Some of you might remember that when Felicia Day launched Geek and Sundry, she did a 12 hour live Google Air subscribathon in order to help spread the word.
I helped out in a small way, bringing in some other authors to talk about writing. Specifically, we talked about what makes for compelling characters.
I had a blast, partly because I’m terribly fond of the folks involved in the discussion: John Scalzi, Felicia Day, and Amber Benson.
But mostly I had a good time because I love talking about stories.
You see, this stuff is what I think about all the time. That’s a bit part of the reason I write the blog, so I can talk about stories and how they work.
It’s also a big part of the reason I go to conventions. I love getting together with other writers on a panel and talking about the craft of writing.
So after the subscribathon was over, I mentioned to Felicia that if she was interested, I’d love nothing better than to do that sort of thing again.
It would be like the sort of panel you get to see at conventions, I said. I could bring in whoever I wanted. Funny, clever people. Good talkers. People who aren’t afraid to argue a bit. Even better, the audience wouldn’t be limited. A lot of people don’t go to conventions. They can’t get time off work, or they can’t afford it. But if we did a series of these hangouts on Geek and Sundry, anyone could show up and enjoy the show. Y’know, because of the interwebs and the youtubes and such…
(I’m paraphrasing, of course.)
Much to my delight, Felicia took the idea her fellow producers, and they thought it would be a good idea.
So… yeah. I’m going to be doing a show on Geek and Sundry. I get to go play with the cool kids.
It’s going to be a series of hour-long discussions about storytelling. We’ll probably focus on novels a bit, because that’s where I live and breathe. But I have plans to talk about other types of stories too. I want to bring in people to talk about storytelling in videogames. In comics. On the web. On TV.
It’s all story, you see.
So that’s the good news. We’re doing this. It’s going to be cool.
The bad news is that I have no fucking idea what to call the show.
I originally pitched it as Storytelling 101. But I knew that was a shit title as soon as I came up with it. It’s boring. Plus cliche.
I’ve been wracking my brain for a month now, and I still haven’t been able to come up with something I like.
You see, names are important things, or so I hear. I’d like to have a really good one for my show. I’d like something catchy, clear, and a little bit sexy….
But so far, everything I’ve come up with has been mostly crap.
Writer’s Roundtable? – Clear enough, but lacks panache.
Ars Fabula? – Slightly clever, but mostly wankerish.
Narratavores? – Confusing AND wankerish.
Wheaton’s show, Tabletop, has a great title. It’s clever. It’s catchy. And most of all, it’s informative.
So what’s your point, Rothfuss?
Over the years, y’all have proven to be remarkably clever, so now I’m turning to you for help.
What would *you* call a show about storytelling?
Please make your suggestions in the comments below. Feel free to comment on other people’s suggestions, but please keep it polite.
If someone comes up with something I can use. Or makes a suggestion that leads to me having a brainstorm of my own, I’d be ever-so-grateful…
And…. go.
Hit me with your best shot.
pat
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