Browsed by
Category: WordSowers Christian Writers Conference

Tosca Lee, NY Times Best-Selling Author

Tosca Lee Returns for the

Wordsowers 2018 Conference!

Tosca Lee, NY Times Best-Selling AuthorTosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times, CBA and Indie bestselling author of THE PROGENY, FIRSTBORN, ISCARIOT, THE LEGEND OF SHEBA, DEMON: A MEMOIR, HAVAH: THE STORY OF EVE, and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker (FORBIDDEN, MORTAL, SOVEREIGN). Her books have won the Gold Medallion, the Christian Retailer’s Choice Award, Forward Magazine’s Book of the Year Silver and Bronze, and have finaled for numerous others, including a second Gold Medallion and two Christy awards. You can find Tosca at ToscaLee.com, on social media, or hanging around the snack table. Be sure to check out ISMENI, the free e-short prequel to THE LEGEND OF SHEBA!

“Stories hand-crafted to transport you to other times and places—and adventures with twists you won’t see coming!” –Tosca Lee

Share a tidbit that has helped you in writing and/or marketing.  Have fun—and make it fun for others.

Do you have a mentor and/or author/and/or book that helped you this past year.  My husband. He keeps me sane, helps me brainstorm, and reminds me not to take everything so seriously (see above).

What frustrates you the most, the editing or marketing? First drafts!

Do you ever struggle with writer’s block and if so, how do you overcome?  I find that “writes block” is a catch-all phrase for mental resistance and/or a lack of preparation—both items I’ve experienced. I hash it out with a trusted confidante, get up to do something mundane or, barring all else, give myself permission to write shoddily and work through it.

Is there a scripture that helped you in your writing journey this past year?  The simple knowledge that I am made in the image of the most creative Being in the universe—the same One who created mighty mountains… and strange, whimsical sea creatures.

How do you juggle your life between family and writing?  A lot of late hours, my friend. A lot of late night hours.

Tosca will be at this years’ Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference in April. Check out her workshops. 

To Write or Not to Write: Susan King

Over the years, Susan King continues to be one of the most frequently requested conference speakers within the Wordsowers community. We are blessed that once again, she will be joining us. This year, her workshops include: Making it Look Easy – Achieving Excellent Style in any Genre, and  Turning Personal Experience into a Devotional Message.

Susan King, Associate Editor - The Upper RoomSusan King: For over 23 years, Associate Editor Susan King has served at The Upper Room, a daily-devotional magazine that reaches millions of readers in more than 100 countries. One of her greatest joys has been representing The Upper Room every year at several of 23 different Christian writers’ conferences in the U.S. and Canada. Two years ago, she retired from 27 years of teaching English and feature-writing classes—most recently for Lipscomb University but also for Biola University and Abilene Christian University. Formerly, she served as writer, book editor, and radio-program producer/on-air talent for The Institute of Scriptural Psychology; wrote magazine features as a freelance writer; and functioned as a seminar facilitator in leadership and group dynamics.

Susan lives in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband Joe. Her three adult children live in three different states, and she is delighted that one of them still lives in Franklin—with his wife and Susan and Joe’s two young grandsons.

If you were at a book event and someone asked you, “Why do you write?” what would you say?  At the risk of using a cliché, I can’t NOT write. I am a very opinionated person and give much critical thinking in arriving at my opinions so I believe that others can benefit from reading those opinions. Thus, I write feature articles (rather than fiction—probably because fiction may communicate the same thing but does so way too subtly!)

Share a tidbit that has helped you in writing and/or marketing.  Early on, the advice to start out with magazine writing rather than clinging doggedly to writing a book made all the difference for me.

Do you ever struggle with writer’s block and if so, how do you overcome?  Everyone struggles with this at some time or another. The best way for me is to freewrite/brainstorm. With the former, you put the topic at the top of the page and then write everything that comes into your mind for 10-15 minutes, non-stop, with no editing/correcting/hesitation. With the latter, the information is in the form of a list rather than one long paragraph. Both of these tend to overcome the tyranny of the blank page/computer screen and not only help me to overcome writer’s block but also give me ideas on the topic that I might not have explored before.

Susan will be at this years’ Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference in April.  Be sure to sign up to talk with her and sit in on her workshops. 

Let’s start off this year’s pre-conference interviews

with the effervescent Laree Lindburg!

Laree Lindburg

Laree Lindburg (Owner/Manager): Before her sole procurement of Electric Moon Publishing, LLC., Laree signed with a literary agent and published devotions and articles. She has worked as a grant writer for a non-profit project, a technical writer for a media company, an e-book design expert for various publishing companies, and a ghostwriter, re-writer, and editor for a law firm.

The EMoon team has assisted over 100+ clients in various stages of publishing and business development. She and her crew operate a full-service collaborative/hybrid publishing place for indie authors, ministries, and organizations.

If you were at a book event and someone asked you, “Why do you write?” what would you say?  To inform. To entertain. To pass the time. To teach my children. I write as a way to record my thoughts, feelings, and prayers. An act of worship.

Share a tidbit that has helped you in writing and/or marketing. Attend conferences–especially the author-friendly ones like the WCWC. When you have an opportunity to meet and talk shop with other authors and experienced professionals in your field of interest–do it!

Do you have a mentor and/or author/and/or book that helped you this past year? I have been reading through “Draw the Circle” by Mark Batterson. Sure, I may not agree with everything Mr. Batterson writes, however, the overall principles of submission, confession, faith-increasing, bold prayer has impacted me personally and professionally. I’ve also made strides to meet with two other industry professionals on a semi-regular basis to discuss writing/publishing/business issues. This has been most helpful to me, not to mention fun!

What frustrates you the most, the editing or marketing? Hmmm… I am coming from the publishing side, so I’d say both, but more so marketing. Authors, whether traditionally published or indie published, have a difficult time grasping the truth that book marketing is heavily upon their shoulders. Others can assist in the venture, but no one is as invested in your work as you are. No one can sell your book like you can. So, be prepared and have a plan. 🙂

Do you ever struggle with writer’s block and if so, how do you overcome? I do. I usually just write anyway–and pray. The outcome may be poor, but the perseverance builds stamina and strengthens resolve.

Is there a scripture that helped you in your writing journey this past year? A word I have been meditating on lately is “decrease.” This is based on John 3:30 when John the Baptist explains to his disciples what must happen to him. “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.” The term “decrease” should be applied directly to our spiritual journey foremost then also perhaps stretched in concept to our physical lives–decreasing in selfish sins, media intake, food consumption, extraneous purchases, etc. I long to be less of me and more of Christ. Things work out so much better this way. 🙂

How do you juggle your life between family and writing? What a great question! And so terribly difficult to answer. I’ve recently realized that I put too much emphasis on my ability to multi-task which no one can truly do well–something or someone always suffers. And instead, my goal is to make strides to be more present in one spot at a time. So, I block off specific sections of the day to work, and when I am not at my desk, I try my best to curb the temptation to check work email or write a blog post and in turn be ‘present’ with my family. It’s all a work-in-progress!

Laree will be at this years’ Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference in April. 

Be sure to stop by her table.  

Meet Jennifer Slattery, 2017 Wordsowers Conference workshop leader. She will be teaching Avoiding Story Deflators. 

Jennifer Slattery is a multi-published author, freelance writer, editor, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, a ministry that seeks to help women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. She writes Christian living articles for Crosswalk.com and is the managing and acquisitions editor for Guiding Light Women’s Fiction, and imprint with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Visit her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com

Connect with Jennifer

  Facebook   Twitter   Website   Pinterest

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. My heart is first and foremost for the writer. I love seeing men and women discover, grab hold of, and live out who they are in Christ and what He’s called them to do. In other words, though I’m looking for strong manuscripts for my women’s fiction imprint, I’m also coming to this conference as a fellow traveler, cheerleader, encourager, and friend.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop? Who will get the most out of your workshop? Though this workshop is geared toward fiction writers, we’ll be looking at some key components of strong writing. Therefore, writers of all genres should be able to glean helpful information that, if applied, will bring their writing to the next level.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Can I share two? First, I’d say, if this is something you truly want (to get a publishing contract, article acceptance, or whatever your personal writing goal is), pursue it with perseverance and diligence. Learn as much as you can, and recognize that the more teachable you are, the stronger your writing will be. Also recognize that this is a long, difficult journey, one where many quit along the way. Determine now what you’ll do when (not if) rejections come and the writing becomes difficult. Write this in your journal and pray over this often.

Jennifer’s books are sure to encourage you. Enjoy her most recent release.

Restoring Love

Mitch, a contractor and house-flipper, is restoring a beautiful old house in an idyllic Midwestern neighborhood. Angela, a woman filled with regrets and recently transplanted to his area, is anything but idyllic. She’s almost his worst nightmare, and she s also working on restoring something herself. As he struggles to keep his business afloat and she works to overcome mistakes of her past, these two unlikely friends soon discover they have something unexpected in common, a young mom who is fighting to give her children a better life after her husband’s incarceration. While both Mitch and Angela are drawn to help this young mother survive, they also find themselves drawn to each other. Will a lifetime of regrets hold them back or unite them and bring redemption along with true love?

Purchase your copy

Amazon      Barnes and Noble       CBD

 

Our next introduction is Anne Rauth. She will be leading the workshop Jesus Would be on Linked In at the 2017 Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference.

An award winning author, Anne received her MBA from the University of Kansas and started her professional career at Hallmark Cards in the Advertising and Hallmark Hall of Fame Division.  Currently she works at Mercy and Truth Medical Missions, a safety net clinic in the Kansas county with the lowest healthcare rankings in the state.

PS  Don’t try to link with Anne before the conference.  Come to her workshop to find out why.

 What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. Anne Rauth grew up in a small town in Northwest Missouri and can make a post, or any other inanimate object, talk to her.  So, if you want to engage in lively “small talk banter”, find her.  As the mom of three boys, and wife of almost 25 years to Scott, there’s no shortage of devotional topics to write about; just shortage of time to jot them down.  If you must have a conversation starter, ask her about the time she found her oldest son asleep in their claw foot bath tub, and blamed Abbie the Labbie, their family dog.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop? Who will get the most out of your workshop? Anne’s workshop is “Jesus would be on Linked In”.  If you’ve always wanted to “link up” on this social media platform, which has the largest business audience in the world this workshop is for you.  You’ll gain  a better understanding of Linked In, learn how to get an “All Star Profile” and hear insights about Linked In that Anne has learned along the way.

Anne believes the biggest takeaway from using Linked In is the power of relationship building and how much knowledge you can gain about someone before you meet them.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Anne encourages writers with her “one word” of the year (it’s hyphenated) to:   PRESS-ON.  This word was taken from Philippians 3:14:  “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  PRESS-ON with your writing while PRESSING IN to Jesus.

 

 

It’s not too late to join us!

Attending a conference is a commitment. You have to reserve the block of time (which gets harder and harder with today’s busy lifestyle). You have to pay the conference fees. You have to prepare a pitch in case you run into the perfect editor or agent. And the list goes on. Sometimes it feels like too much! So why should you attend? Here are just a few reasons.

 

Reason#1: You’ll learn

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been writing professionally for years or if you just scratched out your first short story last night, you WILL learn something at a conference. It might be something little or something huge or a bunch of little things in between. There’s no walking away from a writer’s conference without new knowledge.

 

Reason#2: You’ll meet others like you

There’s something about writers being around other writers. You understand each other! Finally, someone who gets why you can’t stop writing a story until it’s finished because the voices in your head won’t leave you alone. Finally, someone who has been through the same struggles to get published as you. Writers understand writers! And it’s just plain fun to be around others who enjoy the craft.

 

Reason#3: You never know what will come of your attendance

When you attend a writer’s conference, you’re surrounded by opportunity. There are editors there waiting to hear your pitch. There are agents there hungry for just the right story. There are professionals ready to give you advice on what to do and how to do it. You never know what will come out of your time at the conference. You might make a connection that leads to publication. You might get inspiration for the next great American novel. You might meet a new best writing friend. You never know what you’re going to get, but it’s going to be great!

Under each of these reasons you’ll find a dozen or more others just like them; 101 reasons, or more, depending on how you count them. Sign up! Go! You won’t regret it!

It’s not too late to join us!

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Use #Wordsowers2017 when you share with your friends.

 

 

Meet Nancy L. Sharp, children’s author and 2017 Wordsowers conference workshop leader.

Children’s Author N. L. Sharp is an educational writing consultant from Fremont, Nebraska. Born in Valentine, graduated from Ponca, with college degrees from both the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, she is proud to claim that she is now and always has been a Nebraska writer. She is the author of several published books, including Effie’s Image (a former Nebraska Golden Sower nominee), The Flower Girl / The Ring Bear: A Flip-Over Book(named an iParenting Media Award winner by the Disney Corporation), and the novel Keeping Captain. Sharp is currently working on several other writing projects, including a series of middle-grade novels for children, ages 8-12, and a writing curriculum for elementary and middle-grade students.

Connect with Nancy on her website.

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. Besides being a writer, I am a teacher. One of my greatest joys is to share with others some of the lessons I have been fortunate enough to have experienced on my own personal writing and publishing journey. If anything I have done (or not done, and wished I had) can help others, I am more than eager to share that information with them.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why. Who will get the most out of your workshop? Because I am a children’s writer, anyone who is writing for the children’s market will find my workshop of value. But because I have been published both traditionally (Boyds Mills Press) and as an independent author (with my own publishing house, Prairieland Press) and have had success with both routes (I have had 2 of my books listed on Nebraska’s Golden Sower list–which is the children’s choice award in Nebraska), I think anyone who is trying to better understand the pros and cons of publishing traditionally vs. self-publishing will find my workshop helpful.

Therefore, I think the biggest take-away from my workshop will be to help participants decide what is the best publishing route for them (traditional or self-publishing), regardless of which age writer they are targeting, but especially, if they are writing for children.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be?  Years ago, I took a Steven Covey class, and I think that his advice to “Begin with the end in mind” is great advice when choosing a publishing route. If you understand exactly what your main goal is in writing and publishing a piece of writing, then the choice of how to publish it (a short story in a magazine, a blog post, a self-published book, publish with a royalty publisher, publish with a work-for-hire publisher, etc.) will be much more easily made.

Check out Nancy’s books!http://www.nlsharp.com/books/the-flower-girl-the-ring-bear-a-flip-over-book/

 

 

 

 

~ ~ ~

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Meet Laree Lindburg. Laree will be at the 2017 Wordsowers Writers Conference representing Electric Moon Publishing. 

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. My husband and I have five children. Last August, my husband prayerfully took over his father’s business which moved our clan a bit west to a rural area. We now live in the home I grew up in from age eight until eighteen. Other than the aforementioned, one of the more significant changes in my life since moving includes the many opportunities to minister to my in-laws and other relation, whom we now live much closer to. Come visit me and we’ll talk life (and books)!

Connect with Laree and Electric Moon: Website   Facebook    Twitter 

Tell us a little about Electric Moon Publishing. What are some of the ways you can help an author? Emoon acts as a publishing partner for indie authors, ministries, and organizations. The author and eMoon collaborate from writing & editing to cover design & interior layout, and finally publishing & distribution/marketing. With eMoon, the author retains all rights and royalties! As a dovetail to publishing, eMoon has prayerfully begun a speaker’s bureau for powerful voices with solid messages. Ask us for more details–www.emoonpublishing.com or info@emoonpublishing.com.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer looking to self-publish, what would it be? Take your time. Do not rush. Traditional publishers allow well over a year to produce a book for the masses to consume. Self/indie-published authors need to slow down. Realize you, too, can create as beautiful and desirable a book as a traditional publisher–the support is out there to achieve such a feat. The key is to be diligent, meticulous; as an indie author, you are your last front before print. It rests on your shoulders, but there are a plethora of experts and talented individuals to help, which makes the option quite desirable, especially since you can keep your rights and royalties.

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Rose Zediker, 2017 Wordsowers Conference workshop leader, will be presenting Put Your Manuscript on a Diet.

Multi-published author and RITA finalist, Rose Ross Zediker, writes contemporary and historical inspirational romances and has hundreds of publishing credits in the Christian magazine genre for children and adults. Her titles have appeared on ECPA bestseller lists and been finalists for the RITA, National Reader’s Choice, Booksellers Best and Book Buyers Best award contests. Rose is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America.

                           Connect with Rose    Blog   ~  Inkspirational Messages

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. I like to talk about all aspect of writing, the good (new markets, acceptances) and the bad (cancelled contracts, rejections).

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop? Who will get the most out of your workshop? The greatest take away from my workshop is editors want tight, active writing and the over use of adverbs is ‘telling’ not ‘showing’. Beginning writers and anyone in the revision process will benefit from this information

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Read as many books on the craft of writing and the business side of writing that you can!

 

Check out Rose’s novella Railroaded into Love, a part of the inspirational novella collection, Lassoed by Marriage.

Railroaded into Love

Montana 1895-Molly is tainted by having an outlaw brother on the run and seems the least likely bride for a pastor of a chapel railroad car. Forced together by duty to family and faith, can they build a life and mission together?

Purchased your copy: 

Amazon   ~   Barnes and Noble

 

 

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

 

Lee Warren

Meet Lee Warren, a workshop leader for Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference.

Lee WarrenLee Warren writes contemplative essay and devotional books.

His essays remind you to slow down and enjoy the present moment because we’re only here for a little while. Readers say his essays are vulnerable, open, honest, engaging, insightful and thought-provoking.

His devotional books provide practical, story-driven devotional material you can use every morning to get your private worship started right. Readers call his devotional books encouraging, inspiring and thoughtful.

When Lee isn’t writing essays or devotional material, he is a freelance journalist who has written hundreds of articles for various newspapers and magazines. He’s also a fan of NASCAR, baseball, tennis, books, movies and coffee shops. 

 What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. My first article was published seventeen years ago, but I still make mistakes. I tend to focus too much on tactics and not enough on strategy. I waited way too long to develop a business model. Some of my books have done well, while others have flopped. Sometimes, I focus too much on marketing and not enough on writing. I’m slow to change.

We’re all works in progress and we all had to start somewhere. We can learn from each other. So, let’s sit down and talk at the conference. I’m looking forward to meeting you.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why? Who will get the most out of your workshop? “Writing as a Business – Creating a Plan” will help writers make good decisions about four specific areas of their business: business model, product development, finances, and editorial schedule.

We’ll discuss choosing one of three business models, the ideal creation space (philosophically speaking) for product development, bootstrapping as a new author, and how to develop an editorial schedule so you can stay on pace with product development.

Writers who are ready to treat their work as a business would benefit most from this workshop. Even experienced writers will pick up some great tips and maybe gain a bit of clarity for their vision.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Plan before you write. It’ll save you a ton of time on the back end.

If you are writing fiction, which genre will your book fall into? What is the typical word count for novels in your genre? What is the most used point of view most in your genre? What are the genre tropes you need to include in your novel?

If you are writing nonfiction, how many words is the typical nonfiction book in your genre? What type of tone is common in your genre?

If you are going indie, what types of book covers are doing well in the top 100 bestsellers of your genre? Are there any color schemes that seem to be used over and over again? Do most of the top selling covers use stock photos, or do they use vector images, or something else?

If you are writing articles for magazines, newspapers, or websites, have you read the writers guidelines to learn the word count or to determine what the publication needs as far as topics are concerned?

If you are writing devotions, which layout does the publication you are targeting use? The standard layout is Bible verse, illustration, explanation, application. But some publications want the Bible verse at the end. Others want the explanation before the illustration.

Do your homework ahead of time by reading the writers guidelines and sample copies (or by reading the top books in your genre) so you won’t be paralyzed by the fear of the unknown when it comes time to write.

Connect with Lee: Facebook   Website   Twitter 

Write That Devotional BookIf you are looking for help in writing a devotional book, Lee has written “Write That Devotional Book: From Dream to Reality.” You’ll learn about all of the key components of a devotion, how to structure a devotion, how to map out your book, and how to target a specific audience. This resource even includes a couple of sample devotions in the back, broken down by section. You can find out more about the book on Lee’s website.

Get your copy on Amazon

 

 

Debra Butterfield

Meet Debra Butterfield, the Motivational Editor and Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference workshop leader. 

Debra is the author of the new Writer’s Workshop booklet series Working with an Editor Book 1, from Brooklet Press (an imprint of CrossRiver Media Group), Abba’s Promise, and Carried by Grace: a Guide for Mothers of Victims of Sexual Abuse. Her magazine credits include CBN.com, Susie, Live, The Vision, and On Course online. She is a freelance editor as well as an editor for CrossRiver Media Group publishing.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why. Who will get the most out of your workshop? Attendees will learn to explore point of view rather than automatically giving that role to the protagonist. New to intermediate writers will get the most benefit.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Stay focused on God throughout your journey in life and in writing.

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. I am as excited to meet them as they are to meet me. I’m at the conference to help them grow and I can’t do that if they avoid me.

Connect with Debra on her Website  Facebook  Twitter  Newsletter

Working with an Editor Book 1 will be on the shelves before you know it.

In the meantime, check out Debra’s other books on her book page.

 

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Meet RJ Thesman, author of Sometimes They Forget and Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference workshop leader. 

RJ THESMAN is the author of the popular Reverend G trilogy and has just released her newest book, “Sometimes They Forget – Finding Hope in the Alzheimer’s Journey.” Thesman is a certified life and writing coach, a biblical counselor and a Stephen minister. She lives in the heartland of Kansas with her son and an elderly cat.

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. I love coaching writers and helping them birth their words. It gives me great joy to give back what has been given to me.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why// Who will get the most out of your workshop? To move toward our writing goals, we first must understand what a goal is and then how we can plan to reach that goal. This workshop is for all genres of writers as we’ll discover ways to meet our writing goals and learn how to avoid the blocks that keep us stuck.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Write what your heart wants to say. We can be bombarded with people who say we “should” write this or that b/c it sells or b/c it is currently trendy. Be true to yourself and authentic in what God has called you to write.

Connect with RJ: Website  Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn   Facebook Group

 

Sometimes They Forget – Finding Hope in the Alzheimer’s Journey

Caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients grieve through the Long Good-bye while trying to meet the needs of their loved ones. These caregivers find nuggets of hope in “Sometimes They Forget.”

Get your copy HERE.

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.