CNYRW Mini-Con 2012 Recap

The CNYRW 2012 Mini-Con featured nationally bestselling author Anne Stuart, in an informative two-day workshop covering a variety of writing topics. Anne presented a Q&A Friday night, going around the room and answering questions of each attendee. She was very knowledgeable and freely shared what she knew on everything from royalty issues to writer's block ... and she knows a good-looking man when she sees one! Anne is a big fan of movie and television heroes, and I was tickled to discover that she, too, has an affinity for Ian Somerhalder.

Saturday, Anne presented her strategies for writing a dark love story, delving into the inner workings of the hero and heroine, and sprinkling her presentation with exercises much like one-page workshops. Anne had brought with her several decks of tarot, and she had us each pull one card and write a page on the hero, and then the heroine, inspired by each picture. For the hero, I drew the Robin Wood tarot's Magician. For the heroine, I drew the Manga tarot's Chalices:




What I came up with was not romance, but fantasy, inspired by the first card, the Magician. I was surprised and pleased by the story that cropped up just by looking at a picture. I now have a story idea filed away for future use, and I find myself wanting to plot with tarot.

Anne shied away from no topic, big or small, and I came away from the workshop with lots of writing energy that I hope to use on my current book. I appreciated her candor on the ins and outs of the business, and she has a wicked sense of humor. Thank you, Anne, for a terrific weekend of learning, fun, and good-looking heroes!