Publishing

Tune into live conversations with authors, editors, and literary agents sharing their journeys and expertise in the world of publishing.

Screenwriting

Watch live panels featuring screenwriters as they break down their techniques for crafting compelling scripts and navigating the entertainment industry.

Filmmaking

Discover live streaming events where directors, producers, and cinematographers discuss the creative and technical processes behind their films.
April 1, 2025

Spies, Lies, and the Secrets We Keep – Spy fiction, what is it and how do we write it?

In this 2-part event, get a a deeper understanding of what makes a novel fall into the spy fiction genre, as well as how to write stories that possess the basic elements of spy novels. The principles also apply to thriller and mystery genres.

Book Pipeline

Book Pipeline connects writers to publishers, agents, and the film industry through competitions and workshops, providing hands-on support to bridge the gap between emerging authors and the industry since 2014.

Script Pipeline

Script Pipeline connects writers with producers, agents, and managers, facilitating over $8 million in sales through competitions and ongoing industry support, helping launch major films and secure high-profile representation since 1999.

Film Pipeline

Film Pipeline connects filmmakers and writers with agencies and executives, focusing on diverse storytelling and playing an active role in developing and promoting projects, reviewing thousands of submissions annually since its launch in 2018.

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 critically acclaimed novels, including her standalone thrillers A VERY BAD THING, IT’S ONE OF US, HER DARK LIES, GOOD GIRLS LIE, TEAR ME APART, LIE TO ME, and NO ONE KNOWS; the Lt. Taylor Jackson series, beginning with ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS; the Dr. Samantha Owens series, starting with A DEEPER DARKNESS; and coauthored the "A Brit in the FBI" series with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter.

J.T. is also the EMMY® Award-winning co-host of the television series A Word on Words, now in its ninth season.

With millions of books in print, J.T.’s work has been published in 28 countries and 16 languages. Her novel THE COLD ROOM won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original. Her novels FIELD OF GRAVES and WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE were each a RITA® nominee for Best Romantic Suspense. 

She is also the author of multiple short stories, and as Joss Walker authors the urban fantasy series Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian. The first book in the series, TOMB OF THE QUEEN, won the Silver Falcion for Best Fantasy novel in 2021.

J.T. grew up in the foothills of Colorado, and moved to McLean, Virginia during high school. After graduating from Randolph-Macon Woman's College and receiving her master's degree from The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, she was a presidential appointee and worked in The White House and the Department of Commerce before moving into the private sector to work as a financial analyst and marketing director for several defense and aerospace contractors.

After moving to Nashville, J.T. became fascinated with forensics and crime, and after a deep dive into John Sandford’s Prey series, was compelled to begin writing. Over the course of her literary career, she has worked with the Metro Nashville Police Department and the FBI, as well as performing autopsies and studying survivalists.

In 2012, J.T. teamed up with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter to co-write a new FBI series. The first book, THE FINAL CUT, released in September of 2013 and hit every major bestseller list. The series continued with THE LOST KEYTHE END GAMETHE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE, and THE SIXTH DAY. The final installment, THE LAST SECOND, was published in March 2019.

J.T.’s first standalone novel, NO ONE KNOWS, a Nashville-based domestic thriller, was published in 2016 by Gallery Books. It was followed by the critically acclaimed novels LIE TO ME, TEAR ME APART, GOOD GIRLS LIE, HER DARK LIES, and IT’S ONE OF US.

She also has collaborated with Erica Spindler and Alex Kava on two anthologies: SLICES OF NIGHT and STORM SEASON.

J.T.'s interests go beyond writing books—she publishes them, too. In 2015, she founded her own independent publishing house, Two Tales Press, which features short stories and novellas, including KILLER YEAR and DEAD ENDS. Her multi-author anthology A THOUSAND DOORS: An Anthology of Many Lives released to critical acclaim in November 2018. Most recently, she began a new fantasy thriller series, Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian, under the pen name Joss Walker.

An avid oenophile, J.T. launched The Wine Vixen, a wine review website focusing on all varietals and price ranges. Though the website is on hiatus, it is still full of great wine tips, and the recipe section is active.

In 2015, J.T. became the co-host of the Nashville literary television series A Word on Words. The series was hosted by respected journalist John Seigenthaler for more than 40 years and remains a favorite among viewers. The rebooted show builds on Mr. Seigenthaler’s distinguished legacy with an exciting new version of the literary series. The show won its first EMMY® in 2017. Follow #keepreading for more updates on the show’s guests and lively literary discussions.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she enjoys fine wine, good notebooks, and quiet moments on the golf course.

Panelist of 1 Event

February 4, 2025

One-on-One with J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is not only a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, she's also an EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS, and one of the most generous professional writers in the industry. As always, our Symposium one-on-one conversations are a community event. While Jeanne Veillette Bowerman and J.T. converse, your questions will be addressed, too!

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Upcoming Events

April 1, 2025

Spies, Lies, and the Secrets We Keep – Spy fiction, what is it and how do we write it?

In this 2-part event, get a a deeper understanding of what makes a novel fall into the spy fiction genre, as well as how to write stories that possess the basic elements of spy novels. The principles also apply to thriller and mystery genres.
April 16, 2025

How to Build Pitch Decks for Development and Inspiration

Maya will walk you through the importance of this document and break down the different components needed for your deck to truly stand out from the rest. No design experience necessary—you’ll get plenty of her best tips and tricks from her many years and expertise as a graphic artist (and no, you do NOT need to use A.I. ...)

Latest Streaming

March 18, 2025

Writing for Comics

In this session with comic writer and founder of Avina Comics John Avina you will learn how to tell stories in a sequential manner, and write for not only your audience but also for an artist. John will cover panel layouts, budgeting space for dialogue and telling a character arc across one issue. The goal […]
March 11, 2025

Writing Great Dialogue

Writing believable, compelling dialogue is one of the hardest parts of constructing fictional narrative. Julia F. Green will guide you through how to create great dialogue, including hands-on exercises.
March 4, 2025

Writing Your Second Draft: Elevating Your Story

After an author types “the end” on the first draft of a novel, the real work is about to begin. You’ve heard the adage that writing is revising, and that’s largely true. The difficulty is knowing how to begin the revision process. Where do you start? How do you identify weaknesses in your first draft? Is there a right way and a wrong way to go about this? 

Symposium, presented by Pipeline Artists, is a year-round virtual conference empowering creatives with honest, no-nonsense guidance across the arts. Through seminars, industry panels, and Town Hall discussions on screenwriting, filmmaking, publishing, and career-building, Symposium offers grounded advice from working professionals to help you forge your own unique path.

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