MODERN SOUTHERN GOTHIC WITH EDEN ROYCE

9:00 — 10:00 A.M. CST

Loved for its focus on family secrets, the macabre, and the grotesque, Southern Gothic is having a resurgence. This class will wade into modern takes on historical tenets of the genre, give tips on creating a Gothic atmosphere in your writing, and make recommendations for further reading.

WRITING FROM THE SENSES WITH CARINA BISSETT

10:00 — 11:00 A.M. CST

This interactive exercise leads writers on a journey of the senses, which can be used to create a more vivid world-building experience.

UNEASY SILENCES WITH A.C. WISE

11:00 A.M.—12:00 P.M. CST

This class will explore the idea of building an atmosphere of unease in horror fiction through things left unsaid, while giving the reader enough information to let their imagination build an unsettling picture in their minds.

Break for Lunch.

12:00— 1:00 P.M. CST

3-D CHARACTERIZATION WITH BRIAN HODGE

1:00 — 2:00 P.M. CST

Sparking your characters to multidimensional life, in all their lovable, sweaty, driven, contradictory glory.

AND THEN THE MURDERS BEGAN: WRITING GREAT FIRST PARAGRAPHS WITH LUCY A. SNYDER

2:00 — 3:00 P.M. CST

Author Marc Laidlaw recently wrote, “The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, ‘And then the murders began.'” While often true, most writers can’t actually use this technique. In this class, we will examine the first paragraphs of recent award-winning short stories to show why (and how) they work to hook readers. Afterward, we’ll work on improving paragraphs in progress.

TEN THINGS I LEARNED WHILE GETTING MY MFA WITH R.B. WOOD

3:00 — 4:00 P.M. CST

Is a formal writing education for you? It depends. Recently graduating from the Emerson College Master of Fine Arts in Popular Fiction Writing program (with a full ride via the prestigious Emerson Community Scholarship) there is a lot of insight to be gleaned from the MFA experience.

WRITING THE OTHER WITH GABINO IGLESIAS

4:00 — 5:00 P.M. CST

Writing what you know is boring, so we will learn how to write a plethora of others by exploring illuminating texts and using research to ensure we write characters of different nationalities, genders, sexual orientations, backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, and other identity markers in an inclusive, respectful, and convincing way.

Moderator.