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Wiscon Panel Notes: Build a World
Jun. 2nd, 2010 01:48 pmThe Build a World panel is not what you might think from the name. It's not a panel discussing how to build a world, oh no. It's a panel in which the panelists actually do build a world. Out of random parts. With great enthusiasm.
This is how it worked, this year at least: the panelists named categories of things you might want to figure out about your world (specifically, this time, Climate, Atmosphere, Fauna, Conflict Resolution, Flora, Geography, Religion, and, this being Wiscon, Systems of Oppression). The audience threw out suggestions for ideas for each category, ranging from the ordinary (plants are carnivorous!) to the unusual (plants produce sex pollen!) to the truly bizarre (the system of oppression is based on prime-number-related ageism!) Then each panelist picked one from each category, for a total of three per category, and then had to create a world including all of them by riffing and bouncing things off each other.
It was delightful to watch. And then, once the world was built, they (and we) created a musical set in the world!
Since I had my laptop out and was typing madly, I got drafted into being the panel secretary, to write down the notes we came up with. So here they are: the parameters, the Planet of LOLCats, and I Can Has Musical, The Musical!
(I make no promises that this is funny or interesting or even makes sense if you were not at the panel. However, if you were at the panel, here it is! And you should write fanfic about it!)
Moderator: Benjamin Rosenbaum
Panelists: Yoon Ha Lee, Derek Molata, David Levine
( yeah, so, that happened! )
(I was taking fast notes and fleshing them out later, so if I messed anything up, or if you remember anything to add, please let me know!)
(Also, since I know a number of attendees were interested in these notes, please feel free to link. ...and if anyone does write metallic multitentacled sex pollen absorptive music battle fanfic set on volcanoes, please, please, please link me to it. :D )
This is how it worked, this year at least: the panelists named categories of things you might want to figure out about your world (specifically, this time, Climate, Atmosphere, Fauna, Conflict Resolution, Flora, Geography, Religion, and, this being Wiscon, Systems of Oppression). The audience threw out suggestions for ideas for each category, ranging from the ordinary (plants are carnivorous!) to the unusual (plants produce sex pollen!) to the truly bizarre (the system of oppression is based on prime-number-related ageism!) Then each panelist picked one from each category, for a total of three per category, and then had to create a world including all of them by riffing and bouncing things off each other.
It was delightful to watch. And then, once the world was built, they (and we) created a musical set in the world!
Since I had my laptop out and was typing madly, I got drafted into being the panel secretary, to write down the notes we came up with. So here they are: the parameters, the Planet of LOLCats, and I Can Has Musical, The Musical!
(I make no promises that this is funny or interesting or even makes sense if you were not at the panel. However, if you were at the panel, here it is! And you should write fanfic about it!)
Moderator: Benjamin Rosenbaum
Panelists: Yoon Ha Lee, Derek Molata, David Levine
( yeah, so, that happened! )
(I was taking fast notes and fleshing them out later, so if I messed anything up, or if you remember anything to add, please let me know!)
(Also, since I know a number of attendees were interested in these notes, please feel free to link. ...and if anyone does write metallic multitentacled sex pollen absorptive music battle fanfic set on volcanoes, please, please, please link me to it. :D )
