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Archive for the ‘Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference’ Category

New Book by GPCWC Conferee

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Our Christian witness, Publishing journey on October 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

It was an unforgettable experience. We had just recently started attending Covenant Community Fellowship after moving to Lansdale. Ken Rutt, one of the elders, invited me to go with him to 252 Underground, a ministry run by his friend, Rob Cook. The storefront was packed with teens – tough teens in black heavy metal t-shirts. I should have felt uncomfortable and nervous, but because of their obvious respect for Rob I felt accepted and welcomed.

We sat down and I began reading Rob’s writing. “Wow! This needs to be published,” I told him. “You’ve got a real gift with words.”

An hour later, when Rob turned off the music that had been blaring, it was immediately evident that he knew how to communicate verbally as well as in writing. The teens quieted down and listened intently. He knew his “audience.” He spoke to their needs without judging or condemning them. He powerfully presented biblical truth without turning them off.

Two and a half years and three GPCWC’s later, Rob’s first book, Regener8: Straight Talk to Street Smart Teens, is in print thanks to Eddie Jones of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas who he met at GPCWC.

In the Introduction Rob writes:

Although this book is for young people from all walks of life, my heart resonates with young people from broken homes and dysfunctional families.

If you live in either group, or both of them, my heart goes out to you. I came from a broken home and lived with a physically abusive, alcoholic father.

I didn’t fit in with the “in” crowd. My friends and I hid on the fringes of society. We were labeled outcasts, troubled kids, and my personal favorite, juvenile delinquents.

We were not jocks. We were not popular. The streets felt like home.

Adults disapproved of everything we loved: the way we dressed, the way we talked, the music we listened to. The list was endless. They wrote us off, and we didn’t care. Or at least we acted like we didn’t care. We felt unloved and unwanted.

We did what we wanted, when we wanted. Unfortunately, when you live life by your own rules, you tend to break others.

This led to multiple run-ins with authoritative types who usually wore blue uniforms and had pretty shiny matching bracelets that they were all too happy to let us wear.

Some of my friends were not as lucky as I was. Their stories ended in long prison sentences, death from drug or alcohol overdoses, shootings, or suicide.

It’s only by the grace of God I sit here and write to you. God had a purpose for me, although I didn’t know it or care about it back then. I had my reasons.

My mom forced me to go to church, and I heard all about how God loved me and how we need to love each other and not judge people. But those same people at that church did not seem to love me. And they judged me. I didn’t fit into the mold of what they thought a “Christian” should look like.

I figured if that was the God they served, they could keep Him to themselves.

They had too many rules anyway. And their rules and my rules didn’t get along.

I was shocked when, years later, I found out that God was nothing like they made him out to be. God called people like them hypocrites. He wasn’t pleased with them or their self-righteous attitudes.

What I learned about the real God of the Bible radically changed my life.

That life-changing discovery is the foundation of this book.*

As I’ve gotten to know Rob over the past two and a half years, I have been impressed with the genuineness of his faith in Jesus Christ and his passion to invest himself in the lives of teens who, sadly, most churches would not welcome.    

I’ve read almost half of Rob’s Regener8, and I am convinced that God is going to use this book and the ministry of 252 Underground to, literally, save lives.

From Facebook:

At 252 we reach out to young people
from broken homes and broken pasts.
They come hopeless – We give them hope
They come angry – We give them peace
They come scared – We give them courage
They feel unwanted – We show them love
They feel alone – We become family
They feel ignored – We listen
They feel like giving up – We help them go on
We show them a life without drugs, and alcohol
We give them hope in a future – Hope in Jesus

I’m praying that you will want to join me in expanding Rob’s ministry to hurting teens. 252 Underground has outgrown the storefront they were renting. A church has agreed to let Rob use their social hall on Saturday nights, but 252 Underground needs a building of their own where teens can come in off the streets and encounter the love of Jesus Christ.

How can you help?

~  Click here for a news release with more info about Regener8. Pass it and this email on to your church, family, and friends.

~  Invite Rob to speak. You’ll find a contact form and more info at http://robcookunderground.com.

~  Provide financial support. In addition to the needs of 252 Underground, Rob is unable to work (he’s a painter – of houses inside and out) for the next three months he injured his back running wiht a fire extinguisher to put out a car fire.

~ And most important of all, please pray, fervently. Rob has other books in progress including Going Underground, the story of 252 Underground Youth Ministry and a how-to guide for reaching the teens in your community that his agent, Diana Flegal (who he also met at GPCWC) is shopping. I’m praying and believing that Father will use Rob’s books and work with teens as a prototype to reach hurting teens throughout America with the love of Jesus Christ.

*Regener8: Straight Talk for Street Smart Teens by Robert Cook, published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Used by permission.

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Shoemakers

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference on September 8, 2012| 3 Comments »

Hannah S. Hunter – guest blogger

Jewish custom was to name a child prophetically. The parents would inquire of the Lord what He had planned for the life of the child. Most of our ancestors who immigrated to this country had last names that depicted their occupation. Kolb is a surname of my relatives and it means cobbler—one who builds, fixes, or repairs shoes.

Marlene, the conference director and head of our critique group, chose my continuing session to be with Tim Shoemaker at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Conference. As this was my first writer’s conference, I was trying to take in the whole vista, but I was unsure where to focus my attention. Wrapping my mind around writer in the same sentence with my name was incomprehensible.

Tim’s workshops focused on getting published. What! No where near that landmark! Watching him closely had me on the verge of tears. Even on the way home our conversation had me waxing maudlin. My son wondered what was going on with me. His father taught him well. Listen! Comfort! Do not try to come up with an answer. My son let me weep.

After a night of tossing, turning, and weeping on went the game face as we moved through another day of classes. Saturday morning there was a flood of tears so copious it was difficult to drive to the conference.

Before we left the car my son prayed that the Holy Spirit would open an opportunity for me to speak with Tim. We walked in the door and there was Tim standing at the book table. I told him how I saw the purity of his heart, his love of God with all abandonment, his love for the wife of his youth, and his unselfish love in raising three young men who are walking with the Lord.

“You remind me so much of my husband who is now with the Lord. How privileged I was to have such a man call me his wife.”

Tim told me he was approached about writing a book on being such a man. My spirit leapt because my prayer had been, If my husband had to die, raise up such men to carry on that standard.

Tim is a shoemaker. He is going to provide the best constructed shoes for men to wear and walk in. They will be at ease changing a diaper, dancing the waltz, playing tag football in the mud, and being swift to run where needed. They will climb to heights to bask in His glory and also see the next valley they must traverse. May his tribe increase, and thank You, God, that men still raise Your standard high.

Each year I make a memorial garden for John in my box garden by my patio. In the picture you will see the iron cross covered in morning glories. The cross has my beloved engraved on it. It was made by a blacksmith friend of mine. Also you will see the statue of the angel. It has a broken wing. The theme this year was broken dreams. You do not see it in the picture, but I have several broken wings placed at the foot of the cross and the angel statue. Three shoes with sunflowers of course symbolize the piece on shoemakers and John’s shoes left in a field of sunflowers in Scotland.

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GPCWC Earlybird Workshops

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Marketing, Publishing journey, Writing Fiction on July 29, 2012| Leave a Comment »

How long has it been since you checked out the earlybird workshops we’re offering this year at GPCWC? Maybe you haven’t even looked, thinking they were an extra expense and it wouldn’t be worth trying to arrive in time for the classes.  

I’m excited about the earlybird workshops we’re offering this year. There have been several changes since the brochure went out so check them out at http://www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia/earlybirds.htm   Let me highlight a few of the changes.

The first one is Hope Flinchbaugh’s class on “Common Mistakes that Make Fiction Editors Cringe.” She is unable to make the 1:30 time slot where we originally had her scheduled so we moved her workshop to the 5:00 slot. Hope writes and edits award-winning fiction, so if you’re a fiction writer, this is a class you don’t want to miss.  

To replace Hope’s time slot, we have Maurice M. Gray Jr. teaching “Why Do I Need an Editor?” The short answer to that is we all need editors—even editors. J As a freelance editor myself—as are several others on the faculty—I strongly recommend this class. If you’re having problems interesting a publisher with your book, I’m sure you would benefit from taking this class to learn how to make your work even stronger and more appealing in content. If you’re planning to self-publish, this class is a must.  

Another change in the lineup is the original E18, “More Than a Tale” taught by Mike Dellosso, that has been moved into the Thursday workshop schedule. Suzanne Kuhn is now teaching the E18 class entitled “Getting Social Back in Social Media”—a must for writers of any genre as social media is one of the best ways to market your work. Come and learn from a pro in the industry about how to effectively use social media. Suzanne assures that it is not a mechanics workshop. Instead, this workshop focuses on engagement, building true fans and readers through the process and becoming relevant to your audience.

Finally, are you ready with your pitch for the books, articles, or short stories you’re planning to present to editors or agents in the 15-minute appointments? Karen Whiting is teaching a class on “Practicing Your Pitch.” I’m amazed at her ability to get to the heart of someone’s project and pull out the important things you need to focus on during your appointments.  

Here’s what Janet Perez Eckles says: Karen is the queen of creativity, the master at innovative ideas, and an expert in transforming an insight into a tangible and powerful marketing tool. During a recent writer’s conference, I attended her marketing sessions. As we sat in a circle, she took the focus of each book, gave each author ideas, examples, and practical steps to market each book. They all evoked an  “Ah!” from the participants. The skill Karen has to craft a powerful marketing tool from a mere concept is a gift few possess.

It’s not too late to sign up for an earlybird (or two or three!), either in addition to the conference or as an earlybird only. Go to the website—http://www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia/earlybirds.htm—and check out the 19 classes we are offering Wednesday afternoon, August 1. And consider joining us for an early start to the conference.  

In Christ –

Marjorie Vawter
CCWC & GPCWC Assistant to the Director (www.writehisanswer.com)
Freelance Editor (www.shevetwritingservices.com)
The Writer’s Tool blog (www.marjorievawter.blogspot.com)

P.S. If you’ve already registered for an earlybird and need to make a change because of the changes we’ve had to make, please email me at shevetwrite@pcisys.net. We are waiving the price increase for Wednesday-only conference attendance. One workshop is $25, two workshops $40, and three workshops $55.

 

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A sense of urgency

Posted in Called to write, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Our Christian witness, Praying for our nation on July 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Please make time to read Joel Rosenberg’s blog. Below is just a portion of his July 23 post that so resonates with what I believe Father has been speaking to my heart.

I am deeply concerned for our nation and feel such a sense of urgency that we must “write His answer” – now while the doors to print and distribute Christian literature and the Internet are still open. It’s why I continue directing the Colorado and Philly Christian Writers Conferences even though I am old enough to retire. J But I can’t and won’t retire from the work Father is calling me to do or turn people away because they can’t afford to come.

If you’re already registered, please pass this on to your friends.

If you live within a couple of hours of Langhorne, PA, please tell your friends and church family about our Thursday Specials that are for ALL concerned Christians – not just writers. The issues they will address are critically important.

It you’re not yet registered, it’s not too late. Walk-ins are welcome, and I will waive the additional $15 walk-in fee if you bring a copy of this email or blog. Come just for a day if that’s all your schedule allows. Or for one of the morning or evening keynotes that are free of charge. You can register online.

And pray!

Please pray for the people of Aurora and the testimony of God’s people to bring hope and comfort.

Please pray for the August 1-4 conference and for our faculty and staff.

And please pray for our nation!

From Joel Rosenburg’s July 23 blog:

Is this evidence of the early stages of cultural implosion? I believe it is. As I note in “Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?”, “Alarm bells are going off all around us. Lights on the dashboard are flashing, Warning! Warning! Yet America is sleeping through the alarms, blind to the warning lights. And tragically, for the most part, the Church — God’s chosen instrument to bless individuals, families, communities, and nations — is asleep as well. I shudder to imagine where we are heading if we don’t wake up soon, plead for the Lord’s forgiveness, and ask Him to use us to love our neighbors and revitalize our country….”If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:145)….America is on the brink of collapse. We desperately need God’s mercy. Without His grace, we will implode. It’s not a matter of if but when. Thus, now is the time we must urgently ask the Lord to give us a sweeping series of spiritual revivals in every part of our nation that will culminate in a Third Great Awakening. Whether God decides to say yes is up to Him. But let us not compound our many national sins by failing to get on our faces before Him and implore Him to pour out His Holy Spirit and save us from disaster.”

Looking to Jesus, the only answer – Marlene

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Praying the News

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Our Christian witness, Praying for our nation on July 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Why? Why would a twenty-four-year-old enter a theater in Aurora and begin shooting?

Oh Father, show me how to pray . . .

Impacting Our World Through the Power of Prayer

Donna Brennan interviews GPCWC keynoter Craig von Buseck

It’s easy to become fearful, angry, or cynical when watching the news. It can make us want to retreat from the larger world or to stop watching the news altogether. But Craig von Buseck, Director of Ministry for CBN.com and one of the Keynoters at the August 1-4 Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, offers us another option: intercessory prayer.

As he shows in his new book Praying the News: Your Prayers are More Powerful Than You Know, co-authored with Wendy Girffith of CBN News, prayer can change people, transform communities, and solve problems facing our world. By praying to impact headlines, we impact more than just the way the news is reported – we impact the actual events that make up those headlines.

I contacted Craig to ask him questions about his book and his Keynote Address, “Praying the News,” Thursday, August 2, at 7:30 pm in Chatlos Chapel on the campus of Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne. (The community is welcome to come free of charge.) Here are his answers.

Question: What do you mean by “praying the news”?

We live at a time in history when it is critical for the Church to learn to be led by the Spirit in prayer. God wants to raise up a company of intercessors to pray the news – which is to watch, read, or listen to the news, then to intercede for God’s will to be done in the issues we face today. God desires for His people to be so in tune with His Spirit that we are actually praying His will in advance of world events. By cooperating with God in prayer, we are actually helping to shape those events in the spirit realm. God is seeking prayer warriors who will agree with Him in faith to make an impact on the course of history through their intercession by walking in the Spirit. The apostle Paul wrote of the privilege and importance of the believer to live in the Spirit in Romans 8: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14, NASB)

Far too often, the Church has been reactionary in our prayers. A tragedy or a disaster happens and believers react with ‘catch-up prayers.’ But we serve the God who sees the end from the beginning. He desires for us to become so in-tune with His Spirit that we are praying His perfect will in a circumstance before it ever occurs in the natural. But this sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit only comes by maintaining a daily, intimate relationship with our Father and our Lord.

Question: I’m just one person. Can my prayers really make that much of a difference in political decisions, crime levels, and major weather events?

Yes, they can! As we say in the subtitle of the book, “your prayers are more powerful than you know.” Scripture says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16, NLT.) Throughout the book we give numerous examples, both from Scripture and from modern times, where individuals prayed fervently in faith and they saw the headlines change as a result.

Question: If I pray for one kind of result and my neighbor across the street prays for a different result, aren’t our prayers just canceling each other out?

All prayer comes under the sovereignty of God. We don’t dictate to God. Instead, we pray as Jesus taught us: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.” When we take an issue to God in prayer we leave it in His hands and He decides to answer that prayer in His way and in His timing.

Question: What are some important components of intercessory prayer? Does your book suggest concrete ways to do this?

As we put the First Commandment first; to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength – He then empowers us by His Spirit to fulfill the Second Commandment; to love our neighbor (and our city, our nation, and this world) by being led by the Spirit in intercession.

Judson Cornwall writes of the importance of Spirit-led intercession that flows from us as a result of abiding in God. “There are times when we desperately need to know more than what God is doing and saying. We need to know God, for He works according to His nature and will, and only an understanding of that nature and will enables us to be involved with Him before His actions are demonstrated. We do not need to have great knowledge of God to know what God is saying if He is saying it publicly, but if God chooses to withhold communicated knowledge and yet we know the heart of God, there will be an intuitive or spiritual understanding that gives us knowledge out of relationship with God, not too unlike the understanding that develops between a husband and wife who have lived in a loving relationship for many years.”

It is this kind of heart that God is seeking in His people today – a heart that cries, “I want to know You, God. And I want to serve You, my Lord.” By walking in this type of love relationship with God, we position ourselves to be used by God on the earth. This is especially true in the realm of intercessory prayer.

Question: If I’m not a pastor or a prophet, what authority or right do I have to pray these intercessory prayers and expect results?

God has chosen to use every individual in the Church as His tool to communicate His love to the world. The apostle Paul speaks of our role as individual ministers of reconciliation and God’s ambassadors: “…who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, NASB).

That is why we pray, “Thy kingdom come.” By doing so, we are placing ourselves in agreement with God’s plan for the earth. By praying the news, we stand up in the Spirit and declare, “thy will be done” in every issue that we face. C. S. Lewis referred to this kind of intercessory prayer as being “God’s fellow-worker” in the world. When we enter into the ministry of praying the news, we become “God’s fellow-worker” in this ministry of reconciliation. Lewis explains that to enter into intercession is to go from being a suitor – one who prays on his own behalf – to being a true servant of the Lord. “…the vast majority of the time, Jesus, who is our example, plays the part of the servant, interceding for others.”

This intercession is part of the Priesthood ministry of Jesus that continues to this day: “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them”(Hebrews 7:24-25, NKJV). God invites us to join with him in this ministry of reconciliation. And we too have a role to play as priests before God – standing as representatives of fallen man, crying out to heaven for mercy.

Question: Can I “Pray the News” from the privacy of my own home? Or does it sometimes require something more?

Scripture directs us to “…pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17, NASB). Does this mean that we have to stop all human activity and just pray all the time? No, the Apostle Paul is encouraging us to always be ready to pray when the Holy Spirit moves on our heart to do so. The Bible says, “Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left” (Isaiah 30:21, NASB). That is how the Holy Spirit leads us in prayer. So it doesn’t matter where you pray – just be obedient to intercede as the Holy Spirit directs you, and you will see God move as a result.

Question: In your recent book, Netcasters: Using the Internet to Make Fishers of Men, you talk about ways to reach others for Christ through the internet. Can some of these same methods be used to find fellow prayer warriors to join together in prayer?

Absolutely. The Internet has become a 21st century Roman road. But it is also a worldwide marketplace, a theater, front porch and backyard fence, and an office water cooler. The World Wide Web can be like an electronic train terminal connecting you to intercessors around the world and providing the crucial means for people to agree together in prayer.

One of the most powerful aspects of praying the news is the power of agreement in intercession. Jesus declared, “If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you” (Matt. 18:19, NLT). As people watch or read the same news story around the world, then pray for God’s will to be done in that situation, tremendous spiritual power is released. The Internet can aid in this process, first by bringing awareness to news stories, both through traditional news outlets and through person-to-person contact, then as a communication platform allowing people to agree in prayer.

Question: Of course we all know stories of how prayer impacted events in Biblical times, but what are some examples of ways prayer has made a difference in newsworthy events in recent years?

During one of the darkest moments during World War Two, in May of 1940, the Nazis had trapped 400,000 British and French troops between the cliffs and the sea at Dunkirk on France’s north coast. If those troops had been killed or captured, Britain would have fallen to the Germans. All of Europe would have been under the iron rule of the Nazis before the United States even entered into World War Two. At this critical time, God raised up a man named Rees Howells of the Bible College of Wales to lead intercession in Britain. Howells took the initiative to organize nightly intercessory prayer meetings with his students. He instructed them: “God will not do a bit more through you than you have faith for. … You are more responsible for this victory today than those men on the battlefield.” He added, “I feel tonight that whatever the Nazis do, they cannot escape the Holy Spirit.” Soon prayer meetings were being held across Great Britain in response to Howells’ leadership.

Howell’s group poured their hearts out to God for hours every day, and soon much of the nation joined in. Parliament recognized the need for God’s intervention and called for a national day of prayer. Suddenly there was a change in the course of the war. Instead of wiping out the troops as he could have, Hitler held his army back, content to bomb Dunkirk instead. During that time, ships, yachts, and even rowboats evacuated 338,000 troops across the English Channel – as the water remained miraculously calm. Hitler’s behavior made no military sense. It was clear that God intervened in response to the prayers of believers.

We also share a more recent story in the book of how God changed the town of Manchester, Kentucky, as a result of united prayer. Community leaders had enough of their city being overrun by drug dealers, so they called for the people of the community to come together to march through town to intercede. On that day, several thousand citizens marched in prayer, singing hymns and praise songs. In what many believe was the key to the success of that march, pastors from every denomination stopped in the city’s park and repented. They asked God to forgive them for being more concerned about their buildings and programs than the Kingdom of God and the people. “Lord,” one minister prayed, “as pastors, as churches, as Christians and citizens, we have too long hid our heads in the sand and not stood up to the evil and the poison of drugs in this county and this community.”

The moment the pastors and people repented, something in the Spirit broke in Manchester, Kentucky that changed that community forever. Drug arrests went up by 300 percent in the first year. Drug dealers started getting saved and coming to church. Corrupt politicians were arrested or voted out of office. The story of Manchester aired on The 700 Club, inspiring other towns with the same problems to hold their own marches. Thousands of people e-mailed, called, or literally showed up at Community Church in Manchester saying, “This is where I heard I can find hope.” Suddenly, the town that had been hopeless was giving hope.

We share many more stories of people who prayed the news like this and literally saw the headlines change.

___________________

Craig will also be teaching a 2-part workshop on Narrative Nonfiction on Thursday and Friday, August 2-3, at 1:00 pm. This exciting new genre lets your true story read like a novel. This is the style Craig used when writing his upcoming narrative biography on Holocaust survivor, Nina Morecki.

For more information on the August 1-4 conference and to register for the workshops (the keynotes are free of charge), please visit www.writehisanswer.com. Mention this blog when you register online or at the door and take $10 off the price that increases July 22. And please consider coming to the Thursday  Special, “A Culture in Peril,”  from 10:00 am to noon, August 2. Rather than a traditional lecture, this is a forum where we will grieve for our nation’s ills and encourage each other as God’s warriors to defend biblical principles

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GPCWC Faculty in the News

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference on July 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

ANN TATLOCK – Christy Award Winner at this year’s ICRS

CONTEMPORARY STANDALONE
Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock (Bethany House, a division of Baker
Publishing Group). Eleven-year-old Roz Anthony and her family have just moved to Mills River, IL, to escape an abusive situation. Only days after settling into their new home, they discover that the elderly former resident, Tillie, is determined to keep living there. Out of sympathy, they agree to let her stay. When danger stalks the Anthonys, it’s Tillie who exhibits unimaginable courage and selfless love in her determination to protect the family she has adopted as her own.

In addition to the Thursday Special, Telling the Truth, Ann will be teaching two workshops:
Making POV Work (Fri, 4C) – Tools to stay in your character’s POV and make your character’s POV stronger. How your readers will know whose POV you’re in, and when you can break POV rules. Note: Ann will be teaching this workshop for Lynn Coleman who is unable to come this year.

Putting Up the Frame (Sat, 5C) – Before you jump into your story, it’s important to pin down the genre, theme, and POV even if you’re a “seat-of-the-pants” writer.

 

JEANETTE WINDLE – The Beyond Me award at AWSA

The Advanced Writers & Speakers Association honored Jeanette Windle with the Beyond Me Award presented by Kathi Macias. “No one better epitomizes a ‘beyond me’ life than Jeanette,” Kathi said. “She selflessly gives herself away, both at home and on the mission field, and abundantly blesses those she meets. I’m honored to know this devoted lady, and to call her my friend.”

Jeanette will be leading a Novelist’s Clinic and representing Kregel Publications.

 

NANCY SEBASTIAN MEYER – Guest on Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk

“Thriving in a Spiritually Divided Home”
July 23-24 Click here to find the program time and radio station nearest you. If you are a spiritually single mom or know of one, this broadcast will bring hope!

Nancy discusses with Dr. Dobson her own story and how others like her can thrive in a spiritually divided home.

Nancy will be teaching two workshops:
Building a Speaking Ministry (Weds E15) – An active speaking calendar will help sell your book to a publisher. Come to a crash course on how to sound like you know what you’re talking about while not getting nervous! Kidding aside, expert tips can make you an expert speaker.

The Valuable Versatile Outline (Sat, 6B) – From this amazingly simple outline format you can speak ten minutes or two hours, write a magazine article, or pen a complete book.

There’s still time to register for GPCWC. And you can still beat the $10 – $20 price increase by registering today or Saturday. You can register securely online with a $25 deposit and pay the balance at the door or in time payments.

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Exciting GPCWC Updates

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Publishing journey on July 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

It’s not too late to register for the August 1-4 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference although the price increases July 22. If your time and household budget prohibit coming to the entire conference, you can register for one or two days. If needed, some scholarship help is available.

Some Important Updates:

Barbara Scott, agent with WordServe Literary has revised her list of what she is interested in representing. You’ll find this updated information at www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia/News_&_Updates.htm.

New Faculty Members

We’ve added four editors to the faculty! See News &Updates

New Workshops

Craig von Buseck, Ministries Director, CBN News, will be teaching a 2-part workshop, Narrative Nonfiction, Changing Culture through the Power of True Stories, Thursday and Friday from 1:00 – 2:00 pm opposite the Ask the Agents panel (Thursday) and Writer’s Helps (Friday). A new and exciting genre, Narrative Nonfiction is a literary style that presents a true story written in a style more closely associated with fiction. Learn how to develop your plot, structure, characters, and themes to make your true story read like a novel. Learn how to turn your true stories into true art.

Suzanne Kuhn, Founder of SuzyQ, a full-service author promotion firm, will teach her popular Getting the Social Back in Social Media workshop as a substitute for Mike Delloso’s E18 workshop from 5:00 – 6:00 on Wednesday, August 1. Suzanne’s workshop focuses on engagement, building true fans and readers through the process and becoming relevant to your audience. (This is not a mechanics workshop.) Wednesday earlybird workshops are only $25 for one, $40 for two, $55 for all three.

Mike’s workshop, More than a Tale has been moved to Thursday afternoon. Mike says, “Every story has a theme. We’ll not only discuss some of the most popular themes but you’ll also learn to develop your own theme and weave it seamlessly into your story. Do you want readers to walk away from your stories feeling challenged or encouraged or in some way changed? In this workshop you’ll learn how to do that.”

Maurice M. Gray II, a new faculty member, will be teaching a Wednesday earlybird at 1:30 In Hope Flinchbaugh’s E3 slot. Hope’s workshop, Common Mistakes that Make Fiction Editors Cringe, has been moved to 5:00 pm. The blurb for Maurice’s workshop, Why Do I Need an Editor? reads: There are thousands of authors out there, and with the advent of e-publishing, more and more join the ranks daily. For many of these authors, the editing process is a mystery they aren’t willing to explore. Those who are accepted for traditional publishing believe that their publisher will take care of that for them, and those who intend to self-publish often skip over professional editing in their rush to get their work into print because they believe they don’t need it or can’t afford it. In this hour long session, Maurice (an editor and an author) addresses both of those fallacies and more. He walks participants through the editing process, and explains from both points of view why professional editing is vital for every author, the different tiers of editing, and how to find the best editor for your particular project.

As Rob Cook, a newly published author as a result of meeting his agent and publisher at GPCWC, says:

Before I attended the conference in Philly I had not ever considered that my work would be published. Now, after two of your conferences, I have a book deal through a publisher I met at the Philly conference. My first book releases this summer. I signed with an agent I met at your conference and she is shopping my current book around and representing four more. Am I a believer in the effectiveness of your conferences? That’s like asking me if I love my wife . . . ABSOLUTELY. Thanks a million.

Ask Father if He wants you to come to GPCWC 2012, and trust Him to make the way possible if He says yes!

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Preparing Teens for “The Publishing Games”

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Publishing journey, Uncategorized, Writing Fiction on July 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

“A picture,” it’s been said, “is worth a thousand words.” Then are these ten pictures worth 10,000 words? For teens who love to write and dream of one day becoming an author, yes!

Teens Write, Thursday, August 2, at the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference offers a team of ten professionals who will train teens to participate in The Publishing Games. This year’s workshops all receive a TEN in helping young writers win a Gold Medal.

The training schedule is at www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia/Teens_Write.htm. It’s not too late to register, but the price increases after July 21 so don’t delay! Scholarship help is available if needed.

Teens Write is a full day workshop, running from 10am – 6pm, and includes lunch and snacks. It will be held on the campus of Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne, PA.

Bring a notebook and pen, the first page of your manuscript, and get ready to work out.

Pam Halter, head coach of Teens Write

P.S. Parents, teachers, and pastors are encouraged to attend the writers’ conference or our Thursday Specials for concered Christians during Teens Write.

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So what’s the big deal about writers’ conferences?

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Publishing journey on July 12, 2012| 2 Comments »

 Guest blogger – Margie Vawter

So what’s the big deal about writers’ conferences? They’re a big investment of my time and money. Are they worth it? And aren’t they all the same? What’s in it . . . for me?

Ever asked these questions? I hear them (or some similar) over and over on various writers loops and forums I’m a part of . . . or I get them by e-mail, on my Facebook page, or in person.

I’ve been attending writers’ conferences nearly twenty years now, and I’ve made a few observations during that time.

First, not all conferences are created equal. For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of being a published author. After my daughter was born, I felt the Lord’s nudging to do something about it. I applied for and was accepted into the classes from The Institute of Children’s Literature where I got my first glimpse into the world of writing conferences. But those were secular, and some of the reports of the competitiveness and backbiting that came from those were discouraging.

Then I heard of an ACW (American Christian Writers) conference only three hours from our home in central Illinois. Trusting the Lord, hubby and I cut some more corners on our already tight budget and I was able to go.

At that first conference, God solidified His calling on me to write—something that is reaffirmed every time I attend a conference.  In addition to receiving confirmation of the Lord’s calling, I’ve found great encouragement and support at the conferences I’ve attended. Writers are a unique group of people with unique ways of looking at our world. Even those closest to us—our spouses, children, friends—don’t always “get” us. So I find a great deal of encouragement when I’m around other writers.

It was when we moved to Colorado that the Lord expanded my conference horizons and I attended the first Colorado Christian Writers Conference (CCWC) Marlene directed. And later, when hubby was working on the East Coast, I was able to attend the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference (GPCWC).

For me, I’ve found the spiritual emphasis and encouragement I get at GPCWC is absolutely invaluable. As part of the conference prayer team of over 100 pray-ers, I know this conference is covered in prayer. Writing aside, I could attend this conference for the spiritual value alone.

Many of my best friends today are those I’ve met at writers’ conferences. And with today’s technology none are ever very far away, even though they are spread across the country. Whenever I’m in need of encouragement, I know I can call on them to pray. That connection with other Christian writers means a lot to me as do the connections I’ve made with editors, publishers, and agents.

One of the major strengths of GPCWC is the number of free one-on-one appointments offered to every conferee. In today’s market, these appointments can be the “foot-in-the-door” opportunity we need since many editors and agents no longer accept unsolicited proposals or manuscripts.

Another reason I invest my time with GPCWC is to stay on the growing edge as a writer and freelance editor. The workshops are specifically designed to teach the nuts and bolts of the writing craft as well as keep us up-to-date with what’s happening in the publishing world. It’s changing daily with all the new technology and outlets for the written and spoken word. We need to be aware of those changes and how we can best use them to “write His answer.”

These days it’s my privilege to serve CCWC and GPCWC as a faculty member and Marlene’s assistant. The Lord has brought me a long way from that first ACW conference I attended. The time and money invested in the conferences has been returned to me ten-fold over the years in so many unexpected ways. So whenever someone asks me, “What’s the big deal about writers’ conferences?” I’m more than happy to tell them.

My able assistant and good friend, Margie Vawter, was offered her first book contract this year at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. Visit her at The Writer’s Tool blog for thoughts on “self-editing, writing, and reviewing Christian fiction . . . with a little bit of life thrown in.” Margie offers proofreading, editing, and critiquing through her Shevet Writing Services.

The price for the August 1-4 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference increases July 13. But if you mention this blog, I’ll be glad to extend that date through July 21. You can still register after July 21 but it will cost you a little more. Walk-ins are welcome, but we’ll need to add on our $15 “procrastinator’s fee.” 🙂

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When Your Best Isn’t Good Enough – Overcoming the Accuser

Posted in Called to write, God's promises, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Overcoming self-doubts, Pondering Biblical Truth, Publishing journey on July 1, 2012| 9 Comments »

Have you ever been ready to give up? Have you tried everything you know but feel like you’re banging your head against a brick wall?  What do you do when the accuser tells you that your best isn’t good enough – that it never has been and never will be?

Perhaps it’s a manuscript you’ve been working on for years. You’ve rewritten it not just once or twice but many times. Still you’ve been unsuccessful in finding anyone interested in publishing it. And it makes no sense because you know it’s something God has called you to write. You’ve studied the craft. You’ve  gone to critique groups and conferences  trying to find that missing something.  And now . . . now you’re not sure you can keep on keeping on.

That was my experience with my first book that some of you know was rejected by 42 publishers over a six year period . If I had given up (and believe me, there were many times I wanted to), it and the six books that followed would never have been published. I would not have founded the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference in 1983 or said yes in 1997 to directing the Colorado Christian Writers Conference.

Yes, there have been many times when I’ve doubted and when, as my writing mentor Lee Roddy said years ago, I’ve “listened to the wrong voices.” For the past five months it’s been the voice of the accuser telling me that my best isn’t good enough as I’ve struggled with the websites for the Colorado & Philly Christian Writers Conference and the transition from FrontPage 2002 to Expression Web. The tapes from my childhood have started to play again. “You’re not smart enough. No matter how hard you try, you’re going to fail.”

Many days I’ve sat in my office and wept. Frustrated and discouraged I’ve told the Lord, “I can’t.” And I know that’s true. Without His help I can’t learn Expression Web or pull together the countless details that go with directing two conferences.  

But what can I do, can you do, when He doesn’t seem to be listening? Has He abandoned us? Or is He using the problem(s) we’re facing to strengthen our faith muscles so that when the stakes are even bigger we won’t get discouraged and give up?

I’m learning that there are lots of lessons I thought I’d learned (that I’ve even written about in my book, Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers) that I need to relearn!

Keep your eyes on the Lord, on how far you’ve come, and on the prize.  It’s easy to allow problems and challenges to consume us and to blind us to the Lord’s presence, to how far we’ve come, and to the prize.  “I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us” (Philippians 3:14 TLB) Paul wrote from prison in Rome. He had reason to be greatly frustrated and discouraged by the loss of his freedom. He could have questioned the Lord and concluded that his ministry was over. Instead he focused on the needs of the churches and wrote letters that continue to encourage Christ-followers almost 2,000 years later.

Cut the tapes from your past. Although Paul never forgot the person he was before he encountered the Lord on the Damascus Road, he did not wallow in the past or dwell on what others thought or said about him. Instead he embraced the truth of Zephaniah 3:17: “He is a mighty Savior. He will give you victory. He will rejoice over you with great gladness; he will love you and not accuse you” (TLB). Paul was able to preach and write about the message of salvation because he had experienced firsthand God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness.

Don’t grieve the Lord by your lack of faith. Although sometimes it does seem that He’s not listening, we need to trust that He will equip us with all we need for doing his will (see Hebrews 13:20). It’s not easy to wait on the Lord and to have Hebrews 11:1 faith in what we can’t yet see, but “God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn; he will never go back on his promises” (Romans 11:29 TLB).

Do your best and trust God for the rest. The fear of failure can paralyze us if we let it, and that’s exactly what our adversary wants. I grieve for the books that have not been published and the ministries that have been abandoned because of the evil one’s accusations that our best will never be good enough.

Sitting beside me are the “pictures” my almost four-year-old granddaughter drew in Sunday school this morning. I have absolutely no idea what she drew, and she can’t tell me because she has apraxia and is unable to speak more than a few words. But, of course, I told her that her pictures are beautiful. She did her best and that’s all that matters. And that’s all the Lord expects. When we give our best to Him, He is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV).

Father, help us to believe You and not the accuser. Thank You for loving us and for being bigger than our perceived failures. Thank You for encouraging us not to give up. We will keep on expecting you to help us. We will praise you more and more. We will walk in the strength of the Lord our God (Psalm 71:14, 16 TLB).

* * *

I’m so grateful for what Father has taught me spiritually through my struggles with Expression Web and for His patience with my learning curve. Although the formatting of the website for the August 1-4 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference is not perfect, I’m not going to give up or to believe the accuser’s lies that I’ve failed. I know that Father knows it is the best I can do. And He is faithful! He has heard my prayers and led me to SKWD Ministries. I’m very excited about the work they are doing on my main website, www.writehisanswer.com, which right now appears to be only one very unprofessional looking page. In the transition to Web Expression I lost the page banner and footer and all the navigation buttons. They are rebuilding it using their EZ-CMS (Content Management System) that will allow me to add, move, and delete web pages from one central screen and to edit them as I would do in a word processor. I won’t have to use HTML and CSS and style sheets! I’ll let you know when it’s uploaded and send you info on a special they are offering GPCWC conferees and those on my mailing list.

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