Join the Kindred Writing Collective at the Coppell Writing Fair. Alex Temblador will be on an author panel where she will answer questions about all things writing.

The Coppell Writing Fair will be from 1-4 pm and include the author panel, guided writing exercises, readings, booths featuring local authors, and more. The author panel will be from 2:30-3:25 pm.

WLT hosts Third Thursday each month, featuring discussions focusing on specific topics of interest to writers and readers, bringing together distinguished panelists for conversations moderated by a WLT staff member.

“Plot grows out of character. If you focus on who the people in your story are, something is bound to happen.” –Anne Lamott

The heart of any story is its characters. You could have the ultimate hook, an intricately plotted outline, and the perfect ending, but if your characters aren’t fully developed, your story will ultimately fall flat. But what does it mean to write fully realized characters? How do you write a character who is wholly unlike you? How do you find inspiration from the people around you in a way that’s authentic and ethical? How do you fully tap into the mannerisms, motivations, and moral compass of another — imaginary or not?

Our three author panelists — Sherri L. Smith, Alex Temblador, and Meg Vondriska (who have all written on and/or taught this topic) — will share their insights on these questions and more.

This conversation will be moderated by WLT Program Director Sarah Renee Beach.

Featured Presenter(s)

Sherri L. Smith is the author of nine award-winning fiction and nonfiction books for young people including the 2021 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Award winner The Blossom and the Firefly, and the California Book Awards Gold Medalist, Flygirl. Her novels appear on multiple state reading lists and have been named Amelia Bloomer, Junior Library Guild, Children's Book Council, Southern California Independent Booksellers Award, and American Library Association Best Books for Young People selections. She also writes comics, including Wonder Woman, Bart Simpson Comics, and James Cameron's Avatar. Sherri holds a certificate in the Art of Archetypal Fairy Tale Analysis from the Assisi Institute, and a certificate in Enchantivism from Pacifica Graduate Institute, where she is currently studying Applied Mythology. Enchantivism is a form of "activism for introverts" that uses deep storytelling, mythology, dreams and the environment to enact positive change in the world. Sherri currently teaches in the MFA in Children’s Writing Program at Hamline University. She has also taught creative writing at Goddard College and was the 2021 Mina Hohenburg Darden Visiting Professor at Old Dominion University. Her new nonfiction book with Elizabeth Wein is American Wings: Chicago’s Pioneering Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky. Her new graphic novel is Pearl (Graphix/Scholastic), with art by Christine Norrie. Learn more at www.sherrilsmith.com │ Instagram: @rhymeswithcapri │ Twitter: @Sherri_L_Smith      

Alex Temblador is the Mixed Latine award-winning author of Half Outlaw, Secrets of the Casa Rosada, and Writing an Identity Not Your Own: A Guide for Creative Writers. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma and was a contributor to Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America and Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology. Her creative work has appeared in Colorado Review, PALABRITAS, D Magazine, among others. Based in Dallas, Alex is the executive director of Write Here DFW and the moderator and founder of the LitTalk series.

Meg Vondriska does not feel like a writer, but that has not stopped her from dreaming up stories in the margins of notebooks since grade school and is certainly to blame for her poor understanding of algebra. She grew up in rural Wisconsin but currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Ryan, and their dog, Tonks. When she is not writing, she can be found riding her horse or sitting on her patio with a glass of red wine and a good book. Her debut book - A Tale of Two Titties: A Writer's Guide to Conquering the Most Sexist Tropes in Literary History - published in July 2024.

SIGN UP AT THE LINK BELOW

Texas Writes is a statewide program that brings accomplished authors to rural libraries for a half day of presentations and panel discussions focused on the craft of writing.

This month, our Chico, TX, program will feature Alex Temblador presenting “Prep Your Book: Going From Idea to Opening Pages” and Diana Spechler presenting “Writing Our Lives: The Art of The Personal Essay.”

We’ll start at 10:00 AM CDT with our presentations and we’ll conclude with a conversation with both authors, moderated by WLT Executive Director Becka Oliver.

We hope to see you there!

Each event is free and open to the public. Refreshments are provided. To pre-register for this event, contact the library at (940) 644-2330.

I am a featured author at The Trinity River Book Festival. Stay tuned for more details about how I’ll be participating.

The Trinity River Book Festival (TRBF) is a magnificent multicultural event established in 2022 and held during National Literacy Month. Our professional team at TRBF is dedicated to engaging readers, supporting authors, and cultivating new readership while showcasing the literary heritage of Fort Worth, Dallas, Mid-cities and beyond, and highlighting the literary interests of current residents and visitors. 

With a focus on integrating a healthy lifestyle alongside festivities, we kick off the festival with the invigorating Run-to-Read, featuring a 5K race and a 1-mile fun run. This unique experience combines the love for literature with physical well-being, creating an energizing atmosphere. TRBF is structured to inspire, entertain, inform, and empower individuals, families, and communities alike. With a diverse range of panels and discussions covering various topics, attendees can expect an enlightening and enriching experience at our festival. Whether you are an avid reader, aspiring writer, or simply interested in immersing yourself in the world of books, TRBF offers an unparalleled opportunity to celebrate the written word and connect with like-minded enthusiasts. Join us as we celebrate the power of literacy and the joy of reading at the Trinity River Book Festival.

I’ll be discussing my new book, Writing An Identity Not Your Own, with author, instructor, and poet, Lauren Brazeal Garza at Interabang Books. Books will be available for sale and I’ll happily sign your copy.

About the Book

A practical guide to help authors authentically write and edit a character whose identity is different than their own.

Do you have the tools to authentically write and edit a character whose identity is different than your own? It’s not a subject that’s generally taught in creative writing programs, and there are so few craft books and online resources on the subject. Even if you can take a seminar, class, or workshop, there’s nothing like having an easy-to-understand book on hand to provide guidance and insight every time you craft characters with historically marginalized identities.

In Writing an Identity Not Your Own, award-winning author Alex Temblador discusses one of the most contentious topics in creative writing: crafting a character whose identity is historically marginalized. What is “identity,” and how do unconscious biases and bias blocks impact and influence what we write? What is intersectionality? You’ll learn about identity terms, stereotypes, and tropes, and receive genre-specific advice related to various identities to consider when writing different races and ethnicities, sexual and romantic orientations, gender identities, disabilities, nationalities, and more. Through writing strategies, exercises, and literary excerpts, writers will gain a clearer understanding on how misrepresentations and harmful portrayals can appear in storylines, dialogue, and characterization. Alex will guide writers from the brainstorming phase through the editing process so they can gain a full understanding of the complexities of writing other identities and why it’s important to get them right.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Temblador is the Mixed Latine award-winning author of Secrets of the Casa Rosada and Half Outlaw. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma and is a contributor to Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America and Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology. Alex has taught creative writing seminars, workshops, and classes with the Women's Fiction Writers Association, WritingWorkshops.com, the Writer's League of Texas, and more, as well as spoken about diversity in the literary world with the Texas Library Association, Abydos Learning Conference, and at many other festivals, conferences, and universities. She is an award-winning travel, arts, and culture journalist who specializes in diversity, equity, and inclusion, publishing in the likes of Conde Nast Traveler, Outside, and Travel + Leisure, and speaking about such topics at SXSW, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the World Travel Market. Alex lives in Dallas, Texas, where she runs a literary panel series called LitTalk.

Alex Temblador will be introducing her insightful new book, "Writing An Identity Not Your Own: A Guide for Creative Writers". Moderating the event will be the talented author Logen Cure. Join us for an evening of literary excitement, insightful discussions, and a chance to meet these amazing authors!

Book Details

A practical guide to help authors authentically write and edit a character whose identity is different than their own.

Do you have the tools to authentically write and edit a character whose identity is different than your own? It’s not a subject that’s generally taught in creative writing programs, and there are so few craft books and online resources on the subject. Even if you can take a seminar, class, or workshop, there’s nothing like having an easy-to-understand book on hand to provide guidance and insight every time you craft characters with historically
marginalized identities.

In Writing an Identity Not Your Own, award-winning author Alex Temblador discusses one of the most contentious topics in creative writing: crafting a character whose identity is historically marginalized. What is “identity,” and how do unconscious biases and bias blocks impact and influence what we write? What is intersectionality? You’ll learn about identity terms, stereotypes, and tropes, and receive genre-specific advice related to various identities to consider when writing different races and ethnicities, sexual and romantic orientations, gender identities, disabilities, nationalities, and more. Through writing strategies, exercises, and literary excerpts, writers will gain a clearer understanding on how misrepresentations and harmful portrayals can appear in storylines, dialogue, and characterization. Alex will guide writers from the brainstorming phase
through the editing process so they can gain a full understanding of the complexities of writing other identities and why it’s important to get them right.

About the Author

Alex Temblador is the Mixed Latine award-winning author of Secrets of the Casa Rosada and Half Outlaw. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma and is a contributor to Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America and Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology. Alex has taught creative writing seminars, workshops, and classes with the Women's Fiction Writers Association, WritingWorkshops.com, the Writer's League of Texas, and more, as well as spoken about diversity in the literary world with the Texas Library Association, Abydos Learning Conference, and at many other festivals, conferences, and universities. She is an award-winning travel, arts, and culture journalist who specializes in diversity, equity, and inclusion, publishing in the likes of Conde Nast Traveler, Outside, and Travel + Leisure, and speaking about such topics at SXSW, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the World Travel Market. Alex lives in Dallas, Texas, where she runs a literary panel series called LitTalk and the Executive Director of Write Here DFW.

From the acclaimed author of A Cosmology of Monsters ("I loved it" —Stephen King) comes an epic contemporary fantasy, a mixture of The Magicians and It: a story of dark magic, terrible mistakes, and second chances.

"You can never go home again," the saying goes—but Hal, Athena, and Erin have to. In high school, the three were students of the eccentric Professor Marsh, trained in a secret system of magic known as the Dissonance, which is built around harnessing negative emotions: alienation, anger, pain. Then, twenty years ago, something happened that shattered their coven, scattering them across the country, stuck in mundane lives, alone.
      But now, terrifying signs and portents (not to mention a pointed Facebook invite) have summoned them back to Clegg, Texas. There, their paths will collide with that of Owen, a closeted teenager from Alabama whose aborted cemetery seance with his crush summoned something far worse: a murderous entity whose desperate, driving purpose includes kidnapping Owen to serve as its Renfield. As Owen tries to outwit his new master, and Hal, Athena, and Erin reckon with how the choices they made as teens might connect to the apocalyptic event unfurling over the Lone Star State, shocking alliances form, old and new romances brew, and three unsuccessful adults and one frightened teen are all that stand between reality and oblivion. 
      From one of the boldest, most brilliant voices in modern fantastical horror, The Dissonance is a thrilling and beautifully written story of magic and monsters, forgiveness and friendship.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SHAUN HAMILL received his BA in English from the University of Texas at Arlington, and his MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. His debut novel, A Cosmology of Monsters, was published in 2019. His fiction has appeared in Carve and Come Join Us By the Fire 2. His nonfiction has appeared at Crimereads and Tor Nightfire. He lives and works near Dallas-Fort Worth.

ALEX TEMBLADOR is the Mixed Latine award-winning author of Secrets of the Casa Rosada, Half Outlaw, and Writing An Identity Not Your Own. She is a contributor to Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America and Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology. Alex lives in Dallas, Texas, where she runs a literary panel series called LitTalk.

Thursday, July 25th, 6:00PM

I’ll be giving a presentation on Sunday, June 23 at 10:15 am on "Writing an Identity Not Your Own." The presentation will cover what you can do as a writer or editor to craft respectable and mindful characters of historically marginalized identities.

As a bonus — you can also connect with me on Friday June 21 at 3 pm where I’ll be the moderator for the Sci Fi / Fantasy session.

It’s LitTalk but with a spicy twist! Series creator and curator Alex Temblador will moderate a discussion with three panelists as they sample progressively hotter salsas provided by Milagros Taco Cantina. Based on the popular YouTube series Hot Ones, this may be the hottest literary panel you’ve ever seen!

Featuring Marcela Fuentes, Maya Golden, and Sebastián Páramo.

LitTalk: An Extremely Lit Literary Panel will take place during the Dallas Is Lit! Book & Author Fair at Turner House on Saturday, May 18th.

Author Alex Temblador (mod) in conversation with Maya Golden, author of The Return Trip; Chris Panatier, author of The Phlembotomist and Stringers; Rebecca Balcarcel, author of The Other Half of Happy; and Sabrina Corsiga, author of The Rules of Devotion.