Hey, all!

Con Season is upon us! Starting next week, I'll be traveling to both Gen Con in Indianapolis and Worldcon in Seattle! I'm very excited (and very nervous) but here's all I have formally planned for both weekends:

Gen Con Writers' Symposium 2025

Now that the Grayshade RPG is finally done and ready for primetime, and with thorough excitement about now being a columnist for Rascal News, I'm excited about this year's Writers' Symposium as well as some of the stuff that will be on the dealers' hall floor! If you see me about the ICC, don't hesitate to say hello--but also definitely pass through the Downtown Marriott for the Writers Symposium!

Meet The Pros

Join the creatives, editors, publishers, and agents of Gen Con's Writers Symposium for a night of socializing, networking, and merch signing.
Thursday 31 July | 6pm ET | ICC Room 144-145

Workshop: Writing Speculative Poetry

Join 2025 Worldcon Poet Laureate Brandon O'Brien as you learn what speculative poetry is, what it can do differently than other forms of verse, and even how you can write your own!
Friday 1 August | 1pm ET | Marriott: Atlanta

Afrofuturism in Game Design

Join our panel of experts as they discuss Afrofuturism in the context of game writing and design.
Brandon O'Brien, Khaldoun Khelil, Sheree Renée Thomas, and more
Friday 1 August | 3pm ET | Marriott Ballroom 2

Kaffeeklatch with Richard Dansky and Brandon O'Brien

Bring your own beverage and converse with a small group of like minded fans, peers, and guests of the Writers Symposium!
Friday 1 August | 5pm ET | Marriott: Albany

Grayshade: The Death of a Noble

A live play session of The Death of a Noble, an adventure for Alligator Alley's new dark fantasy TTRPG Grayshade, GMed by lead designer Brandon O'Brien and featuring authors from the Writers' Symposium!
Brandon O'Brien (GM), Gregory A. Wilson, Karen Menzel, Jennifer Brozek, Toiya Kristen Finley, Richard Lee Byers
Friday 2 August | 7-11 pm ET | Marriott Ballroom 4

Reading Aloud for the Writer or Poet

Are you afraid of reading your work out loud? Want to better convey your story or poem to your audience? Let's make reading your work out loud a dynamic and memorable experience for your audience.
Brandon O'Brien, Bryan Thao Worra, C. S. E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, Karen Menzel
Saturday 2 August | 1pm ET | Marriott: Boston

The Joys of Speculative Poetry

Join our panel of poets as they discuss genre (or speculative) poetry, what it is, and ways to experience it.
Brandon O'Brien, Bryan Thao Worra, C. S. E. Cooney, Karen Menzel, Sandra Tayler
Saturday 2 August | 3pm ET | Marriott: Atlanta

Speculative Poetry Open Mic

Join the 2025 World Science Fiction Convention's Poet Laureate Brandon O'Brien for a loving, inclusive, and affirming open-mic poetry night!
Saturday 2 August | 6-8pm ET | Marriott Ballroom 4

Worldcon Seattle

I'm the Poet Laureate of Seattle Worldcon! I'm very excited to talk about poetry, learn more about Seattle, and delight in the moment that is the special award category for Best Poem at the Hugo Awards, which I hope will be one of many!

Opening Ceremonies

Be part of the beginning of Seattle Worldcon 2025. Our hosts, guests of honor, and staff for the convention will be present to open the convention to all of our attendees, both in-person and virtual.
Wednesday 13 August | 7:30 PT | Ballroom 1

Knock On Wood

A 45-minute one-person poetry show about the things that go bump in the night and the ways we have learned to defend ourselves against them, Brandon O'Brien tells two slowly intertwining stories--one of a set of seemingly ordinary tools used to keep the realm of the dark at bay, and another of an unassuming salaryman whose job is actually to protect innocent people from supernatural harm (or at least see that they get their insurance claims afterward).
Thursday 14 August | 6pm PT | Terrace Suite 4F

Table Talk

Have an intimate discussion (up to six participants) with me! Advance signup is required.
Friday 15 August | 10:30am PT | Room 430

Literary Open Mic

A wide and welcoming open mic. Readers and listeners of all varieties will enjoy the eclectic mix of work assembled for an experience that cannot be recreated. Share your poetry, fiction, and other literary words. Your work may be fresh, polished, published, unpublished, or arriving from any plane of existence. Come to perform, or just sit back and enjoy. All are welcome!
Friday 15 August | 6-8pm PT | Sheraton: Issaquah

Autographs

Join me in the Autograph session and I'll sign copies of Can You Sign My Tentacle?!
Saturday 16 August | 6pm PT | Garden Lounge 3F

Hugo Awards Ceremony

I'm not up for anything, but the Best Speculative Poem special award is one of this year's categories, alongside many other wonderful finalists!
Saturday 16 August | 8-11pm ET | Ballroom 1

Livestreams and Actual Play: Gaming as Spectator Sport

Livestreamed sessions of people playing video games and TTRPGs… how much fun could that be to watch? It turns out that it can be wildly popular, lead to media franchises, and/or just be a way to get people engaged with authors and creators. How did this become a thing, and how can you dive in as a watcher or creator?
Kathleen De Vere (M), Darcie Little Badger, Gregory A. Wilson, Brandon O’Brien
Sunday 17 August | 1:30pm PT | Room 420-422