Help MR make it to Viable Paradise!

Hello! I'm MR, a novice writer of speculative fiction! I am so thrilled to have been accepted into the Viable Paradise writers' workshop. This is truly a dream come true: a chance to learn from some of my favorite writers while building a community with a cohort of all my future favorite writers. It's an incredible opportunity, and I'm determined to attend. I'd be very grateful for your help getting there.

When I'm not writing stories, I'm a graduate student studying queerness, time, and desire in Renaissance literature. For the past three years, my graduate stipend has also supported my wife while she finished law school and now while she prepares to take the bar exam before starting work as a public defender. I feel really lucky to have any stipend, but it ultimately falls short of the cost of living for two people, especially after a couple of major unexpected home expenses and vet bills so far this year. A writers' workshop is very much not in our budget; the cost of attendance is more than 10% of our annual income. I hesitated to even apply, but my wife - who is simply the greatest of all time - felt certain we could find a way to make it happen. (And I thought "well, there's no way I'll get in, so this should be fine.") We're working hard to figure it out.

I'm hoping for help with the tuition payment, which is $2450. I am determined to cover as much of the expense as possible by myself, including travel (approx. $400) and lodging (approx. $675), whatever way I can - selling things, picking up extra work, anything and everything possible. But making any kind of dent in the tuition cost would be a huge, huge relief. I would be beyond grateful for any support you might be able to offer, including sharing this link! Please let me know if you have any questions or want any additional details.

Thank you!

Thank you so much. I'm very grateful to those who encouraged me to post this, very grateful for anyone reading it, and feeling very very lucky to have the chance to join this community.