Act the part
Host: Marieke Frankema
A workshop about refining storytelling and character building through theatre. Stories come in all shapes, sizes and art forms. Whether on stage or on paper, there are structures at the base of every good story. Once you know what they are, you can start playing with them – literally. In this hands-on acting workshop, Marieke Frankema explores the similarities between writing and theatre, uncovering the underlying story structures in a way that’s fresh, clear, and most of all: fun!
Character building in YA
Host: Renske de Wolf
“If your characters are developed enough that you understand their world and their motivations, then no plot turn is a wrong turn.” – Ross Raisin
In Young Adult literature, most protagonists are teenagers. And teenagers have a different way of interpreting the world and taking action than adults do. They have different goals, and find themselves in different inner conflicts.
So, how do you write a believable teenage character? And how do you write the interaction between teenager and adult? How do you know how your teenage character will react to the world around them – the world you created? That’s exactly what you will learn in this workshop. Let’s build strong, unique characters that will help you further your plot together.
Cosplay crafts: making a zip tie halo crown
Host: Pam Hage
During this workshop, we will make a halo crown out of a rather unexpected material: zip ties! Decorate it with flowers and strass stones to your heart’s delight and show off your creativity.
Fuel your creativity: (solar) punk
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!
Galaxy painting: Bob Ross-style
Host: Heidi van der Vloet
With brushes and sponges, you can combat the void of the universe and the black canvas and you will make your very own beautiful galaxy-painting! Some more happy little mistakes here and there, and the alien invasion can begin! Heidi will run the Kessel Run in 45 minutes together with you – what will sprout from your imagination?
Inspiration and where to find it
Host: Marjolein de Jong
Inspiration comes in tons of ways. 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.
During this workshop, Marjolein de Jong of La Centauresse shows you different small practices you can use to give yourself a bit of a boost to get the creative juices flowing!
Making maps that make sense
Host: Pam Hage
If you open a fantasy book, chances are that you’ll not only find words in it, but also a map. Perhaps you got inspired by them and now want to create your own imaginary worlds. But where do you start? Can you simply scribble a bunch of mountains, rivers and coastlines on a piece of paper and call it quits?
There is a reason why these mountains, rivers and coastlines are where they are in our world. In this workshop, you’ll hear about the mechanisms that shape our Earth and learn how you can use them to create an imaginary world. This is a hands-on workshop! With pencils, paper and a little bit of help, you’ll end up with a blueprint for a world that is both fantastical and realistic.
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!
Pitch perfect
Host: Renske de Wolf
Do you dream about becoming a published author? It doesn’t matter whether you have already finished writing your book or whether you are just about to start your author journey. In this workshop From Dream to Debut, Renske de Wolf, author of The Crowfield Chronicles, will teach you how to write the perfect pitch so you can hook your audience, and start querying agents and publishers!
Because being a writer doesn’t stop after writing your book, Renske will also talk about the less popular parts of being a writer: how to market your brand as an author, and how to make sure people actually buy your book.
Stitchcraft: a crocheted bookmark quest
Host: Angelique Brands
Enter the realm of stitchcraft, where yarn becomes magic and every loop is a spell waiting to be cast! Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned crocheter, there’s magic to be woven for all skill levels in this cozy gathering of crafters. In this workshop we embark on a quest to create a mystical margin keeper worthy of the most magical tomes.
For beginners, we’ll unravel the mysteries of crochet and learn how to wield your crochet hook and help you conjure your own Enchanted Page-Saver in no time.
Advanced practitioners of this stitchcraft are also welcome to join our coven, where you can stitch at your own pace, explore various provided patterns, and perhaps share your arcane knowledge with fellow enthusiasts. Swap spells, seek advice, and immerse yourself in the camaraderie of like-minded crafters as we weave stitches together.
Pressure Cooker Worldbuilding
Host: Martijn Lindeboom
In only 45 minutes the participants of this workshop will build the framework of an entirely new fictional world. With some very effective methods of extrapolation, writing coach Martijn Lindeboom will fire up your imagination. Whether you want to build big – like a Dyson sphere society of hyper intelligent floating squid – or small and detailed – like a culture of magic wielding homunculi in a secluded valley – you will leave the workshop with a lot of new ideas, connections and surroundings. No preparation is required, but it saves time if you have one or two basic ideas at the ready at the start of the session.