This page will be updated as more faculty members are
confirmed for the 2026 Alabama Writing Workshop.
Ben Okon is the bestselling and award-winning author of dozens of children’s books, including the popular Mythical Feasts, King Chameleon, and Younger Me Academy series. As a hybrid author, Ben distributes through his own publishing company while maintaining a growing portfolio of titles with major publishing houses.
The common thread across Ben’s portfolio is his mission to create “cross-generational magic” for children and their grown-ups to share. His mix of unexpected wordplay, interwoven games, and multi-generational humor offers readers of every age something to learn, love, or laugh about.
Beyond the page, Ben is an established business leader who has served as a strategist for Google, Bain & Co., and Starwood Hotels. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a BS from Cornell University, and he is passionate about helping writers navigate the “business of books.” At the 2026 Alabama Writing Workshop, Ben will be teaching “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Authors” to help creators successfully bridge the gap between creative spark and business execution.
When he’s not working on books or business, you can find him with his wife and two boys in the children’s section of libraries anywhere he calls “home,” including Birmingham, Boston, DC, NYC, and southern Connecticut. You’ll recognize them easily—it’s impossible to hide the mayhem they create.
At the 2026 in-person AWW, he is teaching a class.
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Katie Ortiz is a writer, teacher, wife, feminist, and cat mom from Alabama. She’s a member of the Alabama Historical Association and writes accessible historical fiction with a speculative twist. Her writing often explores the darker sides of human nature and the ways in which women navigate and survive in oppressive, male-dominated societies. She attended the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Alabama Writing Day Workshops and the 2023 Atlanta Writers Conference. When she’s not writing at her favorite local coffee shop, she fights for the right to education every day as a public school teacher, reads witchy books, and takes her cat on walks.
Katie’s debut novel, THE SOUTHERN SORORITY OF SUPERSTITIOUS WITCHES, is set in 1870 at a university in Alabama, where three women must use witchcraft hidden in old southern superstitions to fight against discrimination and earn the right to higher education for women everywhere.
Katie is represented by Alexandra D’Amico.
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Alison Robinson is a fantasy author with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and a master’s degree in Counseling, completing an acting apprenticeship at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in between. Her writing blends drama and psychology, exploring human nature through magic and adventure.
She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, surrounded by stacks of books with her husband, daughter, and a cat named Watson.
At the 2026 in-person AWW, she is teaching a class and offering add-on manuscript critiques.
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Bob McGough is an author, podcaster, and indie tabletop game designer from south Alabama. As an author he has been published by a number of small presses in a range of genres, from steampunk to horror. He is best known as the author of his ‘Rural’ Urban Fantasy series, the Jubal County Saga. He also teaches a number of classes and workshops on various aspects of the business of writing.
As a podcaster Bob is the man behind the Tales by Bob Podcast Network. His first show, Books, Beards, Booze, is a conversational style podcast that has run for over 170 episodes. Southern Fried Fantasy, is a completed interview style podcast where he interviews Southern Authors who write genre fiction set in the South. The Tales by Bob Podcast is an inside look at the business side of the writing business.
A long-time freelance writer, he has worked on a number of tabletop and video games. As a huge fan of one sheet and simple rpgs, he has released over 40 games in that space across a number of platforms.
At the 2026 in-person AWW, he is teaching a class and offering add-on manuscript critiques.
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Brian A. Klems (@BrianKlems) is the former online editor of WritersDigest.com. He is the current co-director of Writing Day Workshops.
His blog during his tenure there, The Writer’s Dig—which covered everything writing and publishing—was one of the largest blogs in the writing community. He is the lead coordinator of the Alabama Writing Workshop.
Brian’s first book, Oh Boy, You’re Having a Girl: A Dad’s Guide to Raising Daughters (Adams Media) was released in 2013. It received high-level buzz and praise from some of the funniest writers alive, including Dave Barry and Bruce Cameron.
Brian is also a proud graduate of the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, a husband, softball infielder, perennial fantasy sports underachiever, and father of three lovely girls.
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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.
He is the lead director of Writing Day Workshops writers conferences, and he has taught at more than 175 writers conferences throughout his career. He is the assistant coordinator of the Alabama Writing Workshop.
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.
All his latest books are about pickleball, including ULTIMATE PICKLEBALL, a 2026 tear-off desk calendar due out in August 2025 (Sellers Publishing). His picture book, GOODNIGHT, PICKLEBALL, released from Hachette in August 2025, as was carried in Target, and hit the USA Today bestseller list.
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.
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Jillian Boehme is an author. (See her books here.)
Jillian was known for many years to the online writing community as Authoress, hostess of Miss Snark’s First Victim, a blog for writers. She is an author of YA fantasy and science fiction, a freelance editor, and a staunch defender of the Oxford comma.
In the past, she has been a choir director, a music teacher, and a singer with the Nashville Symphony Chorus. She’s been married to her husband for over three and a half decades and absolutely loves to encourage and inspire other writers.
At the event, she is offering add-on manuscript critiques for attendees.
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Victoria Griffin is an author and developmental editor.
Victoria is an East Tennessee author and freelance editor. She loves dark chocolate, dark coffee, and darker literature.
At the event, she is offering add-on manuscript critiques for attendees.
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Rosie J. Pova is a multi-published and award-winning children’s book author, poet, writing coach, and speaker. Her picture book, Sunday Rain, was featured in The New York Times and recommended by Parents magazine. The School of Failure: A Story About Success is a Readers’ Favorite Awards silver medal winner and is now available in both China and the USA. Her latest picture book, Sally’s Musical Tale will be released in the spring of 2025.
Rosie loves doing school visits to encourage kids to read, write, create and inspire them to follow their big dreams. In her role as a Writing Coach, Rosie’s has helped many aspiring picture book authors advance their careers and reach their publishing goals through her popular mentorship programs and signature Picture Book Mastery course.
Originally from Bulgaria, Rosie now lives in Texas with her family. At the 2026 event, she is offering add-on manuscript critiques.
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Swati Hegde is a romance and YA author, as well as a freelance editor, mindset coach, and self-proclaimed coffee shop enthusiast. She lives in Bangalore, India, and can often be found at the nearest café with a hot mug of tea or singing her favorite songs off-key at karaoke night. She looks forward to a long career bringing Indian stories and voices to light.
Swati is represented by Rachel Beck at Liza Dawson Associates. Her debut romance novel Match Me If You Can is out now from Penguin Random House, with forthcoming books Can’t Help Faking in Love releasing in February 2025 and As Long as You Loathe Me releasing in 2026.
Find her on Instagram @SwatiHegdeAuthor and Twitter @SwatiHWrites.
At the workshop, Swati is offering add-on virtual manuscript critiques for attendees.
The 2026 Alabama Writing Workshop 
