Summer 2026 waitlist is open!

Good morning, y’all!

This is Zac, and I’m the host of ATX Writing Club.

If you’re new around here, welcome! We’re a group of more than 215 writers in Austin, Texas who meet up each week (you guessed it) to write. Everything we do is in person. No Zoom calls, online classes, or WhatsApp groups. Ever. That’s a promise.

We also do some other fun things aside from writing. As you’ll see as you scroll down the page, we gather for book clubs, workshops, dinner discussions, magazine launches, and all kinds of fun things that get you out of the house and into the world.

If you’re interested in becoming a member of ATX Writing Club and unlocking a whole bunch of ways to connect with other creatives in Austin, you can join our Summer 2026 waitlist here.

Join the SUMMER 2026 waitlist here!

Aside from that, I’m happy you’re here and hope to see you soon!

—Zac

🧠 05/17 - The Art of Knowing: Part 3

What’s true, what’s false, and how do we actually know? In this first session of a multi-part series, Bradley Mankoff (PhD, UCLA) breaks down the fallacy of consensus and how it shapes modern belief. You’ll leave with sharper tools for evaluating information and thinking independently in a world flooded with noise and competing narratives.

✍️ 05/23 - Members Writing Session!

If you want to be a part of our dedicated inner-circle of writers, this one’s for you. Expect to meet about 60 writers of all experience levels here. Some are traditionally published authors. Others work in media, or write for magazines, and still others are doodlers and daydreamers trying to get back in touch with their creative side. You must be a member to join.

🌳 05/24 - Writers Walk

Get out of your chair and onto the trail. Join us for a relaxed, social morning with ATX Writing Club. We’ll grab coffee, then head out for a 3-mile walk around Town Lake with light prompts to spark conversation. You’ll rotate partners, meet new people, and spend time outdoors with a whole bunch of writers.

📣 05/29 - Show your work: readings at The Rosedale

A casual night of live readings and conversation, hosted by Jeremy Striffler, Founding Member of The Rosedale Society. Bring a 5–7 minute excerpt or just come listen. Reading aloud sharpens your ear, exposes what’s working, and builds confidence in your work. Doors open at 6:00pm, readings begin at 6:30, followed by drinks, and conversation. Space is limited.

🚀 06/06 - Member Book Launch: The Laboratory Assistant

Come support fellow member Natalia Loya as she celebrates the launch of The Laboratory Assistant, an Editor’s Pick from BookLife at Publishers Weekly. Join other members for a relaxed evening honoring her work, hearing about the book, and showing up for someone in this community who brought a novel all the way to publication.

📝 06/07 - CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS! Sobremesa Vol. 6

Want to see your work in print? Sobremesa Volume 6 is accepting short pitches, drafts, art, recipes, poetry, fiction, essays, and genre-bending pieces on the theme of dirt. Think backyard vegetables, dirty martinis, line-cook playlists, farm histories, outdoor cooking, soil under your nails, or the best way to clean a potato. RSVP to receive the submission form. Due June 7.

Why? I’m always trying to as myself “why?”. Whether on a micro, personal level, or macro level, I think asking why keeps us from getting complacent. Why did I do that? Why do I have certain habits? Why are certain systems in our culture, society, or government the way that they are? Why? Why? Why? Basically I just become a super annoying 5 year old, inside my own head (lol). But, I think the more we ask why, the deeper we get to the root of things, and that is the only way to illicit change. Rather than just accepting that things are as they are, I think it’s important to always ask why they are that way.

Empathy. It is a lot easier, and more comfortable, to feel bad for someone than it is to feel with them - to feel sympathy, rather than empathy - but understanding and sharing in someone’s emotional experience is what makes us human. Being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, to understand and share in their emotions is the most important thing we can do as people. Ram Dass famously said, “we’re all just walking each other home.” We’re all only here for a short blip, until we die and return to what ever it is that is bigger than this life. I think it’s important to share in that connected experience and remember that everyone is trying their best to get through this crazy thing called life. It’s remarkable how the world opens up and smiles when you smile at it first.

I love this question. As an avid reader (I’m on book 35 with a goal of 40 this year), I love giving recommendations and always take ones I receive very seriously. There are so many phenomenal books out there, but I think the book worth reading is the one that sucks you in. No matter what that is. We’ve lost whimsy in this world, and I’m a huge believer that everything doesn’t need to be so serious all the time. It doesn’t need to be some heavy, intellectual, self-help book that triggers an ego-death and deep healing to be worth your time. Books are magic!! Anything you can get lost in (and that makes you put down your phone) is a book worth reading. I still read everything from young adult to sci-fi/fantasy, historical fiction and psychology. That being said, here are some of my favorites. If you ever want to talk books or have recommendation to share please come find me!

1. How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
   (A fantastic dive into the connection between psychedelics, neuroscience, consciousness, your mind etc. etc.)

2. All About Love by Bell Hooks
   (Changed the way I see the world and every relationships from friends to family to romantic)

3. Red Rising
   (Absolute favorite book series. First 3 are a YA sci-fi trilogy and then they grow up but if you want to feel like a kid again 11/10 recommend)

Anything that scares you. Everything you want in life is on the other side of fear. Do the things that make you uncomfortable. Life is so short! So, SO, short. So go after the things you want with wild abandon. Don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself. Dance, fall in love, act like a kid, travel, try new hobbies, adopt a dog, touch grass, do anything and everything. Life is going to devastate you and bring you to your knees no matter what. Trying to avoid getting hurt or embarrassment or loss wont get you anywhere. It’s a choice. Choose to live.

Despite my mother’s best efforts, I actually don’t use Substack. So, as blasphemous as this feels to say given that this is going out in a newsletter, I actually don’t subscribe to any (except ATX Writing Club of course). I’m always trying, and often failing, to be less connected and addicted to screens or drowning in emails.

I guess this is technically more of a podcast, but it is on youtube so I’m counting it as a movie - Craig Mazin’s (Chernobyl, The Last of Us) Scriptnotes podcast Episode 403. I know us screenwriters aren’t the majority in this group but I think it’s a must listen for anyone writing a novel or any kind of storytelling. He does a deep dive into how he writes a screenplay, coming from theme, and how to motivate your plot from the character rather than the other way around. It absolutely changed everything about how I think about my writing and storytelling.

Check out Gillian's Instagram here!

Here’s how membership to ATX Writing Club works.

1. We accept new members only 4 DAYS per year!
   (December 1st, March 1st, June 1st, and September 1st)

2. The rest of the year, we do not accept new members.
   This means if you miss out on that window, you’ll have to wait another 3 months to join us. If you’re interested in learning how why this makes our community stronger than literally any other writing community in Texas, read more here.

3. Membership costs $349/season
   ($349 billed once every three months)

4. In those first three months you can expect to meet 50-80 writers, and attend a minimum 12 in-person writing events.

5. If you want to learn more, here’s our FAQ!

Join the SUMMER 2026 cohort!

Have a great week,
—Zac