This year it’s virtual!
What does that mean?
L. Palmer’s Panels (all are Mountain Time)
If you want to see me in action, here is my schedule!
Thursday, February 11 – 4 PM: Playtesting Board Games
Room: Gary Gygax
Co-Panelists: Daniel R. Yocom; Skye Larsen; Justin T. Call;
Playtesting board games is a very important step in the development process. Getting good feedback is vital to ensure the playtest is effective in improving your game. What is the best way to ensure that the communications with your play testers are worthwhile?
Friday, February 12 – 10 AM: Mashing Ideas Together
Room: CS Lewis
Co-Panelists: C Rae D’Arc (M); Max Florschutz; Donna Milakovic; Charlie Pulsipher; Russell Nohelty
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Wagontrain to the Stars. Mashups are everything.
Friday, February 12 – 1 PM: Writing and Editing Software: Scrivener vs. Ulysses vs. Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs and More
Room: Anne McCaffrey
Co-Panelists: John M. Olsen; Chris Jones; Christopher Husberg
A review of the latest writing tools, apps, and websites.
Friday, February 12 – 3 PM: So Let it be Written: Contract Law and Society
Room: JRR Tolkien
Co-Panelists: Stanley Wheeler (M); Kristy S. Gilbert; Kenny Baldwin; J. Anne Campanile
Since Babylonian times, contracts have been an important tool for enforcing agreements between parties; a tool so powerful, that it’s even used as the basis for magic systems and computer languages. How did contract law come to be, and how does it continue to influence societies?
Friday, February 12 – 6 PM: Toiling in Obscurity (The Ten-Year Overnight Success)
Room: Mary Shelley
Co-Panelists: Peter Orullian (M); Megan Lloyd; Jared Garrett; Amy Michelle Carpenter; Emily Martha Sorensen; Stephen Gashler
Having talent isn’t enough. As an emerging creator, you must learn how to develop a “marketable” portfolio, make professional contacts, and market your work to make it pay.
Friday, February 12 – 7 PM: Editing Poetry
Room: Anne McCaffrey
Co-Panelists: M. Todd Gallowglas; Michael D. Young; Daniel Cureton
Poetry, like all writing, can benefit from feedback, but would you edit it like you would a novel? Come learn and practice the basics of editing poetry.
Saturday, February 13 – 9 AM: Conflict, Tension, and Opposition: The String That Keeps the Kite Flying
Room: Mary Shelley
Co-Panelists: Lani Forbes (M); Amy White
Every hero needs strong opponents (whether human, natural, or mechanical) as a source of challenge and testing. Discuss how opposition differs in written and visual fiction.
Saturday, February 13 – 11 AM: Dangerous “Child’s Play” in Successful Movies
Room: Mary Shelley
Co-Panelists: Jared Garrett (M); Blake Casselman; Allie May; Morgan Steinagel
Why do the war games in Maze Runner, Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and such have so much appeal? How can putting your characters in great peril benefit your script or story?
Saturday, February 13 – 12 PM: Mother Knows Best: Structures of Matriarchal Societies
Room: JRR Tolkein
Co-Panelists: Keith Haus; Lynette White; Ariadne Kane
While many societies are organized around fathers, a few have rallied behind mothers. What are differences between matriarchies and patriarchies, besides who leads them? What are examples of historical and modern matriarchal societies? How would having a matriarchy affect gender stereotypes and roles?
Saturday, February 13 – 6 PM: What Platform Should I Build My Game For? PC, Console, VR, etc.
Room: Gary Gygax
Co-Panelists: Brennan “Talonos” Smith (M); Keith Haus; Art Scheel
Different video-game platforms have different strengths and weaknesses. You should consider these when developing your video game. What is the most efficient way to research which platform is right for your game?
Saturday, February 13 – 7 PM: Can Anyone Can Be an Artist?
Room: James Christensen
Co-Panelists: Beth Buck; Rowan North; Michaelbrent Collings
Art therapy: a calming form of self-expression manifested through the creation of art in films, books, paintings, etc. Come learn how to use art therapy in your craft and in your daily life to improve your self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and manage emotional conflicts.
Readers:
- What would you want as your fairy tale fortune?
- What ridiculous things should I say on my panels?
I’m doing an online convention that same weekend! It will definitely be a learning experience.
It will be epic and exciting.
Great — but you scared me. It looks like you have me as the moderator on the contract panel. I believe Kenny Baldwin is the moderator.
I could have copied wrong. I mostly listed the moderator so that I could remember the ones I’m the moderator for.
Hope I didn’t scare you too much!