diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3a5b475..02fa8db 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,4 @@
 .stack-work/
+.cabal-sandbox/
+cabal.sandbox.config
+dist/
diff --git a/Data/GraphQL/AST.hs b/Data/GraphQL/AST.hs
index cc631e6..4140c9c 100644
--- a/Data/GraphQL/AST.hs
+++ b/Data/GraphQL/AST.hs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 module Data.GraphQL.AST where
 
 import Data.Int (Int32)
-import Data.Text (Text)
+import Data.Text (Text, pack)
+import Data.String
 
 -- * Name
 
@@ -28,6 +29,9 @@ data VariableDefinition = VariableDefinition Variable Type (Maybe DefaultValue)
 
 newtype Variable = Variable Name deriving (Eq,Show)
 
+instance IsString Variable where
+    fromString = Variable . pack
+
 type SelectionSet = [Selection]
 
 data Selection = SelectionField Field