Let’s be up front

If you go to GDC, don’t except to be in bed around 10pm. Nope, you might get back around 12 am at the earliest, or if you’re like me 2am. GDC is about meeting people, that means you are going to meet up with as many people as you can and go to every party there is. So I feel bed for my poor hostel roommates. I come clanking and banging into the room, a complete stranger who stays up even longer to write a blog post. Bright LED screen lighting up the room. Yeah, I relocated to the “Living room” sitting down in this  “gathering area” in my PJs just to be nice.

So here is the short of my day.

Talks

I’m doing the Narrative Track at GDC and all but three of the talks I went to were quite insightful. I wished I had known most of this amazing stuff before I decided to really sit down and write.  I wish I could just tell you all that I learned, but man there is just too much to say. By far one of the most surprising ones I’ve been to today was Daniel Nagler a writer from Large Animal Games.

His talk “Games and the ensemble cast.” Blew my mind.

He not only broke down the typical character arch types, he put them in groups, AND related them to games. It was an eye opener that for sure.

Pretty much the rest of my day, when I wasn’t in talks, was hobnobbing with the crowd looking for new contacts. Or just meeting up with old GDC buddies. I had all three meals with someone I know, or someone I just met.

That’s how GDC goes!

Meeting people breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’re networking. You’re growing wings and becoming a social butterfly. If your head is not reeling by the end of the night from all the people you’ve meet, then you’re not getting out there enough! You should be worried that you won’t remember all the names the next day, or that you’re about to run out of business cards!

After dinner, I spent my night at the Local Edition. A secret bar that you have to ask four different people just to find it. The bar is literally underground! The interior has old news paper clippings and typewriters scattered around the dimly lit room. This strange place with its strangely dressed bar staff, is the new writers hang out.

There is a story about why the Local Edition is being invaded by us. It has to do with the tragic end of GDC online in Austin, but that’s a story for another time. At this new hang out I’m meeting more old friends. This is the time where Game Narrative war stories are being shared, or crazy life happenings, or past GDC experiences. Where I introduce new friends of mine or I am introduced to someone in return. As the night rolls on, the clear need for sleep starts to pull at the last few of us still lingering in the corners. Reluctantly we say our goodbye, promise to meet again, then make the long journey back to our hotels.

Today is only the first day of the conference, and already so much has happened. But that’s how GDC goes. GDC sweeps you up, churns you around and round, then drops you at the end of the week incredibly tired because…

SLEEP DON’T EXIST AT GDC

But hey, if you’re like me, All that’s needed is 4 maybe 3 hours a sleep. So until tomorrow, and that’s if I haven’t passed out on some street corner due to exhaustion.