South Austin Writers

Meeting now in South Austin

South AustinWriters

A critique group for people who write horror, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thrillers, and everything in between.

Join the waitlistHow it works
  • WhenEvery other Friday, 10:30am to 12:30pm
  • WhereSunset Valley
  • MembersFull at 8. Waitlist open.

Join the waitlist.

We are meeting now, and the group is capped at 8 members so everyone gets read. Every seat is taken. Tell us a little about what you write, and we will reach out when a spot opens.

No newsletter, no spam. We use this only to contact you about the group.

What do you write? *

A sentence or two is plenty.

Can you make it every other Friday, 10:30am to 12:30pm?

Genre is not a dirty word.

Most writing critique groups drift toward literary fiction. That is fine work, and we respect it. It is just not what we are here for.

South Austin Writers is for the other shelf. The haunted house, the ship lost in space, the heist, the detective who drinks too much, the kingdom on the edge of a war, the town where it rains upward one Tuesday and nobody talks about it. We read "serious books" and mean it when we call writing an art. We also think a story is allowed to be fun.

Wanting readers to turn the page is not selling out. It is the job. Wanting to sell your book is not a character flaw. So we talk about voice and theme, and we also talk about hooks, pacing, openings, and what gets a manuscript picked up. Craft and ambition sit at the same table here.

All experience levels are welcome. What we ask for is consistency, real reading, and the kind of honesty you would want for your own work.

A little formal, on purpose.

Good critique needs structure. Ours borrows from the Milford workshop method that genre writers have used for seventy years.

Submit

Share your piece about a week ahead to members in a private Google Drive folder. Short story, novella excerpt, or novel chapters with a quick "story so far."

Read and mark up

Everyone reads every submission and writes notes before we meet. This is the part that makes the group worth your time.

Meet and talk

Each author listens while the readers take turns sharing feedback.

Things people ask before they show up.

What counts as speculative fiction?
If it has a ghost, a spaceship, a spell, a body in the study, or a world that is not quite this one, you are in. Horror, science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, dystopian, mystery, thrillers, and the strange stuff that lives between them. If you are not sure whether your work fits, it probably does.
Do I need to be published, or have an MFA, or anything like that?
No. We want writers at every level who are actively working on fiction and willing to read carefully for other people. Beginners who show up and do the reading are worth more to a group than experts who don't.
What about literary fiction?
We love it, and plenty of what we write leans "literary". But if your work has no speculative or genre element at all, you will get sharper feedback from a general critique group. Our neighbors at North Austin Writers run a good one.
Is it okay to want to sell my book?
Yes. Loudly! Wanting readers to turn the page is not a character flaw on your part, it is the job. We talk about craft, and we also talk about pacing, hooks, openings, query letters, and what actually gets a manuscript picked up. Art and entertainment are not opposites here.
How does a meeting actually work?
Up to three pieces are on the table each meeting, capped at 7,000 words each. Submissions go out about a week ahead. Everyone reads and writes up notes before we meet. At the table, the author stays quiet while the group discusses the piece, then gets the floor to ask questions. It is a little formal on purpose. It keeps the feedback honest and the conversation useful.
Can I submit chapters from a novel?
Yes. Include a short "story so far" paragraph at the top so readers have context.
What if I am not ready to share anything yet?
That is fine. New members can read for other people, give critiques, and get a feel for the room first. Most writers submit within their first few meetings once they see how it goes.
When and where do you meet?
Every other Friday, 10:30am to 12:30pm, in Sunset Valley. Members get the exact spot.
Why is there a waitlist?
The group is capped at eight members, and right now all eight seats are taken. Eight is about as many people as can read every submission closely and still get through a meeting in two hours. Join the waitlist and we will reach out when a seat opens.
Do I have to live in South Austin?
No, but we meet in South Austin and the group runs on consistency. If you can show up regularly and do the reading, you are welcome from anywhere in town.
What about poetry, screenplays, or comics scripts?
This group is prose fiction only. Those forms deserve readers who know their craft, and you will find better feedback in a group built for them.
Does it cost anything?
No. We meet somewhere that sells coffee, and you buy your own.
What is your stance on using generative artificial intelligence?
My personal opinion: AI and LLMs are undoubtedly useful tools, but I don't think it belongs in creative writing. Use of AI tools like OpenAI and Claude are acceptable for brainstorming and research, but the actual drafting and revising needs to be done by you. Submitting stories to the group written or edited by AI is not accepted, even with attribution.

Questions or just saying hi.

Not ready to join but have something to ask? Running a group and want to swap notes? Send it here.