The Observation Deck by Naomi Epel is an excellent tool. I discovered it back when I worked at Time Out For Fun and Games at Jack London Square many years ago. It is one of those amazing products from Chronicle Books that is there to help you get over writers block.

When you are stuck, you pick a card from the box that the product comes in and then open the book that comes with the product and can read an idea for helping you out. The book features many examples from top authors and how they overcome many problems.

Here is a little quote from the card called “Read Aloud”:

…
Critical care nurse Echo Heron used reading aloud to anticipate and avoid criticism of what was to become her best-selling memoir, Intensive Care. After completing each draft she would close the curtains, assume a British accent and read to an imaginary audience made up of people she wanted to impress. Fear of negative reactions forced her to automatically correct poor grammar and sloppy thinking. New lines erupted spontaneously as she realized the need to furnish missing concepts.
…

I found that this product was helpful when I was working on issue #1 of Beyond the Great Chimney, and it should be good for any story telling projects that you might be doing. The lessons can easly be transposed to ones of graphics and art.

To read some samples from the book/cards, visit HERE.

If you are interested in purchasing the Observation Deck, click on the Amazon link below, to help suport this website/blog.

At Silicon they are going to have a panel about “Iron Costuming” sorta Iron Chef but with bolts of fabrics a sewing machine, and a limited amount of time.

This is based of “Chaos Costuming” that is popular in the UK:

…This is an opportunity either to add the finishing touches to a costume you’ve brought with you or to make yourself a last minute costume from scratch at the convention itself in time to enter the masquerade competition on Sunday evening. Materials will be provided but anything you’d like to donate would be gratefully received.

Chaos costumes can be as permanent or temporary as the participant wishes. Outfits may be created for the masquerade, as hall costumes or just for the fun of it. The outfits can be as professional (ie well made) or thrown together as people wish. You need more time for “properly sewn” stuff, and we can help people with such, but we are not above staples and glue which can be just as good. You’ll be amazed what you can do with a couple of bin liners!

LINK

So basically you just make a costume on the spot, based on what materials are on hand. It seems to me that this would be popular with gals, but with guys who like a challenge. And lets face it walking around in some strange outfit that you whipped out in 15 min might be more acceptable to the shyer folks out there.

And with Halloween coming up, many of use will be throwing costumes together, but imagine having someone who knows what they are doing at your side.

LINK to the WORLD CON page about this subject. World con is a large convention that they have all over the world. They give this excellent reason for doing a “chaos costume”

Because we appreciate the difficulty of transporting costumes over the Atlantic. Even if you could fit it into a suitcase and get it through customs, that’s so much less space to take home books and things you might want to buy on your travels.

So, wouldn’t it be nice if all you had to take with you was the idea? (And perhaps just a few essential bits?) And then make the actual costume at the con? And be able to leave it there after, to be recycled?