Information & Policies

Creative Chaos is a six-week writing adventure for which the total cost is $300 ($50 per week).

There are two ways to pay:

Pay in Full — $275

If you pay for the entire adventure at registration, you'll receive a $25 discount off the total cost. I respect the investment in me and would like to show that respect this way.

No-Interest Payment Plan — $300

$300 is a big outlay for most people (including me!), and trying to do it all at once can be difficult, if not impossible. I see and respect that, as well as your choice to invest in me. I want to make things as easy as possible for you to take this adventure.

I will work with you to create an individual payment plan that best suits you, up to 3 months/12 weeks long. There is no interest and there are no additional fees for using a payment plan.

Monday Sessions

Every Monday, there are two live Creative Chaos sessions:

11:00 AM CDT
7:00 PM CDT

You may attend whichever session works best for you each Monday; you do not have to choose one session and stick with it for the entire six weeks. You don't need to tell me which session you'll be at because I'll see you there! Whatever works best for you works for me.

Wednesday Open Workshop

6:00–8:00 PM CDT

Wednesday's Open Workshop is optional. I will be available in a Zoom chat that all adventurers will have a link to, and anyone can come join for however long you have available. There's no need to commit to the entire two hours if you don't have the time or want to be there.

Bring questions, works in progress, problems you're trying to solve, or just bring yourself and come write alongside the group. This is open time to work, experiment, ask for help, and see where the adventure takes you.

Friday Individual Instruction

Every adventurer has access to six 30-minute individual instruction sessions over the course of Creative Chaos, available as requested.

These sessions are your time. We can dig into something you're working on, wrestle with a problem, explore an idea, practice a skill, or spend the time on whatever would be most useful to you and your writing.

To schedule a session, send me an email or text with your request and some times you're available. I will be available from 12:00–6:00 PM CDT. Please provide either a window or multiple times because I operate on a first come, first served basis. We will set up an individual Zoom session and work 1:1 through whatever it is.

If you want an individual session but cannot meet with me within that window, tell me! I will work with you to figure out a solution.

Life happens! Sometimes schedules change, emergencies come up, technology decides not to cooperate, or you simply can't make it. Creative Chaos is designed with some flexibility for exactly that reason.

If you miss a Monday session, the materials will still be available to you. You can bring any questions about what you missed to Wednesday's Open Workshop, an individual instruction session, or contact me directly.

Wednesday's Open Workshop is completely optional, so there's nothing to make up if you can't attend.

If you need to cancel or reschedule an individual instruction session, please let me know as soon as you can. We'll find another time that works.

Most importantly, communicate with me. If something is keeping you from participating, or you're worried about falling behind, tell me! We'll figure out what you need and how I can help.

Your writing belongs to you. You are never required to share your work with the group, and you are never required to share it with me.

If you choose to let me see your work, I will be able to give you more direct feedback about what you're doing and help you work through specific questions or problems. But sharing your writing is not a requirement for getting instruction, guidance, tools, or help understanding how to use them.

The same respect applies when another adventurer chooses to share something they've created. What someone shares with us stays with us. Their writing, ideas, characters, worlds, and everything else they bring into our creative space are theirs—not ours to copy, distribute, post, or share with anyone outside Creative Chaos.

You decide what you share. Everyone else gets to make that same decision.

Creative Chaos is an all-ages, all-abilities writing adventure, and that is the bottom line. I will accept anyone who wants to write.

That said, I do prefer that participants be at least 10 years old or able to read and write via computer. I find that it's easier to learn and participate if you're not also learning how to do those things at the same time.

However, I will help anyone who wants to try! This means that caregivers of all sorts are welcome to join sessions and help their adventurer—and even join in themselves if they'd like!

If your adventurer is an older child or differently abled but independent, all we will need is your permission. I would prefer that you purchase your own seat if you want to take advantage of the course yourself, but I also understand that doing so can be prohibitive. I respect what's needed; proceed as per.

Every participant will receive a simple agreement so that everyone has all of the pieces in one place and knows what's anticipated and provided. Adults will need to sign for minors.

Creative Chaos is a place where people can experiment, take risks, make mistakes, try weird things, try cliché things, change their minds, and create without worrying about judgment or being told they're doing it wrong. This requires that we all respect each other and our work as the valid, valuable people and things they are.

Treat your fellow adventurers, their ideas, and creative works with respect. We don't have to like the same things, write the same way, agree about subjective things, or even understand what someone is trying to do. Different is good! Different leads to learning and creativity. I always encourage uniqueness, individuality, and embracing being different. Creative Chaos operates the same way.

One of the things we'll be working on is how to provide feedback because it can be very difficult to know what to say and how to say it. The most important thing is to remember respect and that you're talking to another person with thoughts and feelings. Only provide constructive feedback if someone asks for it, and if they do not—or specifically ask for no feedback—then don't give it. Advice is only helpful when someone wants it.

As we established above, anything another adventurer chooses to share belongs to them and stays within Creative Chaos. Respecting someone's work includes respecting their choice about who gets to see it. Do not share things that are not your own.

Most of this comes down to one thing: don't make it harder for someone else to participate, create, or feel comfortable being here. Treat every other adventurer, me, and yourself with respect.

If something happens that interferes with that, I will address it. My first goal will always be to understand what's happening and find a solution. If someone makes you uncomfortable, please tell me immediately. If a serious problem or repeated behavior makes it impossible for someone to participate safely or comfortably, I reserve the right to ask the person causing the problem to leave Creative Chaos.

We're here to make things. Let's give each other room and respect to do that.

Creative Chaos takes place online via Zoom. Because of the nature of these sessions, there are a few things that will be standing rules.

Cameras and Microphones

You are not required to have your camera on. You can, and you're invited and welcome to! However, you are absolutely not required. You only need to be able to hear me and view your screen.

Microphones will be muted by default. If you have a question, comment, or concern during the times when I'm teaching, raise your hand or drop it in the chat. We'll make sure you have an opportunity to speak or get your question answered.

During open workshop times, we'll play it by ear in terms of microphone use and proceed however is best for the session.

Recording Monday Sessions

My goal is to record one of the Monday sessions each week so that everyone can receive the verbal instruction, even if they aren't able to attend live.

The purpose of the recording is to capture the lesson, not the participants. I will make every reasonable effort to keep participant video, names, chat messages, and other identifying information out of the recording. Participant contributions will not be included in the distributed recording without that participant's permission.

The recording will be made available to Creative Chaos participants along with the other materials for that week's lesson.

Screenshots and Participant Recording

Do not record or take screenshots during Creative Chaos Zoom sessions.

You will receive the information and materials used during the adventure. If there's something specific you need that isn't included, contact me directly, and I will work with you on how to get there.

The course materials and instruction I provide are my exclusive intellectual property. Please respect the same ownership of my work that I ask everyone to give to the creative work of every adventurer.

Sharing the Zoom Link

Don't.

This one is simple enough. The Zoom link is for registered Creative Chaos adventurers. Please respect my time and effort and do not share it with anyone else.

For adventurers with caregivers or helpers, it is presumed that you will share the same screen/link. However, if another device is required for whatever reason, I will provide access to that person individually. Please contact me, and we'll get it set up.

If you share the Zoom link and an unregistered participant joins a session, the unregistered participant and you will be asked to leave that session. I also reserve the right to remove you from Creative Chaos immediately without a refund.

We're creating a private space where people can take creative risks and trust the people around them. Knowing who is in that space is part of protecting it.

I want you to be here because you want to be here. I also understand that plans change, circumstances change, and sometimes something that seemed possible when you registered just isn't possible anymore. Here's how cancellations, withdrawals, and refunds will work.

Before Creative Chaos Begins

If you sign up, make a payment of some sort, and then realize you can't, won't, or don't want to participate, just reach out to me before Creative Chaos begins on August 3.

You will receive a full refund of everything you've paid.

I may also ask why you're dropping out—not because you have to justify your decision, but because if there's something getting in your way that I can help solve, I'd like the opportunity to try.

Withdrawing During Week 1

If Creative Chaos begins and you decide during the first week that it isn't going to work for you, you may withdraw with a $30 cancellation fee. This is 10% of the full $300 adventure cost.

You are welcome to keep all of the materials you've received during the first week.

If you're using a payment plan, your payment cycle will be canceled and you will not be responsible for any additional payments.

Withdrawing During Weeks 2–3

Once a week begins, that week counts as participation whether or not you attend every session. Each week of Creative Chaos represents $50 of the total adventure cost.

If you withdraw during Week 2 or Week 3, you will only be responsible for the weeks that have already begun. You will not be charged for the remaining weeks in which you will not participate.

For example, if you withdraw on Wednesday of Week 2, Weeks 1 and 2 count as participation, making your total adventure cost $100. You will not be charged for Weeks 3–6.

If you have already paid more than the amount you owe, the difference will be refunded to you. If you're using a payment plan, any remaining payments beyond the amount you owe will be canceled.

Week 4 and Beyond

If you need to withdraw from Creative Chaos during Week 4 or beyond, I will be very sad to see you go and will absolutely check in to see if there's something I can do to help you finish.

If your reason for withdrawing is financial, please speak with me immediately. I'm incredibly flexible when necessary, and I don't want money to be a barrier to your participation. Talk to me before deciding that leaving is your only option.

If you cannot continue, that's okay. However, at that point I will not be able to issue a refund, and you will be responsible for whatever remains of your payment plan.

Cancelling or Rescheduling an Individual Session

It happens! If you need to cancel a Friday individual session, let me know you won't be able to make it. We'll work together to find another time that suits everyone.

If I Have to Cancel

Rest assured that if I cancel a session, there is an extremely good reason for it because I don't cancel willy-nilly!

If I have to cancel a Monday session, I will reschedule it for another day and/or make sure that all of the materials for that week's lesson are distributed.

If I have to cancel a Wednesday Open Workshop, unfortunately, it will not be rescheduled. Adventurers will be encouraged to work together or reach out to me for individual instruction if they need help.

If Creative Chaos Cannot Continue

In the extremely unlikely event that Creative Chaos itself cannot continue, every participant will be refunded for the portion of the adventure I am unable to provide.

The calculation will be based on the $50-per-week adventure cost. For example, if Creative Chaos had to end with two weeks remaining, each participant would receive a $100 refund.

Removal from Creative Chaos

If you are removed from Creative Chaos, you will not receive a refund and will not be permitted to return to later sessions.

As established in the Online Participation policy, sharing the Creative Chaos Zoom link without authorization may result in immediate removal without a refund.

Repeated violations of the Creative Community Expectations will also result in removal without a refund.

I don't expect to need this policy, and I hope I never do. Creative Chaos is built around flexibility, communication, respect, and giving people room to be themselves. But protecting that environment also means being clear about what happens if someone's actions make it impossible to maintain it.