Writer & Author's Symposium
Writer & Author's Symposium
Save the Date: September 26, 2026
Dayton Metro Library's Writer and Author's Symposium is an event intended to inspire writers, motivate authors, and engage readers. With this year’s theme of Uncovering Imagination and Truth, we invite you to dive into a full day of discovery as we connect our community with the rich talent of local writers and authors. Please join us for workshops, mini writing-themed activities, and an exploration of local authors. During each workshop, the audience is invited to actively listen in as writers share what inspires their writing and what shapes their creativity. Books by local authors will also be available for sale.
This event is a celebration of storytelling, and the day is dedicated to inspiring writers, motivating authors, and engaging readers from all walks of life. We’re thrilled to invite local writers and authors to be part of this exciting event and to connect with a passionate, literary-minded community. Just drop by to enjoy the event; no registration is needed!
Schedule of Events & Workshops
9:30 AM
Symposium Check-in
Main Library Atrium
10:00 AM
Keynote Address
In the Forum with Keynote Speaker Rochelle Bradley (Keynote Speaker's bio is below.)
Build Your Workshop Schedule - Two workshops are offered at 11am, 1pm, and 2pm.
Choose the workshops you'd like to attend throughout the day. Use the online schedule to track your learning and engagement with local authors.
11 - 11:45 AM Workshops
Ethics in Writing
11 - 11:45am, Community Room
Instructor Geoff Anderson
Whether you use or avoid AI, you have been given a rare opportunity to position yourself and your writing in a way that people quickly embrace or detest. For writers interested in the nuance of the AI discussion in writing, join diVERSES founder Geoff Anderson in a deeper investigation into where we feel most and least comfortable using AI, the work of others, and our own words in creating written language. The goal of the workshop is not answers; the goal is a better understanding of our own stances on new technology, the thought processes that led us to our positions, and the messaging we can then use to bring readers to our work.
Quering Letters - Creation & Delivery
11 - 11:45am, Bassani Theatre
Shelley Mann Hite
Ready to start searching for a literary agent or publisher? You’ll need a query letter that outlines the book’s premise and sales hook to start pitching to agents and publishers. In this workshop, we’ll learn the basic elements of the query letter, what agents are looking for in a query, best practices for writing and submitting queries, and how to stand out in an agent’s inbox.
About the Instructor
Geoff Anderson is the founder of diVERSES, a platform dedicated to guiding poets to live on poetry. A Callaloo Fellow and Cave Canem fellow with work in places like Indiana Review, The Journal, Tar River, and Cimarron Review, he runs The Stanza, Columbus’s first and only poetry venue. More on Geoff, his books, and poetry can be found at diversespoetry.com.
About the Instructor
Shelley Mann Hite is a Columbus, Ohio-based writer and editor. Her work has been published in The Rumpus, HuffPost, Motherwell, Stonecrop Review, and more, and she is working on a memoir manuscript. She is a prose editor for Typehouse Literary Magazine, and co-founder of the Columbus Women’s Writing Group. She got her start in journalism, and previously was an editor at Columbus Crave and Columbus Alive.
Noon - 1:00 PM
Lunch & Networking
30 for 30 Books
Discover 30 great books in just 30 minutes! Featuring top picks from our Featured Writers, Speakers, and Local Authors, each title gets just one minute to make its case. Can you keep up and find your next great read? This will run in the Forum during the Lunch hour.
Networking Ribbon
Help tell others about you at a glance. Each color tells a story about where you are in your writing journey. Grab your identifying ribbon at check-in.
1 - 1:45 PM Workshops
The Art of the Revision
1 - 1:45m, Community Room
Rochelle Bradley
Every great story gets better with revision. In this workshop, learn simple tips for improving your writing, making your ideas clearer, and strengthening your story one step at a time. Whether you're just starting out or have been writing for years, you'll leave with practical techniques you can use right away.
Plot and Pacing
1 - 1:45pm, Conference Room 1B
Colleen Green
Learn how your character’s action drives the plot forward and pacing allows the reader to emotionally connect with your scenes. Author Colleen Green shows you the way with this engaging and fun seminar. You will leave inspired and ready to write.
About our Instructor & Keynote Speaker
Rochelle Bradley is an award-winning, Amazon best-selling author known for her heartfelt storytelling with sass and shenanigans. She was the Municipal Liaison for the National Novel Writing Month Dayton region for nine years. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, she grew up with a deep appreciation for art, nature, and the power of a good story. A proud Bearcat and Buckeye, Rochelle is also an interior decorator and fluent in the fine art of sarcasm.
She currently lives in Centerville, Ohio with a mischievous black cat, an orange tabby who enjoys walks on a leash, and her Prince Charming,
About the Instructor
Colleen Green lives in Miamisburg, Ohio. She is the author of romantic suspense books in the Amber Milestone Series. She is a public speaker on the topic of writing fiction and loves to meet fellow writers of all genres. She has been a guest speaker at the Imaginarium Convention in Kentucky and at the Dayton Metro Library.
2 - 2:45 PM Workshops
Did You Hear that One? Book to Audiobook Pipeline
2 - 2:45pm, Community Room
Jeremy Parker (she/her)
Curious about turning your book into an audiobook but not sure where to start? This panel demystifies the end-to-end process of independent audio production for authors considering self-producing their work for the first time. From finding and vetting the right narrator to understanding recording, editing, and mastering, this panel will walk you through what to expect at each stage. We’ll also cover distribution pathways, submission options, and how to connect with audio publishers. As the indie market continues to expand, this session aims to offer practical insights to help you bring your work to new listeners.
Claiming Your Trauma
About the Instructor
Jeremy Carlisle Parker is a New York-based actor, singer, audiobook narrator, and all-around goofball. She was most recently featured as a co-star in episode 7 of season 4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Jeremy can also be seen in the role of Dorothy in the Academy Award-nominated film Carol, directed by Todd Haynes. Her extensive training as an opera singer has afforded her a facility with accents and foreign languages. She holds a BM, MM, and Artist Diploma in Opera from the esteemed University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Jeremy has a profound love of storytelling and firmly believes that books can change lives.
About the Instructor
Tobi Brun is a professional editor, writing educator, and author. They love cuddling with their two cats, putting pesto on everything, digging in the dirt. Their writing flirts with binary oppositions: of human & animal, essentialist & constructionist identity, of the rationale & the absurd. Their debut collection, 'Of the Eaten' (2024), considers the human condition from the nonhuman perspective. Their work has recently been featured in The Dead Mule Society, Fruit Slice Mag, OKOH Mag, and Grim & Gilded. Brun has been a Writer-in-Residence at Sundress Academy for the Arts & Featured Author by The Dayton Authors Symposium. Tobi is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Words Faire Press, an indie print & digital press established to provide a platform for emerging creatives in an over-commercialized industry. Tobi is a Master’s of Fine Arts candidate in Creative Writing, studying the overlap of creative writing and psychology at BGSU.
3 - 5 PM Featured Writer Showcase
in The Bassani Theater
Come meet local writers and explore the creative talent Dayton, Ohio has to offer.
Michelle Bolanger
Valerie J. Lewis Coleman
Marisa Dillon
JB Harson
Angela Henry
Mark Howard
Eden Knox
LyGrace LLC
Megan Lynch
Katie Norris
Britt Nichole
Papa Paws
Carisa Peters
Dr. Sunita Reddy
Whitney Sealey
J.T.Rings
Travis VanHoose
Jennifer Vice
Robert Freeman Wexler
Raffle Basket
Do not miss our exciting Raffle Basket Contest at the Writer and Author Symposium! Our fabulous raffle baskets are brimming with a treasure trove of reader-related delights. The basket includes coveted Book ARC’s (Advance Reader Copies) Blu-Ray movies, stylish bookmarks, and other fun surprises that every book lover will appreciate. To enter, simply visit 3 author tables and at least 1 workshop. Once you have completed your stamps, you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win.