Intersession idea 9-23-04
Sep. 23rd, 2004 10:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kilroyOkay, I want to do an intersession. Libby and I had some long chats about this, and I want some advice from the peanut gallery on how to make this good, and how to make it work.
Goals: To build a universe, to tell a bunch of stories in it, to get people comfortable doing both those activities, and help them improve their skills in both arenas. Possibly with a side of roleplaying.
Current proposed structure: Two sessions, independent but connected. Students are highly encouraged to do both, but not required to. Linked by a public webspace with easy-to-update, interlinkable pages.
Session I: Building (afternoon, almost certainly in a computer lab)
Basically, this is the group that makes the world. We start from the ground up, decide what kind of setting we want, and then start building all the details over the course of the week: from magic and physics, to culture, mythology, and history. Emphasis on having a believable world where all the various bits fit together. Genre and size undetermined; basic rules of conduct and decision-making covered on the first day. Justification here is primarily an ecological and social-studies one: we want to build a setting and the various societies that inhabit it.
Session II: Telling Stories (evening, probably not in a lab)
These people take the world built in Session I and they start telling stories in it. Everyone's required to build at least one character to specifications (their character, so to speak), with stories and/or detailed history. They're also allowed to change the world via their characters actions to a point, but they can't alter established history and this isn't the point. People are encouraged to tell stories with other people, whether they're using their personal characters or not; the point of the session is to have basically a short-story collection (or skeleton for one) set in the universe by the end of the week. Emphasis is on collaboration and storytelling here-- ok, we have this universe, now what can we do with it? Obviously this end is more of an English bent. Roleplaying would go here, and will be encouraged (and possibly exampled), but not required.
Thoughts? This is hella ambitious, and I'd need help for the second session. Is this workable? If not, how could it be?
Goals: To build a universe, to tell a bunch of stories in it, to get people comfortable doing both those activities, and help them improve their skills in both arenas. Possibly with a side of roleplaying.
Current proposed structure: Two sessions, independent but connected. Students are highly encouraged to do both, but not required to. Linked by a public webspace with easy-to-update, interlinkable pages.
Session I: Building (afternoon, almost certainly in a computer lab)
Basically, this is the group that makes the world. We start from the ground up, decide what kind of setting we want, and then start building all the details over the course of the week: from magic and physics, to culture, mythology, and history. Emphasis on having a believable world where all the various bits fit together. Genre and size undetermined; basic rules of conduct and decision-making covered on the first day. Justification here is primarily an ecological and social-studies one: we want to build a setting and the various societies that inhabit it.
Session II: Telling Stories (evening, probably not in a lab)
These people take the world built in Session I and they start telling stories in it. Everyone's required to build at least one character to specifications (their character, so to speak), with stories and/or detailed history. They're also allowed to change the world via their characters actions to a point, but they can't alter established history and this isn't the point. People are encouraged to tell stories with other people, whether they're using their personal characters or not; the point of the session is to have basically a short-story collection (or skeleton for one) set in the universe by the end of the week. Emphasis is on collaboration and storytelling here-- ok, we have this universe, now what can we do with it? Obviously this end is more of an English bent. Roleplaying would go here, and will be encouraged (and possibly exampled), but not required.
Thoughts? This is hella ambitious, and I'd need help for the second session. Is this workable? If not, how could it be?