Character development
Host: Gary Erskine
Finding the monsters in an inkbottle
Host: Katja van den Doel
Did you know there are monsters lurking in inkbottles? Or maybe in the space between the ink and the paper. I haven’t figured that one out exactly. But I do know they are there and I do know how to make them visible and preserve them in a way they can’t hurt you.. directly… most of the time… I think…
Fuel your creativity: utopia / dystopia
In this 45-minute Creative Sprint you’ll smash out some stories, fuelled by visual prompts from digital cultural heritage website, europeana.eu. Whether you want to write poetry or prose, or draw, sketch, compose, design, or take another creative direction, this sprint gives you space to work on your art among other creators just like you. Aleks and Jolan from Europeana will get you started with a selection of objects curated especially for Eurocon from Europeana’s vast database of European digitised heritage – a great resource for future inspiration! No experience necessary. Work by yourself or with others. Share your stories or keep them to yourself! It’ll be fast, it’ll be fun, it’ll be fuel for your creativity!
Inspiration and where to find it
Host: Marjolein de Jong
Inspiration comes in tons of way. Sometimes it is just staring out of the window, watching a movie, listening to music or just sitting in silence on the toilet. There are a ton of ways to get writing or drawing! However, sometimes you just need a bit of extra help to get your creative juices flowing again.
Manga drawing
Host: Marjolein de Jong
Always wanted to draw manga, but you have no idea where to start? Marjolein de Jong of La Centauresse is here to help you with your first step into this incredible journey. At Erasmuscon she will be hosting manga workshops to help you make that first step into the manga world.
Step by step she will show and guide you how to draw a face in the popular manga style (there are tons of different manga styles, but for now, let’s focus on the basics).
No drawing experience necessary!
Storytelling: the good, the bad, and the plot
Host: Jorrit de Klerk
Jorrit de Klerk is an award-winning science fiction writer who also enjoys working on comics and scripts for film and television. This year, he released a children’s book (and if we’re a bit lucky, also a science fiction anthology and a comic).
Over the past ten years, he has worked hard to further develop his storytelling techniques. One of these is a (pseudo)scientific approach to analytically address the tension between hero and villain (also known as the antagonistic element, which sounds even more interesting). This can help create the perfect tension arcs in your story.
Heavy stuff right after breakfast? Perhaps. But it will help make your stories more exciting! Using interesting examples, Jorrit will share his ultra-secret storytelling approach with you.
Swordfighting
Host: Raymond Brands
“The sword is a very commonly used weapon in the fantasy genre. One can read about them in books and see them being used in movies as well as series. And rightly so, I say, because the sword is a very versatile weapon! And I’m not just referring to the types of swords either, I’m also referring to the versatility of techniques used when wielding a sword. So how is a sword wielded properly? What are the do’s and don’ts? Well now I can teach you the basics!
I have been sword fighting since October 2012 and shortly before Covid became a thing I also started teaching. If you are interested in learning more about sword fighting, join the workshop. My teachings are based on the manuscripts as written by the 14th century sword master Johannes Liechtenauer, so it will be historically accurate.
Under my supervision I will have you wielding a sword and practice on one another in small groups of 2 or 3 people. I hope to see you at my workshop, and that we will have fun there. I also hope to impart a bit of my knowledge of sword fighting to you.”
Please note this workshop is only for people aged 18 years or older. Participation is at your own risk. Due to safety, all directions from the instructor are to be followed. Failure to do so will result in immediate removal from the workshop.