Neurodiverse authors have always been around. However, some of the most famous writing advice out there — such as put your butt in a chair and write, or write 1000 words a day — can actually be harmful to or counterproductive for neurodiverse writers. In this panel, a group of neurodiverse authors will share writing advice that works for them and may also work for other writers who are autistic, have ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, bipolar disorder, or other diverse ways of experiencing the world.

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Read more about Neurodiversity and Writing: There’s No One Correct Way to Write

Writers who have successfully changed or added to their original areas of focus (e.g., going from novels to short stories or vice versa; going from writing for kids/YA to adult or vice versa) discuss their experiences and challenges and offer advice for other writers looking to transform or expand their own writing endeavors.

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Read more about Career Metamorphosis: Shifting or Expanding Genres, Formats, or Focus as a Writer

In an era of mass shootings, violence by law enforcement, rising rates of suicide among young people, and other crises, issues of trauma and PTSD loom large. Time travel, a mainstay of speculative fiction for more than a century, can offer insight into and reflection on key aspects of trauma, such as bodily dissociation and perseverative memory. Members of the SFWA community discuss the roles sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and related genres play in conversations about trauma and PTSD.

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Read more about Trauma and Time Travel

Now that we’re in the next phase of the pandemic, how has this shifted the MG and YA market? How has the recent editorial churn affected the landscape? What does this mean for acquisitions, timing of edits, number of new releases, willingness to take a risk on debut authors, and more?

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Read more about The State of the YA and MG Market

Come celebrate the best of short fiction 2022. After reading a sample from recent works that took each panel member’s breath away, they’ll discuss the techniques, voice, or other characteristics that made the piece so great.

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Read more about For The Love of Short Fiction 2022

From Octavia Butler’s “Kindred” to LA Bank’s Vampire Huntress series, Urban fantasy (fantasy that takes place in modern cities) is a subgenre frequently embraced by Black authors who write science fiction, fantasy, and horror authors, and especially by African American authors, but it is not the only thing we write. Why is the genre so popular with Black authors? And why is the popular genre, which is particularly associated with African Americans, so often maligned?

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Read more about Black Speculative Fiction: Urban Fantasy and Beyond

Whether it’s enemies to lovers, love triangles, arranged marriages or shifters, highlighting tropes is a useful tool to help connect the right readers to the right story. As writers, knowing how to break down tropes to their essential pieces and create a unique spin that avoids cliche will bring readers back for more. Join us and find out how to harness tropes in your writing and your marketing, romance or not!

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Read more about SFF Romance: Making Tropes Work For You While Avoiding Cliches

Virtual reality has made the jump from a science-fictional concept to a present-day reality. While exactly what virtual reality will become is still up for debate, we can start to think about getting ahead of the game and what kinds of writing are going to thrive in a world where we are all more deeply connected.

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Read more about Writing for Virtual Reality

Choosing markets, preparing submissions, themed anthologies, and coping with rejection.

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Read more about Navigating Short Story Markets

Authors and librarians discuss the importance of building strong relationships with schools and libraries. How do you set up a school visit? How do you create an engaging program for students? How can you get your book into the library? How can authors collaborate with librarians?

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Read more about Meeting Young Readers Where They Are: Creating Connections with Schools and Libraries