This is a very special week for the SpaceGypsies. We recently discovered Operation Speak Out with your Geek Out and it was something that really spoke to us. We’re proud to be geeks and we’re proud to be fans. And we’re not afraid to show it!
Geeks have spent far too long being teased and stereotyped. But instead of combating negativity with harsh words, Operation Speak Out with your Geek Out proposes that we invite those that pick on us to “sit at our table and share our interests.”
“Let us combat being used as pawns for internet gaffes with the reasons why we’re awesome, why we love what we love, and why it’s good to be a geek.” -Operation Speak Out with your Geek Out
SpaceGypsies is proud to join Operation Speak Out with your Geek Out this week, September 12th- 16th by posting about the things we geek out for and why we’re proud to be geeks.
Do you want to join the revolution and geek out too? Post your geeky story in our comments section this week and let us know what you geek out for!
On the last day of Dragon*Con a new panel was added, attended by Alaina Huffman and Michael Shanks. It was billed in the Daily Dragon as a discussion about working on various shows that film on the west coast, and differences they’ve experienced between productions in Canada and the US. It was quickly decided by the panelists, who were joined by Mark Sheppard, that no one really cared about that topic! The panel turned into a regular Q&A session, but a good one nevertheless!
This panel was scheduled at the same time as a huge Stargate panel, but I didn’t realize it until it was too late. Who would have thought that they would separate 2 Stargate stars from all the other guests and have 2 panels at once? I was very unhappy with the Stargate Multiverse Track runners for this, and so were several of my fellow gypsies!
The panel went just over an hour, so I found myself a bit unprepared for the long hall and had to change cameras! Oh dear, lesson learned for next year, right? Still, all in all, we have the wonder of technology, and quick Gypsy magic to thank for this one.
I know my fellow SpaceGypsies are fan fiction writers, but for me, table-top roleplaying gaming is my favorite way to fangirl. My first experience with fan gaming was with Margaret Weis Productions’ Serenity Roleplaying Game , where my group got together to create a Firefly-style crew that rivaled Malcolm Reynolds’ crew. I played a plucky tech called Maura, inspired by Kaylee but definitely with a personality all her own, and we had a blast! It was one of my first gaming experiences at all, and I got hooked.
Years later I’ve had the joy of working with the Margaret Weis team on the newly released Smallville Roleplaying Game, which, like their other games, allows you to play any of the characters in the show, or gives you the tools to create your own. The rules are designed to be easy to learn for new and experienced gamers alike.
So what’s the benefit of taking the leap from fanfiction into collaborative fiction or tabletop gaming? It might not be as big of a leap as you think! Many gaming “groups” are online that write collaborative fan fiction. I’ve done this sort of gaming in a world my fellow writers and I created ourselves using Google Groups to organize our posting. The Smallville Roleplaying Game offers some great suggestions for starting your own online RPG (developed with the help of a collaborative fiction veteran, our very own GreenEggsNSamm), and the newly revamped Cortex Plus system for Smallville can be easily adapted to suit characters, places and scenarios from your favorite shows.
What I love most about this book is that it’s a wonderful resource for making the transition from writing fan fiction to tabletop gaming or writing collaborative fanfiction. Wish Clark and Chloe had ended up together? What if Clark and Lex ended up together? Play it out! Want to write an alternate ending for your favorite episode? Want to change minor details and see how they get resolved? Give it a go!
Collaborative fiction is one of my favorite things I’ve ever done with my online friends. If you love writing fan fiction, even if you’re not fans of Smallville itself, you owe it to yourself to pick up this book and learn the mechanics to start evolving your fan fiction hobby. It’s available in PDF format from DriveThruRPG for $20, or in hardcover for $39.99 on August 1.
