I just can’t stay away from Seattle it seems! I’m a Gaming Pro Guest for Norwescon 41, March 29-April 1, 2018. Here’s where you can see me talk about stuff!
Thursday March 29
Fandom and the New Meta
3:00 – 4:00pm @ Cascade 9
Berlynn Wohl (M), Dame Ruth, Tanya DePass
Captain Kirk is a feminist. Hannibal Lecter is a Hufflepuff. Stormtroopers can hit their targets; they just don’t want to. Fan writers on social media have put forth these innovative theories about pop culture and many more. Our panelists will discuss how 21st-century fandom has dismantled the conventional wisdom about film, book, and TV franchises, and re-contextualized them in ways that are mind-blowing, inclusive, and often hilarious.
Friday March 30
How Do You Fanfic?
1:00pm – 2:00pm @ Cascade 7 & 8
Berlynn Wohl (M), Mimi Noyes, keerawa, Tanya D.
Many hurdles faced by fanfic authors are familiar to all writers: Where do you get your ideas? What, and how much, research should you do before writing? How do you keep the spark alive and write to the end? How do you find readers? In addition, fic writers face unique challenges, demands, and fears specific to the subculture. Learn tips for dealing with all these issues, and say to yourself, “I *will* write the thing!”
Qd3 Presents: Queering Your Setting
6:00pm – 7:00pm @ Cascade 5 & 6
Crystal Frasier, Tanya D (M), Kiva Maginn
Join our panelists as we explore ways and reasons to add queerness to your setting. We’ll look at different setting perspectives on queerness, at the place of queerness in differing cultures, and ways to introduce queer NPCs without resorting to tokened or othered caricatures.
Saturday March 31
Creating Inclusive Gaming Groups & Events
11:00am – 12:00pm @ Cascade 10
Donna Prior (M), Barry Wilson, Liz Courts, Tanya D.
Enjoy board games? Love the idea of painting miniatures? Want to know how to find inclusive groups for gaming? How do you create your own gaming meet-ups? Our panelists will give you tips on creating game groups, finding public game meet-ups, and enjoying gaming conventions as a newbie. Want to be a better organizer? We’ll work with you to build positivity in your current groups, find new players, and encourage their participation.
Out of Alignment: Moral Ambiguity in Gaming
12:00pm – 1:00pm @ Cascade 10
Jaym Gates (M), Amanda Hamon Kunz, Tanya D., Malcolm Sheppard
Sure, unwavering righteousness can be fun; but infallible heroes are boring—and the real world rarely breaks down into strictly good and evil. Why not make your players wrestle with moral issues? Do the ends ever justify the means? Is the enemy of your enemy your friend? Is the villain evil, or just different? What happens when your players “murder a hobo” in the world, and how do you introduce consequences?
Is Fandom More Diverse & Accepting?
2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Cascade 9
Sheye Anne Blaze (M), Gabriel de los Angeles, Tanya D., Cheryce Clayton
The idea that fandom and SF/F is more accepting and diverse is often bandied around. Is that true? How do we move beyond the oppressive tropes? And what can we do to be aware of creating a truly accepting environment? How do we build inclusive communities?
Dragon Age: A Love Story
5:00pm – 6:00pm @ Cascade 10
Tanya D. (M), Crystal Frasier, Dylan Templar, Liz Courts
How Bioware’s current three-part RPG made me fall in love with the genre again. The romances of Dragon Age are more than an online fantasy dating sim and cover a lot of moral choices in and around relationships. We’re here to beat the Darkspawn, for sure, but there is more to life than war and battle.
Blue Rose – On Stage
6:00pm – 9:00pm @ Evergreen 3 & 4
(GM) Crystal Frasier, Tanya D, Wes Schneider
A decade ago, Blue Rose shook up the RPG scene with its vision of romantic fantasy and inclusive gaming. Now the world of Aldea returns in a new edition from our spotlight publisher Green Ronin. Come and hear the Sovereign’s Finest as they protect their homeland of Aldis from threats like the shadowy Kingdom of Kern and the fanatical Theocracy of Jarzon, as well as monsters and artifacts from the cruel reign of the Sorcerer Kings. Aided by the Rhydan—their psychic animal allies—the champions of the Kingdom of the Blue Rose safeguard the light of the world against the power of Shadow.
