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Venue: Washington clear filter
Thursday, June 4
 

3:00pm EDT

HU: Medusa's Children Writing Horror from the Bones of Myth and Fairy Tale
Thursday June 4, 2026 3:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
In this two-hour workshop, writers will excavate the ancient narratives found in fairy tale and myth to discover the dark truths hidden inside these familiar forms. Trace the evolution of oral storytelling to traditional tale types, utilize folkloric tools to unearth literary legacies and mythic motifs, and crack the bones of contemporary stories to expose unexpected connections in both the monstrous and the mundane. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of mythic structure, a toolkit of approaches for retelling and subversion, and a series of transformative prompts designed to lead intrepid explorers through the labyrinth and into the dark wood.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
avatar for Carina Bissett

Carina Bissett

The Storied Imaginarium

Thursday June 4, 2026 3:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Washington
 
Friday, June 5
 

9:00am EDT

HU: Understanding Tone and Word Placement in Poetry
Friday June 5, 2026 9:00am - 10:50am EDT
As a poet, words are like gold. With so many lines, or so few, a poet must understand the weight each word has on every line. The goal of this workshop is to examine word choice, tone, and rhythm by looking at both classic and modern examples from Milton to Shelley to Lovecraft to Ginsberg.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
MI

Maxwell Ian Gold

Executive Director, Horror Writers Association

Friday June 5, 2026 9:00am - 10:50am EDT
Washington

11:00am EDT

HU: The Human Touch: Outwriting AI
Friday June 5, 2026 11:00am - 12:50pm EDT
This workshop will present techniques to take your horror writing to a higher level, so readers choose your stories over those “written” by AI. Topics covered include recognizing and avoiding horror clichés, reworking familiar tropes, mining everyday life for ideas, writing with a deep point of view, and developing a distinctive writer’s voice.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
avatar for Tim Waggoner

Tim Waggoner

Tim Waggoner’s first novel came out in 2001, and since then he’s published over sixty novels and eight collections of short stories. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. He’s written tie-in fiction based on Supernatural, Conan the Barbarian... Read More →
Friday June 5, 2026 11:00am - 12:50pm EDT
Washington

1:00pm EDT

HU: Little Monsters: Writing the Unsettling Child in Horror
Friday June 5, 2026 1:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
We instinctively view children as innocent, vulnerable, and deserving of protection. Horror becomes especially disturbing when that perception collapses; this workshop explores how writers can create unsettling children in horror fiction by disrupting the psychology of innocence. Drawing on examples from literature and film, the class examines how distorted morality, emotional detachment, manipulation, and supernatural influence can transform child characters into powerful engines of horror.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
avatar for Mo Moshaty

Mo Moshaty

Writer, Lecturer, Producer and Journalist, NightTide Magazine/Mourning Manor Media
Mo Moshaty is a multi-award-winning horror writer, producer, and international lecturer whose work explores trauma, folklore, and the boundaries of fear through a diverse and inclusive lens. She is the author of Maddalena – 206 Word Stories (2022), Henry – A Quaint and Curious... Read More →
Friday June 5, 2026 1:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Washington

3:00pm EDT

HU: The Five Senses of Dread
Friday June 5, 2026 3:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
In this workshop, Bram Stoker Award-winning author Michael Arnzen takes you on a tour of the "five senses of dread" -- exploring how fear operates on your nerve endings, from the tips of your fingers all the way up to your brain. Learn how words work to paint haunting portraits of fear and generate anxiety, and how characters express their darkest fears from a whisper to a scream. Recommended for poets as well as full-length novel writers, this course will zoom in on what makes horror tick at the level of language.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
avatar for Michael Arnzen

Michael Arnzen

Director, MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at SHU

Michael Arnzen holds four Bram Stoker Awards and an International Horror Guild Award for his disturbing (and often funny) fiction, poetry and literary experiments. He has been teaching as a Professor of English in the MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University sin... Read More →
Friday June 5, 2026 3:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Washington
 
Saturday, June 6
 

9:00am EDT

HU: Terror by Design: Building Setpieces that Haunt the Reader
Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 10:50am EDT
Horror lives and dies in the scene. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to construct unforgettable horror setpieces—those iconic, slow-build moments that leave readers breathless. Using techniques drawn from classic and contemporary horror (like The Troop, The Only Good Indians, and The Cabin at the End of the World), we’ll examine how structure, detail, rhythm, and misdirection work together to craft unforgettable moments of dread.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Moderators
avatar for John Peragine

John Peragine

Ghostwriter/Author, Loste Vineyard Press

Saturday June 6, 2026 9:00am - 10:50am EDT
Washington

11:00am EDT

HU: Pitch and Sell Your Work
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:50pm EDT
The publishing world changes constantly, and writers who want to make sales and make $$ need to change with it. Luckily, that process can be fun and very rewarding! This class will show you how to prep and pitch any kind of writing, and how to start racking up the sales that will bring in cash and build your career. We’ll cover a lot of ground, including the query letter, the verbal pitch, selling short stories, pitching tips and practice, talking points, Hollywood pitches, the market, and more.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry

Author, Jonathan Maberry Productions
JONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, poet, and comic book writer. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and action, for adults, teens... Read More →
Saturday June 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:50pm EDT
Washington

1:00pm EDT

HU: The Spine of a Story: East Meets West in Structure
Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
What do you do when the well-used Western narrative structures don’t quite fit your premise? Have you ever read or watched an Asian narrative and wondered why it feels unpredictable yet satisfying? Want a glimpse at the bones that made Ryan Coogler’s film, Sinners so powerful? Join Geneve Flynn and L. E. Daniels to explore Eastern and Western storytelling conventions across structure, character focus, and narrative goals, and expand your writing toolbox. Learning outcomes include recognizing the growth of Eastern narratives in Western spaces, understanding the differences between Eastern/Western narratives, and learning Kishontenketsu: the four-act structure, the three-act structure, and the heroine’s and hero’s journey.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
avatar for Lauren Elise (L. E.) Daniels

Lauren Elise (L. E.) Daniels

Author/Editor, HWA Mental Health Committee, Brisbane Writers Workshop

avatar for Geneve Flynn

Geneve Flynn

Author, editor, poet. HWA Diverse Works Inclusion Committee

Saturday June 6, 2026 1:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Washington

3:00pm EDT

HU: Reading What You Wrote!
Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
This workshop designed for writers to create an engaging and exciting experience for their audience. Through a series of short, interactive exercises and discussions, writers will learn to build confidence, shed anxiety, be loud and proud, and pick the perfect piece for that special event. There will also be a segment on MCing a literary event. A few participants will be able to read a small passage at the end of the workshop to showcase the tools they've learned.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
avatar for Sephera Giron

Sephera Giron

Writer/screenwriter/trustee
avatar for Andrew Robertson

Andrew Robertson

Founder, Great Lakes Horror Company

Saturday June 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Washington
 
Sunday, June 7
 

11:00am EDT

HU: Vending 101; or, How to Successfully Vend at a Convention
Sunday June 7, 2026 11:00am - 12:50pm EDT
Lots of authors vend at events like conventions and expos, and lots more would like to be vendors but don't know where to start or how to do it well. This class will give attendees the tools to find events they can vend at, and what they can do to ensure they get their books in as many readers' hands as possible.

This is a separately ticketed workshop.  For more information on Horror University and registration information see: https://www.stokercon.com/horror-university
Speakers
RU

Rami Ungar

I am a novelist from Columbus, Ohio specializing in horror and dark fantasy. I have published six books and several short stories.
Sunday June 7, 2026 11:00am - 12:50pm EDT
Washington
 
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