Texas Writing Groups, Workshops, and Creative Writing Classes
Here you’ll find a collection of resources for writers in Texas, from conferences to local critique groups, workshops, and creative writing classes. If you’re looking for writing groups near you, a workshop or class, a place to connect with other writers, or somewhere to submit your work, these Texas writing resources are worth checking out.
Including WriteByNight! For three years, we operated a writing center in East Austin. Before and since then, we’ve helped hundreds of Texas writers achieve their literary goals. Claim your free consultation to learn about WBN’s customizable one-on-one book coaching, manuscript critique, publishing assistance, and more.
Writing Organizations & Groups
A long-running poetry organization offering monthly programs, contests, publications, readings, and opportunities for poets and poetry lovers to connect, with meetings held primarily online and occasional in-person events. (Austin / Online)
Offers creative writing workshops, classes, camps, and community programs for adults and young writers, led by professional writers and teaching artists throughout the Austin area. (Austin)
A nonprofit literary arts center offering creative writing classes, workshops, readings, open mics, book clubs, and free community programs for writers of varying ages and experience levels. (San Antonio / Online)
Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center
A Texas State University literary center housed in Katherine Anne Porter’s childhood home, hosting visiting writers, readings, and other literary programming. (Kyle)
A statewide organization supporting poets through monthly programs, contests, readings, publications, annual awards, and opportunities to connect with fellow writers. (Statewide / Online)
A long-running nonprofit writing organization offering monthly meetings and workshops, critique groups, contests, and community for writers across genres and experience levels. (San Antonio)
A literary organization recognizing outstanding writing connected to Texas through annual awards, fellowships, public programs, and election to membership based on literary achievement. (Statewide)
A nonprofit literary center offering free workshops, writing programs, literary festivals, readings, youth programming, contests, and other opportunities for writers and readers. (Dallas)
A statewide literary organization offering creative writing classes, manuscript contests, free write-ins, craft and publishing programs, community events, and educational programming for writers at all stages. (Statewide)
Conferences, Retreats & Residencies
An annual three-day conference from the Writers’ League of Texas featuring craft and publishing panels, networking, and one-on-one consultations with literary agents and book editors. (Austin)
A writing residency from Writing by Writers offering writers across genres dedicated time to work in Marathon near Big Bend National Park. (Marathon / Big Bend)
An annual multi-genre writers’ conference featuring craft and publishing classes, agent and editor pitches, manuscript feedback, networking, and sessions led by established authors and industry professionals. (Hurst / Dallas–Fort Worth)
Dobie Paisano Fellowship Program
A prestigious residency program offering writers several months of uninterrupted working time at a ranch outside Austin, along with a substantial monthly stipend. (Austin / Texas Hill Country)
A free annual literary festival featuring author presentations, panel discussions, signings, book sales, and programming for readers and writers across genres and age groups. (San Antonio)
An annual literary festival bringing hundreds of authors and readers together for conversations, readings, panels, signings, children’s programming, and other book-centered events. (Austin)
Literary Magazines & Publishers
A nationally recognized literary magazine publishing short fiction by emerging and established writers, along with essays, interviews, contests, and other programming centered on the art of the short story. (Austin)
A literary journal based at the University of Texas at Austin publishing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translation, and visual art by emerging and established writers and artists. (Austin)
An independent nonprofit literary publisher specializing in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and literature in translation, with a strong emphasis on bringing international and underrepresented voices to English-language readers. Imprints include Dalkey Archive Press and Austin’s A Strange Object. (Dallas)
A nationally recognized literary journal based at the University of Houston, publishing fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, interviews, and visual art. (Houston)
An independent nonprofit literary press publishing contemporary poetry and fiction, with a particular emphasis on emerging and historically marginalized voices. (Austin)
A long-running literary quarterly publishing fiction, poetry, nonfiction, translation, reviews, interviews, and other literary work by emerging and established writers. (Dallas)
A literary press at Sam Houston State University publishing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and other literary work through open submissions and annual manuscript competitions. (Huntsville)
Help us add to this list, Texas writers! Do you know of writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or a Texas literary journal or publisher we should be aware of? Let us know here. We periodically review these listings for broken links and outdated information.