Conflux this year is set to be amazing – four full days of convention goodness designed for writers of all levels of experience.
Karen, Leife and the Committee have done an amazing job of organising events, panels, workshops, and guests, not to mention wrangling a ridiculous number of people to help out on panels, administrative duties, volunteering, and organising specific areas like the dealer’s room.
If you haven’t been to a Conflux convention before, you’re in for a treat.
For my part, I’m sitting on a bunch of panels on the Saturday and one more on the Monday, as well as running two workshops.
About the workshops:
Creating Compelling Characters
This workshop will run at 1pm on Friday 2 October. Come along for an exciting two-hours that will take you well beyond simple character descriptions and backstories.
Here’s what its about:
Readers have certain expectations that go far beyond genre, beginning with characters they want to spend time with.
Creating Compelling Characters will give you the essential hands-on toolkit to ensure your readers care about what happens to your characters, even the ones they hate.
Through practical exercises and group activities you’ll learn how transform ‘boring’ or even ‘interesting’ characters into ‘absolutely compelling’ individuals.
You’ll gain a clear understanding of how to:
- apply simple techniques to ensure your characters come across as real, riveting, and engaging people
- exceed reader expectations through drama and conflict
- draw readers into an intense emotional experience they’ll be desperate to share with their friends.
The workshop will leave with the keys to making your characters resonate with the people who matter the most – your readers – and to keep them thinking about your story long after they’ve read the last word.
Polishing Your Pitch
My second workshop runs on the Saturday at 2.30pm, and is designed to help you get from nervously wondering what to say to an agent or editor, to a polished pitch designed to intrigue and tempt them into asking for your manuscript.
There are some really simple techniques that will help you do this, the most basic being able to concisely and coherently deliver the essentials of what your novel’s about.
This workshop will help you:
- create an elegant and informative overview of your story
- get over any nerves
- ensure you walk away with the best outcome possible – a request to read your manuscript.
You can find all the details and booking information on the Conflux Website.
Register for either of my workshops (or any others)
Attend Conflux (includes all workshops and panels etc)
Are you attending? If so, look me up. I’m always ready for a coffee!