#GenCon

Hi, friends and beans! For those of you who don't know me, my name is Haly, I am the Moonlight Bard, and the wheel of my year revolves around GenCon. Every year, I run events suited to my other interests: fiber arts (yarn dyeing), and board games.

Last year, two very good friends traveled all the way from Greece to attend GenCon. They had a busy schedule of meetings, and made the time for ONE event that was advertised as a world-building event. After the convention, they expressed to me how disappointed they were that it turned out to be just a sales pitch for the host's new book, and gave them no actual information about world-building. (Pro tip: free events at GenCon are ALWAYS sales pitches.)

After our conversation, when I reviewed the 2023 event catalog, I myself was shocked to see that there was no real world-building content! After all, this is the foundation of engaging board games, compelling table-top adventures, novels, comics, even our favorite songs. How could GenCon, a world-famous gaming convention fail to have something so critical to their audience?! I immediately decided to create a value-packed class dedicated entirely to world-building.

It took about 30 seconds of creative thinking to come up with the idea of making a world-building class based on a Tarot deck. This was based on last year's most popular GenCon shirt design: a Tarot card called "THE GAMER" and numbered MMXXIII. (I'm wearing it as I type this.) I have since invested about 200 hours of work in designing a 4-hour class, and it's accompanying workbook, from scratch (and Canva clipart). I have invested hundreds of dollars in supplies, including a copy of the Dungeons & Dragons Tarot Deck for each available ticket. (This is D&D's 50th anniversary, and we're all on the bandwagon!) I've even built in time for light "stars and wishes" feedback for anyone who wants it (everybody gets one, if they choose to use it)

This class is going to be incredible.

Remember right above where I said that it's D&D's 50th anniversary? Well, the demand for space for long-running events is higher than usual. Couple this with the lack of automatic space for world-building content (otherwise known as a content track), it has taken them an exceedingly long time to actually add my event to the catalog. For reference: the event catalog went live on May 8th, and ticket sales went live 2 weeks later; my other three events sold 75% of their tickets in the first hour of sales being live -- the traditional "opening day rush."

As I write this, GenCon is only 50 days away, and I have sold 0/25 available tickets. Because the class only went live in the event catalog today. TODAY!!!

Step 1: Help me spread the news!! Do you have friends, family, co-workers, or really anyone that you know who is going to GenCon AND interested in world-building? Or are they just interested in a cool new Tarot deck that was cleansed in the total umbra of the April 8th eclipse? Then tell them about my World-building Through the Tarot class at GenCon!

Step 2: On Saturday, June 22, I'm going to teach the World-building Through the Tarot class, LIVE on Twitch at 2:00 pm Eastern. So tune in, and give me feedback as I develop the instructor script for this class. Follow now and leave notifications ON so you don't miss it! (Unfortunately, you'll have to bring your own Tarot deck.)

You see, we are a part of the army of volunteers that make the convention happen. All those fun events, classes, board games, panels, and shows? 99% of that content is done by regular people who just love doing it. People like me, my husband, my kids, and many of our other friends and family!

But it takes a lot of time and a good deal of commitment to make it all happen! There are hundreds of thousands of scheduled events over "the best four days in gaming" and it takes time for GenCon to map all of that out.

And that's why, in early November every year, I reach out for people who are interested in joining the army of volunteers! If you've always wanted to experience GenCon -- THE premiere board and table-top gaming experience -- but are put off by the price of attending and the price of a hotel, then I'm here to help!!!

Of course there are terms and conditions involved (minimum content requirements), but they're easy and fun and probably why you're there anyway: you have to teach people how to play your favorite games!!!

Look, I know you've got questions and you want more information, so I've put together a page on my website. Go have a look and then reach out via email or Discord and let's have a chat!

Based on his wonderful popularity, I think that Victor the Vermin will be the new featured artwork on my Patreon merch at the Full Moon level. Right now, I'm planning to have a new Victor piece with the same "Eat the Rich, Devour the Truth" slogan, exclusively for stickers, mugs, tees, and hoodies. (Currently, all of my Patreon and Ko-fi support is going toward upgrading my WA membership.)

Co-work with me at Twitch.tv/MoonlightBard every weekday (Monday through Friday) from 4-6 pm Eastern. Together, we'll accomplish those big tasks in small bites! We normally work in 20-minute intervals, then we have a planned break to stretch-empty-refill, then play a game for a few minutes before going back to work. It's a play on the oft-used pomodoro technique. I find it to be a great way go get through (most of) my ADD struggles and actually get things done!

So, bring your world-building, your writing, your fiberwork, your homework, your term paper, your laundry, or those veggies you need to prep, and let's make some progress, 20 minutes at a time!

Just like you, I'm more than my World Anvil. (Though, it is a big part of me!) So if you enjoy what I give you here, there's so very much more waiting for you in my "What's Good?" Newsletter!! If you enjoy things like board games, recipes, my great photos, interesting tidbits about words (such as a list of 20 amazing collective nouns for animals), and occasionally knowing where I'll be making convention and event appearences, then head to MoonlightBard.com and sign up now! (You should get a pop-up, but if not, then there is a simple form at the bottom of the home page!)