Writers Symposium

The Gen Con Writers Symposium is a welcoming community where writers unite to learn and grow. The program offers attendees the opportunity to develop their craft and harness their creativity, no matter their experience level or career stage.

The Writers Symposium includes panels, seminars, and workshops hosted by authors, publishers, and agents with topics focused on the craft and business of writing. The program features best-in-class fiction writing events to deliver an experience that rivals any literary convention.

Highlights include:

Learn best practices to self-edit your TTRPG
Uncover tips about writing for your favorite IP
Participate in small group discussions with authors, editors, or publishers at our “Coffee Klatches”
Engage with over 80 best-selling authors and writing experts
Choose from over 100 events specially concentrated on the art and science of writing
Register for workshops curated by top authors

Maurice Broaddus Returns as the Gen Con Writers Symposium Convener

An accidental librarian and a purposeful community organizer, Maurice’s most recent works include Black Panther: T’Challa Declassified and his Afrofuturist space opera trilogy, Astra Black. With eighteen novels and over 100 short stories published, Maurice’s gaming work includes writing for the Marvel Super-Heroes, Leverage, and Firefly role-playing games as the Storium online game.

He’s worked as a consultant for Watch Dogs 2 and Dungeons & Dragons. His tie-in fiction includes stories in Vampire 20th Anniversary Edition: The Dark Ages (Onyx Path), Pugmire (Onyx Path), Powered Up! (Green Ronin) and Knaves: A Blackguard (Outland Entertainment). Learn more about him at MauriceBroaddus.com.

Questions about Writers Symposium can be directed to [email protected].

Special Guests

Special Guest: Steven Barnes

NY Times bestselling author Steven was born in Los Angeles, California, and lives there with his wife Tananarive and son Jason. The author of over 30 novels, he has written for film and television, created the whole-life rehab system warrior-walk.com, and has coached thousands through his various programs. Learn more about Steven at stevenbarnes.com

Special Guest: Tananarive Due

Tananarive Due (tah-nah-nah-REEVE doo) is an award-winning author and UCLA professor of Black Horror and Afrofuturism. A leading voice in Black speculative fiction for over two decades, she has earned an American Book Award, NAACP Image Award, and British Fantasy Award. Her novel The Reformatory received multiple major honors, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and Bram Stoker Award. Other works include The Good House and My Soul to Keep. She executive produced Shudder’s Horror Noire documentary and has written for The Twilight Zone on Paramount+. She co-hosts the podcast Lifewriting: Write for Your Life! with her husband, Steven Barnes. Learn more about Tananarive at tananarivedue.com

Featured Guests

Featured Guest: Justina Ireland

Justina Ireland is the award winning and New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including Dread Nation, Deathless Divide, Rust in the Root and Ophie’s Ghosts. Justina is also the author of a number of Star Wars books and has written comics for Boom!, IDW, Dark Horse, and Marvel. In her spare time she writes for television. Learn more about Justina at justinaireland.com

Featured Guest: Kwame Mbalia

Kwame is the author of Tristan Strong, co-author of Last Gate of The Emperor with Prince Joel Makonnen, and the editor of Black Boy Joy. He is a Publisher at Freedom Fire with Disney Books. Learn more about Kwame at kwamembalia.com

Participating Panelists

A.M. Lomuscio

Aaron Rosenberg

Arley Sorg

Ashley Lauren Rogers

Aysha U. Farah

Brandon O'Brien

Bryan Thao Worra

Bryan Young

C. S. E. Cooney

Carlos Hernandez

Cat Rambo

Chris A. Jackson

Christopher D. Schmitz

Christopher Morgan

CJ Leede

Danian Darrell Jerry

Daniel Kraus

Danni Williams

DaVaun Sanders

David A. Rodriguez

Demetrius Witherspoon

Diana M. Pho

Elizabeth Bear

Erik Scott de Bie

Erin M. Evans

Erin Roberts

Gabrielle Harbowy

George Jreije

Gini Koch

Gregory A. Wilson

Howard Tayler

J. B. Garner

James Lowder

James P. Nettles

Jason Sanford

Jennifer Brozek

Jennifer Udden

Jeri Red Shepherd

Jerry Gordon

Jesse Scoble

Jim C. Hines

Johannah Simon

Jonathan Janz

Jordan S. Andrew

K. Tempest Bradford

Kameron Hurley

Karen Menzel née Bovenmyer

Katherine Monasterio

Kelli Fitzpatrick

Khaldoun Khelil

L D Lewis

Lamar Giles

Lark Morgan Lu

LaShawn M. Wanak

Lee Mandelo

Mary Robinette Kowal

Matt Forbeck

Max Gladstone

Mia Ginaé

Micaiah Johnson

Monica Valentinelli

Nicholas Marchetti

Oriana Leckert

Richard Dansky

Richard Lee Byers

Rob Cameron

S.E. Lindberg

Sandra Tayler

Scott H. Andrews

Scott Lynch

Sean CW Korsgaard

Sheree Renée Thomas

Stephen Kozeniewski

Tanya DePass

Tim Waggoner

Toiya Kristen Finley