Life, The Universe And Everything Symposium Preview

On February 13–15, 2020 I will once again be attending Life, The Universe and Everything Symposium (LTUE Website). There is always something for everyone who wants to be involved with being creative in multiple forms of communication media. This year is no exception. There are development tracks for developing skills writing books, screenplays, and theater, along with developing games, both electronic and tabletop. And if you're interested in creating art for any of these there are events for those.

This is the first major writing event I ever attending and I recommend it for people who ask me about a good place to start. It's been going since the 1980s and has great guests and teachers that know what they are doing in their fields. This year includes internationally recognized artists (Howard Lyon), writers (Kevin J. Anderson), and media artists (Megan Lloyd) along with many others. For gamers a professional game master is a guest of honor (Natasha Ence).

The symposium focuses on science fiction and fantasy, but really if there is something in the creative fields you are interested in, there are a lot of like-minded people attending.

Howard Lyon

Megan Lloyd

In past years I've had the opportunity of meeting writers who have inspired me to continue doing what I am doing. They have also challenged me to becoming more, because that is the direction I want to be go. I've also had a chance to meet with some of the people who read what I write on a regular basis. This year I will sitting on a panel with one of them. It's a wonderful experience to share time with all of them.

This year I will be on four panels dealing with gaming and writing. After the symposium I will give cover some of the information that we discuss on the panels, but there is nothing like being there and getting the information unfiltered.

As I prepare for the topics I wanted to let everyone know what is being covered and to open up the discussion a little before hand to answer questions you may have about the topic. If you have a specific question for one of the panels, please send me a note as a comment or an email. I will do my best to include the questions I get into the panel discussion.

Here are the panel titles and the short description we were given.

Natasha Ence

Kevin J. Anderson

Narrative Arcs in Board Games

While often overlooked, board games can be an effective storytelling medium. This can range from the game actively telling a story to passively telling the story through the mechanisms in the game. Learn how to unlock your game's storytelling potential.

Oaths and Honor: Expressing a Character's Code of Conduct

Every society operates according to social norms, a sense of justice, and moral codes. How do you write characters within their ethical contexts and make those contexts compelling?

Cooperative Games 10+ Years After Pandemic

Pandemic created a new type of board game with cooperative elements. How this has changed the world of board games and what does this mean today?

Dancing in the Dark: How to Get the Most Out of Playing Evil Characters

Evil characters can be fun and challenging to play but can cause both campaign and interparty issues. Are there solutions to these problems, or are they inherent in the type of play?

Again, I hope to get the chance to meet with more people who share my interests. If you are attending, please say hello. Because I still have a day job, I might not be there all day on Thursday, but I will be there on Friday and Saturday. Because of the schedule of being a panelist and other courses I don't spend much time in the game room. But it is awe inspiring to game with someone who has their work published internationally. I have also had the chance to playtest some great games.

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