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Meet THe Team
Draft Chats are for writers of fiction and creative nonfiction who are dedicated to improving their craft and celebrating the shared successes of the group. Together, we meet monthly to review each other’s work, offer feedback and guidance, and encourage each other along our individual paths to publication. Less rigorous than a workshop, Draft Chats are designed for the writer who is searching for a thoughtful community of readers and/or who simply seeks encouragement to continue their journey. Participants should bring copies of work to share; designated manuscript-reading time will be followed by constructive, facilitated discussion. We welcome you!
This Draft Chat will be facilitated by Porch teaching artist Meredith R. Lyons.
Meredith grew up in New Orleans, collecting two degrees from LSU before running away to Chicago to be an actor. Between plays, she got her black belt and taught martial arts and yoga. She fought in the Chicago Golden Gloves, ran the Chicago Marathon, and competed in the Savate World Championships in Paris. Although she did each of these twice, she couldn’t stay warm and relocated to Nashville. Her first novel Ghost Tamer is an Amazon Editor's Pick, an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Gold Winner: Best SciFi Fantasy, an IPPY Award Winner: Best First Book, and a Silver Falchion Winner: Best Book of 2023. Her second novel, A Dagger of Lightning, released April 2025.
"Big fan of Meredith Lyons! She’s a great writer and teacher. Her class gave me great insights and practical ideas to apply to my own work."
"Meredith did a great job, and her class was a ton of fun!"
"Meredith's writing advice for each person was clear, tailored to each person's needs/interests/goals, and concrete. Great job of setting practical goals and providing productive strategies!"
