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How Lisa Johnson Mitchell Turned Workshop Epiphanies into Two Book Deals
by Writing Workshops Staff
A week ago
"The insights I gleaned were absolute epiphanies—incomparable."
That's how Lisa Johnson Mitchell describes her experience at WritingWorkshops.com, and the results speak for themselves: not one, but two book deals with Finishing Line Press, with her short story collection already available and a nonfiction essay collection on the way.
Lisa came to WritingWorkshops.com as an already accomplished writer. With an MFA from Bennington College and publications in respected journals like X-R-A-Y, Fictive Dream, and Cleaver, she had proven her craft. Her work had been recognized as a Finalist in the 2022 London Independent Story Prize Competition and placed in the Top 10 of the 2020 Columbia Journal Short Fiction Contest. Yet even with these accolades, Lisa sensed there was more to unlock.
When asked to describe her writing life before and after the workshops, Lisa's answer was telling: "At a standstill, but now it's electric!"
That transformation came through intensive study with two of WritingWorkshops.com's most dynamic instructors.
Lisa enrolled in the Novel One-on-One Mentorship with Samantha Mabry, gaining personalized guidance that helped her see her work through fresh eyes. She also took Advanced Fiction with Steve Adams, deepening her understanding of the craft at its highest levels.
What made her experience particularly remarkable was its ability to transcend genre boundaries. "Even though I wrote nonfiction," Lisa explains, "the insights I gleaned from Samantha Mabry and Steve Adams were absolute epiphanies—incomparable." The fiction techniques she learned proved transformative for her essay writing, demonstrating that great storytelling principles cross all boundaries.
When reflecting on what she enjoyed most about her classes, Lisa points to "the incredible, supportive community and extraordinary talent of the teachers." That combination of peer support and expert instruction created the perfect environment for her breakthrough.
The results have been extraordinary. Lisa's short story collection, So As Not to Die Alone, is now available from Finishing Line Press and can be found on Amazon, Waterstones, and other major booksellers. But Lisa isn't stopping there. Her nonfiction essay collection, Hair Brush with Fame: My Painfully Awkward Life Amid the Big Wigs, will be released on May 8, 2026, with pre-orders opening January 5th, 2026.
For writers considering whether to take the leap into one of WritingWorkshops.com's programs, Lisa's advice is both simple and profound: "The world needs your voice. You have stories only you can tell."
Her secret weapon for pushing through when writing gets tough? "I employed my innate OCD!" she laughs, proving that the qualities we sometimes see as quirks can become our greatest creative assets when channeled with intention.
Currently deep in copy editing her forthcoming essay collection, Lisa Johnson Mitchell stands as a testament to what's possible when natural talent meets the right instruction at the right time. Her journey from accomplished writer to two-book author shows that even experienced writers can find new levels of craft—and that the epiphanies waiting in a great workshop can be, as Lisa says, incomparable.
Ready to discover your own epiphanies? Lisa's story is just one of many from our community of writers who have transformed their craft and achieved publication success. Explore our online creative writing workshops and join a supportive community with expert instruction and proven results. The world needs your voice—let us help you find it.
