A recent text analysis by AI found a subtle pattern in stories collected from around the world and in hundreds of languages. This supports my observation that the structures of theater, traditional and modern, from Japanese Noh plays and Chinese operas to the Hollywood 3-Act screenplay, as well as Freitag's Pyramid, and the 7-sentence fairy tale (the basis for all Pixar films) all describe the same basic pattern of rising and falling tension: the secret structure of all stories.

Be it a game, a literary world, short stories or a comic, your stories need to take place somewhere. Let’s talk about building those worlds, be them simple settings, to full on solar systems.

How do writers choose the right point of view to tell a story. How do you know if you need more than one point of view character? What special tricks can writers play, using point of view?

From science to history to magic, the world is full of source material for writers if you only know where to look. Our panel of writers, game designers and fellow travelers will discuss how they develop their background to make their creative endeavor more realistic.

A Guide to hands-off storytelling and the reasons to not be a helicopter parent to your characters. Hear from “writers” who choose to witness their stories and how their characters come to form their own adventures.This is a hybrid virtual/live panel. Virtual attendees may join here:https://zoom.us/j/95863243868?pwd=bytYNTVnUmdFN0xnVHkrNnVTNC80dz09Meeting ID: 958 6324 3868Passcode: 278020

So many competing ideas and claims fly around these days. How can an ordinary person know what to take seriously?The virtual link for this panel is:https://zoom.us/j/92947922945?pwd=WjNWV1dVa1FsNkpqaldrZjNNMjZBZz09Meeting ID: 929 4792 2945Passcode: 333392

Many good storytellers have appeared to be good writers because of their editors, and many good writers produce amazing works for the same reason. Learn about some of the things that an editor brings to your writing and why they are worth their weight in gold.This is a hybrid virtual/live panel. Virtual attendees may join here:https://zoom.us/j/98684245147?pwd=UUhoTitWRy9FQ1YrTnZGWWFNdmlmUT09Meeting ID: 986 8424 5147Passcode: 822413

Those beings that often drive your stories and games, the characters. How does one write/build a character so that it is believable and enjoyable. From the hero to the villain, the most beloved characters are those we can relate to. But what makes a character relatable?

Whether you create your world first, or the characters that inhabit it, these elements must work together. But sometimes, one or the other needs to bend to fit the other. What are some strategies for building that unity into the story you create, and what can you do to maintain that cohesion when challenges arise?The link for this virtual attended meeting is:https://zoom.us/j/92842354705?pwd=Nk5iWlhXMG5rSDRKN1U0Tkg4Vjdodz09Meeting ID: 928 4235 4705Passcode: 857413

Before we contact extraterrestrial civilizations, we can practice communicating with alien intelligences right here. Researchers are trying to create a lexicon of dolphin vocalizations in the Caribbean, elephants communicate in frequencies that humans are just learning to “see” with spectrograms and, as programmers inch their way toward a general AI, the question is if it will “think” in a way we can fathom.The link for this hybrid panel is:https://zoom.us/j/97046046082?pwd=N...

How to encourage readers to dive right into your world—without getting hung up on the details.

Isaac Asimov wrote provocative fiction about the about the role of robots in a futuristic society. His three Laws of Robotics made for fascinating reading. Time has marched on and we are on the cusp of modern automation. Are these laws still relevant? Come find out!The link for this hybrid panel is:https://zoom.us/j/94900645006?pwd=bytxY2xtd2FRQzdyMCtOTnNQU0g4dz09Meeting ID: 949 0064 5006Passcode: 667604

What can and can’t magic do in your world and why? Having consistency in the rules of your magic makes it more compelling. Draw in your readers with a more engaging and believable magic.This is a hybrid virtual/live panel. Virtual attendees may join here:https://zoom.us/j/91052452789?pwd=aGlaQUJWbkhhTG5lQmt3ZVZTMC9Qdz09Meeting ID: 910 5245 2789Passcode: 017618