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HomeConference Keynotes 2025

2025 Conference Keynote Speakers 

The 2025 Annual Pennwriters Conference is at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott this year from May 16-18, and here is a first look at the keynote and luncheon speakers. (More conference updates will be posted over the next few months.)

Natalie D. Richards: Friday Dinner Keynote

 
Natalie Richards

Natalie D. Richards is the author of two New York Times Bestselling novels, Five Total Strangers (2020) and Seven Dirty Secrets (2021), as well as seven additional novels. Natalie writes “page-turning thrillers'' (School Library Journal) for a Young Adult audience. Four Found Dead is Natalie's ninth YA thriller from Sourcebooks and is a bone chilling addition to her psychologically twisted work about teens locked in an abandoned movie theater.

Her first middle-grade book, 15 Secrets to Survival (Nov. 2023) has been hailed as “a teamwork-oriented update to Hatchet,” by School Library Journal and “exciting and revelatory,” by Kirkus reviews.

 

Natalie won her very first writing contest when she was in the second grade with a short story about Barbara Frances Bizzlefishes (who would not dare do the dishes). These days she writes about some awesome girls, broody boys, and all things that are creepy and dark. She spent many years applying her writing abilities to amazingly boring business documents. Fortunately, she realized that she is much better at making things up, and has written for teens ever since.

 

When she isn’t shopping a manuscript or writing, she can most likely be found wading through the huge stacks of dog-eared paperback books that have taken over her bedroom.

 

Natalie currently lives in Ohio with her three children and (very) large dog, Wookiee.



Brent Maguire : Saturday Luncheon Speaker

Brent Mcquire
Brent Maguire is a psychologist and author. On the writing side, Brent is the author of the Broken Minds Thriller series, which comprises five novels to date. The series features a clinical psychologist who collaborates with law enforcement to unravel complex crimes.

On the psychology side, Brent appreciates the intersection of psychology and writing. His focus on the mind-body relationship and tools such as mindfulness, imagery, and hypnosis has deepened his appreciation for the transformative power of words and ideas. While grammar and style serve as the foundation of writing, habits, motivation, procrastination management, and taming negative thinking and writing anxiety also shape the process.

Brent believes writers can enhance their creativity and performance by integrating mind-body and behavioral strategies into their routines, emphasizing that the writing journey is about more than just reaching "the end." It's about relishing the entire experience.