Write His Answer

This morning, an article on www.CharismaNews.com grabbed and held my attention. Below are excerpts of what Larry Tomczak wrote January 29 in “We are Now in a Second Civil War in America.”

Are you aware how seriously we’ve gone off track as a nation? . . .

The dark is getting darker and the light is getting lighter while the difference between the two is becoming increasingly evident. . . .

Like the frog boiled to death slowly in water without recognizing what happened, scores of Americans are imperceptive to today’s encroaching darkness. . . .

My greatest concern in this hour is that so many sincere Christians are not being prepared amidst the escalation of evil, apostasy and mounting persecution. . . .

I can’t help think that many of us are like this frog. We’re ignoring the signs of the times and are happily doing our thing, oblivious to the fact that the heat has been turned up and life in America as we have known it is in danger of collapsing.

It’s the complacency, the apathy, of so many Christians that causes me to keep on keeping on directing three writers’ conferences even though I’m well past retirement age.

Repeatedly I’m reminded of the words of my dear friend, Hannah Crabtree, who grew up in Switzerland before the start of the Second World War. She said,

The church in Germany saw what was happening,
but the church in Germany was silent.

It’s why I’ve asked my friend, Bill Watkins, to keynote and teach a continuing session on Writing to Change Lives at both the February 9-10 Write to Impact Lives Conference in Lansdale, PA, and the May 16-19 Colorado Christian Writers Conference  (CCWC) at the YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park Center.

“Culture,” Bill says, “changes one life at a time. And those personal changes impact the lives of others, eventually bringing about changes in policies, laws, business, entertainment, education, the church, and a host of other spheres in society. Although there are multiple causes of change, one that’s proven effective long after its author is gone is writing. But not just any writing. It must be writing that connects, challenges, provokes, inspires, casts vision, provides hope, and refuses to back away from telling the truth. It does not waste time with the trivial and the comfortable. Instead it takes readers more deeply into the true, the good, and the beautiful in all their power and mystery.”

Because one of the most effective ways to present truth is through the power of story, we’re offering not one but three continuing sessions on writing fiction at the Colorado conference:

Award-winning novelist Deborah Raney will teach a 6-hour continuing session on Writing Women’s Fiction. Beyond covering many writing tools that apply to all genres: strong characterization, complex plots, and deft use of point-of-view, Deborah will discuss key elements unique to contemporary women’s fiction: addressing social issues in fiction, creating likeable-yet-flawed characters, using strong dialogue, creating page-turning action (despite a lack of explosions or car chases), and writing cinematically (making it that much more likely your book might become a movie).

Brian Bird, who has spent three decades in Hollywood, will provide soup-to-nuts advice for authors adapting their own stories into screenplays in his 6-hour  Screenwriting continuing session. Brian has written or produced two dozen films including The Case for Christ and Captive as well as nearly 300 episodes of such shows as Touched by an Angel. He is also the executive producer and co-creator of the Hallmark Channel original series When Calls the Heart, now in its fifth season.

A third option for fiction writers (it’s going to be difficult to choose) is Dave Lambert’s Advanced Fiction Writing. Dave has a M.F.A. in fiction writing and is the author of 11 books. He spent 18 years as an acquiring editor at Zondervan, and most recently, 3 years as senior fiction editor at Howard Books. He also wrote the fiction curriculum for the Jerry B. Jenkins’ Christian Writers Guild. Dave will help take your fiction to the next level as he examines some of the more advanced techniques: character growth and change, creating believable character emotion, voice, exposition, a sense of place, style, conveying meaning through implication, and more. Time will be set aside to discuss the problems you’re encountering in your work-in-progress.

Did I say it’s going to be difficult to choose?

Plus click here to view four more continuing sessions at the May 16-19 CCWC:

• Write from the Deep with Erin Taylor Young
• Writing Narrative Nonfiction with Craig von Buseck
• Your Book Launch Game Plan with Scoti Domeij
• Indie Publishing with Ken Raney
  

  Online registration for CCWC opens February 1
  Click here

The February 9-10 Write to Impact Lives Conference in Lansdale, PA, includes:

• Four-hour learning lab on Going Indie with Sarah Bolme, director of the Christian Small Publishers Association (CSPA) on Friday afternoon. (Opposite it are optional 30-minute paid critiques and free 15-minute appointments.)

Saturday, in addition to two keynotes, a marketing panel, optional 30-minute paid critiques, and 15-minute free appointments, participants will choose a 3-hour continuing session:

• Taming Fiction Dragons with Karen Ball who has built fiction lines for 4 major publishers.
• The Five Rs of Nonfiction with Jim Watkins, an award-winning author of over 20 books and 2,000 articles.
• Develop a Personalized Marketing Strategy for Your Book with Karen Whiting, an award-winning author of 25 books.
• And Writing to Change Lives with Bill Watkins.

The price for the Writing to Impact Lives Conference increases February 1 so don’t delay! And be sure to check out the three free books you’ll receive as part of your registration to the entire conference. Click here to register.

And pray! Ask Father what He wants you to write. And believe! At this critical time in history, He can enable you to write words that will make a difference.