ATX Writing Club
Private Dinner, Vintage, and meet Camilo Nova
Hey, this is Zac!
Welcome to the ATX Writing Club! We’re a community of 1,200 writers, crafters, artists, and entrepreneurs here in Austin, Texas.
If you’re interested in becoming a member, you’ll get all kinds of cool stuff, including:
Free access to all of our events (even the paid ones)
Great discounts at your favorite coffee shops and bookstores in Austin
Exclusive members-only merch
Not to mention, it’s a cool way to support your local art scene.
And the best part? It’s only $24 bucks a month, which is cheaper than a one-topping pizza on the east side.
Upcoming Events
I’m going to be out of town for the rest of the month—completely unplugged from social media, email, computers, and hopefully even texts. Which means our event schedule is light for the next two weeks. But after that, things are gonna seriously get cookin! I’m so excited to share with you what I’ve been working on, but until then, here’s what’s on the docket.
✍️ 05/03 - Our classic monthly writing club: You can expect to meet about 50 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. Everyone’s welcome.
🍷 05/10 - A Moveable Feast - Private Dinner: I’ve been working on this event for weeks in collaboration with our friends over at The Austin Business Review. Together we’re hosting a private dinner conversation around the topic: How to make art while also making money. Space is super limited for this event, so grab your seat early before it sells out!
(Check out the photo above. That’s the real table, the real spread, and the real venue for our meal. No stock photos or AI here!)
Member of the week:
Camilo Nova
This week I wanted to introduce you to Camilo Nova. I first met Camilo back in November of last year, and since then he’s joined us for SEVEN Writing Clubs. Camilo is a writer, entrepreneur, and dad.
A few sessions ago he brought his son to Writing Club, and introduced him to me. The little guy (maybe 7 years old?) showed me that he too was a writer, and then hit me with one of those “super profound things that they don’t realize are profound because they’re just a kid”. It was a comic strip he wrote about dinner (but it was actually about the struggle we all face to find contentment).
So this week I asked Camilo for FIVE things he wanted to share with us. Things he thought were worth our time. He did not disappoint.
A video worth watching?
We don’t fully understand time. Every time I watch this video, it brings me back to the present.
A concept worth understanding?
Time isn’t flowing — we are. Imagine a library where every book is a different moment in time. The books don’t move, and none are more “real” than the others — they all exist together on the shelves. But your mind is like a flashlight, moving from one book to the next, reading the story page by page. The sense that time is “passing” comes not from the books changing but from where the light is shining.
A question worth asking?
Before replying to something or someone I don’t like, I think about this: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
An activity worth doing?
Go for a 10-minute walk every couple of hours if you work at a computer. Do nothing but breathe and walk.
A book worth reading?
I keep track of the books I read on camilonova.com; there are so many good ones I want to recommend. I’ll go for The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “Kind.” That's the perfect book for a kid (even if it looks like an adult).
What’s Going on Around Town?
👗 04/19 - Vintage Market at Kinda Tropical: I recently read that with all this tariff stuff going on, vintage is about to have a boon! Well I’m no economist, but that works for me. Especially considering that Austin has some of the best vintage markets in the country. If you want to shop local, while also grabbing brunch at one of my favorite spots on the east side, consider checking this one out!
📫 04/20 - The Unsent Letter Hunt: A two-week long scavenger hunt, started by my friend Sofia Kavlin. She’s hidden anonymous letters at three of my favorite book stores around town (First Light Bookshop, BookPeople, and Vintage Books). If you find one, you gain access to a secret Unsent Letters speakeasy—of sorts. Yet another reason to head to your favorite bookstore this weekend.
🍗 04/26- Field Guide Symposium: If you know me, then you know I love excellent food, well-bound cookbooks, and niche culinary history. I can’t really explain it, but this is my murder-mystery-podcast equivalent—I just can’t get enough of it. So when I discovered the Field Guide Symposium, I knew I had to go. They will be highlighting farmers, chefs, agricultural experts, food industry leaders, and sustainability advocates. If you’re a nerd about this kind of stuff you should totally check this one out. But if you’re just a hungry person, consider the 04/05 Land to Larder dinner, instead.
Short essay to read this week
I have trouble finishing what I start, especially when it comes to writing. Part of my creative practice has been to always follow the energy of an idea. If it has momentum and excitement behind it, then I can ride that wave until a piece is done. Oftentimes, for more complex or robust ideas, there comes a time where the momentum fades—and the energy nearly disappears.
So this week I asked Camilo Nova to share with us what habits and routines he’s cultivated, in order to reliably create his best work, regardless of momentum. “We praise the new and look down on the old.” he wrote in response, “But if you want to create your best work, you have to resist that urge. You have to stick with it.”
You can read the full essay here:
Featured Artist: Katy Ward
Katy Ward is one of my absolute favorite people in Austin. We first met at Writing Club in May of last year, and have been friends ever since—so I feel like it’s about time you got to meet her too.
Katy is a copywriter, event host, and an artist here in town. One of my favorite things that she does is host an interactive art exhibit called Vivid Parlor. It’s a collection of art, and music, and play, and food, and drinks—it’s so weird and wonderful and exactly the type of creative energy Austin thrives on.
Oh, and obviously Katy’s a writer. She publishes a weekly newsletter called Vivid Candor (and I think the very first issue was actually written at that first Writing Club we met at!)
One last shout out to Katy before I give you a taste of her work; her style is incredible. She’s a vintage mastermind, and the queen of double pattern. If you ever have trouble finding Katy at Writing Club, just look for the person wearing high-heel Converse—and that’s your girl lol.
Now finally, let’s bask in her work for a moment.
Now, one last thing…
And it’s maybe the most important thing.
We’ve officially launched: Memberships for ATX Writing Club!
What does that mean?
If you’ve been to Writing Club in the past year, you may have noticed we gather in one specific way—big open-to-the-public writing sessions. At these sessions you could always count on meeting dozens of Austin based writers. But regulars have been asking for more ways to connect, and more opportunities to deepen their creative practice.
So that’s what we’re doing, and it starts with memberships!
In the next few weeks, we’re rolling out three new ways for you to connect:
Fortnightly Deadline Sessions ($19)
Monthly Essay Challenges ($25)
Monthly Book Club ($44, book included)
And there will be even more to come as ATX Writing Club continues to grow!
But, what’s the point of Membership?
It gives you access to all those paid events…for just $24/month
(that’s less than a one-topping pizza on the east side)We’re working to bring you discounts through our local partners (think, 20% off First Light Books, 15% off Mañana Coffee, etc.)
You get to be in the inner circle of writers, and make deeper connections to people who are actively pursuing art, business, and writing as seriously as you are.
As always, I’m thrilled to have you here!
—Zac
Love what your building - the membership is shaping up to be such an awesome value prop!