“This is lonely,” Justin said to himself one day while editing a short story for the 100000th time. That’s when he decided to start a writers group specifically for people who understood the agony and ecstasy of storymaking. He needed friends who wouldn’t just read his rough drafts, but be able to pinpoint exactly where it woke the dead and where it snoozed the alarm. Best of all, being among writers gave him the opportunity to learn technique, support local artists, and celebrate when careers were launched. Over the years that group grew and diversified until it eventually became known as the Red Sands Writers Circle.

Jenniffer Lee has been a pillar in the writing community for nearly a decade. Her sharp eye for character and thorough critiques are among the most sought-after feedback a work-in-progress can receive. Her latest publication, The Servants of the Beast, is a collaboration novel inspired by Beauty and the Beast.

Michael J. H. MacNeill is an author, illustrator, and editor living in Phoenix. He primarily writes horror and fantasy from a unique literary perspective. In 2018, he edited and contributed to the anthology Throbbing Tales. He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in English in 2012, and has pursued writing for most of his life. For personalized, in depth review and critique, including line edits and story structure, please message him to ask about logistics and rates.

Mike Oppenheim is a novelist, book indexer, English teacher, and copy editor from Oakland, California, now living in Phoenix, Arizona. During his lifelong quest for the best-tasting chips and salsa, Mike has written and published three novels and hundreds of essays (available at www.mikeyopp.com). His love of humanity is only rivaled by his passion for education, evidenced by a Copy Editing certificate from UC Berkeley, M.F.A. from Mills College, and B.A. in Film & Literature from the University of Pittsburgh. Mike is a big fan of high-fives and online queries of any kind via the contact form on his website.

In fourth grade, Anne wrote her first story using what she considered to be the defining line in good fiction: verbosity. Later when she read Dickens, she saw how awful verbosity can be. With too many “pantsed” novels that didn’t work languishing on hard drives, she stopped pantsing her way through novels, to study story structure. (She likes to claim she created her own MFA, focused on story structure…. don’t believe her!) If she’s not writing, talking about writing or reading about writing…. she’s reading fiction, listening to fiction, or talking about fiction. In her non-writing time, Anne loves to nurture her addiction to Factorio (quite possibly the last video game she’ll ever buy!) while listening to the latest episode of A State of Trance.