The story continues…
In Chapter Two, we introduce another group of brilliant storytellers heading to the Gen Con 2026 Writers Symposium. Pull up a chair and be inspired by the creative minds behind the stories.
Kelli Fitzpatrick
What inspired you to become a writer, and how did you find your unique voice as an author?
I’ve been writing stories my whole life, but my professional career began in 2016 when Star Trek ran a short story contest for its 50th anniversary. I have always been inspired by Star Trek’s optimism, the way it imagines a future for humanity that is equitable, peaceful, and full of curiosity and exploration.
I wrote a story about Doctor Beverly Crusher called “The Sunwalkers,” and it won. Because of my values and my lived experiences, my writing voice features the perspectives of strong female characters, often working individuals in rural or remote places, those who have weathered much and continue to fight the good fight.
If you could have dinner with any character from your books, who would it be and what would you talk about?
I would choose Joriandis Delk, a spy character I created for a series of cyberpunk short stories that have appeared in various anthologies. Delk and her bot sidekick, Tish, take on contracted jobs in the city while resisting the schemes of corrupt corporations.
I’ve written three of her adventures, but I think she has many more stories to tell, and she never gives up trying to make the world a better place. I would talk to her about keeping the faith and building solidarity during difficult times.
What’s the most unusual or unexpected place you’ve found inspiration for a story, and how did it shape your writing?
While earning my MFA in creative writing at Iowa State University, I completed a graduate minor in Philosophy, which introduced me to the study of metaphysics—topics like the nature of time and space, time travel, and the philosophy of mind—and deepened my study of ethics. Many of my science fiction stories now have a decidedly philosophical bent, such as “Flashpoint,” which looks at the ethics of taking responsibility, and “The Rogue Tractor of Sunshine Gulch,” which considers what we owe A.I. minds.
I also audited an astrophysical cosmology class and did a science writing internship with NASA, and that astronomical knowledge has found its way into many of my works, including “Standing Wave,” a story about a superhero who can manipulate the interior of stars, and “The Leavitt Space Telescope,” an alternate history story.
If you could switch genres for a day, which genre would you choose to write in, and what kind of story would you create?
I would love to write for television, especially a hard sci-fi show about exploring deep space, something akin to The Expanse or For All Mankind, maybe with the optimism of Star Trek and the witty banter of The West Wing.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to get published in today’s evolving literary landscape?
Three things:
1. Write and finish a LOT of stories/books. Practice is how you get good at your craft. Being skilled at writing doesn’t guarantee you’ll get published, but it’s usually a prerequisite.
2. Discover your uniqueness and lean into it. What can you write that no one else can? What makes you come alive? Put those together, and you’ve got something like your niche.
3. Find community. Attend writing conferences, conventions, workshops, local writing groups, and online communities. Find mentors. Find peers. Find allies and friends. No one succeeds alone. You need a community around you. Writing is also much more fulfilling when you’re on the journey together.
To learn more about Kelli, visit kellifitzpatrick.com. Follow her on BlueSky and Substack.
Bryan Young
What inspired you to become a writer, and how did you find your unique voice as an author?
Deep down, I think I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but the thing that made me want to be a storyteller first was Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Which sounds absurd on the surface, but for those who weren’t around when that movie came out, they might not understand what a seismic shift it was. I was eight or so when it hit, and this was a big deal. This wasn’t just the first time ever that all our favorite cartoon characters were coming together; they were also going to interact with live-action actors.
There was such a big to-do about this; there were constant behind-the-scenes documentaries running on television, and I recorded them to VHS tapes. When I saw the movie in the theater, I was completely floored. I went to school, immediately told my friends about it, and, one by one, convinced them they needed to see the film. Not only did I convince them that they needed to see it, but I also convinced them that their family needed to take me along. I must have seen the film between eight and twelve times this way—a first for me.
I was obsessed with understanding why this story was so good. Between that and learning how it was made, and really understanding that there were people who made stories, I knew that telling stories, regardless of medium, was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I started writing my own at that point. As soon as I got my hands on a camera, I was making movies. I was scribbling stories down constantly. Star Wars and all its behind-the-scenes documentaries opened up a much larger world for me. Being extremely autodidactic from such a young age, I hyper-focused on how stories were told across any media that interested me. That’s how I found my voice as a writer, too. I hyper-focused on learning to tell stories. The only way to develop a unique voice as a writer is to write a lot. And I wrote a lot. My voice followed.
What’s the most unusual or unexpected place you’ve found inspiration for a story, and how did it shape your writing?
I think it’s more unusual and unexpected not to find inspiration for a story, to be honest. Every experience we have, every step we take into a new or strange place, informs something about how we perceive the world and will eventually find its way into a story. Whether I’m diving down a rabbit hole of research or find myself walking down the streets of a new city on the other side of the world, every experience and bit of knowledge is something I have to be open to in order to be a writer. That’s our job as storytellers. We have to be open to those inspirations in order to communicate the nature of the world to others. Right?
Sometimes, those things are found in something as small as the way the person across from you holds their hands when they’re talking. Or the way they won’t quite make eye contact with you, but instead look at your mouth when you talk, as though they’re too timid to look you right in the eye.
Sometimes it’s the experience of walking through the Akihabara district in Tokyo on a brisk spring evening and taking in the sights, sounds, and smells, and doing your best to tell the woman who speaks no English, trying to lure you into the Maid Cafe, that you aren’t interested.
If you could switch genres for a day, which genre would you choose to write in, and what kind of story would you create?
I think writers should switch genres often. I think they should read widely and write widely. I do this a lot, actually. Any genre I’m interested in, I’ll dabble in with short stories.
Writers who aren’t doing this are really robbing themselves of a chance to level up and try new things. Don’t limit yourself to one little corner or box!
What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to get published in today’s evolving literary landscape?
Write a lot and write what you want to read! Don’t worry about chasing trends or the market. Just write the best stories you can that you want to read. Write to your unique and particular tastes. If people want to publish them, great. All the better. Chasing the market is a path to madness. Ray Bradbury wrote a short story a week for a decade before he felt he had one worth selling, and he said that was because he’d finally gotten over the imitations he was trying to write and was able to find his voice and write something original. So that’s the other thing.
Write a lot for a long time, and remember that every overnight success is something like ten years in the making. That’s not to say don’t try to get published, but understand that you most likely won’t have the level of success you want overnight.
To learn more about Bryan, visit his website.
Khaldoun Khelil
What inspired you to become a writer, and how did you find your unique voice as an author?
I’ve been writing since middle school. My classmates and I used to pass around our short stories, either printed from a computer or more often typed on a typewriter. These documents would make the rounds, and people would write sequels or their own spin on the story. They were usually comical, surreal, and a lot of fun. In high school, I joined the literary magazine as a writer and artist, and from there, I just never stopped.
If you could switch genres for a day, which genre would you choose to write in, and what kind of story would you create?
I’d love to write more romance and interpersonal stories. Most of my work has been in horror and political intrigue. So writing about people driven by more human desires would be a real stretch for me.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to get published in today’s evolving literary landscape?
Create your own worlds. Unfortunately, our business is difficult for anyone most comfortable writing in established worlds and ‘brands.’ While everyone usually gets their start writing fan fiction or for IPs owned by others, the sooner you can break away from that and establish your own setting and worlds, the better off you’ll be in the long run.
Follow Khaldoun on Instagram at instagram.com/tru_moon, and join his Patreon at patreon.com/truemoon.