Heartland of American Christian Writer’s Network is hosting a writers’ conference in November. Here is the link for information regarding the conference: Christian Writers Conference – HACWN
Several Wordsowers writers have spoken or attended past conferences. This year Cheryl Paden and Kathy Nickerson, Wordsowers members, will be speakers.
+ + + + + + + + + +
It’s time for the Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference, April 27-28. This year’s venue is Grace Central Church, 344 No. 115th Street, Omaha, NE 68154. Cost is $100.
Click here to see workshops and teachers.
Due to the conference, we don’t hold a monthly meeting in April.
Our regular monthly meetings resume May 24, 2018 at the W. Clarke Swanson Library.
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
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.
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!
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:
Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.
Meet Lee Warren, a workshop leader for Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference.
Lee 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
If 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
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.
Meet Rita Rocker, Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference workshop leader.
Rita Rocker is an international published author, life-transforming inspirational and educational speaker, communications and image specialist, and career consultant with Transformation Academy, LLC. She inspires individuals to rise and go forward by providing powerful techniques for victorious personal and professional life makeovers. Clients include teens, adult men and women, and the elderly. She works with individuals, professional organizations, corporations, youth programs, and at conferences and retreats.
Rita has appeared on national television and radio talk shows on self-esteem and communication. Her professional background also includes corporate training, human resources and non-technical project management. She is a former Mrs. Nebraska and Mrs. America contestant (whose husband died during her term from cancer), and on the international board for Professional Woman Network.
On a personal note, Rita’s passion to transform lives comes from climbing out of her own deep pit of very low self-worth, domestic violence with physical/mental/emotional abuse, self-sabotaging behavior through fear of failure and rejection, emotional eating, care giving, personal loss, and self-destructive relationships.
Rita understands what it is like being stricken with several health issues and eight surgeries in two years including a brain tumor, jaw bone tumor and Meniere’s disease. She is very authentic and transparent while filling her clients, audiences and readers with hope, help, humor and heart!
What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. I have been passionate about providing personal and career development for over 30 years. My passion is to walk alongside individuals, educating and encouraging them to reach their full potential in life, relationships and their given career path, to help build up and influence those around them.
What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why? Who will get the most out of your workshop? Those who want to really “tell” their story and share all that their book has to offer, whether life, learning, entertaining, educating will leave with tools to use immediately to bring their book pages to life. They will be able to life, or even conviction, to the written page. Participants will gain greater confidence in their presentation skills, enabling them to move away from fear and focus on all of the possibilities of communication with a live audience that can give them such enjoyment. Learn techniques to bring your book to life – taking your story off the pages and infusing emotions, enthusiasm into your audience. It is a fun and rewarding experience for all—especially for you!
Attendees will leave my workshop with numerous tips and techniques to be the best they can be, turning their written story into a knockout presentation to audiences who connect with their genre.
If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? You have a powerful story to tell and when you ask God to speak through you, He will give you clear direction. As you continue to develop yourself, and your speaking and writing ability, you become even better equipped to build up, minister to, and encourage others. Happiness comes from you making things happen instead of waiting for things to happen to and for you. Exchange your gifts and knowledge with all of those who will be blessed hearing/receiving it. Life will never be the same.
Connect with Rita: Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter
Hope at the End of Your Rope
What is a rope? It is a strong cable that connects, secures or binds. Individual strands are fairly weak and ineffective by themselves, but the synergy of numerous strands (divinely appointed people, places and circumstances) wound together provides great strength for you on your life’s journey. Learn how to use the obstacles thrown in your way as stepping stones to new heights of success and joy.
Rita Rocker knows first-hand how trials and disappointments can leave you dangling at the end of your own too-familiar rope called life, where wearisome circumstances can leave you exhausted, with little energy to fulfill your destiny. Let today be the beginning of your new journey. You are the architect and builder of your life. Using this book as a guide, you can design a new blueprint, one that creates an exciting, fulfilled life from this day forward.
Get your copy of Hope at the End of Your Rope HERE
Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.
Today, we introduce you to Sally Jadlow, one of Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference workshop leaders.
Sally Jadlow has written poetry for over forty years and delights in learning new ways to express herself. Beside poetry, she writes historical fiction, short stories, devotionals, and inspirational faith building books.
Her God’s Little Miracle Books have just been expanded with scripture and study questions suitable for individual or group study and are available on Amazon
Connect with Sally Website Facebook Twitter
What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. I’m old, so my sharp teeth are pretty worn down so I don’t bite–very hard. I only eat small children, not adults.
What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why/who will get the most out of your workshop? I think its always fun to learn new poetry forms. As writers, we need to learn to write tight. Poetry teaches us to say the most with the fewest words. So, if you want to sharpen your writing skills, no matter if you are a newbie or are an old hand at this writing business, come on in. The water’s fine!
If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Never give up. With each rejection, you are step closer to that acceptance.
Click HERE to register for Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference.
Use #Wordsowers2017 when you share this event with your friends.
Click to Tweet an invitation.
Have you ever attended a writer’s conference? You probably expect to get things out of the guest speakers and special sessions, but what about the other authors? There are a number of items you could easily receive simply by networking with other authors. Here are just a few:
Ideas
Authors are brimming with ideas at all times. Now, you aren’t going to go around grabbing other people’s ideas, but one author’s ideas could easily spark something in you. You might bounce something off another author only to have them come up with a perfect solution for your quandary. There are ideas everywhere, just waiting for you to have them!
Inspiration
Talking to authors who are “getting it done” can really inspire you to get back on your projects yourself. You might be inspired to write something new, pick up something old, or persevere until you get that one item you really felt drawn to out into the published world. Inspiration hits when authors are together!
Resources
Do you need help editing? Don’t know where to go in order to have a book cover created? There are authors out there that have the answers and the resources YOU need. All you have to do is find the right fellow author and you can walk away with a wealth of information and connections to the resources you need.
These are just a few of the items you can get from networking with other authors. Conferences are great because speakers give you a lot of intriguing information. But the other authors attending can give you just as much!
Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.
Share with your friends:
