Call for Papers: The Wyrd Con Companion Book 2013

The Wyrd Con Interactive Storytelling Convention invites papers for December 2013 publication. Like last year, the Wyrd Con Companion Book will feature two sections of articles: journalistic and academic. Articles on any form of Interactive Storytelling are welcome, including, but not limited to, the following: larp, transmedia, tabletop, alternate reality/pervasive games, virtual role-playing, etc.

We invite articles on all topics pertaining to Interactive Storytelling. The editors are especially interested in the following:

* Documentation of games or projects, past and present
* Historical perspectives on various subcultural groups, including campaigns, conventions, forums, and local “scenes” of all sorts
* Historical perspectives on various theories and discourses
* Educational, business, and other “real world” applications
* Contextualizing various forms of storytelling and subcultures with relation to one another
* Theoretical ruminations
* Discussion of mainstream representations, including news media, films, reality television, and documentaries
* Current subculture discourses, debates, and tensions
* Practical advice columns
* Editorial pontifications on current topics

Please follow Turabian Style for the citations and formatting of academic submissions. Abstracts for the Academic Section should feature a Bibliography with a minimum of 3 scholarly sources. All academic papers should feature thorough, extensive citations by reputable sources in Role-playing Studies or other appropriate fields. If enough submissions are received, the editors will invite academic experts in the field to peer review articles.

The timeline for the WyrdCon Companion Book is as follows:

Abstract Submission deadline: June 21
Acceptance notification: June 29

Full paper deadline (5000 words, not including Bibliography): August 15
Review comments returned to authors: September 15
Final drafts due: October 15

Projected publication date: December 7

Please send 500-word abstracts by June 21 to the following editors:

Journalistic Section: Aaron Vanek — aaronlarp (at) gmail.com
Academic Section: Sarah Lynne Bowman — wyrdcon-book (at) hotmail.com

The editors will provide more extensive submission guidelines after acceptance notification. Feel free to email with additional inquiries throughout the process.