A Young Wizards Convention

[mysss]

First off, I don't know if this is in the right place in Chatter II.

That said, I've browsed the hits on "convention" a bit (for example:

[Posted by Cress 10 July 2005 04:51 PM]I think it would be cool to have a kind of YW convention thing in twenty years where we would all actually get to see eachother. But all together so that if there was a creepy phsyco stalker they wouldn't be able to do anything. Unless you're ALL creepy phsyco stalkers. *Glances around shiftily*

)
and there doesn't seem to be a topic devoted to one. It does seem to be a recurring topic, though, as it seems to be mentioned every so often, including one instance I remember DD asking where the best place for one would be. I think.

SO, the idea of having a Young Wizards convention seems to come up, often in the future when we'll all supposedly have more money and freedom to come, and would be pretty awesome. Any thoughts?

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

I kind-of-like this idea, except that the target audience, for the most part, can't actually show up. :-)

So, what would be the programming at this con? We could have an art room, with the various artworks that people have done, here and offline. Discussion panels: hmm. Obviously, a Rowling/Duane compare and contrast. :-) Diane gave a good talk about writing from an alien point of view (along with the other 4 panelists) at the first con I ever went to -- that would be interesting to hear again, and YW-appropriate.

Masquerade? Dunno how that would actually work, as the characters aren't flamboyant enough, or are too flamboyant for humans to carry off. :-) Video track? Well, we could hope for a sneak preview unfinished cut of the SYWtBaW movie, if the timing is right, but that's doubtful. Filk track would be pretty generic, since I'm not aware of a lot of YW-based filk. I suppose we could commission Tom Smith to write some... :-)

Despite my preference for a con I could actually get to, I think it would have to be in or near NYC, so we could do a walking tour of the Dark Manhattan. :-)

Any more thoughts?

[kk]

I think having it in NYC would be a good idea...though I for one wouldn't be able to come if it were. It would still be cool. I like the idea, it's just the problem of convincing my parents to go to NYC, and add the fact that they HATE the entire YW series (without reading them, nonetheless) would make it difficult for me to get there. But, I do think it sounds fun. I think it'd be interesting to actually see what everyone looks like, and get to talk aloud, instead of online. Though I believe if some of the topics on here were vocalized (such as the HP discussion, or the "Romance" topic) people would start arguing as much and Ro and Dair in WH-W@W... :-) In other words, me and my friends would simply love to come!

[Emi]

Oooh That would be such a neat-o idea! I would like totally go. Although, the process of getting there would be a journey itself. Ha! But that's a really neat idea. We could have those fanarts, and if there are any fanfics that would be cool. I think it would be really nice to meet some of the people on here!

[wolf_wizard]

I agree. meeting the people on here would be pretty awesome, and though it whould be a journey there it would be pretty fun to talk constantly about the YW series, especially as there are very few people around me to talk about them with.

[Ash78]

oh my word! a YW convention would be so totally awesome. It would be even more awesome if it were in NY, like you suggested, Garrett, seeing as I live so close. Although, I don't see how that would work, because a lot of places are mentioned Ireland...Long Island...Tiana Beach (is that a real place?) and you can't forget Alaalu, the crossings, etc. although I think it would be kinda hard to worldgate everyone there AND back...really,really hard.
Seeing as some people seem to be good at things other than art, photoshop,debate, etc. there could be a miscellaneous (sorry if my spelling is off, just finished the spelling bee and can't spell anything right anymore)category of random things, like creations that don't fit in anywhere else. There could maybe even be a song section, with songs using words, quotes, the Oath, or just things about the books...I know tons of my friends(including myself) have songs about books, and are pretty good at making things up, although none of my friends have read YW...yet (mwa ha ha)
Just something to think about, anyway I have to get back to my essay questions, bunsen burner permit paper, spanish vocabulary, two five paragraph essays, and practice my song for area band auditions, ALL while fearing the mile run tomorrow, 'cause we'll run whether or not it's sunny...(and this is the least amount of homework I've had for a long time)
(sorry I'm rambling, but your the only one's who'll listen...and thanks for putting up with me)
tata
p.s. I'll try to think of some other ideas for exhibits

[Kathy Li]

I moved this topic into "Miscellaneous", since it's on-topic for YW, and "Chatter II" is for non-YW stuff. (There is a conventions thread under Chatter II, but it's more of the "anybody going to ___con?" variety).

I'd love the idea of a YW convention in NYC. But I think it would probably be more of a small-group Readercon-type intimate gathering: small hucksters room, maybe some late night filking, and single-track programming that starts at noon, 'cause we'll have stayed up until the wee hours with the hall conversation and the like.

Instead of a masquerade, maybe a parody opera/musical/filk version of The Song of the Twelve or something?

I'm actually thinking more tours-of-the-city to YW spots [Grand Central? NY Public Library?] and DD's fave eateries, than panels.

[kk]

Ooh, the Song of the Twelve sounds like a good idea! But DW doesn't give the whole song, does it? I didn't think so, because I tried copying it down into a computer file when I first read the book, and it sounded like something was missing.

I think it would be fun to see some people come as YW characters, I mean, dressing up as Carmela would be an interesting costume, as would Roshaun, or even Sker'ret (I can just see one of my friends wearing a large T-shirt and carrying around a large bag of lollipops, or dressed up as a centipede, perhaps wearing a shirt that says "Will do Magic for Food." Or carrying around a "deadly haircurler" for Carmela. Wow, I think the possibilities are endless...I alreasy have an outfit lined up mentally for a Nita costume...maybe the book SYWTBAW and a fake rowan wand. Hmm, I wonder if I could make some sort of technology that could make the wand appear to work...maybe). I know, I just went on for a while about something almost completely off topic!

[EricG1793]

OK, New York City, New York City............. Personally, it's an inconvenience, but thinking about everyone else.... That sounds wonderful. Plus, as Garrett said, touring the Manhattans would be nice. Yeah, that'd be a very sensible location....

But who'd put it together? Who'd be responsible for it? Obviously DD herself would have to do quite a bit, and seeing that she hardly gets around to coming on these forums, I doubt she'd have the time to take a week or whatever to come to New England....

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

I don't expect it would take an entire week. The con wouldn't last more than two days, and one day would be more likely -- you need a full range of options for a multi-day con, like Norwescon or Arisia, or academic-type presentations like the H.P. Lovecraft Centennial Conference I went to in 1990.

[wolf_wizard]

I think it would be really fun, and if some people on this forum wanted to go (likely) and lived pretty far away from New York, they coud spend some more time there on vacation (a wizard's vacation that is). so after getting it planned out all you really would have to do is organize it around a break or something (maybe summer) so the poeple who have school (majority) could go to.

Sorry for getting off topic.

[Kathy Li]

I'm actually thinking we might wanna start smaller. Like, a DD/YW dinner/get-together at the Discworld Convention or something. Booking a hotel in NYC might be getting ahead of ourselves. I mean, given the track record we've had with just getting everyone to show up for an "official" chat....

[wolf_wizard]

Well...I guess your right. the dinner/get together idea with DD sounds like fun. By the way, can you have another of those official chats again for the newbies(like me) who have never been in one?
(sorry again for my tendency to get off topic)

[Reen]

At the convention there could be other authors who may have done other work in the YW universe. Or contests among fans...i dunno...

[EricG1793]

Well, for the last DD chat, I wasn't there.... I would have been if I hadn't been at my grandmother's without an Internet connection.

Speaking of DD chat, there hasn't been one in November, and there isn't anything announced about December.... She must be hiding from us. Not that I blame her.