Having a blog is one of those things I’ve always said I should do, but I never get around to doing it. I’ve got a bit of a goal with this one, rather than using the digital space for a personal diary (eek). Anyways, I guess I’ll hop to it.

After nearly eight years of living and working in the Boston-area, I finally decided to move back to Dallas (home-home) to be closer to family. Boston is an incredible city for literature and publishing, and at first I was afraid that Dallas wouldn’t compare. But even after a few days, I’m quickly learning that Dallas is a literary city. So, with the goal of becoming and staying engaged with the Dallas literary scene, I decided to start a blog. I’m one of those people who needs a goal to get things done, so in part this is also motivation to write consistently.

With the cross-country move back to Dallas over with, the job search has finally begun. A lot of these ramblings will probably focus around that–particularly finding a job in the creative industry. My hope is that the job search will churn out the blog material, and the blog material will inform the job search–who knows! All in all, I’m just happy to be writing anything at all.

Anyways, if you’ve made it this far, thank you for being here! Over the weekend, I did my first online search for the Dallas lit-scene

…and that was just the start! Turns out, Dallas is home to a treasure-trove of writing groups and peer workshops. Poetry has always been my main focus, so some of my posts may be a little biased (sorry). Below, I’ve tried to find DFW-area workshops open to all genres. As you’ll see, some have membership fees and some don’t, but there seems to be something for everyone.

Here are five that I’ve made a note to visit (in no particular order):

1. Writing Workshops Dallas: An independent writing school, Writing Workshops Dallas is a place for serious writers to develop their craft, but also offers classes for the beginner. The website states that their mission is to “bring your writing out of the wilderness and into community.” Enrollment is currently active for Fall 2018 classes, which include both on-site and online options. Offerings include fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting, and poetry, as well as kid and teen classes. Additionally, they hold occasional seminars ($60 for non-members/$45 for members), which cover a wide variety of topics in craft, as well as the business-side of writing. The multi-week workshops typically range in the $300-$495 range, depending on the duration of the class and member status.

2. The Poetry Group: Poetry has always been my main focus, so the Stone Soup Peer Critique Groups with The Writer’s Garret immediately caught my eye. Stone Soup was also the name of a poetry series in Boston (though I’m not sure if the two are related), so I almost feel like it’s my duty to further investigate the Dallas groups. The Poetry Group meets every 4th Tuesday of the month at The Wild Detectives (314 W Eighth St, Dallas 75208), from 7-9pm, and there is no cost or fee to attend. The next workshop is August 28th. 

3. DFW Writers’ Workshops: This longstanding workshop began in 1977 as an informal meeting at Hurst Christian Church in Euless, and went by the name of Tarrant County Creative Writers’ Workshop. Since then, it has branched off into two other groups, received a non-profit status in 1992, and continued to provide a constructive community for serious writers. The group now meets every Wednesday at the Simmons Center in Euless, and still fosters writers of all ages, backgrounds, experience, and genre. Membership is $100/yearly or $10/monthly fee, and includes other benefits, such as networking, publication support, and a discount to DFWCon: The Dallas Fort-Worth Writers’ Conference.

4. Dallas Area Writers Group (DAWG): Meeting on the second Tuesday of the month, DAWG is “open to all who want to improve writing skills,” and regularly hosts author speakers and panel discussions (a list of 2018 speakers is listed on the website). Additionally, DAWG hosts its 2018 conference, entitled “Write to Publish: Climbing Toward Success” on October 20th at the Texas Civic Center in DeSoto, from 8am-4pm. On-site registration is $80, but early-bird registration pricing is available through September 15th. The conference will host two New York-based literary agents and two published authors, who will share about what it takes to hone your writing and get published. A limited number of pitch sessions will be offered on a first-come first served basis.
Regular meeting spot:
2nd Tuesday at 7pm
Cedar Hill Library (Zula Bryant Wylie Library)
225 Cedar Street
Cedar Hill, TX 75104

5. Southwest Writers Club: SWWC was organized in 1956, and is currently meeting every first Saturday of the month (October-June) at Lakewood Library from 1-3pm. The workshop is home to members of all experience levels, age, and genre. Interested writers can apply for membership on the website at this link.