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Author: Kat Crawford

Katherine J. Crawford, the author of Capsules of Hope, Dew Drops of Hope and Buckets of Hope, is published in eighteen compilations and numerous articles. She is one of the Leadership for Wordsowers Christian Writers in Omaha NE. Known as the Lionhearted Kat, she resides in Oregon. Visit Kat’s website lionheartedkat.com. Her blog lionheartedkat.info and read her journal through breast cancer and the loss of her husband: www.caringgiver/visit/org.

RJ Thesman

RJ ThesmanRJ Thesman, author of the Life at Cove Creek Series, specializes in communications.With years of experience, RJ is a respected writer, coach and speaker. As a certified Christian life coach, RJ specializes in Communications and Spiritual Formation. RJ’s professional and personal philosophy revolves around the topic of excellence. As a writer, RJ draws from a lifetime of experience and research. As a coach, RJ helps other wordsmiths move toward their writing dreams. These concepts follow through in her speaking venues as RJ shares the best way to Do It Write.

At the 2016 conference RJ will be leading the Fueling Your Nonfiction with Creativity. This workshop will help you as a writer to learn the art of using some fiction techniques to produce nonfiction articles and/or books that sell. Learn some of the best practices for writing nonfiction and move toward publication.

Our recent interview with RJ.

KAT:  Why is your workshop important?

RJ:  My workshop is important because every reader loves a good story. In order to make our nonfiction attractive to editors and readers, we need to use creative techniques. By Fueling Our Nonfiction with Creativity, we have a better chance of selling nonfiction articles and impacting readers.

KAT:  What book are you currently reading?

RJ:  I’m always reading 2-3 books at the same time. Currently, I’m reading “Dakota” by Kathleen Norris, “Ephesians” by the Apostle Paul, “Rising Strong” by Brene Brown and “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elisabeth Gilbert.

KAT:  How did you hear about Wordsowers?

RJ:  Several years ago, my friend Sally Jadlow told me about the Wordsowers Conference. After I attended that first year, I was hooked.

KAT:  How did you hear about Wordsowers?

RJ:  Besides my weekly blog posts at www.RJThesman.net, I write a bimonthly column for the “Johnson’s County Gazette” and a monthly article for www.Trochia.org. I also write two blogs at work – www.GWHope.org and www.StartingOverSingle.com. And … I’m starting on a book of essays titled “Sometimes They Forget” based on my blog posts for caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients.

 

In case you’re not registered for the conference yet secure your seat today!

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Erica Vetsch

Erica VetschErica is a transplanted Kansan now residing in Minnesota. She loves history and reading, and is blessed to be able to combine the two by writing historical fiction set in the American West. Whenever she’s not following flights of fancy in her fictional world, she’s the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business, mother of two terrific teens, wife to a man who is her total opposite and soul-mate, and avid museum patron. For more information visit Erica’s website: http://onthewritepath.blogspot.com/

At the 2016 conference Erica will be leading the Plotting Your Story Using a Plot Board workshop. Writing a novel is an enormous undertaking with complexities. Using a plot board can simplify and distill your story, allowing you to see the big picture without being overwhelmed. We’ll explore story structure, balancing point-of-view scenes and how to get the story from the plot board to the page.

Our recent interview with Erica.

KAT:  Who will get the most out of your workshop?

ERICA:  The Plot Board workshop will benefit new writers who are overwhelmed by the enormity of tackling an entire novel, writers who don’t usually plot but need to create a quick synopsis for a proposal or editor’s request, and experience writers who would like to try something new.

KAT:  Who is your favorite fictional character and why?

ERICA:  I have two current favorites. Sherlock Holmes, because he is fascinating, and because he is so unique, he’s become a trope. And Jack Reacher, who is absolutely relentless, capable, and fearless.

KAT:  How did you hear about Wordsowers?

ERICAMy dear friend Mary Connealy told me about this conference and how many wonderful people she’d met as a result of attending.

KAT:  What are you working on now?

ERICA:  I’m the lead author on a novella collection: 7 Brides for 7 Texans. Seven novellas featuring seven brothers who must marry within the next 12 months or lose their inheritance. My job, in addition to writing one of the novellas, is to oversee the continuity of the series.

 

In case you’re not registered for the conference yet secure your seat today!

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Susan KingSusan King

Susan and husband, Joe, have three grown children and two young grandchildren. While Joe and their children are whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River, Susan can be found with her daughter-in-law and the grandchildren at a children’s museum or aquarium.

At the 2016 conference Susan will be leading two workshops:

  • Turning Personal Experience into a Devotional Message (beginning through advanced writers) —A workshop focused on the three essential elements in an effective devotional. Included will be information about the devotional market in general as well as specialized writing for The Upper Room, the world’s largest daily devotional guide.
  • Style: The Key to Excellence in Writing —Do you want to write with such sparkle and verve that you’ll knock the socks off editors?  Do you want them to be falling all over themselves to publish your submission and clamor for your future submissions? A crash course in excellent writing for any genre.

Our recent interview with Susan.

KAT:  How did you get into editing?

SUSAN:  As an English major in college, of course I was always intending to write “The Great American Novel.” When a stay-at-home mom and pregnant with my third child, I started writing that novel as a catharsis while going through a major crisis with my parents’ marriage. When the crisis abated, my motivation to finish that novel ebbed as well. At the same time, I discovered magazine-feature writing as a way to help bring in money to support our family. A year later, due to rumors that the company my husband was working for was closing down, I sought and secured a position as a writer and editor for a Christian psychological institute and later began teaching English full-time at Biola University. Soon after my husband’s job took us to Nashville (and a teaching position at Lipscomb University), the sale of our house in California fell through and I had to seek a second full-time position—this time as an editorial assistant for The Upper Room. (When I answered the ad, all I knew was that it was a part-time secretarial position at The United Methodist Board of Discipleship.) Before long, I was Assistant Editor and then Associate Editor (all the while continuing to teach full time).

Minoring in magazine production in college, all I really wanted to be was an editor, but I didn’t know how to become one. I knew how to become a college professor (since both my parents were). Yet, for over 20 years now, I have worked as an editor. Long after I had put that dream aside, God gave me the desires of my heart. (See Psalm 37:4.)

KAT:  What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why?

SUSAN:  The motivation and skills to write an excellent devotional and to improve a conferee’s writing in every genre.

KAT:  Who will get the most out of your workshop?

SUSAN:  Anyone who wants to write excellently and to reach an audience of millions all over the world.

KAT: What book are you currently reading?

SUSAN:  The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King.

KAT:  If you could share only one piece of information with a writer, what would it be?

SUSAN:  While writing and publishing a book sounds very appealing, don’t forget the many advantages to writing for magazines before, during, and after the book writing.

 

In case you’re not registered for the conference yet secure your seat today!

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Brooke Williams, AuthorBrooke Williams

Brooke Williams is a sleep-deprived stay at home mom/freelance writer/author. She has a background in radio and TV broadcasting, but left that career to stay home with her children and write. She specializes in romantic comedy and some of her titles include: “Accept this Dandelion,” and “Mamarazzi.” Check out her website: www.AuthorBrookeWilliams.com

At the 2016 conference Brooke will be leading The Art of a Facebook Party and Other Online Promotion workshop where Brooke will teach how to entertain potential readers in an online party. This class includes tips on the art of throwing, hosting, or attending Facebook parties as an author. Enjoy brainstorming with a group of new or veteran authors to figure out the world of online promotions.

Our recent interview with Brooke.

KAT:  How did you get into writing?

BROOKE:I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I used to cut pictures from magazines, glue them to blank paper, and write stories about their images. Then I would sell the “newspapers” to my parents for a nickel. I wrote my first novel a year after I started my full time career in radio, just after graduating from college. After that, I took a decade long break. When my first daughter was born, I searched for a job I could do from home and writing seemed the obvious choice. I started a freelance writing career and that reminded me how much I love to write. I went back to fiction and haven’t been able to stop since.

KAT:What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why?

BROOKE:Going to a party of any kind can be intimidating. We’ve all been to a party where we weren’t exactly comfortable. If you’ve never been to an online party, or if you have been and don’t know what to do, this class will get you acclimated to the world of online parties and marketing. You can take the parties by storm and get the word out there about your work!

KAT:If you could share only one piece of information with a writer, what would it be?

BROOKE:If you love to write…write! Don’t let “no” stand in your way, no matter how many times you hear it. Write for you and the rest will fall into place. Don’t force anything, just enjoy what you do. If you love it, others will too.

KAT:What are you working on now?

BROOKE: I’m hoping to put the final book in my dandelions series out this spring/summer. It’s called “After the Final Dandelion.” So I’m working on finalizing that. I also have another manuscript completed and am searching for a new publisher to help with that. It’s called  “The Leftover,” another romantic comedy, this time with a Survivor slant.

In case you’re not registered for the conference yet secure your seat today!

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2013 Wordsowers Conference

What do I wear?

Come comfortable, but remember you are meeting editors and publishers. Dressy casual is suggested. (Many wear jeans with a nicer shirt/blouse.) Dress in layers for Nebraska weather. We are planning on spring, but can never predict warm or cold.

What do I need to bring?

Most important are your business cards to exchange with authors, editors and publishers. Networking is an important piece of a writer’s conference. You can bring your laptop, but it’s not necessary. Notepads and pens will be supplied along with your conference folder.

How do I prepare to talk with an editor or publisher? 

Attend the March 26th Wordsowers Monthly Meeting held at the Swanson Library at 90th and Dodge. The meeting room is in the basement, easiest entry from the east side of the building. Time: 6-7:45pm with an afterglow following—the place to be announced.

For those unable to attend the March meeting: Some writers prepare a one sheet with their information. Lee Warren, one of our local freelance editors says he prefers the writer keep their one sheet for reference and give him the opportunity to talk with you, rather than him read the one sheet. Above all, be yourself. Editors and publishers are people, too.

How many professional interviews are offered each individual?

We begin with one on-site interview and one Skype interview. After the first break, if there are still spots open, you can sign up for more. We want to fill the on-site and Skype interview slots.

Don’t Miss out on a great conference.

If you have more questions, please send emails or attend our monthly Wordsowers meeting on March 26th, 6-7:45 p.m. at the Swanson’s Library, 90th and Dodge.  Use the downstairs east entrance to find the meeting room.

Mind Mapping works for me:
My Mind Map 
In a critique group I asked the writers to list the people they’d rubbed shoulders with that day or that week. I also took the challenge and drew out my diagram. Each of us were amazed at the lives we touched.

 

Joyce, Karen, Audrey
The same happens with our fiction characters. If I want my main character to amount to anything, the reader needs to see them connecting with others:
Hiding Goals?
  • Those who appreciate them and those who don’t.
  • The people they choose to ignore.
  • The neighbor they haven’t spoken to in years.
  • The childhood friend who disappointed them.
We also need to see their dreams and goals.
  • Will they see the dream come to pass?
  • How will they respond if they never see the dream fulfilled?
  • Are their goals realistic?
  • Do they share their goals or hide them, afraid others won’t understand?
I’ve written and sold non-fiction, but last November I took the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge to write 50,000 words in one month. I managed to first draft over 68,000. What a great reminder on character building. One of my big problems—I have a couple faultless characters.
New goal—create flawed humans!
Not Necessarily Physically Flawed 
I Dreamed Big!
The dreams came to pass.
Now I can say I’ve taught at
and several times at
 
(HACWN) in Kansas. 
 
I also teach for our local 
 
Does that make me an expert?
 No, silly, an expert is simply a drip under pressure. 
 
I am a writer who loves to share the bit of knowledge 
I have and continue to glean with others. 
 
What about you? 
Share your writing dreams.
For the month of January I think about what I can possibly do in one year. I post notes in my Bible, my Jesus Calling book, and on the walls in my office.
Not everyone works with written goals. Charles Schultz, otherwise known as Sparky, said he knew his deadline. He mapped out the cartoon squares he needed to fill on large paper. Then he looked out the window. He said he did some of his best work while doing what others would call nothing.
From Charles Schultz Images Online

Sometimes if someone entered his studio while Schultz looked out the window for fresh inspiration, he dashed to his desk in order to look busy. After all, we don’t want those looking on to think writers, illustrators and cartoonists do nothing,I liked Sparky’s idea. We all need to laugh at ourselves more.
So what are my writing goals for 2015?

1.      Finish my WIP “Unscheduled Life.” The novel I started in November’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
2.      Publish “Kat’s Lion Tales.”
3.      Write —“My Thirteen Husbands.” Non-fiction, full of fun and laughter.
4.      Begin novel: “The Oil Change Said it All.”
What are my impossible dreams?
1.      Find an all terrain vehicle for Enoch Stalcup.
Enoch Stalcup

My friend in Estcada, Oregon, who loves to fish and hunt…his wheel chair doesn’t give him freedom. (Enoch built the website for Creating Memories for DisabledChildren.)

2.      Raise money for Creating Memories for
DisabledChildren—(blog) CMFDC needs more dollars to  rebuild the cabins in Ashley’s Park and add more wheel chair accessible trails.
What about you?
Are you trusting God for the impossible?
Share your writers goals and your dreams.
May 2008 our oldest daughter called to ask what I wanted for Mother’s Day.

“How about a trip to Oregon.”

free digital Photo
“Mom, be real?”
“Well I need a new computer.”
“Mother, something attainable, please.”
“Honey, I don’t have a want list these days. I don’t really need anything and what I do need or desire are impossible to buy or attain.”
“Mom, that’s really sad. You are the one that taught me to dream big.”
After we discussed my lack of faith, I hung up, opened my Bible and wrote my list.
1.   I’d like to teach a workshop at a writer’s conference.
2.   I’d like a trip to Oregon to see our family

3.   I’d like a new computer.

Marcus, Karen, Me and Kaitlynn
4.   I’d like a tapestry banner with a lion.
(can’t remember #5 but received it)
The next week a virus hit my computer and killed it dead. Deader than dead.
I whined to the Lord, “I didn’t think we’d have to buy one—how will we pay for it?” Husband made sure I bought the best of the best desktop computers. We put it on a payment plan. (Sidenote: can you believe, in only three months an unexpected check arrived—we paid for the computer without interest.)
 

Three weeks after my conversation with my daughter a huge tapestry arrived. 

“Found this in the backroom where I work—it was on sale,” daughter said.
 
Wow. The lion and the lamb are beautifully woven into a huge tapestry. Much larger than I dreamed about.
 
Before long I found an airline ticket at half the usual price. I flew to Oregon and enjoyed family.
 
In the fall a friend I met online sent me an email. “Would you teach a workshop at our first IDAHope writers conference next year.” ‘
 
Can you see me? I jumped, yelled, hollered and called our daughter.
 
“Guess what? I’ve been asked to teach at a writer’s conference.”
 
Feeling blessed beyond belief I sent out emails to everyone I knew. Many friends congratulated me. Then I found out I needed to pay for an airline ticket from Omaha, Nebraska to Boise, Idaho.
 
I backtracked. 
 
Sent out another email saying, “It sounded too good to be true and I guess it is. I’m not going, but I’m thrilled with the invitation.”
 
But God wasn’t done.
 
The next day an email from a friend in Florida arrived.
 
“How much is the ticket? I’m sending the money in today’s mail?”
 
I did go to IDAHope.
 

I met many new authors—some are still in touch with me.

Author Carol Colson
 
I did spend three nights and four days with Carol Colson, a new precious friend whose book will come out soon.
 
I did teach, not one workshop, but two and critiqued twelve manuscripts in all genres’.
 
Now it’s 2015, time to set goals for the new year?
 
How big can I dream?
 
God is the God of the impossible.
 
If I can find it, pay for it, 
plan it in my budget—that isn’t dreaming big. 
I don’t need God if I can do it all myself.
More to come.
Somewhere around early 2008 I desired to teach writers workshops. When a conference leader asked for those interested in teaching to send an application with qualifications, I wrote a short note about my desire to teach and the following:
 Qualifications: Published in twelve anthologies, sixty magazine articles, and wrote for the Plattsmouth Journal for eighteen months. Published Capsules of Hope Survival Guide for Caregivers, and held numerous book signings for A Cup of Comfort. I started a critique group in 2006 and today everyone in the group is a published author.
I thought myself well-qualified, but I didn’t get the job. 
Not even a reply from the Leader. 
Does that mean I did something wrong? 
No, however I did feel disappointed. 
Did I stop sending out requests to teach?
Absolutely not. 
 
And at that time Husband kept saying, “Mook, dream BIG.” 
 
And I did.
More To Come.

 

“Nice job,” my husband said when he read one of my articles published in the Sunday School handout called The Standard for the Church of the Nazarene.

 “Yes, I’m glad it’s published. Thrilled to see my name in print. Like the payment, but my goal is to be the feature story.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I want the front cover story.”

A month later I opened a packet with three copies of my latest article, ‘Basket of Goodness’ published in LIVE, a Sunday School Handout for the Assemblies of God church.

Although my hubby watched the Nebraska Husker football, I waved a copy of my story in front of his face.

At first he pushed it away. When I continued to pester him, he grabbed the paper and glanced at it.

“You did it, Babe. You have your feature story.” He grinned.

“I still wish to be published in Chicken Soup.”
“You’ll get there, Babe. You’ll get there.”
And last year I did. What a thrill.

Okay, I’m back to a few who say, “Well where is your book?” They know I published “Capsules of Hope: Survival Guide for Caregivers” five years ago. They also know I have a few hundred other ideas floating in my head for a novel, but for right now—well

I’m thrilled once more to say, “Hey, gang, this year I’m published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Touched by an Angel . What a thrill. Wish my precious hubby were here to celebrate with me.
Several years ago I joined an online writers group where a published author posed the thought for a couple days and others responded.
When we talked about pacing, author Brandilyn Collins said:
I base my opinions on the fact that the actual wording of a sentence creates a rhythm within the reader. We live by rhythm. It’s so common to us we don’t realize it. But as writers we need to understand how to use sentence rhythm to create a desired effect in a scene.
 
When we are scared, our hearts beat faster. We tense. Our eyes move more quickly. Everything about our bodies picks up a heightened rhythm. In creating an aura in a scene, we need to pay attention to the rhythm of our readers.
I pulled a couple books from my shelf to see if I could sense what Ms. Collins calls rhythm.
“Why are you here?” she asked him.
“His Majesty has summoned you to the throne room.” He gestured to the

door and waited for her to lead the way.

Abijah’s heart began to race. Ahaz had never summoned her to the throne room before. “Perhaps…would he like to see his new son?” she asked.
“The king said nothing about his son. He sent for you.” (Austin, Lynn; God’s & Kings page 190.)
We can feel the tension in only those few words. And what about this short scene:
Miles passed by.
“I think I’d like to kiss you good-night sometimes.”
“Okay.”
“I heard that smile.”
“Did you expect me to say no?”
“I’m just thinking about it.”
Bryce glanced over. Her eyes were closed and she was drifting. He smiled, and didn’t break the silence. He was thinking about it too.
Slower paced—awe, but feel the rhythm.  (Henderson, Dee; Unspoken; pg 358)