Deus Ex Machina Advanced Writers Collective:
A vetted network of professional, advanced, and serious writers working in the literary arts and scripted film & television in the following mediums and genres: fiction/ novels, creative non-fiction/ personal essay, memoir, poetry, auto-fiction, hybrid/experimental, screenwriting, drama, dramedy, rom-com, musicals, sci-fi, fantasy, speculative fiction, historical fiction, kidlit, middle-grade, YA, LGBTQ, Queer, BIPOC, Asian, Latinx and more.

*This is a horror-free space (including all sub-genres of horror: comedy, speculative, thriller, true crime, etc.). No excessive gore, shock factor, or gratuitous violence.

I have an MFA from Goddard College. I am an author, editor and avid reader. My family is multi-cultural. I am liberal. I am a lover of poetry, outsider art and vintage typewriters and I am passionate about hybrid writing that refuses to commit to traditional genres and labels. Stories that boldly trespasses into unfamiliar territory & pieces that naturally blend with other art forms light me up. I enjoy turning the lens both inward and outward.
My other passions are The Divine Feminine, Eastern & Yogic Studies, not just the Asanas, but the continual and connected dance between our inner & outer landscapes.

I've worked in the wellness and education fields and have always enjoyed writing as a contribution to the work.  I'm currently exploring fiction writing and looking for a group to connect with peers and stretch my skills.

Education: University of Maryland, College Park. BA in Gender Studies with a concentration in Queer & Trans Studies, as well as a BA in English with a minor in creative writing (poetry). I'm taking some time off before I apply for my MFA, and eventually, my PhD.

Work: I am the Lead Creative Writing teacher at a performing arts high school in Western Maryland. I teach poetry and creative nonfiction to grades 9-12. 

Experience: I've been a participant within the workshop since 2013, and have facilitated/taught them since 2019. From 2019 to 2021, I simultaneously assisted undergraduate poetry workshops while completing my thesis on post-structuralism within contemporary Asian poetry. I then started teaching high school creative writing in 2022, and plan to continue doing so for the next few years until I've saved up some money for MFA program applications. 
 

Attended Conferences, Festivals, & Readings:

• University of Maryland's Writers Here & Now: 2017-2021
• AWP: 2017-current
• Split This Rock Festival: 2019

Publications: I've been published in Stylus, 50 Haikus, and Scapegoat Review. 

Awards: I placed for the Jiménez-Porter Literary Prize in 2018, 2019, and 2020. I was also awarded the Henrietta Spiegel Creative Writing Award in 2021, recognized for having the most outstanding undergraduate creative work at the University of Maryland. 

Hi all. I am Rachel, a poet, artist, and educator in Philadelphia. I began my blog, Lines of Lavender, in 2021 to share my work. I have since then been trying to find a creative community to work with, but it seems they are lacking. After attending a few virtual workshops, I am ready to get to know people and meet other creatives!

I am a 20 year old traveler and writer hoping to improve with the eventual goal of publication. Currently living abroad so I am only available to meet online. I have experience writing music, poetry, essays, and short stories but am primarily focusing on poetry and music right now. I mostly write semi-autobiographical poetry that focuses on my experience with mental illness as well as philosophy, belief, and humanity. Most my writing is meant to be intense and slightly uncomfortable; it is meant to highlight authentic human experience, especially my experiences with pain, sex, and identity. I have always been drawn to visceral imagery; as a feminine, nonbinary, and biracial writer, I would love to meet other writers who are exploring the concepts of violence and rage within the marginalized experience. Some major themes in my work are feminism, travel, identity, isolation, desire, substance abuse, restlessness, and self-destruction. I am very interested in gore imagery and amoral honesty about lived experience. I'm hoping to find other writers exploring similar themes who are open to sharing their work and talking about literature. I'd love to get more feedback on my poetry from like-minded people and have a chance to read personal writing of any genre. 

I am also looking to get advice from pubished poets/fiction writers. While the current publication goal is for poetry, my long-term goal is to finish more short fiction stories and as well as (eventually) complete a novel. I have several projects in the works but definitely would appreciate external opinions as I primarily have experience with poetry and songwriting. Currently working mainly with themes of dystopia, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and coming-of-age; generally with overarching philosophical and moral ideas. 

I am also looking for opportunities to experiment with more consistent, structured writing such as prompts and workshops. I have mostly been a very emotional writer, which has been beneficial in my poetry but can cause creative blocks with completing fictional stories. Open to giving and recieving suggestions, really just looking for a community of writers who want to explore the world through their work!