Good Omens Con was last Saturday. We had 14 games and somewhere around 50 players. Included in that roster was guest GM Carl Rigney who ran Don’t Rest Your Head in two sessions. Also we had the author (Paul Tevis), editor (Ryan Macklin) and photographer (Jeremy Tidwell) of A Penny for My Thoughts there to sign the game.
Put all that together at EndGame (who graciously hosted us) and you should have a rocking good time. For me though, there was something else going on. All the work I had put in to making this con happen had paid off and I felt like I was walking on air that day. Every time I got to see a gamer that I knew who told me a story about what happened in their game, or that I didn’t know and we were introduced for the first time, I felt a little more content, a little happier.
I was watching everyone gaming at one point, seeing faces of people laughing, sniggering, thinking or anticipating and thought THIS is what I was meant to do. I work a 9 to 5 job in IT that pays the bills. It’s not half bad, but it’s not what I love. I’ve been self employed before (for a little over a decade in fact) and I know that it isn’t and easy lifestyle. Work is never done and at the end of the day, you’re always the one on the line if something goes wrong. All that said, I never feel as happy working IT/IS as I do running games and putting events together.
Something that Paul Tevis has said a number of times. “A lot of people want to have written a book, but don’t want actually write a book.” I feel that about a lot of things. Sure I’d like to have written a game, or published a game, or created some great piece or art work but I don’t have any inclinations towards actually doing those things. What I do love doing is making things happen. I love the prep, the execution. I even love the wrap up (breaking down tables and all).
Will I lose my love if I turn it from hobby to career? Maybe, but I doubt it. I know cool people like Fred Hicks and Chris Hanrahan who have forged a career out the gaming industry and still love to play. So for me, Good Omens Con 3 was a great time but it was also a wakeup call. I’ve GOT to do this more than once a year.
Thanks everyone for making the con not only a great success but also a very clear message to me: “Sean! Do what you love!”
The photographer
Should be Jeremy Tidwell, right?
Thank you sir. I’ve updated it in the post.
My biggest stumbling block to getting out and starting writing is the worry that people aren’t going to like what I like. I’m totally fine with modding the crap out of existing systems, but worry about trying to frame a brand new one.
Another thought, from the part of me that has already put a bug in your ear about this before, is…if what you like is the people, watching them have fun, running an event and keeping everything moving, maybe running a shop is more where your passions lie. Just a thought. 🙂
Seconded on the latter bit. Of course, having run a different sort of shop, you may have already picked up and discarded that idea.
That said, is it running game stuff that you love, or running events period?
If it’s the latter, or you aren’t sure, there are various places that could use some volunteer energy for event organizing that might be a place to get an idea. On campus, the Staff Assembly usually need more brains and bodies for things like TGFS. Outside of that, various organizations (schools for example) rely on having volunteers help put together fund-raising events, fun school events (we used to have a carnival and post-prom party that were entirely parent run), etc.
I mention volunteering as an option for figuring out what kinds of events turn you on without committing to one particular mode (and or jumping off the dayjob just yet, if that’s a concern), as well as a place to add experience for the resume in an area that excites you.
From the standpoint of getting paid for it. There are elements of campus that are primarily event planning, but I suspect you’d enjoy leaving the bureaucracy. Event planners overall…well weddings get a big piece of that pie. But there are other ‘big events’ that lots of people do, and some have the funds to work on planning. Brainstorming…
I’m also amused at the way this is making me think more about ideas I’ve had in the past about taking my instructional side jobs a bit further and developing some variety of ‘craft/instructional party’ thing around it based on what I’ve done for Extension when they needed someone to do such things at their staff retreats.
The con was fantastic. Thank you for organizing such a wonderful event!
It was great seeing you there. Thanks so much for coming out and for the delightful post you made about it on your journal. I hope that you get more of your gaming fix in soon.
It was great seeing you, too. I miss gaming with you, your lovely wife, and the crew.
I think I’m going to end up fixing my own gaming withdrawal. I just had a wicked idea for integrating the mechanics of “A Penny for your Thoughts” with the seedling of a WoD 2.0 Mortals game I’ve been kicking around. So, I may end up GMing rather than playing, which is more work, but I like it equally well.