writing groups austin tx

Writers and Writing groups in Austin

Here's a look at some writers and writing groups near austin..

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Sit Down, Shut Up, and Write!

2,599 Writers

Women & Words: A Writing & Sharing Group

256 Writers

Shut Up & Write!® Austin

383 Writers

East Austin Writing Project

996 Members

Brad Wetzler Memoir Writing Coach

155 Members

Shut Up & Write!® Round Rock

Round rock writers guild.

612 Wordsmiths

East Austin Writing Project- Poetry Club

401 Members

Austin Writers' Breakfast

1,724 writers

Thursday Night Write-In!

581 Members

Onwards Writing Group

204 Members

Austin Romance Writers

North austin fiction writing critique group.

235 Members

Yoga of Writing with Brad Wetzler

486 Writers and Discoverers

Wandering Writers

254 Writer's group

The Austin Writers Meetup Group

3,564 Writers

Austin Movie & Stage Writers, Actors, Producers, & Directors

1,624 Visionaries

Write the Docs ATX

623 ATXDocumentarians

Writing From Spirit

141 Members

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Weekly Meetup (Austin)

South austin writer's circle, austin book writing meetup group.

159 Members

Sunday Creative Writing Meetup

113 Members

Creatives Being Creative

Austin: the new yorker magazine short story readers club.

234 Short Story Lovers

Weeknight Wordsmiths

522 Wordsmiths

ATX Screenwriters

Austin south asian bookclub meetup group, austin christian novelists.

270 Writers

Austin Creative Community

305 Members

Indie Author Society (Austin and beyond!)

1,239 Publishers

Taking your concept to the next level

Austin creatives get social.

342 Creatives

Peace Class Austin

Ayn rand club at the university of texas, austin creates.

287 Members

AI and chatGPT for Real Estate

Austin storytelling meetup group.

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Oscar Casares is the author of the novel Amigoland (Little, Brown, 2009) and the short story collection Brownsville (Little, Brown, 2003). His fiction has been published in the Threepenny Review , the Iowa Review , and Northwest Review , as well as other journals and anthologies. His essays have appeared in the New York Times , Texas Monthly , and on National Public Radio. He teaches creative writing at the University of Texas in Austin, and is the former director of the New Writers Project, one of the university’s two MFA programs in creative writing. He lives in Austin with his wife and two young children. His website is www.oscarcasares.com .

I suppose it is a little weird that someone who grew up in Brownsville, Texas, a remote town along the U.S.-Mexico border with no real bookstore or even a public library, would be writing a literary guide for a city like Austin, Texas. Then again Austin is a city where being weird is both a way of life and a slogan—“Keep Austin Weird”—you’ll find on bumper stickers all over town. And if growing up on the border gave me my voice and the material for my stories, it was moving here to this sometimes strange and eccentric place that would one day give me the freedom to actually write those stories and eventually my first book.

Of course, weirdness can be a matter of opinion, especially in a state as conservative as Texas. For instance, some people believe it was weird that for years Austin had a huge festival called SPAMARAMA, an annual cook-off involving the famed luncheon meat and featuring all sorts of acquired tastes such as SPAM ice cream, Moo Goo Gai SPAM, and SPAMALAMA Ding Dongs. This is also the city where every spring thousands of people still gather in a city park for Eeyore’s Birthday, a daylong event celebrating the depressed donkey from the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. And Austin is the city where the late Leslie Cochran, a cross-dressing homeless man, became so popular you could buy a refrigerator magnet bearing his likeness, complete with changeable outfits, his most fashionable being the leopard thong and high heels. As I said, it’s a matter of opinion.

And so it was in Austin, a city known for alternative lifestyles and, sometimes, for being just plain weird, where one morning I walked into my boss’s office and quit my job. There was nothing wrong with the job I had as a copywriter for the previous eight years; it paid well and I had plenty of friends. The only problem was I had found something I wanted to do more. I was thirty-two at the time and had been writing stories for just five months, total, with nothing published or read by anyone but a few friends. After I quit, I told my family that I could always turn around, get my old job back, if things didn’t work out. I even told myself this, when I stopped long enough to consider what I had just done. This was just the beginning, when I didn’t realize how little I knew about writing fiction and that it would be sometime before my work was published, but I was lucky to be in a city where doing something a little different wasn’t only possible, it was expected.

The following is a list of some of the landmarks, museums, book festivals, and bookstores you may want to visit if you make it to town. Most of them are more literary than actually weird, but all of them are unique to Austin.

Now going on its thirty-third year the Austin Jewish Book Fair , held at the Jewish Community Association of Austin (7300 Hart Lane), cosponsors a few of the authors at the Texas Book Festival and later hosts its own weeklong series of book events, a few of which require the purchase of a ticket. Past presenters have included Rebecca Goldstein, Elie Wiesel, Lawrence Wright, Jennifer Weiner, and Jonathan Safran Foer. The fair generally runs from early to mid-November.

With over two hundred fifty poets from as far away as Australia, Singapore, and Nigeria, the Austin International Poetry Festival bills itself as “the world’s largest non-juried poetry festival.” It is also the festival with the largest number of venues throughout Austin. From the hippest coffee shops to a retirement home, bookstores to museums, a South American restaurant to a historically black university, you can attend readings, workshops, and open mikes at over two dozen locations, all of which make it a great way to see the city. The festival takes place this year from April 7 to April 10.

The Texas Teen Book Festival , formerly the Austin Teen Book Festival, is held at St. Edward’s University in South Austin and connects teens with authors of books for teens, otherwise known as young adult literature and one of the few areas of the publishing industry that is doing well. Now in its seventh year, the festival has hosted authors such as Cristina García, Varian Johnson, Margo Rabb, and Scott Westerfeld. The festival is a collaboration with the Texas Book Festival, BookPeople, and volunteer librarians. The Austin Public Library Friends Foundation, which established the festival, also hosts a variety of other events such as the New Fiction Confab with well-known authors leading workshops, giving readings, and discussing their work. Over the last six years, the Confab lineup has featured Kevin Brockmeier, Nell Freudenberger, ZZ Packer, and Wells Tower.

The African American Book Festival takes place in the Carver Museum (1165 Angelina Street), which was the original Carver Branch Library, just east of I-35 in the Rosewood neighborhood. In this once legally segregated city—west being white, east being African Americans and Mexican Americans—the summer festival represents an important voice in the community and helps to promote empowerment through literature.

Landmarks Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as a Texas Historic Landmark, the Dobie House (702 East Dean Keeton Street) is the former home of American folklorist J. Frank Dobie. The house, located on the northeast edge of the University of Texas campus, is now home to the Michener Center for Writers , named after James Michener whose endowment established the interdisciplinary master of fine arts program in fiction, poetry, playwriting, and screenwriting. Michener fellows, together with MFA students in the New Writers Project , attend seminars and workshops in the upstairs library.

You can see the extent of J. Frank Dobie’s imprint on the city by visiting Philosopher’s Rock in Zilker Park (2201 Barton Springs Road), a life-size sculpture of Dobie and two of his close friends—naturalist Roy Bedichek and historian Walter Prescott Webb—lounging after a swim. The sculpture is located at Barton Springs, a spring-fed swimming hole and one of Austin’s most popular landmarks.

­The O. Henry Museum (409 East Fifth Street) was the home of the famed short story writer before he was famed or a writer or even named O. Henry. As the story goes, William Sydney Porter arrived in 1884, and years later, while working as a teller, a bank examiner accused him of stealing and he was sentenced to five years in federal prison, where he assumed the pen name O. Henry and began writing short stories. Maintained by the city, the museum is a National Literary Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For the last thirty-eight years, every spring the museum has also been the site of the O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships , described on its website as the “highest expressions of the lowest forms of humor.” Depending on your tolerance for an afternoon of word play during the two competitions—Punniest of Show and Punslingers—this will qualify for either being weird or just silly.

Museums The fact that its entire collection, literary and otherwise, is insured for more than one billion dollars should give you some sense of the treasures that you will find at the Harry Ransom Center (HRC) located at the University of Texas on the corner of Twenty-First and Guadalupe streets. The collection includes thirty-six million manuscript pages, a million rare or significant books, a Gutenberg Bible (one of only five in the United States), Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Yiddish typewriter, Jack Kerouac’s spiral-bound journals for On the Road , and four of its most prominent recent acquisitions, the papers of J. M. Coetzee, David Foster Wallace, Spalding Gray, and Gabriel García Márquez. Just the names alone can be overwhelming: Beckett, Bowles (both Jane and Paul), DeLillo, Greene, Hemingway, Joyce, Lessing, Mailer, Mamet, McCullers, O’Brien, Shakespeare, Sexton, Whitman, Woodward and Bernstein, and the list goes on and on. Since the viewing rooms are often full, be sure to contact the HRC staff before your visit. (If you want to add something a little different to your literary tour, the HRC’s collection also includes rare photography, film, art, articles from the performing arts, such as Gloria Swanson’s sunglasses from Sunset Boulevard , dresses worn by Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind , and Robert De Niro’s costumes from Raging Bull and Taxi Driver .)

The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection also at the University of Texas (Sid Richardson Hall) is the largest university library collection of Latin American materials in total number of volumes in the United States—including 970,000 books, periodicals, and pamphlets; 40,000 periodical titles; 4,000 linear feet of manuscripts; and thousands of other archival materials. The collection is particularly focused on current information about Mexico, Brazil, and the countries of the Río de la Plata. Within its Mexican American Library Program, you will also find relevant current and retrospective books about Mexican Americans and Latinos in the United States. The collection contains the papers of prominent literary figures such as Américo Paredes, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Rolando Hinojosa.

The Southwestern Writers Collection , located at the Albert B. Alkek Library on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos, is worth the thirty-minute drive from Austin to San Marcos. Although the more renowned writers in this collection have some connection to Texas or the Southwest, either by birth or their subject matter, their impact extends to American letters. The collection includes the papers of Cormac McCarthy, Sandra Cisneros, Katherine Anne Porter, Larry McMurtry, Sam Shepard, Molly Ivins, Edwin “Bud” Shrake, John Graves, and Tino Villanueva. And as long as you are taking this side trip, you might want to also stop by the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center (508 Center Street in Kyle, between Austin and San Marcos), the childhood home of the Pulitzer­­­–Prize winning author and now the setting for a literary reading series sponsored by Texas State University. Built in the late 1800s, the house is recognized as a National Literary Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The center is open to visitors by appointment.

Bookstores BookPeople (603 North Lamar Boulevard) may not be as big as Strand Book Store in New York City or Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon, but it is the largest independent bookstore in Texas and one of the handful of independent stores located in central Austin (the Barnes & Noble stores can be found out toward the burbs). But BookPeople’s success isn’t such a big surprise when you consider Publishers Weekly  regularly voted it the “Bookseller of the Year” and, for the last twenty-two years, the Austin Chronicle has declared it “Best Bookstore in Austin.” Can I say everybody’s been there to read and sign books? Michael Chabon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Muhammad Yunus, Condoleezza Rice, Madeleine Albright, David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Rachael Ray, and the rest you’ll need to check out yourself on the website. BookPeople is also where you’ll find all your “Keep Austin Weird” items, including T-shirts, caps, coffee mugs, and bumper stickers.

BookWoman (5501 North Lamar Boulevard) is Austin’s feminist bookstore. Now in its thirty-eighth year, the store’s strong following can be seen in the passion of its customers who have continued to support it through several relocations. In 2011 the Austin Chronicle named owner Susan Post “Best Book Woman” of the year for making a “space for women to gather, learn, and celebrate changing the world.”

Resistencia Bookstore (4926 East Cesar Chavez Street), opened in the early eighties by the late great Chicano poet and community activist Raúl Salinas, continues to offer readings and political forums that present nationally and internationally recognized writers, human rights activists, and indigenous artists. Here you will find titles from many of those writers of color who generally get marginalized to one section of the store in most of the major chains, if they make it in at all. Over the past thirty-five years Resistencia has stayed true to its long tradition of grassroots activism, giving voice to issues important locally, nationally, and throughout the Americas.

As with all tours, these sites and events are mainly the highlights and not everything Austin has to offer. For instance, I didn’t get around to the music or the food or the lake or the hill country. So I recommend visiting the places I listed here, attend some of the events, but then let yourself get a little lost in this city too. Find that all-night coffeehouse where you can read until the morning rush, find that bar that has spoken word on Thursday nights, find the outdoor poetry reading that happens under the giant oak trees. Stay long enough and you may find yourself doing something a little weird, maybe even writing your own book.

Retreat. Create. Celebrate.

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Private & Group Writing Retreats

The Writing Barn, homestead of author Bethany Hegedus located in Austin, Texas, is situated on 7.5 wooded acres. With floor to ceiling bookshelves, open spaces for writing, entertaining or meditating, trails on the surrounding grounds, free wifi, and no television, The Writing Barn is the perfect spot to revise or begin something new.

We also now offer Gift Cards! These can be made out in the amount of your choosing and can be applied to any classes, retreats, or overnight stays at The Writing Barn. Put The Writing Barn on your season wishlist or give someone you care about the gift of creativity, any time of the year!

Whether you are looking for a quiet place to finish your novel, a place to gather with your writing group, or just create a getaway with good friends (mom’s weekends, bridal showers, board retreats), the Writing Barn’s private and group retreats will meet your needs. They offer rest, relaxation, and a chance to do the work at hand, whether that be brainstorming new ideas, catching up on recreational reading, swinging in the hammocks, or watching The Writing Barn deer romp and play.

“Writers deeply hunger for a beautiful space and the quiet where they can connect with themselves, others, and their work. Bethany (at The Writing Barn) must find her deep gladness in providing such a space.” – Award-winning author, Sara Zarr

There are three lodging options: The Writing Barn, The Book House, or the Cabin. Each may be rented individually or as a unit; the property sleeps one to twenty. Other buildings may be rented out for dinners, gatherings, writing spaces, cocktail areas and more. Rates may vary depending on the season. To inquire about dates or to reserve a date, please contact us. Discounts may be available and a 10% discount is awarded to members of the WLT , SCBWI , and graduates of the Vermont College of Fine Arts programs . Please mention these affiliations when inquiring.

The Book House

Features five bedrooms: the Pulitzer, Booker, Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz, each with their own private bath. Retreaters may gather in the common areas of the living room—which features unique book accents—or on the full house wrap-around porch. The modern galley kitchen features all new appliances, including a dishwasher. The Book House sleeps 10 to 14, lap desks are provided for indoor or outdoor writing, and there are yoga mats for peaceful contemplation under the live oaks.

 *The Book House is best for large groups, corporations, or families on vacation.

A comfy, quaint hideaway that sleeps 3 to 4, complete with unique lighting, an all white-bath, and a galley kitchen with refrigerator, oven/stove, coffee maker, microwave, etc. There is a screened-in porch for outdoor dining and writing.

*The Cabin is best for good friends, small families, or those on romantic weekend getaways.

 The Writing Barn

Features a floor to ceiling bookshelf filled with poetry, novels, picture books, and craft books. There is a galley kitchen with stove top, microwave, and small refrigerator (larger refrigerator on the porch). The bedroom has a sitting area and a queen-sized bed. The loft area has a comfy, full-sized futon and an over-sized reading chair. The large screened-in porch—dubbed the “party porch”—has autographs from traditionally published authors who have visited the grounds, either attending a literary party, retreating, or facilitating one of our many well-regarded workshops. Well-known authors included M.T. Anderson, Katherine Applegate, Garth Nix, Bob Shea, Maggie Stiefvater, Sara Zarr, Rene Steinke, Kathi Appelt, Rita Williams-Garcia, Matt de la Peña and more.

*The Writing Barn is best for good friends, small families with older children, or those on romantic weekend getaways. The Writing Barn library transforms into a classroom/lecture space for workshops and is perfect for parties: book launches, bridal showers, baby showers, or family dinners. 

Buddha Hall

Rent out The Writing Barn’s newest banquet space, Buddha Hall. Perfect for Wedding ceremonies and receptions, large corporate retreats + lectures, birthday parties, baby showers, yoga retreats and more!  The main space of Buddha Hall is open and spacious, a blank canvas for you to set up your event whichever way you choose. Set it up for a wedding ceremony then clear the space out for dinner and dancing. Or perhaps you’re interested in the “think tank” arrangement for your upcoming business retreat or have standing tables and a bar for your corporate cocktail event or non-profit fundraiser. Add on the Lotus Conference room as a work space or staging area. Dim controlled lighting, big bay windows looking out into the wooded grounds, and the wood paneled interior make Buddha Hall a beautiful space for events both large and small.

* Buddha Hall is perfect for weddings, formal parties and gatherings, corporate retreats and lectures, non-profit fundraisers, yoga classes, meditation retreats, work functions and more.

For additional rest and relaxation, add an hour-long private massage with one of Austin’s top massage therapists.

Or, if in need of new headshots or family photographs, book a sitting on the grounds with  Sam Bond Photography .

The Writing Barn is the perfect place to retreat, create, and celebrate. Fill out the form below and book your event now!

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Screenwriters helping screenwriters since 2001. Austin Unbound, formerly Austin Screenwriters 2, meets the FIRST and THIRD Tuesday nights of each month, from 7-10PM. Membership is open to screenwriters of all levels who are committed to becoming the best writers they can be. Over half of our members are competition finalists and/or produced screenwriters and film professionals. For more information and the location of the next meeting, email: [email protected] .

For more information, please see our website: http://www.austinbound.com

Dallas Fort Worth Writers' Workshop, P.O. Box 205, Euless, TX 76039-0205 or e-mail [email protected] also see their Web page at http://authorlink.com/dfwpage.html

At first, try something simple, like a general critique and networking group. Second, find a place that would host it maybe a local library or a bookstore. Third, let the League know about it, so we can list it in Texas Writer�s SIG page and in Footnotes , the League�s weekly electronic newsletter. Fourth, get some local publicity you might want to run ads in the local free paper or get a free spot as a community service announcement on THE radio. Fifth, meet regularly.

• Be sure that you really talk about writing at every meeting.
• After the first six months, divide the work (such as, providing snacks, cleaning up, locking up, etc.) among two or three people, not just one.
• Be open to different kinds of writing and writers in the beginning. everyone will learn a great deal from differing viewpoints.
• Ask group members to mention their affiliation when they buy books, writers� supplies, submit articles or speak in schools, and the group will slowly gain local prestige.

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Authors grow books for publication at the Writer’s Workshop. The bedrock is editing: the evaluation, revision, and development to write the best book possible. With so much of publishing outside our control, creating what agents call a great read is within our grasp. It starts with the text and moves onward to professional services for discovery by readers, publishers, or agents.

With my help and your good work, agents request your pages. Editors ask for your manuscript. Also, authors publish themselves for maximum control — and so their books need to be discovered, savored, and recommended. We build and refine the book with key services:

• Editing manuscripts on three levels, from development to line editing to copyediting
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You can rely on my 40 years of publishing experience. Together we'll shape your book to entice, entertain and inform readers. When you add a professional to your team, storytelling leads to discovery.

• "Ron is much more than a master of grammar. He digs into story, plot, and characters like an archeologist uncovering buried treasure. He climbs out with questions, suggestions, and encouragement. In every case, he helps me find a better way to tell my story. And when Ron offers encouragement, I can tell it’s not just lip service. Ron believes in me." — Rob Witherspoon, author of conspiracy parodies The Square Root of Texas and Deus Tex Machina More Testimonials
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• "Ron is a superb editor. Not only does he have an amazing eye for detail, a terrific set of professional ethics, and great editorial instincts, he's also able to offer advice and direction below the surface. I look forward to working with him on my future projects.” — S.A. Asthana, The Final Wars trilogy (SF) and the short story collection Beyond the Edge More Testimonials
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• "Professional athletes have coaches — writers can, too. I have gotten so much from working with Ron. Having him as an author coach keeps me focused on the project. Then, while I write, Ron helps me think about things like pacing, delivery, and balanced narratives. He keeps me on track and helps me make my stories be the best they can be." — Earnie Painter, author of cat-fancy novella Carmella’s Outside More Testimonials
• "Ron digs into story, plot, and characters like an archeologist uncovering buried treasure. He climbs out of the hole with questions, suggestions, and encouragement. In every case, he helps me find a better way to tell my story. And when Ron offers encouragement, I can tell it’s not just lip service. Ron believes in me." – Rob Witherspoon, author of the conspiracy satire romps The Square Root of Texas and Deus Tex Machina More Testimonials

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The Austin Public Library invites you to a series of workshops that will teach you the basics of writing for various genres and purposes.

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Slugtribe on Amazon A successful writers group gets its members published!

Bimonthly meetings open to all. Come visit us! 2nd and 4th Tuesdays -- 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Hancock Rec Center, 41st and Red River, Austin Texas (it's the steep, dark driveway just ~100 feet southwest of the corner)

Website for the SlugTribe, Austin's Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror Writers' Group, an Austin SF/F Study Group Join us at our regular twice-monthly meetings; all are welcome!

Notice: after the three years of coronavirus, where we met only virtually, now we have started hybrid meetings. join us physically at hancock rec center or via discord. if you're on our listserver, you should've gotten a discord meeting id..

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University Writing Center

Undergraduate Writing Groups

Writing groups are designed to protect time and space for you to write, and to promote productivity and accountability through regular check-ins. These writing groups will be most useful to writers working on longer projects, such as a thesis or capstone project. Here’s how they work:

• Groups meet once a week in-person at the UWC and are facilitated by a UWC writing consultant. Our consultants will run a check-in at the start of each session.
• The check-in is an opportunity for writers to set goals, celebrate accomplishments, and reflect on their writing process. Part of our goal is to help you develop generative writing habits and practices so all writers are encouraged to keep a writing log.
• After the check-in, everyone writes quietly for the remainder of the session.
• Writers do not exchange material for feedback, but if you want to do peer review and feedback on your own time, we have resources to support you.

Writing groups only work if writers show up, so it’s important for you to make a commitment to attending all meetings (while keeping in mind that we’re still in a pandemic and unforeseen issues with technology and life are always possible).  If you’re a no show for more than two meetings, we will unenroll you from the writing group . If you’re interested in joining a group, simply select a time and day from the following list that works with your schedule. Click on the link and complete the registration form in Eventbrite. Doublecheck that your email is correct — we’ll be sending out information to this address.  Writing Groups will begin immediately and continue through the week of April 17th . The last meeting of the semester will be held the week of April 17th:

Tuesdays 10:00am-12:00pm Tuesdays 2:00pm-5:00pm Wednesdays 10:30am-12:30pm Wednesdays 3:30pm-5:00pm Fridays 10:00am-12:00pm Fridays 1:00pm-3:00pm

Enrollment in a writing group is limited to eight people , and registration is first-come first-served.

👋 Welcome to Austin Creative Fiction Writers Group

We are a writing critique group based in Austin.

We meet up every other Wednesday night and spend about two hours critiquing each others' fictional short stories and novels.

Each meeting, we review up to three pieces of fiction, approximately 5,000 words each submitted roughly five days before the meetings.

✍️ How do I join?

Visit our groups.io page to see if there's currently room in the group or if there will be soon.

✍️ Do I have to give critiques on my first meeting?

If you feel more comfortable observing on your first meeting, that's ok with us.

✍️ I've never critiqued other writers' work before and I'm probably not very good at it.

We believe critiquing is as important a part of our group as the writing. If you come into the group, you'll get better at it. We find virtually everybody has important things to say that shine new light on a writer's understanding of their work.

✍️ What kind of critiques am I expected to give?

We follow the Milford Style of workshopping and recommend reviewing this so you know what to expect.

✍️ What if I don't like your critiques?

You get a refund on the $0 you paid us.

✍️ I'm writing fantasy / romance / sci-fi / Inspector Gadget fan fiction, can I submit?

As long as it's fiction, go for it. We don't claim to be genre experts though*.

*Except in Inspector Gadget fan fiction

✍️ I'm a complete beginner. Can I still join?

We welcome all skill levels. We love absolute beginners (both you and the song).

✍️ Will you fix my grammer?

✍️ But seriously, my grammar sucks. I didn't even notice that grammar was misspelled in the previous question.

A typo here and there is fine but your submission should be readable. Excessive errors will detract from the story. If you really struggle with grammar, try using one of the many free tools online to help with the basics.

✍️ Why only 5,000 words? I'm writing a 540,000 word sequel to Infinite Jest.

5,000 words is short enough to read in one sitting.

✍️ What if I want to submit something in the middle of my novel?

That's fine. We'd appreciate a short summary of what's happened up to that point to give us the relevant context needed to critique.

✍️ I have questions about the group. How can I get answers?

Visit our groups.io page . You'll find a place there to do that and we want to hear your questions.

Extended Education Ventures

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• Professional Writing Certificate Program

Improve crucial writing skills for a wide variety of business applications.

Exceptional writing skills are cited as the most necessary tools for success in today’s workplace. From persuasive memos and sales documents to eloquent letters and business proposals, the demand for well-written material has not slackened in the digital age. Developing techniques to improve your written communication in a wide variety of business and organizational applications is key to success for professionals in any industry and role.

In the Professional Writing Certificate, you will gain the skills required to confidently hit “send” on vital messages, submit proposals to key stakeholders, and compose important documents for your organization.

• Early-career professionals in marketing, communications or human resources.
• Professionals who seek to improve their business writing and written communication skills.
• Individuals responsible for writing reports, memos, letters and e-mail messages on behalf of their supervisor or organization.
• Learn basic grammar and mechanics while honing fundamental writing and proofreading skills.
• Understand clear style at the sentence, paragraph and document levels.
• Gain confidence in writing abilities for a wide variety of objectives and audiences.

To earn the Professional Writing Certificate, you must successfully complete four courses:

• All three required courses listed here
• One course from the list of electives below

Courses can be taken as they are offered, with no particular order required. Each course is offered two to three times per year in the fall, spring and summer terms.

This table shows upcoming start dates for this program’s courses. Please note that program start dates are subject to change. After registering for the certificate program, email us or call the CPE Registrar at 512-232-6520 to enroll in your chosen courses.

Choose one of the following courses to round out your certificate based on your specific needs.

Classes are being delivered online via Zoom and in-person.

• All three required courses
• One course from the list of electives
• Typical program duration is 4 to 6 months
• The duration of each course is one to two days
• Courses can be taken as they are offered—each course is offered two to three times per year in the fall, spring, and summer terms

Course offerings are subject to change.

Bundle Pricing

We recommend registering for the full certificate program to receive the best price possible. When you enroll in the certificate program and prepay, you will save up to 15% of the total cost of the four-course package.

By purchasing the certificate package you can:

• Lock in your tuition price.
• Consult with an Enrollment and Success Coordinator at [email protected] for advice in determining your schedule of courses.
• Contact the Registrar at [email protected] when you are ready to register for any or all of your courses.

Note: Your bundle purchase is valid for 18 months from the date of your first course.

UT Austin Gold Seal Certificate:

If you did not register for the Professional Writing Certificate Program bundle but are still interested in receiving your UT Austin Gold Seal Certificate, you can still do so by taking each course individually. You have 18 months to complete the certificate, starting from the start date of your first class. If you would like to find out if previously-taken courses count towards the certificate requirements, please reach out to your Enrollment and Success Coordinator at [email protected] . You may request your certificate upon completion of your final class and it will be emailed to you.

For withdrawal, transfer and refund information, see Policy Code B for bundle purchases or Policy Code A for purchases of individual courses.

At A Glance

Center for Professional Education The University of Texas at Austin UTA Building, Suite 2.408 1616 Guadalupe Street Austin, TX 78701

Phone: 512-232-6520 Fax: 512-471-2905 Email: [email protected]

Corporate Education Inquiries: 512-471-8053 Email: [email protected]

Government Education Inquiries: 512-471-8053 Email: [email protected]

Military Credentialing Inquiries: 512-471-8053 Email: [email protected]

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Variety Print Plus Subscriber

ATX TV Festival Adds Writers Strike Panels, Cancels ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ ‘Andor’ and More in Solidarity

By Sophia Scorziello

Sophia Scorziello

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The ATX TV Festival has made changes to their program amid the ongoing writers strike , including the addition of the WGA on Strike! panel of leading television writers. The conversation will address the key issues that writers are fighting for as they share why the strike matters to Hollywood and entertainment unions at large.

The panel will host Zoanne Clack (WGA West), Greg Iwinski (WGA East, negotiating committee), Damon Lindelof (WGA West) and Julie Plec (WGA West) and will be moderated by Beau Willimon (WGA East).

ATX offered a note on behalf of those who cancelled their programs, saying, “These members of the WGA support and believe in their series and teams, but stand with the WGA at this time and will not be attending.”

Caitlin McFarland and Emily Gipson, co-presidents and founders of ATX TV, also addressed the weight of the strike on the festival, saying in a statement, “ATX TV Festival has always been a place of celebration and community. It is where important conversations are had about the history and future of television in a safe and inclusive environment. We will maintain these tenants as we believe education and conversation between both industry and consumers are needed now more than ever.”

“There wouldn’t be television without writers,” they continued. “They have always been the rock stars of our festival, and though this year will look a little different, it will continue to be a place to showcase their talents and importance. The stories and characters we care so deeply about would not exist without them, and neither would this festival.”

Additions to the festival program include the following panels and discussions: “Beyond the Page,” “Why Do You Write?,” “Queer Stories We Want to See” and “…The End.”

The ATX TV Festival Season 12 will be held on June 1-4 in Austin, Texas.

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