PAX Prime

Another convention? Already?

Next weekend I will be at PAX Prime. While I’m not signing books (not officially anyway), I will be on several panels with other gaming luminaries! Come check them out.

(All panels are at the TABLETOP theater)

Friday 8/31, 6-7 pm
LOVING THE ALIEN: Nonhumans in Fiction & Games

From elves to warforged, from Asari to the Covenant, a great deal of speculative fiction is shaped by the presence of nonhuman cultures. But how does a writer create a compelling and believable nonhuman character? How do you create a civilization around an entirely different species, and what draws readers and players to these characters? Join Erin Evans (Brimstone Angels, The God Catcher), David Noonan (lead writer of TERA and a host of RPG products), and Keith Baker (creator of the Eberron campaign setting and writer/designer on a range of MMORPGs and computer games) as they discuss the issues they’ve faced as they’ve created novels, RPGs, and MMORPGs.

Saturday 9/1, 2PM
Making Magic Work: Designing Magic Systems for Games and Books

Saturday 9/1, 8pm
How to Craft a Damn Good Fight Scene for Games and Books

A hallmark of the fantasy tradition, nothing gets your pulse pounding like a good fight scene. It’s better than coffee in the morning, and worse than a Red Bull at night—especially if you’re trying to get to sleep sometime before dawn. And yet, despite their frequency, there’s nothing harder to write. Take your fight scenes to the next level with expert advice from Amazon columnist Susan J. Morris of “Writers Don’t Cry” and special guests award-winning game designer and author Bruce R. Cordell, and author and game designer Erik Scott de Bie.

Sunday 9/2, 4 pm
Sympathy for the Devil: Creating Killer Villains for Games and Books

Fascinating and devastating in their sharp suits, with their killer smiles, and their eyes that will eat you alive, villains are strong, smart, and motivated. They have that lean and hungry look. They stand alone. And say what you like about villains, but they know what they want. And that confidence is sexy.

Without the villain, there is no story. Without the villain, the heroes aren’t heroic. And without the villain, things are a lot less interesting. What is Star Wars without Darth Vader? Who is Harry Potter without Voldemort? Kick your game or book up a notch and learn the secrets behind creating killer villains with Amazon columnist Susan J. Morris of “Writers Don’t Cry” and special guests New York Times best-selling author Philip Athans and author Erin M. Evans.