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Conflux #1
Sep. 28th, 2007 10:50 pmToday was so busy I didn't draw a breath until just now.
First up was my workshop on medieval magic for writers. I had a fine time teaching - I hope the students had a fine time learning. What we all discovered very early on was that I was in Evil Gillian mode. I made an awful lot of bad jokes and stuff. Lots of stuff. We did diminish a demon, though.
My new theory for explaining world systems and magic to writers in a way that will help them write their unique visions worked well, I thought. Worth the extra work I put in to developing it. Basically, I applied some of my historiographical background to find a good way of explaining how people interact with their worlds and how they effect such interaction and how they apply those perceptions. It sounds theoretical but it wasn't. I also used it as a grounding for explaining the different things we regard as magic from the Middle Ages and how they how they can be used by writers.
Alas, I forgot to teach curses.
After the workshop was the committee/guest lunch. I had to race off for the sword workshop, but we had some cool conversation and nice food. We even had gatecrashers. Most of the gatecrashers read this blog, so I shall forbear saying anything mean to them. Besides, I've already been mean to everyone today and need to return to my nicer self. My nicer self isn't as funny, but them's the breaks.
The sword workshop was excellent. The virus symptoms made a return during it, and I was a bit off colour for much of the rest of the day, but I did my best with it.
Dinner didn't quite happen. What happened instead was a laser printer. I announced it to various people with great joy. If they didn't think I was quite insane before, then they do now.
I've said 'hi' to so many friends, but only got quality time with a few of them. I keep reminding myself that there are still 3 days of con.
I've forgotten to report something. What have I forgotten? The Great Debate (or, as Nicole, our chair and evil leader called it, the "Mass debate").
My side won. Our bribes were bigger than the other side. It helped that we had an evil henchperson. I recruited several minions during the day, but more appeared when I called for them to distribute bubble gum with tattoos. Emma called the bubblegum a weapon of mass corruption, because it's in a rocket shaped container. There's not much gum left.
We proved conclusively that bubblegum with tattoos is worth more votes than jellybabies. We also proved that Evil Overlords are more interesting than Sword-Wielding Heroes. And that an all-woman team beats a team that's 3/4 men. We proved that Cat is funny and sexy; that Liz wears high boots with much aplomb and bears a striking similarity to Jean Kitson in the manner of her public speaking; that Mark is surprisingly tolerant of people who publicly accuse him of killing toy monkeys; that Simon is is the king of humorous lists; that Michael doesn't go nearly high enough in the bribery stakes (a scant few jelly babies compared to 1 kg of bubblegum!!); that Katie is a Goth at heart.
We also proved that I'm really not a nice person. I accused the sole female member of the opposition (whose name escapes me, just as everything escapes me now that fatigue is catching up) of harbouring lecherous thoughts towards Jabba the Hutt.
First up was my workshop on medieval magic for writers. I had a fine time teaching - I hope the students had a fine time learning. What we all discovered very early on was that I was in Evil Gillian mode. I made an awful lot of bad jokes and stuff. Lots of stuff. We did diminish a demon, though.
My new theory for explaining world systems and magic to writers in a way that will help them write their unique visions worked well, I thought. Worth the extra work I put in to developing it. Basically, I applied some of my historiographical background to find a good way of explaining how people interact with their worlds and how they effect such interaction and how they apply those perceptions. It sounds theoretical but it wasn't. I also used it as a grounding for explaining the different things we regard as magic from the Middle Ages and how they how they can be used by writers.
Alas, I forgot to teach curses.
After the workshop was the committee/guest lunch. I had to race off for the sword workshop, but we had some cool conversation and nice food. We even had gatecrashers. Most of the gatecrashers read this blog, so I shall forbear saying anything mean to them. Besides, I've already been mean to everyone today and need to return to my nicer self. My nicer self isn't as funny, but them's the breaks.
The sword workshop was excellent. The virus symptoms made a return during it, and I was a bit off colour for much of the rest of the day, but I did my best with it.
Dinner didn't quite happen. What happened instead was a laser printer. I announced it to various people with great joy. If they didn't think I was quite insane before, then they do now.
I've said 'hi' to so many friends, but only got quality time with a few of them. I keep reminding myself that there are still 3 days of con.
I've forgotten to report something. What have I forgotten? The Great Debate (or, as Nicole, our chair and evil leader called it, the "Mass debate").
My side won. Our bribes were bigger than the other side. It helped that we had an evil henchperson. I recruited several minions during the day, but more appeared when I called for them to distribute bubble gum with tattoos. Emma called the bubblegum a weapon of mass corruption, because it's in a rocket shaped container. There's not much gum left.
We proved conclusively that bubblegum with tattoos is worth more votes than jellybabies. We also proved that Evil Overlords are more interesting than Sword-Wielding Heroes. And that an all-woman team beats a team that's 3/4 men. We proved that Cat is funny and sexy; that Liz wears high boots with much aplomb and bears a striking similarity to Jean Kitson in the manner of her public speaking; that Mark is surprisingly tolerant of people who publicly accuse him of killing toy monkeys; that Simon is is the king of humorous lists; that Michael doesn't go nearly high enough in the bribery stakes (a scant few jelly babies compared to 1 kg of bubblegum!!); that Katie is a Goth at heart.
We also proved that I'm really not a nice person. I accused the sole female member of the opposition (whose name escapes me, just as everything escapes me now that fatigue is catching up) of harbouring lecherous thoughts towards Jabba the Hutt.