Conflux 8 - PreCon Workshops
Today I got to attend a full day of workshops and learn more about the writing craft. Speakers included Nicole Murphy, Rik Lagarto and Alan Baxter and Ian McHugh, whose sessions I attended, and Gillian Polack, Jack Dann and Dawn Meredith whose sessions I couldn't make.
The day was not the spring day I could have hoped for, being grey and rainy, but at least I had no regrets for spending the day inside... although with these workshops, that would have been hard to do.
Backstory might include everything you know about your characters (major and minor), your world, and the history of it all, but everyone knows that writers don't include every little detail in the stories their readers see. Nicole gave tips on working out the backstory as you wrote, on how to pick out the bits of backstory that needed to be included in a story for a reader to make sense of it, and finally on the different techniques that a writer could use to incorporate backstory into the current tale.
It wasn't all chalk and talk. Actually, it was hardly chalk and talk. We were given time to try out the backstory mapping technique, and then an opportunity to try different ways of writing backstory into our prose. If we felt comfortable, we could then read out our pieces and Nicole was generous enough to give us feedback and point out what we had done well or not so well. It was a wonderful and well worth going to.
Two hours were just not enough.
The workshop was pitched at a level suitable for those of us with no idea of how the world of words worked in the game industry, as well as for those who were undertaking courses designed to train them for that industry. It was well-structured and Rik was flexible enough to allow his focus to be guided by student interest, while still managing to stay on track.
In the two and a half hours assigned to him, Rik managed to convey an understanding of the way design teams worked, the current state of the industry in Australia, explain the role of (and difference between) a narrative designer and a writer and explain how the different story elements and how they were delivered in a game.
This was not all chalk and talk, either. We had two activities where we were able to apply some of the principles we'd been taught and Rik very kindly gave us honest feedback on each one. I walked away with a better appreciation of the collaborative nature and balancing act that goes into making a game story 'work', as well as an idea of some of the techniques that help that happen.
Again, two and a half hours just weren't enough and time flew. I am looking forward to doing more of this kind of course in future, but in a more extended form.
In spite of the title, I didn't expect that real and actual fight scenes would form a strong focus for this workshop - it simply wasn't that clear in the descriptions I had seen. I knew I'd be learning about story detail, but didn't think much beyond applying this to scene or character, something similar to backstory, but very different, too. This workshop was so much more.
It started with a simple observation activity, and made us aware of the different senses we could use to describe the elements of any scene, and then had us looking at how we would use the same scene elements in different kinds of story. Both activities were useful in making us aware of detail and how it could not only affect story, but how the same elements could be used in different ways.
We learned about earning the reader's trust through detail why this was important, and how it could affect our readership... and then we learned about the fighting. This was an excellent workshop for anyone writing a fight scene. The principles and elements taught are applicable regardless if it's a major sword fight, fist fight, bar fight or domestic. It made us think about things that I, as someone who has no experience in any kind of fighting, would normally consider when writing these scenes and, coupled to the activities and practical demonstrations that went with the theory is bound to improve how I write them in future.
This was another densely packed workshop that I enjoyed greatly and learned a lot from. Like the rest, I would have loved for it to be longer, but real life intrudes.
I had a wonderful day, and it's something I'd recommend.
I can't wait to see what the rest of the con will bring.
The day was not the spring day I could have hoped for, being grey and rainy, but at least I had no regrets for spending the day inside... although with these workshops, that would have been hard to do.
Session 1: Writing Backstory
The day started with Nicole Murphy's workshop on Writing Backstory, which ran from 0900 to 1100. I have to admit, I didn't really know what to expect when I went into this workshop. I had half an idea that it would be about how to write backstory that I could then draw from for my stories, but it was so much more than that.Backstory might include everything you know about your characters (major and minor), your world, and the history of it all, but everyone knows that writers don't include every little detail in the stories their readers see. Nicole gave tips on working out the backstory as you wrote, on how to pick out the bits of backstory that needed to be included in a story for a reader to make sense of it, and finally on the different techniques that a writer could use to incorporate backstory into the current tale.
It wasn't all chalk and talk. Actually, it was hardly chalk and talk. We were given time to try out the backstory mapping technique, and then an opportunity to try different ways of writing backstory into our prose. If we felt comfortable, we could then read out our pieces and Nicole was generous enough to give us feedback and point out what we had done well or not so well. It was a wonderful and well worth going to.
Two hours were just not enough.
Session 2: Intro to Writing Games
At 11:00 I headed across the Gorman House quadrangle for Rik Lagarto's Intro to Writing Games. I didn't know what to expect from this one either, but I was kind of hoping for an overview to the whole writing for computer games industry thing and oh wow! This was the most in-depth overview I have ever had. No industry secrets, though, just an honest introduction to how the industry works, the terms, an explanation of different kinds of games, the two main 'writing roles', and story techniques and pitfalls from someone who has worked in the industry.The workshop was pitched at a level suitable for those of us with no idea of how the world of words worked in the game industry, as well as for those who were undertaking courses designed to train them for that industry. It was well-structured and Rik was flexible enough to allow his focus to be guided by student interest, while still managing to stay on track.
In the two and a half hours assigned to him, Rik managed to convey an understanding of the way design teams worked, the current state of the industry in Australia, explain the role of (and difference between) a narrative designer and a writer and explain how the different story elements and how they were delivered in a game.
This was not all chalk and talk, either. We had two activities where we were able to apply some of the principles we'd been taught and Rik very kindly gave us honest feedback on each one. I walked away with a better appreciation of the collaborative nature and balancing act that goes into making a game story 'work', as well as an idea of some of the techniques that help that happen.
Again, two and a half hours just weren't enough and time flew. I am looking forward to doing more of this kind of course in future, but in a more extended form.
Session 3: Fighting the Details
At 14:00 (2 pm) the final workshop of the day started. This one was Alan Baxter's and Ian McHugh's Fighting the Details. How can I describe this course? Like the other two I had the privilege to participate in, it was well-structured, well-thought-out and a good balance between activity, feedback and good, practical theory.In spite of the title, I didn't expect that real and actual fight scenes would form a strong focus for this workshop - it simply wasn't that clear in the descriptions I had seen. I knew I'd be learning about story detail, but didn't think much beyond applying this to scene or character, something similar to backstory, but very different, too. This workshop was so much more.
It started with a simple observation activity, and made us aware of the different senses we could use to describe the elements of any scene, and then had us looking at how we would use the same scene elements in different kinds of story. Both activities were useful in making us aware of detail and how it could not only affect story, but how the same elements could be used in different ways.
We learned about earning the reader's trust through detail why this was important, and how it could affect our readership... and then we learned about the fighting. This was an excellent workshop for anyone writing a fight scene. The principles and elements taught are applicable regardless if it's a major sword fight, fist fight, bar fight or domestic. It made us think about things that I, as someone who has no experience in any kind of fighting, would normally consider when writing these scenes and, coupled to the activities and practical demonstrations that went with the theory is bound to improve how I write them in future.
This was another densely packed workshop that I enjoyed greatly and learned a lot from. Like the rest, I would have loved for it to be longer, but real life intrudes.
Just the Beginning
So, it is with a sense of gratitude that I want to thank the Conflux 8 organisers and the presenters of all the workshops.I had a wonderful day, and it's something I'd recommend.
I can't wait to see what the rest of the con will bring.
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