Previous Workshops

Suzy Spencer

In this day-long workshop, Suzy will help you figure out how to pitch that 100,000-word manuscript in 125 words or less, preferably less. She'll teach you marketing tips and strategies for writing the ultimate query letter. And she'll work with you perfecting your speaking abilities so that you can quickly and easily communicate the gist of your book with calm excitement, an oxymoron that's imperative to book sales.

While we will still offer a pitching workshop as part of our pre-Conference workshop line-up, this class can give the Conference-goer a head start with a more intensive look at verbal pitching. (Non-Conference attendees are welcome also.) NOTE: This workshop is limited to 20 students to allow one-on-one interaction with the instructor and is expected to fill quickly.

Suzy earned a Master's of Business Administration degree in marketing at the University of Southern California (don't hold that against her) and a Master's of Professional Writing degree in fiction, also from USC. (She roots for the University of Texas as long as the game isn't against USC or Baylor, her other alma mater. Don't hold Baylor against her, either.)

Suzy's first book, Wasted, hit the New York Times bestseller list and was a finalist in the Violet Crown Awards. It's currently being updated, repackaged and reissued for publication in December 2008. Her third book, Breaking Point, has had so many printings that she's lost count. It was a Book of the Month Club, Doubleday Book Club, Literary Guild and Mystery Guild selection. Her fourth book, The Fortune Hunter, is in development as a Lifetime movie of the week.

Right now, Suzy's finishing up four years of research and writing on a book about Americans' sex practices, which will be a lead trade paperback for Berkley Books. (Yes, a Baylor girl can write about sex. She's definitely learned how to keep cool under pressure.)

Suzy has appeared on Good Morning, America, ABC World News, Primetime, Dateline, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and Court TV to name just a few. You can learn more about Suzy's work at www.suzyspencer.com.

Kristina Barnett

Your Web Site
This section will answer the questions: Who needs a web site and why? What should be included on your site, and what shouldn't? How do you get a good web site on the cheap?

Your Online Persona
In this section, I'll talk about building a brand online. Further, I'll cover a few moves that you can make that will increase your visibility.

Your Questions and Concerns About Being Online
Here we'll open up the floor to seminar participants and discuss any questions about the seminar content or participant's experiences.

Kristina Barnett worked as a software project manager and web producer for ten years before enrolling in graduate school for sociology. Having worked as a technology professional, she now wants to do research on the social implications of the internet.

Kristina has worked on web sites large and small over the course of her career, and picked up a host of tricks and tips along the way. She is also a blogger. She has served on the staff of Austinist.com since its inception in 2005, and has a personal blog as well.

More recently, her research is focused on how people create and maintain identities online.

Alice Acheson

Alice Acheson

• authors, illustrators and/or photographers searching for a publisher and/or
• those who have a published book, were disappointed with the marketing efforts, and want more for next book.

The aim is to empower your project with an incredible amount of publishing and marketing knowledge, such as:

• strategies for finding - and impressing - an agent/publisher,
• industry procedures - from signing the contract to post-publication,
• what you need to do - and when - in order to gain realistic control over the marketing process and publisher support,
• specifics relating to your project(s),
• abundant handouts covering all stages of publication, and
• "a thorough destroying of illusions, replaced with real tools and great methods to deal with actual situations." -Janice Crow, workshop student

Required Assignment:
Write a cover letter to an agent or editor, per instructions sent upon registration.

First at McGraw-Hill (editor, then publicist), later Simon & Schuster, and Crown, Alice Acheson has been an independent publicist for 25 years including the last 15 years as publishing consultant. Her publicity efforts have included those bestsellers as well as Old Turtle by Douglas Wood, the American Booksellers Association Book of the Year - quite a feat for a first book from a house that had never published a children's book nor marketed any book nationally. Her efforts won the Literary Market Place Outside Services Award for Advertising/Promotion/Publicity.

TELLING TALES: WRITING AND SELLING NONFICTION with Mike Cox

Mike Cox

Fortunately, your odds of becoming a successful non-fiction writer are considerably greater than the likelihood you'll be struck by a falling tortoise.

True or not, the purported cause of that early-day writer's demise demonstrates one of the secrets of good storytelling: Successful writers learn how to make their work interesting. There's much more to it than that, of course. And even if you can write very well, no one will know it if you can't sell what you write.

This five-week course will provide you the tools to get started in non-fiction writing (articles and books) or, if you're already published, inspiration to perk up your existing career and increase sales. Sorry, you're on your own when it comes to keeping an eye out for falling turtles.

Classes

1. Having your way with words: Ways to improve your writing
2. Writing short (articles, essays, columns)
3. Writing long (books)
4. Seven (lucky) secrets for success and maybe a few more
5. Sell your words, sell yourself

Growing up in a family of writers, Mike Cox didn't know any better and also became a writer. Over a career now spanning four decades, Mike has sold hundreds of articles and had 13 books published. Since retiring from state government last fall, he has been living his long-held dream - being a full-time freelance writer.

A longtime WLT member and an elected member of the Texas Institute of Letters since 1993, Mike has won several prestigious writing awards, including the 1997 Violet Crown Award for his book Texas Ranger Tales: Stories That Need Telling.

In addition to magazine and book writing, Mike reviews Texas-related books for the Austin American-Statesman and produces a weekly Texas storytelling column, "Texas Tales" that appears in 11 newspapers and on-line at www.texasescapes.com. His latest book, The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso Volume One, is scheduled for publication by New York's Forge Press in March.

Jo Virgil

Jo Virgil is the community relations manager for Barnes & Noble Westlake. She has worked as a feature writer, reporter and columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and she recently completed her first novel with help, support and honest feedback from her writing group. As part of her work with Barnes & Noble, as well as her own forays into writing, she has planned and implemented many writing groups and book groups. She has a master of journalism degree with a minor in environmental science. She has been a member of the Writers' League of Texas since 2000 and joined the League's Board of Directors in 2006

FIVE STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL NOVEL: DREAM, WRITE, REVISE, PUBLISH, MARKET with Marsha Moyer

Marsha Moyer

If the idea of writing a novel and getting it published both tantalizes and terrifies you, then this workshop is for you. Just getting started is a hurdle many would-be writers never overcome. We'll discuss techniques that will have the pages piling up in no time, including:

• how to choose, refine, and develop ideas;
  the importance of a strong opening;
• how to create distinctive characters with whom readers will identify;
• how to write about familiar themes while avoiding cliché; and
• how to find your unique narrative voice.
  

Your first draft is finished-now what? Becoming a discerning critic of your own work is one of the most important skills a writer can learn. We'll talk about:

• how to revise your work methodically and objectively; and
• when to seek the input of "civilian" readers, a critique group, or even a professional editor.

You've probably heard that you can't sell a novel without an agent. Approaching potential agents can be intimidating, but there are some key tips that will make the search less painful. These include:

• how to narrow the field and find agents who are right for you;
• how to initiate contact;
• what agents look for in a manuscript;
• the importance of the query letter and synopsis;
  handling rejection; and
• what to expect from the agent/client relationship.

Once you've landed an agent, the process of selling your book to a publisher begins. We'll talk about the various rounds a manuscript may go through as it's being acquired by a publisher and what you as a writer can expect from a publisher once your book has been accepted for publication. We'll cover:

• the acquisitions process;
• the offer;
• contracts;
• subsidiary rights;
• advances and royalties;
• the editorial process; and
• publicity.

The happy day has arrived, and your book is on store shelves. But that doesn't mean it's time to kick back and wait for the checks and the accolades to roll in. In today's competitive industry climate, the writer is increasingly responsible for promoting her own work. Things you'll need to know about include

• setting up readings and other appearances;
• cultivating relationships with bookstore owners and managers;
• making yourself known to book clubs and discussion groups;
• securing print and online reviews;
• creating and maintaining a website;
• the Internet as a marketing tool; and
• what an independent literary publicist can do for you.

Marsha Moyer is the author of three critically-acclaimed novels, The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch, The Last of the Honky-tonk Angels, and Heartbreak Town, as well as the forthcoming Return of the Stardust Cowgirl. She was first-place winner in the mainstream division of the WLT manuscript contest in 2000.

Will Clarke

A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Will Clarke originally self-published both books, Lord Vishnu's Love Handles: A Spy Novel (Sort Of) and The Worthy: A Ghost's Story, via the Internet and independent books stores like Book Soup in Los Angeles, BookPeople in Austin, and Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle. Clarke's books eventually became underground hits in the early part of the 2000s. He later republished the books in hardback with Simon & Schuster and sold the movie rights to Hollywood. Both books have been selected as The New York Times Editors' Choice. He is also the author of the controversial essay, "How to Kill A Boy That Nobody Likes" which was published in the Free Press Anthology, When I Was a Loser: True Stories of (Barely) Surviving High School.

Dr. Saundra Goldman

• Learn how to quiet your inner editor and dive deeply into the territory of your own mind
• produce writing that is fresh and alive
• drop down, lose control, and say what you see, think, and feel.

Dr. Saundra Goldman will lead with exercises, prompts, feedback, and secrets from Taos Mountain, where she recently completed a one-year writing and meditation intensive with Natalie Goldberg. Bring notebooks, fast writing pens, and a list of writing topics.

Saundra is a writer and art historian. Her essays and reviews have been published in museum catalogs, textbooks, anthologies, and professional journals, including Art News, New Art Examiner, Art Papers, Theater and Drama Review, and the Texas Observer . She also served as art critic to the Austin American Statesman and the Austin Chronicle. She is currently writing a book about the feminist performance artist and sculptor, Hannah Wilke.

2007

Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists

This workshop will be taught by Rusty Shelton, managing director of Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists, and a staff comprising the firm's media relations manager, project consultant, and publicists. Founded in 1994 and based in Austin, TX, Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists is widely recognized as one of the top literary publicity firms in the country. In addition to representing individual authors, P&P works with some of the country's top publishing houses and has created campaigns for best sellers across every major genre.

David Petersen

What is screenwriting really like? What does it take to write a good script, and to function as a working screenwriter? An overview of the fundamentals you need to know to develop your idea into a workable (and salable) screenplay. Learn from a veteran who has been there and done that.

David Petersen has been a professional writer for more than 35 years. His first play was produced in 1972, got rave reviews, played to sold-out audiences, and was later filmed for television. Since then he has written numerous scripts. For most of the last 25 years he worked in Hollywood as a screenwriter, script analyst and consultant. He has taught screenwriting in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Austin.

Mindy Reed

Mindy Reed will show you shortcuts to what you need to know, share humorous examples and teach you memory tricks to help you retain what you have learned.

Grammar is not static, it changes over time as language evolves. The intelligent design of technology has influenced publishers and publishing.

HOW YOU WILL BENEFIT:

• Improve your punctuation (Where does the comma go?)
• Spell commonly misspelled words correctly (Even with spell checker)
• Eliminate embarrassing usage problems (No special under garments needed)
• Polish your proofreading skills (Your text will sparkle)
• Tackle usage problems (These and other sports analogies)
• Identify and correct faulty sentences (Embrace the rewrite)
• Write with style and proper tone (Be master of your genre)

Mindy Reed is the owner of The Authors' Assistant, which provides editing, proofreading, ghostwriting and indexing services to authors and publishers. She works part-time as a reference librarian for Austin Public Library and is an English instructor for Austin Community College.

Mindy holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Liberal Arts degree in Humanities from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Kansas State University.

Prior to becoming a librarian, editor and indexer, Mindy was Director of Procurement for Dell Computer Corporation.

THE CRAFT OF NONFICTION: MESMERIZING YOUR READERS THROUGH FACT, STORY, AND CHARACTER with Carol Dawson

Carol Dawson

Note: All classes will involve discussion, rather than pure, conventional workshop methods, commentary on writing techniques, etc. Please bring whatever materials you have already written for your projects, and feel free to READ ALOUD FROM THESE to other students when discussions are taking place; but do not feel badly or hesitate in your participation if you haven't yet put anything on paper. This course is a how-to curriculum, not a critiquing session.

Class 2: Research
How to pursue it. What avenues to go down for your background and facts; what tools are available; how to interview informants and subjects. The inevitable, revelatory unfolding of aspects that will change your premise, what to do with the new information, and how it might affect your story's shape. Telling your story honestly; no reductionism.

Note: No book outline can be completed without the final completion of research.

Class 3: The storyline
Structure, characters, narrative arc. The writer's voice. The opening hook, and where it tugs us. How to shape chapters with a compelling thrust. The places in which fiction and non-fiction narrative techniques intersect.

Class 4: The outline
How to smoothly integrate research into your prose, so it doesn't stick out in an awkward lump. How to interlink chapters; the finer points of structure. The style of non-fiction: how to craft prose that is punchy, exciting, and fresh, without loss of strong factual information.

Class 5: Writing the final proposal
How to structure the appropriate proposal for different kinds of projects. What to include, what to exclude; how to sell your idea or story to an agent, editor, and the public.

Carol Dawson is a native Texan who has lived and written in a number of states in the U.S. and other countries around the world. Having set all her books in Texas, she returned to Austin a few years ago in order to enjoy her home environment first-hand once again. The author of four critically-acclaimed novels (The Waking Spell, Body of Knowledge, Meeting the Minotaur, and The Mother-in-Law Diaries),

Carol has now ventured into the field of nonfiction with House of Plenty, a book that tells the story of Luby's Cafeterias as a mini-history of Middle America for the last one hundred years. Told with the sweep and narrative arc of a novel, the book not only details the personalities that built a classic American business, the triumphs and tragedies that took place under its roof (including the Killeen massacre, still to this day the largest mass shooting in U.S. history), but also the stirring morality tale of an insidious estate grab involving a multi-million stake that shredded a family apart.

In addition to her published work, Carol has taught a number of fiction and writing workshops, and has served as a visiting professor and writer-in-residence at The College of Santa Fe. She attended The Hockaday School in Dallas, the University of Texas in Austin, and is the mother of three. She now lives in Austin.

NOVEL IN 90 DAYS: FROM CONCEPT TO CONTRACT with Kit Frazier

Kit Frazier

Week 1: There are only two things you need to write a novel -- an idea and the time to write it. In Week 1, we'll brainstorm ideas for books, discuss genre and market analysis to figure out where your novel belongs in the bookstore, and we'll look at the writing life in a segment called, "How to find time to write when you don't have time to write." Next, we'll break down the first page--or hook--of a few bestselling authors to see what makes them tick, and then we'll brainstorm your novel beginning and set doable daily goals. We'll begin an online forum to track progress.

Week 2: We'll ask for volunteers to read their "hook" in class, and discuss strengths and weaknesses. Next, we'll look at plot and character development. Both of these segments include worksheets and tricks of the trade that will help you get to know your character and your story. Class will receive the tools to create an effective outline or storyboard for their book. We'll set manageable goals to meet before our next meeting.

Week 3: Volunteers will submit their outlines and discuss strengths and weaknesses and brainstorm "stuck" parts. Next, we'll discuss Goal, Motivation and Conflict, and different types of endings, including circular storytelling. We'll discuss the importance of chapter beginnings and endings, scene structure and the three most important pages of a book. We'll set manageable goals to accomplish before the next meeting.

Week 4: The call for volunteers continues, and we move on to Revision Took Kit, which includes a three-part check list for revising a manuscript. We'll discuss how to crank up your conflict and punch up your prose for a non-puttable-down book. Again, we'll set goals for the next meeting.

Week 5: Agent Quest. Where do you find these elusive creatures, how to lure one from the mist, and what to do with one once you've got one. You'll receive an Agent Quest Took Kit with information on questions to ask an agent, which agent is right for you and the quickest way to get your work in front of him or her. We'll also take a look at book contracts, marketing plans, print runs, distribution and the business end of publishing. And then we'll talk about the book we're writing next . . .

Kit Frazier's critically acclaimed Cauley MacKinnon mystery series is a Mystery Guild Pick of the Month and has been racking up awards. The first two novels, Scoop and Dead Copy are available in bookstores now, and her readers are anxiously awaiting her third installment.

Kit teaches workshops on writing throughout the United States and is active in the writing community. For more information about Kit, visit www.KitFrazier.com or check out her blog.

Pat Saunders

• How to describe your book in a confident and interesting way
• How to identify your genre accurately and describe your potential audience
• How to pitch your book to an agent face-to-face
• How to write a concise and enticing query letter
• How to compose a one-page synopsis
• How to avoid common mistakes made by many first-time writers.

If you are going to the conference, this workshop will help prepare you for your agent meeting. And if you don't plan to attend, the workshop will teach you what you need to know to hook an agent on your own.

Pat Saunders is a freelance editor and writer who lives near Kyle, TX, with her husband and their three cats.

Julie Lake

This all-day workshop will cover the basics (just how short does a picture book have to be?), touch on key elements of craft (what keeps readers turning those pages?) and finish with tips on what to do with your story once it's ready to send off. (Sorry, bribing prospective agents with chocolate doesn't work, although it's an excellent remedy for writer's block).

Julie Lake is the author of Galveston's Summer of the Storm, a historical young adult novel published in 2003 by TCU Press. The book is part of the state's Accelerated Reader Program and has been used as a classroom text in the education classes at Sam Houston State University. Julie was a featured author at the 2004 Texas Book Festival in Austin. She has also done numerous talks at schools and libraries across the state.

Julie has served as regional advisor for the Central Texas chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and as vice president of the Austin chapter of Sisters in Crime (a group promoting the work of female mystery writers). She earned a Bachelor of Journalism from UT Austin and freelances as a business writer. Her articles have appeared online, as well as in numerous trade journals.

Marrit Ingman

We will discuss techniques for choosing your topic, creating dialogue, establishing mood, and - most important - telling a story with an arc and a point. Writers in this day-long workshop will apply their understanding by developing an original short-form memoir from the prewriting stage to small-group critique.

Marrit Ingman is an itinerant writer, teacher and critic. She is a frequent contributor to the Austin Chronicle, and her reviews are often nationally syndicated. Her work has also been published by Variety, Venus and elsewhere. Her first book, the motherhood memoir Inconsolable: How I Threw My Mental Health out with the Diapers, was nominated for an IPPY by Independent Publisher, was designated the Readworthy How-To Book of the Week by Newsday, and was described as "the only parenting book I know of that mentions GWAR" by Style Weekly. She has taught non-fiction writing and film criticism at Boston University, Springfield College and Southwestern University. Visit her at www.marrit.info.

Allen Y. Chen

This workshop will teach you how to create a blog of your own, focusing not only on the technical aspects of setting one up but the actual content you'll need to set yours apart from 30 million others. We'll discuss the relationship between bloggers and the "MSM" (or mainstream media) as well as how you might use blogging as a vehicle for social commentary, or for simply sneaking into sold-out music shows around town. Various other topics will include "New Media: Why PR Firms Are Aggressively Courting the Web," "Blog-ebrity: The Illusions of Internet Fame," and "Using Snark to Your Advantage.".

Allen Y. Chen is an editor-in-chief of Austinist.com, the eleventh cityblog of the international Gothamist network, which was recently named a "Forbes' Favorite" in the magazine's annual "Best of the Web" rankings. With coverage that includes music, politics, art, theatre, and news, a typical week's content on Austinist might run the gamut from book reviews and band interviews to commentary on the latest legislative antics and previews of upcoming art exhibitions, concerts, and parties. Simply put, it's a site for Austin , by people who love Austin .

Allen is a relatively recent coastal transplant, having moved to Austin after finishing graduate school at Columbia University , in New York City . Since arriving in Austin two years ago, he's seen and done more than during his six years in Manhattan and San Francisco combined, which he attributes entirely to Austin 's abundance of compelling distractions and colorful personalities. In addition to his editorial commitments, Allen holds down a tech job at a local design firm and writes occasional music reviews for various print publications.

Aaron de Orive

Aaron de Orive is a graduate of UT, and his video game writing credits include Anarchy Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Tabula Rasa and the upcoming Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

Edward Nawotka

Edward Nawotka is a nationally syndicated book columnist for Bloomberg News, the Southern Correspondent for Publishers Weekly and a widely published freelancer. He is a former literary director of the Texas Book Festival and news editor at Publishers Weekly. His work has appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New Yorker to People magazine.

Lana Castle

You'll be prepared to take confident steps to get your idea into print!

Lana Castle is a writer, speaker and mental health advocate with a passion for the creative arts. She is the author of:
*Finding Your Bipolar Muse: How to Master Depressive Droughts & Manic Floods & Access Your Creative Power (2006)
*Bipolar Disorder Demystified: Mastering the Tightrope of Manic Depression (2003)
*Style Meister: The Quick-Reference Custom Style Guide (1998)

Lana has 28 years' experience in communications, publishing and training, and owns the Austin-based company, Castle Communications.

Dan French

This workshop will show you how to go about making money for creating comedy. It will serve as a broad introduction to professional venues that pay for humor, either as a full-time job or a freelance gig, across formats that include standup comedy, daily joke writing, column or essay writing, television talk show staffing, sitcom staffing, and film writing and punch-up work.

The workshop is taught by Dan French, a 20-year veteran of the comedy wars. Dan is an Emmy-nominated comedy writer, with TV staff credits including The Late, Late Show at CBS, Dennis Miller and The Best Damn Sports Show Period. He also writes for numerous nationally known standup comedians, performs standup himself, and is the co-creator of the comedy website and social community, SmallTownNation.com.

He currently resides in both Austin and Los Angeles. Depending on when you catch him. If you can catch him. Why are you trying so hard to catch him?

Amanda Johnston

Why do we write what we write? Is there something missing from your poem, something hinted at but not quite captured?

"Writing a Path to Truth" is a workshop where participants explore the gray areas in their poetry, the parts unspoken or left undefined. Writing exercises used in this workshop are designed to create balance between the poet's personal truths and the technical aspects of their poetry.

Participants may bring previously written poems to workshop; however, new work will be created and discussed.

Cave Canem Fellow and Affrilachian Poet, Amanda Johnston has performed across the country for various causes and events. Honors include a 2003 and 2004 Artists Enrichment grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the 2005 Austin International Poetry Festival's Christina Sergeyevna Award for best poem in their anthology, di-verse-city. Currently, Johnston serves on the board of directors for the National Women's Alliance and the African-American Arts Technical Resource Center of Austin, is a member of The Austin Project, a co-founder of The Gibbous Moon Collective, and is the founding editor of Torch: poetry, prose, and short stories by African American Women. www.torchpoetry.org.

Greg Garrett

Session #1:
Getting Started/Setting, Saturday, February. 3
This session focuses on preparing to write a novel, research, and pre-writing. Writers will learn how to create a believable setting and how to use the senses to orient readers and communicate emotion.

Session #2
Characters, Saturday, February 24
This session will show you how to create compelling characters, how to develop character psychology and background, and how to use character yearning to generate conflicts.

Session #3
Plot, Saturday, March 24
This session discusses ways to discover your plot and examines the relationships between character and plot. Archetypal plot patterns and genre and plot variations will also be explored.

Session #4
Dialogue, Saturday, April 14
This session covers writing realistic dialogue and looks at dialogue mechanics, creating tension in dramatic scenes, and dialect dos and don'ts.

Session #5
Revision and Submission, Saturday, May 12
This final session shows you how to revise and edit your manuscript for publication. Editing strategies for submission and publication will be discussed, and basic checklists and questions will be examined.

Greg Garrett is an award-winning teacher and writer whose first novel, Free Bird, was chosen by Publishers Weekly and the Denver Rocky Mountain News as one of the top fiction debuts of 2002. Greg is also the author of the novel Cycling, forty published short stories, and a number of non-fiction books, including the new memoir Crossing Myself. A past winner of the Pirate's Alley William Faulkner Prize for Fiction, Greg teaches fiction writing and screenwriting at Baylor University, where he has twice received university-wide teaching awards.

Mayanne Wright

Catherine Rogers

Mayanne Wright is a writer and wellness professional who has been teaching people to make friends with their bodies and discover the joy of movement for two decades. Trained in ballet, modern dance, and jazz, she has taught dance and yoga and has trained fitness professionals. A full-time writer/editor/foreign language consultant, her work appears in textbooks for Holt, Rinehart & Winston, McGraw-Hill, and others.

Catherine Rogers is a playwright and performer who lives and works in New York City. She has taught for Theater for a New Audience and for the Broadway Theater Institute. Her plays have been produced at HERE, The Women's Project, Cleveland Public Theatre, and many others. She received a James A. Michener Fellowship for writers at UT, where she earned her MFA in playwriting.