Workshops

The following workshops at Conflux 4 are open for bookings.

Note that each workshop has a maximum of 15 spots. Workshops with a charge will need to be paid within 14 days of the booking. When you make the booking, Conflux will forward either a receipt of your booking or the form to pay.

The Friday workshops will be held at Gorman House and there are no other Conflux events taking place during that time. The Saturday, Sunday and Monday workshops will be held at Rydges Lakeside and coincide with the panel programming.

How to book

Send an email to workshops@conflux.org.au specifying which workshop you would like to attend and our workshop co-ordinator will get back to you with either confirmation of your booking (for a free workshop) or a payment form (for a paid workshop).

Conflux will not accept Cheque payments after Sunday September 23 - only Credit Card, Paypal or Money Order

Index of Workshops

Writing magic

Gillian Polack

Cost: $25 per person

Time: 9am Friday, September 28

How the world and its powers were conceived and used in the past can be very handy for writers who need to devise an effective magic system in a hurry. This workshop will look mainly at European magic (with a focus o the Middle Ages and Renaissance) but will explore some ancient byways. The focus will be on how the systems can work for you in your writing.

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Worldbuilding

Russell Kirkpatrick

Cost: Free to Conflux members

Time: 9am Friday, September 28

Russell Kirkpatrick, professional geographer and fantasy writer, offers registrants the opportunity to let their creative minds off the leash. Far more than mere worldbuilding, this workshop walks participants through the process of creation. Worlds in handbags, fantasy continents and galactic-wide civilisations all have many things in common. Even if you are not currently making your own world, this workshop will enhance your reading and writing pleasure.

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Captivating Characters

Kaaren Sutcliff

Cost: Free to Conflux members - Now Full

Time: 10am Friday September 28

Characters are the most critical element in any good story; they are what the reader relates to. This workshop will cover all the foundation work required to generate captivating, credible and convincing characters that readers will care about.

The workshop elements will include:

  • Relationship between characters, plot and theme - focusing questions
  • Conjuring effective and engaging characters
  • Exercise - designing a character template
  • Major versus minor characters
  • Choice of point of view and the consequences
  • Wield your magic wand of character point of view
  • Exercise - write a scene holding point of view
  • It said what?
  • What tumbles from our characters' mouths - spellbinding stuff or arrant nonsense?
  • Dialogue and how it adds to character and setting
  • One of the most important writing tricks - showing, not telling
  • Exercise - crafting an interactive scene with dialogue
  • Revealing slices of psychology and motivation through the words they utter
  • Another neat trick - the correct framework for dialogue
  • Exercise - creating a unique voice
  • Dynamic characters
  • The importance of growing your characters
  • Linking emotional growth to theme and plot
  • Exercise - mapping a character's growth

The workshop will have a balance of theory, examples and exercises. Participants will receive a comprehensive handout of the course content.

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What do Horses Smell Like? and other horsey questions

Maxine McArthur

Cost: $30 per person

Time: 1:30 pm Friday September 28

Why can't my hero's horse gallop all day? Why can't my heroine wear a silk gown out hunting? What does a pack saddle look like? Maxine discusses common errors in representing horses in fantasy fiction, and how by not treating them as animated automobiles you can greatly enrich your story.

Participants may (it's not compulsory) submit a piece of writing that includes horses, not to be more than two A4 pages double-spaced single-sided. Please name work. Send directly as RTF file to Maxine attached to an email with the header "Conflux workshop piece", by 21 September. This work will be circulated to other participants beforehand and used in discussion during the workshop. It will not be critiquing, merely considering the "horsey" elements, so don't be shy!

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The Noble and Knightly Art of the Long Sword

Chris Barnes

Cost: Free to Conflux members

Time: 1:30 pm Friday September 28

Medieval Europe produced martial arts just as effective as those of Asia. This workshop will teach you the basic techniques of the German tradition, which was taught throughout the Holy Roman Empire from the 14th to the 17th centuries.

The workshop will focus on use of the long sword (also known as the bastard or hand-and-a-half sword). You'll learn correct footwork, basic attacks and counterattacks, plus the history and principles of the German system. We'll also demonstrate some more advanced techniques and (if time permits) samples of techniques from other European fighting traditions.

Participants should wear comfortable clothes and shoes (shoes should preferably be smooth-soled, but ordinary sneakers will be OK). Wooden training swords will be provided. The workshop is suitable for ages 18 and over only.

The wooden training swords will be available for purchase after the workshop; price $100 (to be confirmed).

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Things I wish some pro had told me when I was just starting out

Kevin J Anderson and Rebecca Moesta

Cost: $30 per person

Time: 1:30 pm Friday September 28

Bestselling and award-winning authors Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta give a detailed, no-nonsense workshop about the ins and outs of a professional career as a writer: How to get out of the slushpile, how to build your reputation, how to understand your contracts, how to treat your "hobby" as a business, what do you do after you sell your first story or novel, and many more insights.

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The keys to the kingdom

Jack Dann

Cost: $55 for members

Time: 9am Saturday September 29

This 2 1/2 hour intensive with Conflux guest, Nebula and World Fantasy Award recipient Jack Dann, offers participants a unique opportunity to broaden their working understanding of speculative fiction with a writer of international renown. Participants will cover technical and thematic aspects of historical and fantastic fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and magical realism. They will learn about writing in the various genres (and the history of the genres); the essentials of writing cutting edge fiction and the nature of creativity; the workings of the Australian, British and American markets; how to get an agent (if necessary) and how to submit a manuscript. Participants will also be given handouts of "The Keys to the Kingdom", which Jack wrote for Writers Digest, and "Books For Writers: An Essential List"

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Writing an action episode and doing a public reading of it

Richard Harland

Cost: Free to Conflux members

Time: 9am Saturday September 29

The secrets for building up an exciting sequence of events in a story or novel, and how to re-create that excitement in a public reading.

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Magic for Our Changing Times! An experimental workshop

Margie Curtis

Cost: Free for Conflux members

Time: 9am Sunday 30th September

This workshop offers an experiential introduction to contemporary magic as a celebrated tool amongst Neo-pagans, witches, magicians, shamans and other practitioners who bend and shape consciousness at will. Despite the resurgence of magical practice current published Fantasy can appear ill-informed. This workshop seeks to redress some of the misconceptions regarding current practices of an ancient sacred art. Please come along prepared to participate. We will ground and center ourselves through guided meditation, purify ourselves and the space, cast the Circle with an athame or wand, call the elemental directions or quarters, invoke deity, raise and direct energy for an agreed purpose, share food and water, and open the circle. We will follow this with open discussion about the experience. Anyone imagining and writing magical content (ancient, contemporary or futuristic) could benefit from first hand experience of a magic circle. Readers drawn to magical works can also benefit from this workshop as Margi hopes to create an authentic spiritual context which may cast light upon your further reading. Margi's magical work has mainly been intuitive, feminist and goddess centred. She will be joined by Leigh Blackmore, who brings contrasting experience as a Ceremonial Magician of the Western Mysteries.

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Writing Comics

Liz Argall

Cost: Free for Conflux members

Time: 1pm Saturday September 29

Pssst, do you wanna write comics? Dive into how to write a comic script, the structure, pacing, common pitfalls and how to make the most of this unique format. Bring a short story you would like to adapt into a comic script.

Liz Argall was bitten by the love of comics some time ago and has never recovered. She's been published in a range of indy anthologies, such as Eat Comics, Something Wicked and Pirates. Her first mini-series, Strange Dreams is slated for publication in late 2007 with Local Act Comics.

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Fantasy Novel Writing 101

Karen Miller

Cost: Free to Conflux members

Time: 1pm Saturday September 29

The aim of this workshop is to give participants a chance to discuss the general requirements of writing fantasy fiction of novel/multi-volume length, paying particular attention to basic novel/multi-volume structure, the beginning to end novel-writing process, the particular caveats of fantasy fiction, plus any individual writing difficulties that are raised in the Q&A session.

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Schizophrenia and Hallucinations: Fact and Fiction

Valerie Toh

Cost: Free to members

Time: 1pm Sunday September 30

A workshop on some of the truths, myths and mysteries about schizophrenia and particularly about hallucinations that can be experienced.

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How to increase your writing productivity

Kevin J Anderson and Rebecca Moesta

Cost: $30 per person

Time: 9am Monday October 1

Kevin J. Anderson is one of the most prolific authors working in the SF/F genre today. In calendar year 2006 he wrote and delivered 750,000 words (six novels along with several short stories and articles). He has developed many tips and techniques for any writer -- from the dabbling hobbyist to the harried full-time author -- to increase the quantity of words, while at the same time maintaining top-notch quality. Kevin and his wife, bestselling author Rebecca Moesta, will present a workshop to help writers get the most out of the keyboard and every minute of writing time.

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eMarketing for Authors

Fiona McLennan

Cost: Free for Conflux members

Time: 1pm Monday October 1

The aim of this workshop is to cut through the techno-babble and provide authors with a practical "how to" for all things digital. We'll explore the ways you can support your publisher's efforts and how to get the best bang for your eMarketing buck.

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