Workshop Timetable

GenreCon is pleased to offer the following workshops, allowing attendees the chance to hone their craft with some of the most talented genre writers from around Australia and abroad.

Saturday, November 3

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

WRITING POPULAR FICTON
Austen Room

Every form of literature comes with reader expectation. Join award-winning author Hélène Young as she demonstrates these differences, then highlights ways you can make your story more compelling. You will explore the important elements of story, and come away with all the tools you need to write gripping fiction.

 

KICKING OFF YOUR WRITING CAREER
Conan Doyle Room

Writers often treat business like it’s a dirty word, but once you start selling fiction you become a small business of one. In this workshop Peter M. Ball will take you through a series of exercises that will establish your writing business plan and instate the business habits you’ll need in the future, while Alex Adsett will provide you with the copyright and contract essentials you need to know to keep your career on track.

 

WRITING EFFECTIVE FIGHT SCENES
Poe Room

Having trouble pulling off the perfect fight scene? Simon Higgins presents a workshop for writers who want to understand what a fight is really like – what works, what doesn’t work, and what characters are likely to be feeling as they square off against an opponent.

Sunday, November 4

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

GETTING YOUR CHARACTERS MOVING
Austen Room 

Say goodbye to static scenes and get your characters in motion. Learn how to direct your scenes with writer and theatre director Karen Miller. Uncover the secrets actors use to block dramatic action, and how these techniques can be used to stoke the drama in your own work. Learn when to use body language to best effect, how one character’s movements should affect another’s, and when its best to stay still instead of cutting loose.

 

AUTHOR PLATFORM 101
Conan Doyle Room 

Getting online is easy, maintaining your presence is hard. In this workshop Sarah Wendell discusses the best practices and most common mistakes when it comes to creating an effective author platform online, providing you with the guiding principles that can be applied to your author site, blogs, facebook, twitter and more.

 

RESEARCHING HISTORICAL FICTION
Poe Room

Join award-winning author Anna Campbell as she explains how to transform history into fiction. Learn what resources to search out and which details are best used to make your fiction come alive and transform history into a compelling story.