August Third Thursday: “MFA nor NYC: Alternative Ways of Becoming a Writer”
August 20 2026 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM CDT
Free
August Third Thursday: "MFA nor NYC: Alternative Ways to Becoming a Writer"
This Event is for Members only.
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While the institutional support provided by MFA programs and the creative access of NYC remain beneficial, they are hardly the only avenues to becoming a writer.
Today’s writing world is made up of regional writing groups, DIY literary scenes, and all that the internet has to offer. No matter who or where you are, a writer can foster experimentation and receive support without the barriers to access that define the traditional paradigms of yore.
For our August Third Thursday, join us for a conversation with three authors — Sarah Damoff (The Burning Side), Fernando A. Flores (Brother Brontë), and Dana Swift (When Dealing with Dragons) — who chose neither an MFA nor NYC as paths to centering writing in their lives and becoming published authors. So, how did they do it? Tune in to find out and learn how to chart your own path.
This conversation will be moderated by WLT Program Director Sarah Renee Beach.
Buy our panelists books and support indie bookstores! You can find our August Third Thursday booklist here.
Featured Presenter(s)
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Sarah Damoff is the author of the debut novel, THE BRIGHT YEARS, published by Simon & Schuster on April 22, 2025. It was a national bestseller; a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist; Southern Literary Review Book of the Year; and it is being translated into fourteen languages. Her writing has appeared in Oprah Daily, Porter House Review, Ruminate Magazine, and Open Global Rights, among other publications. She holds a Child Protection Certification from Harvard University. A Texas native, Sarah lives with her husband and children in Dallas, where she has worked in child welfare. Her second novel, THE BURNING SIDE, is out now. 
Fernando A. Flores was born in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and grew up in South Texas. He is the author of the collections Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas and Valleyesque and the novel Tears of the Trufflepig, which was long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and named a best book of 2019 by Tor.com. His fiction has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books Quarterly, American Short Fiction, Ploughshares, Frieze, Porter House Review, and elsewhere. He lives in Austin, Texas.-
DANA SWIFT started making up fantasy worlds when she was eleven years old and hasn’t stopped since. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned degrees in English and Advertising. Dana currently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two dogs, whose antics inspired the dragons of this story. Her debut, Cast in Firelight, and its sequel, Bound by Firelight, were published with Delacorte Press. You can learn more about Dana at www.danaswiftbooks.com.
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The Writers’ League of Texas is dedicated to providing harassment-free spaces for everyone, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Violating these rules may result in expulsion from WLT programs without a refund at the discretion of the WLT staff.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
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Accessibility Policy
Closed captioning is available for all online classes and special events.
The WLT is committed to making its programs & services accessible to all writers. Please contact us at wlt@writersleague.org or at 512-499-8914 for more information or to discuss accommodations you may need.
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