Greetings from Jan! Today I’m busy packing and making preparations for the Mount Hermon Writer’s Conference where I’ll be teaching a Head Start Mentoring Clinic and running the manuscript retrieval process for editors, critiquers, and writers. One of my other delightful tasks for the week will be to give a workshop for the writers about midway through our time there. We will stop to take a few deep breaths. We’ll step away from the busyness of the conference into God’s waiting arms to catch a glimpse of his hand in all our circumstances. In that place with him, we’ll reflect, refocus, and rechage. As our spirits quiet,…
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This is our archive page10 Things I Love about Writers Conferences
Hello from Jeanette! I’m in the process of last-minute preparations for the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference (March 26-30). This conference is always a highlight of my year. I attended for the first time in 1995 and now have the honor of serving on the Support Staff as the coordinator of the first-timers’ Buddy System. If you have never attended a conference like Mount Hermon, I highly recommend it. Here are just a few of the things I love about writers’ conferences:
The Writer as Learner
Jan–nostalgic and wishing we could get together and chat about writing over a cup of tea or coffee. Yesterday, I slid a package out from my mailbox at the end of the country road where I live. Inside, along with a couple of text books I ordered, was a book about writing nonfiction and understanding the editor’s perspective. Earlier today, I turned to another resource to look up a grammar tip. What was that rule about . . .? After that, I read a few blogs I visit from time to time and read about writing and marketing. On a recent road trip,…
Description II: Purposeful Details
H from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailmartin.com. Right now, I am away from home on staff at the American Christian Writers conference in Dallas, Texas, and today I want to give you some information on purposeful details. Description can connect with readers when it evokes emotion, and it can also deepen characterization by helping expose characters’ attitudes. When you use detailed descriptions in your novels, think about the affect the details have on readers. Develop them to get the most emotional impact you can. And how do you do that?
Tips from the Pros: C.S. Lakin
Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California, where the plum and nectarine trees bloom in the rain. One of my favorite March happenings is the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Last year I was at Mount Hermon to see Susanne Lakin (writing as C.S. Lakin) win Zondervan's First Novel contest and receive her first contract. That novel, Someone to Blame, will release in August 2010. Today we hear from Susanne and see what exciting things have happened since winning that contest. Susanne, how did you get into writing? I was raised by a Hollywood screenwriter. Both my brother and mother were successful TV writers and producers, so…
CAN Book Feature: 102 Wiggly Bible Rhymes and Rhythms by Karen H Whiting and Mary Rose Pearson
102 Wiggly Bible Rhymes and Rhythms by Karen H Whiting and Mary Rose Pearson Abingdon Press ISBN 13-978-1-4267-0849-7 A treasure book of rhymes, rhythms, songs, and games for preschool and young elementary children. Church leaders, teachers, and parents will find this resource easy to use to help get wiggles out of restless little ones. The book helps children use different learning styles to remember and reinforce Bible stories and their meanings. The book includes a wide array of styles and types of activities that include clapping songs, choral readings, finger plays, action rhymes, and rhymes with games. Indexes list rhymes…
We Need to Get Out More
Blessings to you from Bonnie Leon. Most days do you stay cloistered in your office with your story ideas flying onto your computer screen or your nose in a research book seeking an imperative piece of information that turns out to be impossible to find? That’s the writing life, but there’s more to living than that. And if you’re not experiencing it you’re missing special pleasures offered to us by our Heavenly Father. There is so much to be gained by engaging in the world around us.
Marketing Lessons from the World of Retail
Tracy (T.L.) Higley here, posting another marketing lesson I’ve learned from my years in online retail sales. As I’ve mentioned in previous months, I’m currently in the midst of an experimental year, applying principles from my retail business to the marketing of my fiction. If you’ve missed earlier posts, and would like a better explanation of my background and what these posts are about, please see Principles #1-#6 here. So, on to Principle #7… Good website design is critical. Two subpoints to this principle: 1. Content draws people and keeps them coming back. These days, the…
CAN Book Feature: Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure by Susan Marlow
Title: Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure (Circle C Adventures #5) Author: Susan K. Marlow Publisher: Kregel Publications ISBN: 978-0-8254-3352-8 When innocent horseplay temporarily lands Andi and her friends in jail, they decide that a trip into the mountains will leave their troubles far behind. Accompanied by big brother Mitch and armed with a map showing old gold diggings, they can’t wait to strike it rich. What could be better than two weeks of camping and horseback riding? But instead of gold they find heaps of trouble—trouble that leaves Mitch gravely wounded. Andi needs help fast. But who…
Why I Love New Writers
Jeanette here, wondering how March got here so fast. A little over a week ago I had the fun of teaching at the Castro Valley Christian Writers’ Seminar. This is a conference that attracts a lot of beginning writers. Today, as I continued work on a buddy program for the upcoming Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference, I couldn’t help reflecting on why I love new writers.
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