Update 1/28/2014

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This one is a bit late, as I have been busy at work, speaking at AODSF, then getting sick.  So yeah, a bit crazy.

  • The book is in the last editing stage.  So this weekend is the last run through then I start formatting for  . . . all the different formats.  Not as easy as it sounds because no matter what, Print, PDF, Nook/ePub, and Kindle are all different.
  • Got some more cooking notes coming.  I have a new stage of my curry experiments and a new sauce.  And a side dish.  But seriously, whatever I caught at AODSF is sticking around.
  • I am now delaying my next book – whatever it is – for a quarter so I can settle a lot of other things I’m doing – crossroads Alpha, getting new writers, etc.
  • The next generator for Seventh Sanctum is delayed because of the above.  But it’s close to done.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Way With Worlds: Economics

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MoneyPile

[Way With Worlds appears at Seventh Sanctum at at MuseHack.  It focuses on worldbuilding as a writer or setting designer and is included here to help our readers who craft fictional settings]

We’ve talked origins, ecologies, and sentient life in your settings  We’ve discussed the culture that your intelligent life will have (again, if your story has intelligent life).  Now it’s time to get to economics which, much like real life has a lot of impact, but isn’t something we often think of (or think of fondly).

My guess is that upon hearing that “it’s economics time”, you’re probably not filled with enthusiasm.  If you are, great, but in general I find that, when he subject of world building and economics comes up, most people’s reactions are less than positive.  Sometimes they’re pretty negative.

Most people’s reactions to anything involving economics is usually not positive, often a mix of regret, ignorance, and understandable rage.  I could go on about the why of that for awhile, but that’s best for another time.  Let’s go forward with the assumption that, in general, you need a bit of a boost and guidance on writing economics in your world.

If you do enjoy this (like me), then read on anyway just in case, and welcome to the club.

Now let me say off the bat that if you don’t get into the economics of world building that with the right perspective it’s interesting, informative, and even fun.  I also would note that it can’t be avoided at all because, like real life, economics is everywhere.  But I’ll focus on the fun part.

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Convention Report: AOD 2014

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So it was time for me to do my usual career events at AOD – formerly AODSF but it moved to being by the San Francisco Airport, which kind of complicates the whole naming thing.

AOD is an anime con that grew into more of an animation/anime/games convention over the years, and the first one I actually did events for when I moved to the Bay Area. It’s always been well-run and very precise, with some smart placement – putting an anime-and-more con in a Japantown hotel was a stroke of brilliance, for instance.

However, AOD moved to a larger hotel as it was getting pretty large. And that’s where things get interesting.  What happens when you scale up?

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