This page will be updated as more faculty members are
confirmed for the 2024 Houston Writing Workshop.

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Joel Brigham is the founder of Brigham Editorial, a fiction editing service that has helped writers find agents and agented authors prepare for submission and publication.

He also is an editorial consultant for The Purcell Agency, a literary agency based out of Chicago, Illinois. As an author, he writes YA contemporary fiction and has two books on submission, both represented by agent Tina P. Schwartz.

He also edits content for Basketball News and spent 12 years covering the NBA as a senior sportswriter for HoopsWorld and Basketball Insiders. He has a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and a master’s degree in English Education and has taught high school English for 18 years.

At the 2024 HWW, he is teaching two classes. He is also offering add-on optional manuscript critiques for attendees.

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Elba Iris Pérez is a writer from Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico and now lives in Houston.

At the 2024 HWW, Elba is teaching a class and also offering add-on optional manuscript critiques.

She has an MA in theatre and taught theatre at the University of Puerto Rico in Arecibo. She has a PhD in History of Puerto Rico, and is the author of El teatro como bandera, 2010, a history of street theatre in Puerto Rico. She is the inaugural winner of Simon and Schuster’s Books Like Us First Novel Contest, 2022 and the author of THE THINGS WE DIDN’T KNOW, 2024.

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Jennifer Moorhead writes mystery/crime novels in her home state of Louisiana. Her debut novel BROKEN BAYOU will be published by Thomas & Mercer June 11, 2024.

Jennifer graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Geaux Tigers! She lives with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, one cat, and plenty of horses, mini donkeys and goats in a place where swamps and winding trails are the norm. When she’s not spoiling her horses or photographing her Louisiana life, she’s on a tennis court, laughing and providing job security for her coach.

At the 2024 HWW, Jennifer is providing optional in-person manuscript critiques.

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Michelle McGill Vargas is an author. At the 2024 Houston conference, she is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques for attendees.

“I am writer of speculative historical fiction, flash fiction, and short fiction. I’ve published in The Lutheran Witness, Splickety Magazine, The Copperfield Review, and Typehouse Literary Magazine. I’ve also contributed at Short Fiction Break and Noir Expressions.

“I’m currently represented by the amazing Melissa Danaczko of Stuart Krichevsky Literacy Agency, Inc. I pay the bills as a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing. I’m a member of Highland Writers Group, Valparaiso Writers Group, served as vice-president of the Indiana Writer’s Consortium and chair of its 2016 Steel Pen Conference, and am currently on the board of Midwest Writers.”

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Chuck Sambuchino (@chucksambuchino) is a freelance editor, bestselling book author, and former longtime staffer for Writer’s Digest Books. For many years he edited the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog was one of the largest blogs in publishing, and he wrote the platform guidebook CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM.

His humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, was optioned by Sony Pictures. Chuck’s books have been mentioned in Reader’s Digest, USA Today, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Variety, New York Magazine, Buzzfeed, Mental Floss,New York magazine, and many more media outlets.

He is a successful freelance editor of queries, synopses, and manuscripts—seeing dozens of clients get agents or book deals following his consultations/edits. He loves meeting new writers.

Chuck is a co-director for Writing Day Workshops. At the 2024 HWW, he is teaching, and also offering add-on query critiques for attendees.

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Shauna Golden is a former literary agent with Arthouse Literary. She is now a freelance editor working on becoming a veterinarian.

Shauna is a blogger, YouTuber, former Literary Agent, and aspiring veterinarian. She usually has her nose in a book and a cup of tea next to her. She loves reading a variety of genres, including Fantasy, Upmarket, and Memoirs. She also loves to discuss these books with anyone who will listen, mainly her husband and cat. When she’s not reading or writing she’s watching dog videos, experimenting with new dinner recipes, or dreaming about saving animals.

At the 2024 HWW, Shauna is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques.

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Sean Fletcher is a developmental editor and agent scout with Andrea Hurst and Associates LLC.

He has also taught and co-taught workshops on developmental editing and book marketing at the PNWA conference in Seattle, the NILA MFA Residency, and RWA San Jose chapter, among many other venues. Sean assists authors in building multidimensional characters, engaging plots, original voices, and deep themes across all age groups. When not editing he is an author of Amazon best-selling YA fantasy, as well as middle grade.

At the 2024 in-person Houston event, he is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques.