diff --git a/src/towncrier/test/helpers.py b/src/towncrier/test/helpers.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a6f7838a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/towncrier/test/helpers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+from functools import wraps
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from click.testing import CliRunner
+
+
+def read_all(filename):
+    return Path(filename).read_text()
+
+
+def with_isolated_runner(fn):
+    """
+    Run *fn* within an isolated filesystem and add the kwarg *runner* to its
+    arguments.
+    """
+
+    @wraps(fn)
+    def test(*args, **kw):
+        runner = CliRunner()
+        with runner.isolated_filesystem():
+            return fn(*args, runner=runner, **kw)
+
+    return test
+
+
+def setup_simple_project(config=None, mkdir_newsfragments=True):
+    if config is None:
+        config = "[tool.towncrier]\n" 'package = "foo"\n'
+
+    Path("pyproject.toml").write_text(config)
+    Path("foo").mkdir()
+    Path("foo/__init__.py").write_text('__version__ = "1.2.3"\n')
+
+    if mkdir_newsfragments:
+        Path("foo/newsfragments").mkdir()
diff --git a/src/towncrier/test/test_build.py b/src/towncrier/test/test_build.py
index 1ca5349d..b63dfbfa 100644
--- a/src/towncrier/test/test_build.py
+++ b/src/towncrier/test/test_build.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import tempfile
 
 from datetime import date
-from functools import wraps
 from pathlib import Path
 from subprocess import call
 from textwrap import dedent
@@ -16,35 +15,7 @@
 
 from .._shell import cli
 from ..build import _main
-
-
-def setup_simple_project():
-    with open("pyproject.toml", "w") as f:
-        f.write("[tool.towncrier]\n" 'package = "foo"\n')
-    os.mkdir("foo")
-    with open("foo/__init__.py", "w") as f:
-        f.write('__version__ = "1.2.3"\n')
-    os.mkdir("foo/newsfragments")
-
-
-def read_all(filename):
-    with open(filename) as f:
-        return f.read()
-
-
-def with_isolated_runner(fn):
-    """
-    Run *fn* within an isolated filesystem and add the kwarg *runner* to its
-    arguments.
-    """
-
-    @wraps(fn)
-    def test(*args, **kw):
-        runner = CliRunner()
-        with runner.isolated_filesystem():
-            return fn(*args, runner=runner, **kw)
-
-    return test
+from .helpers import read_all, setup_simple_project, with_isolated_runner
 
 
 class TestCli(TestCase):
diff --git a/src/towncrier/test/test_create.py b/src/towncrier/test/test_create.py
index f66cf91f..0921b304 100644
--- a/src/towncrier/test/test_create.py
+++ b/src/towncrier/test/test_create.py
@@ -10,26 +10,7 @@
 from twisted.trial.unittest import TestCase
 
 from ..create import _main
-
-
-def setup_simple_project(config=None, mkdir=True):
-    if not config:
-        config = dedent(
-            """\
-            [tool.towncrier]
-            package = "foo"
-            """
-        )
-
-    with open("pyproject.toml", "w") as f:
-        f.write(config)
-
-    os.mkdir("foo")
-    with open("foo/__init__.py", "w") as f:
-        f.write('__version__ = "1.2.3"\n')
-
-    if mkdir:
-        os.mkdir("foo/newsfragments")
+from .helpers import setup_simple_project
 
 
 class TestCli(TestCase):
@@ -95,7 +76,7 @@ def test_edit_abort(self):
             runner = CliRunner()
 
             with runner.isolated_filesystem():
-                setup_simple_project(config=None, mkdir=True)
+                setup_simple_project(config=None, mkdir_newsfragments=True)
                 result = runner.invoke(_main, ["123.feature.rst", "--edit"])
                 self.assertEqual([], os.listdir("foo/newsfragments"))
                 self.assertEqual(1, result.exit_code)
@@ -141,7 +122,7 @@ def test_different_directory(self):
         )
 
         with runner.isolated_filesystem():
-            setup_simple_project(config, mkdir=False)
+            setup_simple_project(config, mkdir_newsfragments=False)
             os.mkdir("releasenotes")
 
             result = runner.invoke(_main, ["123.feature.rst"])