Browsed by
Tag: Wordsowers Annual Conference

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.

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!

large-registernow

 

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!

large-registernow