Help Send Melissa to the Tin House Summer Workshop

Hello friends! I’m Melissa, a Chinese-Canadian writer of fantasy, science fiction, and literary fiction. I am thrilled to have been accepted into the prestigious and incredibly competitive Tin House Summer Workshop. There, I’ll study directly under New York Times bestselling author Aiden Thomas ! It’s uncommon for Tin House to offer deep dives into both young adult and speculative fiction, which will make working with Aiden Thomas a truly unique experience. Tin House is the perfect environment for me to polish off my young adult fantasy novel which I hope will garner interest from agents. With over 1400 applicants from all over the world, and a 10% acceptance rate, this workshop is a rare learning opportunity that I’d hate to miss. Unfortunately, I did not receive a scholarship. I’m hoping with your help and support, I’ll be able to attend.

Why Your Support Matters

The Tin House experience can change the trajectory of writing careers, and as an emerging and BIPOC writer, these opportunities don’t come by often. The guidance and instruction of Aiden Thomas is doubly life changing. If you’re unfamiliar, Aiden is a trans, Latinx, and New York Times bestselling author of The Sunbearer Trials, Lost in the Never Woods, and Cemetery Boys. At this workshop, I’ll also have the opportunity to pitch my novel to agents and drum up interest in my work.

The cost to attend Tin House is $4100 CAD ($3000 USD). I cannot bear the full cost of this workshop and won’t be able to attend without your help and support. I feel incredibly vulnerable putting something like this together, but with the encouragement of my friends in the community, I decided to try. Every little bit helps, and I appreciate any support you can offer even if it's sharing this page over social and with your community.

Cost to Attend

Tuition: $2200 CAD

Room & Board: $1100 CAD

Flight: $800 CAD

Tin House put together the following a payment schedule:

1) $300 deposit due April 5

2) A second payment of $500 due by May 15.

3) The remaining balance will be due by July 1.

With your help and support, I’m hoping to meet these milestones. Thank you so much for your generosity!

About Me

I write mostly speculative and literary fiction. At the end of 2022, I tried my hand at short fiction and found that I loved the form all the while chipping away at my novel. Since then, I’ve had a few publications in both literary and genre fiction. Last year, I won a prize in Room Magazine’s fiction contest. To give back to the writing community, I volunteer with a few publications including Augur Magazine as an editor for Tales & Feathers, khōréō magazine as their audio producer, and at JMWW as their associate fiction editor. My narratives tend to explore the intersection between belonging and becoming. This middle space fascinates me as it's often complex, messy, and unpleasant. You can learn more about me on my tiny website.

THANK YOU!!!

Thanks for dropping by, reading my story, sharing this page, and supporting in any way that’s comfortable for you. I really appreciate any help you can offer. Your generosity means so much to me. Thank you, thank you!

About Tin House Workshops

The Tin House Summer Workshop is a weeklong intensive that consists of curated workshops with limited participants (eight to ten per class), one-on-one meetings with faculty and agents, craft lectures, author conversations, generative exercises, affinity group meetings, and student/faculty readings.