Mad City Romance

March 24: Using Emotion to Hook your Reader (presented by Chris Merrill)

2012-01-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

They'll laugh. They'll cry. They'll kiss eight bucks goodbye!

Join Chris Merrill as she tells us all about using emotion to hook your reader and keep them coming back for more...

Webster defines catharsis as purification of the emotions through art. This is exactly what many readers are seeking when they pick up romances and other genre novels. By using laughter, tears, or a good scare, connect with your audience and give them the escape they are seeking by ramping up the emotional intensity of your story.

February 18: Being an Author in the New World of Publishing (presented by Lori Devoti)

2012-01-23T17:44:00.001-08:00

In the past there was one path and one choice for anyone wanting to call
themselves "author." Get an agent. Submit to a publisher. Wait. Pray. Revise.

Now though there are many choices and a quick Google search will turn up authors who have declared success, some mega success, with them all.

But how do you know which is right for you and your books?

Join us in February as Lori Devoti leads a discussion on the multitude of
choices in today's publishing world. Come with your questions and your
experience. Let's talk.

January Meeting!

2012-01-04T15:54:00.000-08:00

Our guest speaker, Deborah Blum ( http://deborahblum.com/ ), NYT bestselling author of the critically acclaimed The Poisoner's Handbook, will join us on Saturday, Jan 28th. We'll be discussing history's most famous poisoners and a look at the way that romance and relationships provided a motive for every one of those murder cases.

You can find information about Deborah Blum, this book and other articles and writing she's done at http://deborahblum.com/.

Holiday Gathering!

2011-11-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

Join us for our holiday party on December 3! The party will be from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Middleton Library.

Set-up starts at 1:30, so please come help with that. Food and festivities will run from 2 to 4, clean-up 4 to 4:30. The party is a potluck, so bring your favorite dish to share. The "pencil box" will provide plates, cups, utensils and beverages. Donations are encouraged to help cover the costs.

We'll once again be holding a Book Exchange/Secret Santa for anyone who wants to participate. Just bring a wrapped copy of a book or two that you'd like to give (value basically equivalent to $10-ish dollars).

(This is highly flexible, and you should let your judgment guide you. We recommend you give books that you love, regardless of "cover" value. If you have any questions, please contact Bobbi or ask someone who's been to the party before.)

Hope to see you all there!

November 19 Meeting: Exploring the Heroine's Journey with the Tarot

2011-10-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Tarot is often used for divination purposes or for personal growth. But it’s also a valuable tool for tapping into the unconscious and drawing from it a wealth of creative inspiration. Using the Tarot as our guide, we will explore its archetypal images and use them as a basis for writing the stories we are longing to tell. This workshop will focus on using the heroine's journey as a plotting device, particularly for romances and women's fiction. The hero's journey has long been used as a way for structuring stories. Recently, however, books have been published that are now exploring the heroine's journey as well.

All you will need for this workshop is a Tarot deck, pen and paper, and a willingness to open your mind to your possibilities as an intuitive creator. There will be a Powerpoint presentation followed by a workshop where you will be provided handouts. If you have your own tarot deck or oracle cards, please bring them along. If you don’t have a deck yet, but would like to purchase one, check out the Aeclectic Tarot website for guidance on selecting a tarot deck.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/themes.shtml

Tarot decks will be on hand for the workshop, but if anyone wishes to bring extra decks for other to use, please feel free to do so.

October Meeting: Contracts!

2011-10-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Join Alison Downey, writing contract consultant with her own company, Alison Ink, as she gives us an overview of contracts and leads a roundtable discussion for the group on what to look for, what to look out for, and what it all means. Bring lots of questions!

(October 15, State Bank of Cross Plains)

Schedule Update - Save the Dates!

2011-10-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

Be sure to add these upcoming meeting dates to your calendar:

October 15

November 19

January 21

All of these meetings will be held at our new meeting space in the bank.

We're still determining how we'll handle our traditional holiday party in December, since the bank would like us out of the building by noon, and we often schedule the party past that time. Stay tuned for updates on that!

New Meeting Space!

2011-10-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here's the official word on our new meeting space!

The group now meets at the State Bank of Cross Plains, on 455 S. Junction Rd., Suite 100.

Junction Road is the road you turn on from Mineral Point to get to the Target, etc. Instead of turning right to go to Target, turn left. (Some online map sites do not show this correctly!)

Please park facing the road, leaving the spaces directly in front of the front door open for their customers.

Come into the building and take the elevator to the basement. Go right and you'll find the room!

All meetings will be held in this space unless otherwise noted!

June Meeting: Bring A Favorite Romance Novel

2011-06-10T11:47:00.001-07:00

Bring a romance you love. If you're comfortable doing it, explain what the characters' core fears are, and why they work so well to create conflict in the book.
And/or, try to find a few descriptions or writing passages (sometimes they can even be a sentence, or phrase) that highlight a character, and we'll read some out loud to examine the writing and why it works so well.
The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 25 from 9 to 12 at the Middleton library.
See you there.

Join us on July 23, 9:30 am at Middleton Library - Rachel Berens VanHeest will present a rendition of The Elevator Pitch

"So... what's your book about?"

We've all heard this question, right? Well, come to the July meeting to work on your answer!

This meeting, based heavily (with permission) on Carrie Lofty's WisRWA conference Elevator Pitch class, will go over the basics of how to create a short (35 word!) description of your book that you can use with potential agents, editors and readers.

Come prepared to work! We'll introduce the concept, and then everyone will start actively working on their elevator pitch. We'll wrap up by helping each other refine our newly created pitches.

Nothing ready to pitch? This is also a great technique to help you think through your current WIP and get some focus and clarity!

May Meeting! Creating Sexual Tension and Writing Sweet, Seductive or Sizzling Sex Scenes

2011-04-26T06:40:00.001-07:00

The next Mad City Romance meeting will be held May 21, at 9:30 a.m. at the Sequoya Library located at 4340 Tokay Boulevard, Madison, WI
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/about/sequoya.html#map

Please Note Location—Meeting Moved for this Meeting Only!

Creating Sexual Tension and Writing Sweet, Seductive or Sizzling Sex Scenes

Workshop lead by: Jenna Reynolds

No matter what kind of romance you're writing, whether it's erotica, suspense, contemporary, urban fantasy, science fiction, historical or Christian, you'll going to need sexual tension. You may or may not have a sex/love scene or, if you do, you may choose to write it in all its graphic intensity or demurely close the bedroom door, but the sexual tension has to be there because that's one of the things readers are looking for when they pick up a romance or read a novel with a romantic subplot.

In the workshop Jenna will cover the following:
• Creating and maintaining sexual tension through the use of dialogue, interior monologue, word choice, the five senses and your characters' needs and fears.
• The Twelve Steps of Intimacy and how they can help with both sexual tension and sex/love scenes
• Sexual fantasies of both men and women and the ways they can help you write sizzling sex scenes.
• Sexual Personality Types and how they can help you create both internal and external conflict when it comes to sexual tension and your sex scenes.
• A list of helpful reference books and examples of sexual tension and/or sex scenes from books and movies.

If we have time, Jenna will also talk about how to integrate sexual tension and sex scenes into your plot and/or character arcs.

Warning: Due to the nature of the workshop, which may at times include the use of graphic language, please do not bring children to the meeting. Seriously!

Upcoming Meetings

2011-03-18T06:18:00.001-07:00

This Saturday, Amy Knupp will be presenting Plotting, Post-Its and Panic:

Is your writing process bumpy at best? Do you fall somewhere in the non-descript middle of the pantser vs. plotter scale? Are you a layerer but not so much of a linear thinker? Does pondering turning points make you long to scrub toilets? The good news is you’re not alone. More good news… you, too, can craft a marketable story in spite of the chaos known as your process…and yes, there will be storyboarding.

April 23rd - Ann Voss Peterson - Character Mining

Readers want stories with electrifying plots and crackling emotion. The secret to achieve both is deep inside your characters. Romantic suspense author Ann Voss Peterson will show you how to mine your characters' darkest fears and use the gems you discover to build emotionally satisfying character arcs and fuel great plots.

Also, please note that the MAY MEETING WILL BE ON MAY 21 AT SEQUOYAH LIBRARY from 9 to 12.

We couldn't get the Middleton library for that day, so I've reserved Sequoyah instead. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS TO REMEMBER. (Info. on meeting to come soon.)

Thanks, hope to see you Sat.

March and April Meetings!

2011-02-20T13:51:00.001-08:00

March 19th - Amy Knupp - Plotting, Post-Its and Panic

April 23rd - Ann Voss Peterson - Character Mining

Upcoming Meetings

2011-01-06T06:55:00.001-08:00

January 22: Plotting Party led by Kathy Steffen
From Kathy:

I don't know about everyone else, but I need some INSPIRATION to start off the Writing New Year! And nothing inspires me like ideas and plotting with my peeps, which is what the next meeting is all about. We'll briefly talk about different ways to approach plotting, then break into groups to brainstorm with and for each other.

The beauty of this meeting is that you can be anywhere in your writing. Stuck at a point, wanting to ramp up your story, or do you have a few characters wandering around with nothing to do? Perhaps even just a sparkle of a new idea? Participating in a plot party is the answer.

Come with whatever ideas/problems/stuckness you have and let your writing comrades help. Everyone who participates will leave with a flip-chart sheet bursting with ideas that will spark your own.

Oh, and it's loads of fun.

Middleton Library lower level, Saturday January 22nd at 9:30a.m.

Be there!

February meeting to be held on the 19th

March meeting to be held on the 19th

Details on all to come. All meetings to be held at Middleton Library and run from 9:30 to noon. An optional lunch at a nearby restaurant to follow.

November Meeting and December Party!

2010-11-09T14:29:00.001-08:00

Nov. 20 ~ Round Table discussion on publishing/publishers with a group of published authors. Bring questions to ask, or send ahead of time to moderator Bobbi Dumas.

Dec. 18 ~ Holiday Party at the Middleton Library.

We have the room from 10 - 3, brunch potluck from 11 to 2. And again this year there will be a book gift exchange - wrap a copy of a favorite book or two to put under the tree. (imaginary tree) :)

Meeting: Saturday, October 30th with Christine Merrill

2010-09-29T12:26:00.001-07:00

Christine Merrill presents - Make Your Novel Sing: Applying the pace and structure of a Broadway Musical to popular fiction.

Learn tricks and tips from live performance that will give your story the punch to keep your readers in their seats and your book from hitting the wall.

Limited engagement!

Soon to be a major multi-media production!

(If you’re lucky. At the very least, you’ll get handouts, and recorded music.)

As usual, meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. and will be held at the Middleton Library, map at right. Lunch afterwards. Admittance free, $1 donation requested. (lunch extra)

Upcoming Meetings

2010-08-13T12:33:00.001-07:00

Save the dates! More details to come on each soon.

Sept. 18 (Carrie Lofty, speaker - season kick-off)
Oct. 30 (Chris Merrill, speaker)
Nov. 20 (panel of authors - Q & A on publishers/publishing)
Dec. will be the Holiday get-together.

Technorati Tags: writing group,writing meeting

August Meeting: Revision

2010-07-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

I Can’t Put it Down

Revision: Going Beyond "Mere Fiction"

Join the MadCityRomance meeting on August 28th and learn how to step away from your WIP to revise like both a story and line editor. Use revision to bring out the best writing you have in you! Discover techniques to:

See structure and pacing through all those words
Make sure every scene includes all the essential elements
Shape your writing and move beyond words on a page to give your reader an experience
Keep your reader turning the page: pull them into each scene and never let them go
The process to recognize and fix (or delete) the boring parts readers skip
Checklist to tighten and then tighten some more
Polish your prose until it sparkles

For anyone who missed the April meeting, this is your chance to take an up-close look at revision techniques. For those who attended in April, get a good reminder and a few bonus "tools" and examples to help you in revising your own writing.

Member wins in WisRWA Fab Five!

2010-05-18T11:10:00.001-07:00

Mad City Romance member, Rachel Berens-VanHeest, won first place in the paranormal romance category of WisRWA’s Fab Five contest with her manuscript Arc Angel.

Rachel accepting her award from Karen Miller, Fab Five contest coordinator.

May Meeting: Book Dissection

2010-05-02T06:06:00.001-07:00

On May 22nd Rachel Berens-VanHeest will lead a book discussion on Talk Me Down Down by Victoria Dahl (HQN, 1/09). It's available from the library in limited numbers. Or order from: Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Read and discuss. From the people who've already read the book (as heard at the April meeting), we expect a lively discussion. Consider especially what worked for you with plot, characters, writing - and what, if anything, didn't. Hope you can join the conversation!

Upcoming Meetings

2010-03-22T15:48:00.001-07:00

March 27 ~ Alex Bledsoe ~ Explore the history and nature of different classic "Monsters," and how they've been used (and abused) as romantic figures.

April 24~ Kathy Steffen Revisions workshop & panel
May 22nd Rachel Berens-Van Heest will lead a book dissection of Victoria Dahl’s sexy contemporary romance, TALK ME DOWN

June 26th ~ Ann Voss Peterson ~ Isn't It Romantic? Putting Romance in a Romance Novel.
With all the emphasis on sex and plot and building a world, sometimes it's easy to lose sight of what our genre is all about. Ann Voss Peterson will dig deep into the heart of the romance novel, help you build stronger relationships between your characters, and show how your whole story can come together to earn its happy ending.

All meetings list to be held at Middleton Library, 9:30 a.m. to noon on date listed.

We have a board!

2010-02-12T06:28:00.001-08:00

The MadCityRomance Chapter Officers have been unanimously approved by the founding members. Thanks to those agreeing to serve on the board. MadCityRomance is an amazing group, and these people have offered their talents to help facilitate the incredible sharing of knowledge, support and energy that makes this group so special.

Here is the official MadCityRomance Board:

Kathy Steffen	President

Bobbi Dumas	Vice President

Jennifer Scratch	Secretary

Jenafer Lloyd-Jones Humphries	Treasurer

Lori Devoti	VP Communications

Christine Merrill	PAN Liaison

Jean Staral	PRO Liaison

Nominations Open for Board Positions

2010-02-03T15:24:00.001-08:00

In the interest of getting closer to affiliating with RWA National, it is time to elect a board. Following is a list of the board positions MadCity Romance needs to fill to go forward with RWA National affiliation. We are beginning the process by gathering nominations/volunteers for these positions. SEND ALL NOMINATIONS to kathysteffen@charter.net. She will contact everyone who gets nominated and make sure the nominee is both interested and able to serve.

Volunteers (or nominating one's self) is encouraged :o)

Three things to remember:

1. You must be a member of RWA National or in the process of joining to nominate/volunteer to nominate or volunteer.

2. Only nominate (someone or yourself) if you plan on becoming a member of MadCityRomance

3. Send nominations directly to kathysteffen@charter.net

Also, to affiliate with RWA National, we MUST fill the first four positions.

MadCityRomance Board Positions

President

Serve as spokesperson
Call, set agenda, and preside over board meetings
Execute chapter business as needed
Non-voting member of all committees
Liaison between chapter and RWA National office
Other duties as needed and designated by the Board

Vice President

Assume duties of President if s/he gets abducted by aliens
Plan/oversee all program-related activities (meetings, workshops, pencil box etc.)
New member contact (online and at meetings—new member info distribution)
Blog, loop, newspaper and other media meeting announcement
Other duties as needed and designated by the Board

Treasurer

Collects dues and supervises the collection and disbursement of chapter funds
Keeps chapter financial records and provides statement to Board every 6 months
Sends tax info to RWA Nationals
Works with Secretary to maintaining the list of "active" chapter members
Other duties as needed and designated by the Board

Secretary

Keep up-to-date records of chapter members and attendance at meetings
Works with Treasurer to maintaining the list of chapter members
Contact members for annual membership renewal/expiration notice
Works with Vice President to maintain/archive all chapter related communications
Update blog and loop meeting recap
Other duties as needed and designated by the Board

Internet Communications

Blog and loop upkeep and maintenance (working with Secretary and Vice President)
Other duties as needed and designated by the Board

PAN Liaison

Must be PAN member
Liaison between PAN and PAN chapter members

PRO Liaison

Must be PRO member
Liaison between PRO and PRO chapter members

Board members must be RWA General members in good standing.

All positions with the exception of the President are voting positions.

A conflict of interest statement (board member declares if they have a conflict between chapter and business, etc. interests) will need to be signed. The full statement will be sent to nominees prior to election.

Remember, send the nominations to kathysteffen@charter.net

Upcoming Meetings

2010-01-26T09:24:00.001-08:00

Jan 30 ~ Plotting Party, see details in previous post

Feb 27 ~ World Building Monica Valentinelli will bring her
expertise from the fantasy/game world on how to create and strengthen other worlds in the writing process. Plus, a panel of genre authors will discuss how they do this in their own writing.

March 27 ~ Alex Bledsoe speaking on Monsters

April 24 - Revision workshop Kathy Steffen will lead a a quick
overview workshop on the editing/revision process and a panel of
authors will give commentary (more details to come)

All meetings start at 9:30 a.m. and will be held at Middleton Wisconsin Library.

Come Plot with Us

2010-01-26T09:17:00.001-08:00

Plotting Party

Saturday, January 30th

Middleton Library 9:30 - 12

Kick off your new year with a brief
introduction to story structure and then break-out groups for
individual story plotting (most of you have done this before, so you
know how it goes - if you have questions, let me know). Harlequin Historical author Christine Merrill will lead the plotting intro.

Lunch after!

December Meeting/Potluck!

2009-12-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

Please note that the December meeting/party will be Bring A Dish. Last year we were loaded down with desserts, so think outside the chocolate box. ;-)

Details:
Middleton Library
Dec 19th 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.(ish)
Gift exchange at approximately 1 pm
Bring A Dish

Gift Exchange - Everyone who wants to participate in the Gift
Exchange should bring an anonymously wrapped Favorite Book.

Bobbi will buy plates/cups/utensils & some drinks with the pencil box
money. If you have a specific drink you'd like, feel free to bring
it along (though be aware that alcohol is not allowed in the library.)
If you have any questions, please contact Bobbi through the loop.

****************
Upcoming Meetings:

Jan 30 ~ Plotting Party Kick off your new year with a brief
introduction to story structure and then break-out groups for
individual story plotting (most of you have done this before, so you
know how it goes - if you have questions, let me know).

Feb 27 ~ World Building Monica Valentinelli will bring her
expertise from the fantasy/game world on how to create and strengthen
other worlds in the writing process. A panel of genre authors will
discuss how they do this in their own writing.

March 27 ~ Alex Bledsoe Topic info. & blurby-thing coming soon ; )

April (date TBA) - Revision workshop Kathy Steffen will lead a a
quick overview workshop on the editing/revision process and a panel
of authors will give commentary (more details to come)

Hope to see you all on Dec. 19th!

Madison's Got Talent...Saturday, November 21st

2009-11-19T12:02:00.000-08:00

Don't miss Madison's Got Talent, Sat Nov 21 at the Middleton
Library. (7425 Hubbard Ave, Middleton, WI 53562 (608) 831-5564--Downstairs)

Our 'judge' panel will consist of authors, Ann
Voss Peterson, Chris Merrill, Kathryn Albright and Kathy Steffen (and
other authors who may come). : )

Entries must be ONE (full) PAGE, DOUBLE SPACED and ANONYMOUS, and may
consist of either the first page of a manuscript or a query letter
(all names/addresses fictionalized, please - e.g. Dear Agent Jane;
Sincerely, Hopeful Author).

To participate, please bring THREE COPIES (preferably paper-clipped
together) of your entry. There will be a chair set up outside the
door with a folder where you can put them on your way in. I will
leave the folder there until after introductions, etc.

I will read the entry out loud, and the four judges can look at the
copies, and offer commentary.

This will only work if we have participants, so please plan on coming
and consider bringing your work. : ) Thanks!

Monthly Meeting on Saturday, October 17

2009-10-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday brought us more brainstorming and inspiration tools in the form of tarot cards. Jena Reynolds took us into the world of tarot, not as a "reading" or "fortune-telling" device, but as a visual aid to cause us to think outside our brain-boxes and jump-start ideas for plot, characters, scenes, descriptions, and just about anywhere else we get stuck in our writing. As some of us discovered, if the tarot deck is nothing like the feel of a WIP, so much the better! The cards engage that creative part of the brain, and once that happens, ideas come cascading in.

And a few of us saw new decks we might like to procure at some point :o)

Attendance was at lucky 13. Other discussion points from the meeting:

Upcoming Meetings

November 21^st Meeting

Bobbi Dumas let us know the November meeting (November 21^st, 9:30, Middleton Library) will take the form of "Madison's Got Talent" with a panel of authors to give suggestions on query letters and first pages of manuscripts. Everyone interested is encouraged to bring their one-page query letter or beginning first manuscript page (blind—with no hint as to the person submitting) and get comments.

Not to worry, Simon Cowell has not been invited. We will be sure to have a panel filled with kind, gentle, positive reinforcement with some constructive suggestions to polish those pages to perfection. This will be a great learning experience for everyone, even if you don't submit pages but just come to listen. And for those of us brave enough to submit, get a glimpse of what happens when someone reads your pages for the first time and what kind of impression is leading off your submission.

Stay tuned for more details on the MadRomance Loop!

December 19^th Holiday Party

Since no one has offered up their home for our rowdy band of revelers, we will turn the library meeting room into a festive pot-luck holiday-central. Details to come.

RWA Status

MadCityRomance has been approved for RWA status. The next steps are to find interim chapter officers, apply for a Federal Tax ID number, register our name, complete our membership roster, and write our bylaws. Kathy Steffen is beginning the steps and will keep us all updated as to where we stand in the process.

National Novel Writing Month

Is just about upon us. We have several members participating and if anyone else wants to jump in, sign up and we can all cheer each other on as we meet our astonishing writing goals with ease :o)

2009-09-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

Monthly Meeting Held, Saturday, September 19th

This past Saturday our September meeting unfolded as promised, with the focus on finding inspiration and getting over writer’s avoidance behavior. Everyone shared stories, techniques to keep reaching word goals on a consistent basis, and we all came away with new brainstorming ideas. We discussed guilt and how to get over that too, and be free to just write. Everyone left with their worries in a little bag to place aside when necessary. A nearby Target reported a rush of timer purchases.

The group energy was high and the meeting helped many to refocus and enjoy writing again and “just do it.” As was reported on several facebook pages…people are hitting their word counts in record numbers.

Attendance for the September meeting was strong, with 24 attending.

Other discussion points brought up at the meeting:

RWA Status

Kathy Steffen reported the first level inquiry package is complete and on it’s way to National Headquarters. We await approval and instructions for the next steps.

December Holiday Party

Believe it or not, the holidays are right around the corner. Bobbi Dumas asked that if anyone is willing to host a party, to let her know. We will all bring refreshments, holiday cheer, and never-ending gratitude. If no alternate location surfaces, we will rock the library.

March Write Off, Nano Style

Every year in November several MadCityRomancers engage in Nanowrimo, or National Novel Writing Month, where each writer attempts to hit a word goal of 50,000 words by the end of the month. It was suggested we do a MadCityRomanceWriMo sometime this winter, just when we are all going to be out of our minds with cabin fever and desperate for an extra boost to blast to the end of our writing projects. Or for an inspired and strong lift-off as we begin a new one. More information will come as we set this up. Everyone agreed March would be a good month to hold this event.

October 17 Meeting

Don’t miss it! Jena Reynolds is going to “show you how to use tarot to brainstorm ideas for stories, come up with characters, plot your stories, write scenes and description, work through blocks and snags in your writing and be more creative.” See “Upcoming Meetings” for more details.

Upcoming Meetings

2009-09-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

SEPT 19 & OCT 17 Meeting details
Middleton Library 9:30 a.m.

September ~ Kathy Steffen
Brainstorm Through Writer’s Block (or…Grab Your Muse, Pin Her to the Wall, and Make her Sing!)

Do you find yourself doing laundry or cleaning instead of writing? Do you have trouble finding time to write? When you sit down, do you stare at a blank computer (or screen) as panic builds and your mind feels like a vast wasteland? Or do you flail around, not sure when or where to start or which way to go with your story? Where do you get ideas, how can you brainstorm to find lots of inspiration? And how do you stay on track and keep writing?

Be prepared to engage both sides of the brain as we talk about what writer’s block (or avoidance behavior) really is, and how to pinpoint its reasons and get over them quickly. Then, get inspired with lots of exercises and brainstorming lists to help you boost creativity. Take home worksheets to help you conceptualize elements of your next book. Free yourself to enjoy writing instead of worrying about where (and when) the next idea will come.

Come, share your own experiences and learn new ways to jump-start creativity and find ideas.

October ~ Jenna Reynolds
Tarot for Fiction Writers

This workshop will show you how to use tarot to brainstorm ideas for stories, come up with characters, plot your stories, write scenes and description, work through blocks and snags in your writing and be more creative.

Since I won't be spending that much time going over the basics, (I did that at the workshop for the 2008 retreat), I would suggest checking out the following websites if you're not familiar with the tarot.

You don't have to memorize the meanings or anything like that. But it will help if you could have an overall sense of the structure of the tarot. I will also be providing handouts about the tarot.

Aeclectic Tarot - Here you will find tons of information about tarot. Decks, books, articles, etc.. It's a cornucopia of info about tarot.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/

Here you can learn the basics of reading tarot:

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/

If you're looking for a Tarot book check out this list, especially if you're a beginner

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/books/beginners.shtml

Many of these books can be found at the local library, so if you don't want to buy one you can check them out there.

We're going to be using tarot in the workshop so if you don't have a deck and don't want to buy one, don't worry. I'll bring along decks for you to work with.

If you're looking to purchase a deck, however, you can find decks listed by themes here:

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/themes.shtml

__._,_.___

First Meeting, what happened...

2009-08-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

The meeting was held as scheduled and it was well attended. I, your loyal recorder of happenings for the time being am just slow in reporting. Please read below for the details...
August 22nd MadRomance Meeting

Statement of Purpose

The reason for starting this group
There are enough RWA members in Madison who are enthusiastic enough to support our own RWA chapter.

RWA affiliation

Pros and Cons
There were a number on both sides, but consensus seemed to be that the pros outweighed the cons. So, we are proceeding with the RWA chapter affiliation process.

Dues requirements

Name
Mad City Romance Writers

Meetings
Middleton Library, Saturday mornings (probably 3rd Saturday) at 9:30 a.m.

Website/Newsletter
Low maintenance was the key here. Will have a blog that serves as both. Will not break out members as published or unpublished on the site. Will not promote individual authors or their books, contest wins, etc. on the site.

General Group Vision

Loop, membership forms, etc.
We will continue to use the Yahoo group loop already in use. We will try to be as "green" as possible and do as much as possible online (lower paperwork).

Funds, needed and plans
One of our goals is to actually stay small financially. No contests or conferences. There are already a number of conferences within an easy drive of Madison. And numerous contests our members can enter with other chapters.

What we need right now for RWA affiliation process to begin

Future goals
Writers' Retreat paid for by those who attend was mentioned as an option.

First Meeting!

2009-08-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Agenda for August 22nd MadRomance Meeting

Date: Saturday, August 22, 2009
Time: 9:30 to 12 (at latest), lunch after at individual expense if interested
Place: Middleton Library, Marion Fuller Archer room (downstairs)... Directions

Statement of Purpose

The reason for starting this group

RWA affiliation

Pros and Cons

Dues requirements

Name

Meetings

Monthly, face-to-face meetings

Location (Sequoia Brance, Midvale, other ideas?)

Day and Time (Saturday mornings good? Other ideas?)

Website/Newsletter

General Group Vision

Loop, membership forms, etc.

Funds, needed and plans

Conference, retreats, workshops, contests

What we need right now for RWA affiliation process to begin

Long Term Needs

Future goals

Questions

Mad City Romance First Meeting!

2009-07-05T15:01:00.001-07:00

Mad City Romance is a new group forming in the Madison, Wisconsin area to support writers of romantic fiction. At this time the group is not affiliated with any national group. However, our goal is to be affiliated with the Romance Writers of America.

Our first meeting to discuss our structure, goals and mission will be held at the Middleton WI library in the Marion Fuller Archer room (downstairs) on Saturday, August 22nd, at 9:30 a.m.. The meeting should go until about noon. Click here for directions.

Agenda to come.