The Houston Writers Guild is a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization working to create a community of writers of all skill levels. Together we strive to improve our writing craft and help each other build successful careers through education, collaborative marketing efforts, and camaraderie.
The Guild offers a myriad of programs for both published and unpublished writers. It creates opportunities to build careers through networking, as well as, opportunities for author book sales throughout the Greater Houston area and neighboring communities. The Guild is also a place for hobbist authors to enjoy writing in a relaxed and fun environment.
Mission Statement
The HWG is a community of Houston-area writers whose purpose is to support each other in the author’s craft and writing career through:
- Engendering safe environments for writers of all skill levels. (Critique Circles)
- Reciprocally sharing time, talent, and knowledge. (Socials and Round Tables)
- Creating opportunities for the development of writing careers. (Through Conferences and Workshops)
- Celebrating the success of each as a success of all. (Via Newsletter and Social Media)
- Providing a platform through which members forge life-long relationships in writing and publishing.
- Fostering a culture of continuous learning. (Through Conferences and Workshops)
Won’t you join us in some of our great programs? Browse our site to see all we have to offer.
Members receive substantial discounts on workshops, conferences and contests. Feel free to sign up for our monthly newsletter, whether you join or not. You must be a member to participate in critique circles (although you can visit once as a guest).
Our Leadership Team
The Houston Writers Guild is an entirely volunteer-run community. Meet the leadership and board members that make your favorite Houston writing community possible.
Andrea Sanchez
Chief Executive Officer
Andrea Sanchez is the executive director and founder of SparkStory. She specializes in empowering creative entrepreneurs and businesses with tools, resources and the courage to tell their unique stories. With more than 20 years of executive communications, marketing, editing, writing and nonprofit experience, coupled with a profound passion in leadership, she believes that success comes from authentic self-packaging. Andrea's first story was printed in a local paper at age eight, since then she has been published by numerous international publications and is currently a top blogger on the Medium social media platform.
Dorci Hill
President
Dorci Hill is a 3-time best-selling author, speaker, radio host, healing dance therapist, expert of play and president of Houston Writers Guild. She believes happy people make healthier choices and have more fun along the way to creating a playful, purposeful and pleasurable lifestyle. She assists driven individuals with creating a new play-filled lifestyle through workshops, retreats and private mentoring.
Alicia Richardson
Chief Financial Officer
Alicia Richardson writes a little bit of everything, including an award-winning children’s book. Before she became a full-time writer, she was a database application developer. In 2016, she jumped straight into the non-profit pool by joining the Houston Writers Guild as CFO, and hasn’t looked back. Alicia is delighted to have the opportunity to work with Houston area creatives to build a welcoming community for all.
Clio Lang
Critique Group Director
Imani "Clio" Lang is a poet, model, author, hydrocephalus:brain surgery advocate, and Psychology student from Los Angeles, California. She has been awarded Poet Laureate for Lonestar College North Harris and has had poems published in The Larcenist Magazine and Aaduna Magazine.
Andrew Fischer
Technology Director
Andrew Fischer is a songwriter and author. He has a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology and a master’s degree in finance. He served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in South America and currently works in the corporate world.
Jocelyn Kerr
Membership Director
Jocelyn Kerr has been a freelance writer and editor since 2009. She has served as editor and managing editor for community newspapers in Houston, Texas as well as editor-in-chief of an international trade magazine. Her work has appeared in the Houston Chronicle, Writer’s Market, The Writer magazine and across numerous regional and national publications and websites. She helps writers learn the business of writing and self-publishing at LiveWriteWork.com.
Russell Little
Social Director
Russell Little, lawyer and author, was born in Amarillo, Texas in 1957. He has always been a storyteller. His father, a watch repairman, loved to talk about how Russell, even as a small boy, always had a story to share with anyone and everyone he met. His natural talent for spinning a good yarn served him well during high school and afterward. He wrote and re-wrote the first chapter of his book many times over thirty years. Finally, he completed his first novel after his youngest son challenged him to do so. He published his second novel, Murder For Me, in November 2015.
Chris Leake
Content Director
Chris Leake is a content director at a nonprofit and co-founder of Audasi Creative, a Houston-based digital marketing agency. Obsessed with creating, he spends most of his "when he's not" hours actually just creating more content. He graduated from UT Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Radio, Television and Film. While there, Chris wrote short fiction and screenplays and founded a video production company. After college, he learned the ins-and-outs of content marketing and web design and has been WordPressing and writing ever since.
Sandy Lawrence
Public Relations Director
Sandy Lawrence is an energetic "people person" and works passionately to take her clients’ message to the world. She loves a good story and considers it her responsibility to help people share their story with the world. Sandy is a publicist, speaker, author and founder of Perceptive Public Relations. She is number 17 in Houston’s Social Influencers and Perceptive PR is number 9 in Houston’s Public Relations Firms. Sandy is the author of several books, including the Do It Yourself PR Guide and Soar 2 Success in Marketing: 58 Tips to Getting the Word out and Growing your Business.
Mack Little
Webmaster
Mack Little holds an undergraduate in English Literature from the University of Dubuque, Iowa and a Masters of Information Science from the University of North Texas. Born in Conyers, GA, Mack has gone on to live, as a University Student in Seville, Spain and, as a soldier, in Wurzburg, Germany. Her studies and career have taken her and all over the United States. Mack is the Membership Director of the Houston Writer’s Guild. While Progenie is her first novel, she co-authored “Disaster Planning: a How-to-Do-It Manual”, published by Neal Schuman. She has also authored several articles for professional library journals.