Con Report | Forbeck.com

My Gen Con Schedule

Jul 082011

Gen Con is coming at us light a freight train charging through a hot summer night. It’s my favorite show of the year, and I’ve once again been named an Industry Insider Guest of Honor. I’m also taking part in the Writer’s Symposium, helping present the latest news on the InSpectres film on Friday evening, and sitting down for a signing on Saturday.

This will be my 30th Gen Con in a row, and my birthday falls on the show’s first day. My wife and kids will join me for at least part of the show. That gives me lots of reasons to celebrate, and I hope you’ll join me for as much of that as you can.

Join Me at the ENnies Cocktail Hour

Con Report No Responses »

Jul 052011

To help support the ENnies — the premiere tabletop roleplaying game awards — I’ve agreed to let them auction off the chance to have a drink or three with me before the ENnies Awards ceremony at Gen Con this year. This is Friday, August 5th, at 5:30pm in the 500 Ballroom. I have an event later in the evening, so I can’t stick around for the entire ceremony, but I’d be happy to chat with you right up until the moment I have to leave.

To help sweeten the pot, I’ll bring the winner copies of Amortals, Vegas Knights, and Star Wars vs. Star Trek, and I’ll sign/personalize them as requested. All proceeds go toward supporting the ENnies and their ongoing mission to recognize the best efforts and achievements in RPGs. The auction lists my condition as “new,” which is more generous than I’d be, but at least the books will be pristine.

So, place a bid, and hopefully I’ll see you at Gen Con!

Carnage & Consequences Open for Orders

Con Report No Responses »

Jun 272011

For the second year in a row, the Gen Con Writer’s Symposium authors have assembled an anthology of short stories in time for release at Gen Con Indy. Marc Tassin did all the heavy lifting (and an excellent job) as the editor this year, and Steve Sullivan published the book through his Walkabout Publishing. This year’s volume is called Carnage & Consequences, and it features stories from Anton Strout, Michael A. Stackpole, Jean Rabe, Donald J. Bingle, Linda P. Baker, Kelly Swails, Wes Nicholson, Maurice Broaddus, Jennifer Brozek, Dylan Birtolo, and Mary Louise Eklund, plus Marc, Steve, and even me.

My story, “Goblintown Justice,” is the second set in my Shotguns & Sorcery world. It’ll come out before the first one I wrote, “Friends Like These,” which is slated to appear in The New Hero II, edited by Robin Laws for the new Stone Skin Press. Knowing that, though, I set them up so you can read them in any order.

Marc liked “Goblintown Justice” so much that he grabbed a slice of it for the teaser page for the anthology. Orders for the book are now open and should arrive in time for Gen Con. Savvy readers heading for the show might see this as an excellent opportunity to get a copy signed by loads of the book’s authors. And they’d be right.

To whet your appetite, here’s that excerpt Marc picked for the book:

Bid and Vote on ENnies Dream Dates

Con Report 1 Response »

Jun 142011

Once again, the ENnies (the biggest tabletop RPG awards around) will have a cocktail hour and award ceremony at Gen Con this August. As part of that, they’ve asked a number of industry folks to help raise money by auctioning off an arrangement to hang out with them during the big ballyhoo. The list this year includes Paizo, White Wolf, the 2011 ENnies Judges, Ed Healy/Rone Barton (Atomic Array), Erik Bauer (Gaming Paper), Evil Hat Productions, Hero Games, Monte Cook, Owen K.C. Stephens, Sean Fannon (DTRPG), Stan!, and me—even though I’m only able to commit to the cocktail hour due to conflicting plans later in the evening.

The auctions for Paizo and White Wolf are already up on eBay. For the rest of us, the ENnies are running a poll to see whose time should be put up for bid next. Go check it out and vote for me or whoever else you’d like to see on the block next. We’ll all get there sooner or later, have some fun, and raise some money to help keep the ENnies running.

[Edited to add:] I don’t recall if I ever publicly thanked Ben McFarland for his winning bid last year. We had a great chat at the ENnies about his burgeoning work as an RPG writer (check out Streets of Zobeck, for instance), but that was just part of a series of talks throughout the weekend, starting at the Diana Jones Award ceremony. Thanks, Ben!

Heading for WisCon

Con Report No Responses »

May 262011

I’m heading up to WisCon in Madison this weekend to take part in, as they bill it, the world’s leading feminist science-fiction convention, which has expanded over the years to include discussions on gender, race, and class. I’m scheduled for one panel at 1 PM on Saturday: “Shakespeare Got to Get Paid, Son.” My fellow panelists (Shannon Prickett, Shana Cohen, Alexandra Erin, and Kathryn Sullivan) and I will talk about the changing landscape of professional writing and how to make a living while weathering it.

Other than that, I plan to wander around, meet people, catch up with old friends, and have a great time. I’ll definitely check into the Tor party on Saturday night, to do many of those exact same things, but in a single suite. If you’re in the area, I hope to see you there!

Gen Con Registration Opens May 1

Con Report No Responses »

Apr 252011

Registration for Gen Con opens this Sunday, May 1, at noon Eastern time. I’ll be a guest of honor there again, helping out with a raft of Industry Insider panels, which have yet to be scheduled. However, I’ve also signed on with the Writers’ Symposium, which has a full slate of events already set up.

I’m scheduled for four Writers’ Symposium panels. They are:

August 4

2:00 pm: Roleplaying Games Make Better Writers

3:00 pm: Writing RPG Short Stories and Novels

August 5

3:00 pm: Swords and Sorcery

4:00 pm: Pick Our Brains: Matt Forbeck, Tobias Buckell, Wes Nicholson

If you’ll be at the show, come on out and join us! Hope to see you there.

Comings and Goings

Con Report 1 Response »

Mar 132011

I’m sad to report that I won’t be able to make it to C2E2 this week, nor will I be at Gary Con or 3Con as planned. While I had looked forward to coming out to those shows, I instead accepted a gig writing a computer game that’s going to take me to Singapore for a couple weeks. If you were planning to meet up with me at any of those conventions, I do hope you understand.

To help make up for that, I have added Odyssey Con to my slate of shows. It runs April 8–11, and I’ll be there for at least that Saturday and maybe more. I’m also going to attend my friend Brad Beaulieu‘s release party for his brand-new novel The Winds of Khalakovo at the Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee on April 23. That’s the date of Shakespeare’s birth and death, so here’s hoping the Bard is out watching over Brad for that celebration.

Hope to see you on the road!

The Gen Con Writers’ Symposium

Con Report 5 Responses »

Jan 242011

The Gen Con Writers’ Symposium just launched a spanking-new website for this year’s events. I’ll be taking part in it again this year, helping out with four slots. Tossing this on top of my guest of honor seminars and my other duties/events makes for a busy Gen Con weekend, but that’s how I love it.

My Gen Con Writers’ Symposium schedule.

August 4

2 PM: Roleplaying Games Make Better Writers

3PM: Writing RPG Short Stories and Novels

August 5

3 PM: Swords and Sorcery

4 PM: Pick Our Brains: Matt Forbeck and Tobias Buckell

I hope to see you there!

World Fantasy 2010 Report

Amortals, Con Report, Vegas Knights No Responses »

Nov 022010

I had a wonderful time at the World Fantasy Convention (WFC) this weekend. It’s a traveling show, roaming from city to city each year, and this time it landed in Columbus, Ohio. I went to the University of Michigan, so I’m likely to be biased against Columbus, as it’s the home of our rivals at Ohio State. However, I’ve been there many times for the Origins Game Fair and loved it.

Guest of 3Con

Con Report No Responses »

Oct 282010

This year, the World Fantasy Convention (which starts tomorrow!) marks the end of the 2010 convention season for me. After that, I’m going to burrow into my den and write, write, write for months on end. I’m already making plans for when spring comes back around though.

For instance, the fine folks at the brand-spanking-new new Three Rivers Game Convention — better known as 3Con — have made me a guest of honor at their inaugural show. That puts me in excellent company with Marc Miller, Skip Williams, Jeff Siadek, Andy Hopp, and Dan the Bard.

If you’ll be anywhere near Fort Wayne, Indiana, on April 1–2, 2011, be sure to join us!