Beyond Battles: Overlooked History for World-Builders
Summary:
This interactive seminar explores ways you can enrich your games & fiction by riffing on historical events that other world-builders overlook.
Description:
We will look at the interplay between rulers and religious authority from ancient Egypt to the Protestant Reformation; dynastic thinking such as Charlemagne's succession and the union of Aragon and Castille; and how a population boom led to the founding of a real thieves' guild in Renaissance London. The emphasis is on western Europe with examples from other world cultures. The audience is encouraged to ask questions and offer comments.
Beyond Cloaks, Corsets, and High Heels: Clothing in Spec Fic
Summary:
What do historical fantasy, space opera, and dystopian fiction have in common? Characters that are dresssed appropriately for their setting! Dylan Birtolo, Maurice Broaddus, Robyn Bennis
Come meet Team Restoration, pepper us with questions about our games, bribe us to bring back that game you love, & ask about [REDACTED] that we just announced at Gen Con.
This class with Sandra Tayler discusses the cognitive loops and habit patterns that can prevent a person from writing.
Description:
This class with Sandra Tayler discusses the cognitive loops and habit patterns that can prevent a person from writing. After identifying causes, the class will also discuss how to get around the trouble and get back to writing.
Fictional worlds often include languages to make their setting more believable. This seminar from Daniel Myers will help you create your own language, suitable for adding color to a game or novel.
Learn how to build your own basic shoulder puppet. Andy Swisher will cover design, construction & manipulation of a shoulder companion.
Description:
Shoulder puppets have been a staple in Ren Fairs for many years now. But have you ever wondered how they work? How they move & come to life, just like magic? Well in this seminar you will learn how to build your very own from start to finish. It will cover designing, constructing, & manipulation of the puppet. Materials will be discussed as well as shown during this class. By the end you'll walk away with the knowledge you need to make a basic shoulder companion who can attend GenCon with you for years to come.
By the Numbers - Breaking Down the Financials of a Writing Career
Summary:
Successful authors are also small business owners. In this class from Maxwell Drake you will learn how to best navigate the world of writing as a business in order to make the most of your money.
Come discuss the lands & leaders of the Forgotten Realms, the history of the setting, & what might be to come in the future, with surprise guests & secret lore to be shared among friends.
Description:
Faerûn is filled with numerous lands, each ruled in a different manner. Some are held by tyrants, and others torn from their grasp by courageous rebels. Come discuss the lands and leaders of the Forgotten Realms, the history of the setting, and what might be to come in the future, with surprise guests and secret lore to be shared among friends old and new.
Cardboard Quills 2018: A Written Reviewer Roundtable
Summary:
Come & join us for a lively moderated panel discussion with several well-established game reviewers who still daftly use the written word. Ever wonder what that's *really* like? Now's your chance!
Description:
We'll spend the hour with the help of a guest moderator covering a wide variety of topics unique to the written medium. Covering an extensive range of moderator and fan-submitted questions, you can gather some unique insight (or at least witty retorts) from several individuals who have been at the writing game it for quite some time, including: Jess Fisher (Gameosity); Ryan LaFlamme (Cardboard Republic); Jonathan Liu (Geekdad); Jonathan Wolf (islaythedragon); and Eric Yurko (What's Eric Playing?)! Come and join in for some fun Q&A conversation! At the very least, you'll get to find out what they all sound like in person.