The eighth panel I attended at #Readercon was "Hospitable Worlds," with @N_S_Dolkart, @elaineisaak, and @TracyATownsend, moderated by Eric Amundsen. This panel was on Saturday afternoon, which means it was on Shabbat, and that affected my note-taking.
I'm a Jew who keeps Shabbat in a way that precludes writing. This means I had to hold all of the key points in my mind until after Shabbat, when I could write that down. For more info on how I do that, check out this thread:
The short, short version: I attach the notes to an image in my mind. This means I remember key points, but not the order they were said in, definitely not direct quotes, and usually not who said what either. With that in mind, here are my take-aways from this panel:
Start the story with a low cognitive load. (A lesson from game design via Eric Amundsen, if I recall correctly.)
Introducing, say, a hoverdog, without explanation can be off-putting, but it can also be explained via context. For example, "They all jumped on the hoverdog," vs. "Each one jumped on their own hoverdog."
(There was a great quote about hoverdogs and the beginnings of stories. I think it came from @N_S_Dolkart, and I wish I could recall what it was.)
Hospitality can mean inviting specific people in, or it can mean opening the door to welcome everyone. Who are we being hospitable to in our stories?
Don't make the reader feel stupid.
Part of not making the reader feel stupid is leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for them to follow, and also meeting them halfway.
Have a protagonist the reader wants to follow. That protagonist can lead the reader through the world.
You're putting out a buffet and inviting everyone to eat, even if the food is unfamiliar.
Content warnings can be useful/important.
Good cover art can help readers know what to expect.
Further info on the hoverdog:
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