Throughout history, the written word has changed minds and soothed hearts in times of upheaval. But many writers feel lost or overwhelmed with possibility when tackling social justice issues in their stories. This session looks at some steps to help pinpoint the social justice focuses in your work, how to portray them on the page, and how to make them part of your character’s lives in effective ways for your reader.

Many writers are concerned about their safety when presenting at events, whether virtual or in-person. This talk will provide tips for bolstering author safety, as well as weighing pros and cons of participating in a given event. Unpublished writers, cishet writers, librarians, booksellers, and event coordinators are welcome.

Disney villains, disaster lesbians, and hot trans messes, oh my! In this session, we’ll look at how to write queer characters who are...less than pure and innocent. This includes “good” messy queers, “bad” messy queers, stereotypes, redemption, interiority, productive discomfort, the act of nudging, empathetic antagonism, and mainstream media representations. This is one of my most popular sessions and packs a lot!