Austin Page Turners: Writers of Suspense and Thrillers

Welcome to the Austin Page Turners, a writing group specifically for people who want to create works of fiction that hook readers and have them keep asking "And then what happens?!"

If you are an experienced or aspiring writer who wants to hone in on the creative writing fundamentals to create better characters, dialogue, and plot arcs for your next short story or novel, then please meet up with us!

This group is welcoming to those who want to write genre fiction, especially suspense, thrillers, horror, science fiction, and fantasy. If you adore the works of Stephen King, Dan Brown, Michael Crichton, Ken Follett, Terry Hayes, and you want to find a community of other writers who aspire to write page turners like them, then join this group!

How often do you meet?

This is a new group, and I want to keep it simple.

We will meet on the second Wednesday of each month at a location in South Austin (or perhaps downtown or East Austin).

The first event is Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

Is this a critique group?

We are not a critique group.

Critique groups demand a lot of commitment from its members, and it usually requires reading tens of thousands of words from your colleagues while providing useful constructive feedback (and not falling behind your own writing goals!)

Member dynamics are finicky, and it can be really hard to get a group of strangers to work well together. The chemistry has to be present, and it's so hard making it work successfully while leaving it up to chance.

That said, if you hit it off with other members at the meet up or have similar interests, exchange email addresses and phone numbers, and set up a critique group for yourselves. Psst! I'm writing a thriller novel and hoping to meet one or two other individuals who wouldn't mind working with me.

If this isn't a critique group, then what will you do?

Focus on the creative writing fundamentals. Dialogue, character and setting descriptions, creating suspense, plotting, point of view. The basics!

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert. I'm a novice writer, and I want to get better. The best way to learn new skills is by teaching other people how to do it, even if you're a beginner yourself.

Each month, I will choose an area of creative writing to work on and create a very loose "lesson plan". On the event page, I will share the topic and some recommended readings. At the meet up, we will discuss the topic and readings in small groups, and then work independently on a couple of writing exercises. Depending on the time, we will read aloud what we've just written.

I don't have enough raw talent to write the next "best American novel" or to be short-listed for the National Book Award. And that's OK with me! I have a lot of stories that I want to tell, and if I had better foundation of fiction writing (and practice, practice, practice!) then I know I can eventually become an effective storyteller, and write novels that get my readers hooked.

Do I have to write suspense and thrillers to join this group?

Not at all! I think anyone who wants to write fiction that hook readers will find a place here, especially writers of thrillers, sci-fi, horror, mystery, and fantasy. But your enjoyment on the group might vary.

If you are setting out to write literary fiction and are mainly writing as a form of artistic expression, then you may feel dissatisfied by the writing goals of the other members.

In this group, I want to normalize that it's OK and totally normal to want commercial success. It's OK to write stories that are fun and entertaining. It's OK to write a novel that's meant to be read on a beach vacation or in an airport terminal.

Not all works of fiction need to be profoundly serious and moving. A lot of readers want something that's accessible, easy to understand, and helps them escape their 9-5 routine of drudgery.