Writing Fundamentals: Constructing a Scene

This is a brand new group, created on Dec 16, 2025. More details to come for the first event, but I wanted to share some general information about the event before the details become fully fleshed out.

Will this be a recurring event? Yes! Starting January 2026, this particular series will meet in South Austin on the second Wednesday of each month. For the first meeting, let's try Radio Coffee & Beer on Menchaca.

Will this be a critique group? No, this event series will not be a critique group. I will share a topic (related to one of the fundamentals of creative writing) along with some resources and recommended readings. We will arrive to the meet up to discuss the topic at a high level, and spend most of the time doing writing exercises together (15-20 minute sprints, about 2 or 3 sprints per meet up). We will share our work, encourage each other, and offer useful feedback.

If you hit it off with some event attendees, feel free to exchange contact information and spin up your own critique group!

If there is enough interest, I can organize a recurring critique group for a small group of people.

What is the topic for the first event? For the first event, I really want to dissect what makes a scene successful, especially for writers of suspense, thrillers, science fiction, etc. Come back to this space in a week or two, and I will share a rough "lesson plan" for the evening, as well as some recommended articles about this topic.