| "H/O" means there is an accompanying
handout. "N/A" means there is no accompanying
handout.
9-103 THE WRITER’S LIFE – H/O
DON’T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES GREEN: PROFESSIONAL
JEALOUSY
Chris Fletcher
Jealousy hits us all at some point. The question
is, what to do with it? Join this two-time Golden
Heart finalist as she examines this all-too-human
emotion, and provides insight on how you can
make jealousy your friend.
9-104 PART 1 of 2 CRAFT – H/O
WHAT EVERY BEGINNING WRITER NEEDS TO KNOW BUT
IS AFRAID TO ASK
Dianne Despain and Diane Rowe Martinez
A Harlequin author and a past Kiss of Death
president and Puschart prize nominee present
this acclaimed two-hour workshop on the basics
of romance writing from industry terminology
to point of view to getting that story on the
page (two hours).
9-105 PART 2 of 2 CRAFT – H/O
WHAT EVERY BEGINNING WRITER NEEDS TO KNOW BUT
IS AFRAID TO ASK
Dianne Despain and Diane Rowe Martinez
A Harlequin author and a past Kiss of Death
president and Puschart prize nominee present
this acclaimed two-hour workshop on the basics
of romance writing from industry terminology
to point of view to getting that story on the
page (two hours).
9-106 LIFE/MUSE – H/O
DEFEATING THE DISCOURAGEMENT DEMONS
Cindi Myers
9-107 CAREER – H/O
INTERWEAVING THE WRITER AND THE WEB
Michelle Jean Prima
With the Internet playing such an integral
part in our lives, now more than ever, a writer
needs to think about having a Web site of his/her
own. This workshop will explore: who should
have a Web site and why, do-it-yourself design
vs. hiring a designer, tips for publicizing
the finished project, and the importance of
a site’s upkeep. A well-designed and well-maintained
site will provide the author with a valuable
sales tool that will keep visitors coming again
and again.
9-108 CRAFT – H/O
NO DUMPING ALLOWED: CREATING OPENING PAGES
THAT SPARKLE
Melissa Jeglinski, Wanda Ottewell, Catherine
Mann, and Joanne Rock
These multi-published authors and their editors
talk about how to kick up the backstory dump
and learn how to craft those all-important opening
pages that appeal to editors, agents, contest
judges, and readers.
9-109 CRAFT – H/O
BREATHING LIFE INTO A DYING (NOT A DEATH) SCENE
Roxanne St. Claire & Katherine Garbera
If your scene is suddenly sick with lifeless
characters, colorless settings and plain plots,
two multi-published authors will give tips for
reviving lifeless scenes.
9-111 CRAFT – H/O
INTER-SPECIES SEX – GETTING ALL THE PARTS
RIGHT!
P.C. Cast and Gina Showalter
Writing inter-species love scenes can present
some interesting difficulties! Join the authors
for a lively discussion about an important part
of writing paranormal romances.
9-112 THE WRITER’S LIFE – N/A
CONFERENCE CRAZIES
Teresa Hall
Are you introverted? Do you consider conference
attendance a challenge? Join multi-published
author Teresa Hall for some meditation and visualization
techniques to help you better cope with the
crowds and frantic pace of a national writer’s
conference.
9-113 CAREER – N/A
GUTSY GIRLS …DO!
Joan Johnston and Debbie Macomber
How do publishing divas get what they want
from their publisher, editor and agent? Join
RWA Honor roll authors Joan Johnston and Debbie
Macomber to find out.
9-114 CRAFT – N/A
WRITING PITFALLS WE ALL SEEM TO FALL INTO …
OR HOW TO OUTWIT A MISBEHAVING MUSE
Jennifer Greene, Lindsey Longford, and Shirley
Hailstock
Certain writing problems make us tear out hair
out – and they don’t have magic
solutions. These experienced authors will tell
us the ways to avoid falling into these pits!
9-115 CRAFT – H/O
CHARACTER PLOTTING
Emily McKay and Robyn R. Ratliff
9-116 CRAFT – N/A
MEN IN LOVE – FOUR HEROIC TYPES &
THEIR ROMANTIC CONFLICTS
Alicia Rasley
9-117 CHAT – N/A
CHAT WITH … JAMES PATTERSON
Come chat with James Patterson, the author
of New York Times #1 bestseller, Suzanne’s
Diaries for Nicholas, and now a second romance,
the much acclaimed Sam’s Letters to Jennifer.
Although many know him as the author of the
Alex Cross and Women’s Murder Club series
(the two best-selling detective series of the
past decade), Mr. Patterson is a new RWA member
and has much to share about his experiences
with writing and romance.
9-118 CRAFT – H/O
CONFLICTS OF MYTH: USING CLASSICAL MYTHS TO
DEEPEN YOUR CONTEMPORARY NOVEL
Susan Sipal
9-119 THURSDAY KEYNOTE ADDRESS
LISA GARDNER
Publishing trends begin with phenomena like
Lisa Gardner.
Sure, thrillers and suspense are all the rage
these days – easily the top-selling sub-genre
of romance and certainly best sellers in mainstream
as well – but who made them the must-write/must-read
golden books of the millennium?
Lisa Gardner did, that’s who. Maybe not
single-handedly and maybe not overnight, but
when Gardner started sucking in readers with
her fast-paced, gritty, and unpredictable thrillers,
everyone wanted more. Readers wanted more suspense
and publishers wanted more best sellers. In
turn, more writers ventured into the dark, scary,
suspenseful world that Gardner so skillfully
creates.
Gardner, along with a small and successful
class of fellow romance-turner-suspense authors,
made thrillers the go-to category of fiction
for the year 2000 and beyond. While many authors
struggle to join the suspense bandwagon or distinguish
themselves from other would-be suspense stars,
Lisa continues to be a leader in the genre,
writing at least one new best-selling suspense
hardcover every year.
Gardner wouldn’t be able to lay the tracks
that publishing follows if she didn’t
possess a bank of mainstay talents. Sharp, realistic
dialogue, deeply woven plots, and rapid-fire
pacing are integral to her natural story-telling,
no matter what she writes .. including romantic
fiction. Although a six-time author of best-selling
suspense, Gardner also has more than a dozen
category romances on her backlist, beginning
with the first book she ever published, a 1992
Silhouette Intimate Moments that she finished
in college. All told, Gardner has 13 series
romances (written as Alicia Scott), six mainstream
best sellers (three in hardcover), two American
made-for-TV movies to her credit, and one German
made-for-TV movie.
How does she do it and what does she have to
say about it all? Attendees to the 2004 Conference
will be kept in suspense no longer when they
hear Gardner address the Thursday Keynote Luncheon.
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