to contribute to our Unfold scholarship fund. Each year, there are many poets who can't afford the full price of Unfold membership. We are committed to providing scholarship options for those who need them—Unfold is for all of us. If your budget allows for some flexibility, your support can help us provide full and partial scholarships. Thank you! |
Live Track
Unfold Membership (registration closed April 8) |
Scholarships & Payment Plans |
$350 |
Closed April 8 |
Your Unfold membership (only 75 available!) includes:
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New for 2025, you can apply for a full or partial scholarship to cover your Unfold membership. This replaces our previous sliding scale model. We understand that our membership price won't be accessible for everyone and we still want you to write with us. You can also request a payment plan (for full price or scholarship membership) on the same form! We hope to move people off the scholarship request list weekly and will email you when a scholarship is available. If you'd like to donate to the scholarship fund (thank you!) you can donate at this link or as an add-on to your Unfold membership. |
Help us spread the word!
Want to help us share Unfold with more writers? We love you for it! Here are a few other ways you can help!
- Click here to request Unfold posters to hang in your local area
- Share any of our posts on the Unfold Instagram (@unfoldwriting) with this link: bit.ly/unfoldwriting
- Email Tristan about doing an Instagram live ([email protected])
- Purchase a merch pack or other piece of merch!
- Wear your Unfold merch out and about! Put your sticker on your notebook or water bottle
- Consider emailing friends, people you know from writing organizations or classes, or anyone else you think would enjoy Unfold
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Merch Pack: $75
Delivered to you by April 2025, consider grabbing our brand new merch pack! Purchase at the link below or as an add-on to your regular Unfold registration. It includes:
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CalendarWe'll meet every day in April 2025! Come when you can, skip when you can't. Either way, you'll receive a new packet of poems and prompts to write to each day.
All workshops are hosted in Central Daylight Time (CDT / GMT-5). * On Tuesday, April 1, we will meet from 7-9 pm CDT instead. |
Daily Themes
WEIRD WEEK!
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FAQ
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WHO ARE YOU?
Hi! I'm Tristan! Here's my formal bio:
Tristan Richards (she/her) is a poet, educator, 4w3 so, ENFP, gemini sun/cancer moon/virgo rising, and equal parts sarcastic and sappy. She also makes a solid playlist. Tristan is the author of two self-published chapbooks: Not All Challenges Are For Us (2022) and The Year Was Done Right (2019). Her poems have been published in ALOCASIA, Writers Resist, trampset, Preposition: The Undercurrent Anthology, on the Mankato Poetry Walk & Ride, and in Firethorne. She is the recipient of a Professional Mid-Career Artist Grant from the Minnesota Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council. Each April, Tristan facilitates Unfold, a daily poetry writing workshop for National Poetry Writing Month. You can find her newsletter here. Tristan holds an MA in Leadership in Student Affairs from the University of St. Thomas and a BA in Communication Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College. She worked in higher education until 2022. What is NaPoWriMo?
Every April, people who are fully losing their minds (I mean poets) attempt to write 30 poems in 30 days! More info here.
WHAT KIND OF WRITER SHOULD COME?
Come if you’re looking for community and accountability around writing. Come if you’ve never written a poem or if you’ve published multiple books. Definitely especially come if you’re attempting to write 30 poems in 30 days.
WHAT IF I DON'T THINK I CAN WRITE 30 POEMS IN A MONTH?
Two thoughts:
1. You're not required to write a single poem if you don't want to or can't. You're welcome to just come for the community or to write a poem or two. 2. I believe you can do it. This workshop series is intentionally designed to help folks get to 30 (or more!) poems. Some workshops will help you write multiple drafts so you can increase your count quickly. Do I have to write poems?
You can write whatever you like! Most of what we read together will come from poetry, but not all of it. The writing in this workshop tends to skew toward poetry (it is, after all, National Poetry Writing Month), but you’re welcome to write or create in whatever genre works for you.
Do I have to keep my camera/mic on?
Nope! Most people do, but we promise not to make you feel weird if you choose not to. Engage at your own comfort level
WILL WORKSHOPS BE RECORDED?
This is a live/synchronous poetry community, so workshops will not be recorded. Being there is part of the magic! Workshops are all on separate topics, so you won't be missing crucial information if you have to miss a few workshops.
You will also receive a packet of poems to read and a writing prompt each day, whether or not you attend the live session. IF I BUY A FULL MEMBERSHIP, DO I HAVE TO ATTEND EVERY WORKSHOP?
Nope! Some people do, and some people come once. Most attend frequently but not every day. You are free to come and go based on your personal schedule and what works for you. If you’re committing to the membership (and/or trying to write 30 poems in 30 days), I recommend stretching yourself a bit and coming as often as you can.
How did unfold come to be?
At the end of March 2022, I posted an Instagram story asking if anyone wanted to be #NaPoWriMo accountabilibuddies. At first, I was just looking for someone to text drafts back and forth with. Previously, I had failed to write 30 poems in 30 days almost as many times as I had tried. I always hit a wall 5-10 days in and got so behind that I gave up.
A ton of people responded to my story and I started thinking, “What if…?” On a whim, I decided to post a Zoom link every day in April. The first day, 4 of my friends showed up. I was wildly nervous and I thought, “Well that was cool, maybe this’ll last a few days before it fizzles out.” Then people kept showing up. Then 6 people offered to co-host a workshop. Then more people found us. Then I planned a workshop every single day for 30 days straight. Then we did a reading! There was never a day that no one showed up. In April, I spent all of my free time reading poetry, looking for poems that spoke to each other, thinking about questions I could ask that would pull poems out of the 26 people who showed up. I got better at facilitating, leading discussion, creating prompts, and showing up to writing every day and exercising the muscle. I wrote 38 poems, and our group collectively wrote about 200 poems! This community held each other with such care. It really felt like we did something. I immediately started planning for the next year, and here we are! In 2023, members of our community wrote 1,504 poems through Unfold. WOW. |
Have any other questions you think would be helpful to add here? Email me ([email protected]) or DM me on Instagram (@tristanjrichards)!
Testimonials
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“Unfold as an experience is bigger and deeper than you can imagine when you enter it. Tristan creates a space that is non judgmental, welcoming, and encouraging. All of these elements will unlock a deeper level to your writing - you'll come away from this as a whole new poet!” - Annalise “I came to Unfold kind of by accident — I think I expected something casual that I could passively take in. Tristan's work is anything but passive. The community she nurtures, the workshops she designs, the passionate support she provides all of us, are all so much better than a casual experience. Tristan doesn't do poetry halfway and you won't be able to either.” - Priscilla “I had the best time in Unfold. The community is one of the kindest, most loving spaces I've been. Tristan is an amazing facilitator and I learned SO much about my own skills as a poet, and also about a TON of other poets while I was there. This is a great place for beginner poets, and more established writers...everyone will feel the love in this space!” - Yoda “Every single one of Tristan’s workshops is led by her lovingly guiding heart. She creates spaces that are full of possibilities and acceptance and most of all, fun to be in!!” - Ellora |
“Tristan is a warm, authentic, and deeply skilled facilitator. I wouldn't have produced any of the work I did last April without the structure and support Unfold provided. The community she built is so genuine and invested, and the feedback I received (and continue to receive!) has helped me grow as both a writer and friend. I can't wait for next April!” - Meggie “The container, community, and consistency of Unfold was transformative for me. Tristan is the very best of workshop facilitators.” - Angela “Unfold helped me realize that I can reach my goals. Tristan is one of the best cheerleaders and teachers I’ve had the pleasure of working with. I’m always looking forward to the next chance to be in community with her.” - Emmi “Tristan is a skilled cultivator of spaces where creativity can flourish. Through Tristan's work in creating and hosting Unfold, I was able to grow in my writing practice and connect with other artists. I was truly amazed by the abundance of information provided by Unfold and I am very grateful for the opportunities Tristan created for the community!” - Gia |
“Not sure how Unfold hits that sweet spot between craft & fuzzy so perfectly, but crafuzzy is the only way to describe what this month was. Tristan (and everyone participating) create an environment of safety, exploration and accountability, which we all know are impossible things to hold space for all at once (but they do). It was a lesson, literally and metaphorically in being in community with poets.” - Shivani “Unfold is an inspiring, supportive, hilarious community of poets who will unlock creative potential you didn't know you had! Writing 30 poems in 30 days was not only easy in Unfold, it was an absolute pleasure. Tristan is a warm, wise, and accessible facilitator, and you'll be writing alongside the most talented, tender-hearted weirdos you've ever met. 100/10!” - Lisa “I was able to build a lot of momentum with my writing and confidence in my ability to be a poet!” - Shug “Unfold quickly became my favorite part of the day. I made so many new friendships from it and the conversations and poems during read back blew me away.” - Caeli |
Alumni Corner
After Unfold, our poets have gone on to do some incredible things with the writing they started in our workshops. Here is a running list of places Unfold poets have published (all of these poems were drafted in Unfold)! Send us yours on this form to be added to the list!
Unfold Poet Publications
Unfold Poet Publications
- Angela Janda: "Dear Maggie Smith" - HAD
- BEE LB: "poem with the mouth of a fire” and “life's a circus, i'm a clown!” - SORTES 15
- BEE LB: "fear and what makes it" - Tagvverk
- BEE LB: "move" - manywor(l)ds
- BEE LB: "i'm tired of virgin saints, give me the sluts;" - Angelical Ravings
- BEE LB: "poem in place of a poem" - Crest Letters
- Carson Elliot: "T4T or Transexuals Rewrite Genesis" - Angelic Ravings: Archives of the Ornate
- Danielle Estelle Ramsay: "Foreclosure" - Nine Muses Review
- Lisa Criswell: "Dream sequence beginning at sea and ending in your pocket" - Pile Press
- Lisa Criswell: "Nessie as an ending" - The Winged Moon
- Tristan Richards: "Pandemic Plants & Disco Balls" - ALOCASIA
- Tristan Richards: Many poems from chapbook: Not All Challenges Are For Us
- Yoda Olinyk: "Outside Union Station" - Bear Paw Arts Journal
