Online Writing Workshop: Roll the Dice and Write

When:
May 8, 2020 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
2020-05-08T19:00:00-04:00
2020-05-08T22:00:00-04:00
Cost:
$15, members | $25, non-members | $10, students with ID.
Contact:
Salem Athenaeum
978.744.2540

—New Date, Now Online—

Roll the Dice and Write: Using Dungeons & Dragons to Unleash Creativity

Writers tend to be perfectionists. Their natural inclination to control the narrative and get everything just right, from plot to dialogue to punctuation, can become a barrier that leaves some writers unable to finish a project as they continue to perfect it.

But what happens when your story is subject to chance?

With the rise of tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, writers are discovering a new way to hone their craft. All the trappings of control go out the door when the story depends on multiple players and random dice roles to carry it forward. Join us for this session to learn how playing story-based games can help you develop characters, improvise scenes on the fly, overcome story obstacles and plot holes, and more.

Author Patrick Rothfuss wrote, “Being an author is kinda like playing D&D with yourself.” But what can writers learn when they invite others to join in? Join us on May 8 and roll the dice to find out.

Matthew Phillion is the author of the YA superhero novel series, the Indestructibles and a member of the Salem Athenaeum Writers Committee. A lifelong tabletop roleplaying game fan, he has often used techniques from those games to craft his novels and characters – and even launched a new litRPG series, the Dungeon Crawlers, in 2019. When he’s not writing, he Matt can usually be found prepping for one of the several D&D games he DMs in the Salem area for both experienced and new players alike.