Up Moments from The Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference

This is definitely an "Up" moment. My agent, Joyce Hart, and I got to spent some quality time together. While we communicate often by email and telephone, our in-person meetings are few and far between. I'm thankful she's in my corner.

Another "Up" at this conference was the Continuing Session entitled, "The Heart of the Writer," taught by Allen Arnold. He covered the difference between writing alone and writing in partnership with God. Many of his points were illustrated with movie and TV clips, as well as personal experience.

If you don't have a chance to take this class, you can order the CD's from the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference. (At the bottom of the page, click on Philadelpha. Click on the link in the upper right hand section for the CD Flyer.) I bought the set even though I was there.

All the editor appointments went well. Each one had positive things to say about my latest novel. The workshops I attended gave participants the opportunity to ask questions and share their experiences. I met new friends and reconnected with many from past conferences and online.

The 2015 Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference is history. Yet, the many things I learned and the relationships nurtured will carry on well into the future.

Thank you, Marlene Bagnull, for walking in obedience to the Lord. It was the best conference to date for me.

Writers:  Have you been to a writers conference? What was your favorite experience there?

Readers:  Did you know we pray for you as we write our books? My desire is to: 1) Honor the Lord and 2) Write a book that will both bless and entertain you.

Another First For Me!

Woohoo! I've been invited to participate in an Author Panel/Book Signing.

Where:  At the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference at Cairn University (formerly Philadelphia Biblical University) in Langhorne, PA.

Date:     Thursday, August 1, 2013

Time:     7:30 P.M.

The night meetings at the Conference are open to the public. Check out the Conference website at: http://www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia

Writers and Readers: Have you ever participated in/attended a book signing? Do you have any tips for me?

What I Learned On My Summer Vacation

I spent summer immersed in preparation for the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, which took place August 10-13. Below are a few points I gleaned from this year's workshops:

1) From Cec Murphey's Continuing Session, "Dancing With Dialogue" - Good dialogue should be 30% of a book. Tease, hint, but don't tell the whole story. Don't tell readers what they already know. When you read dialogue that's good, write it down. It will help you recognize and learn how to write it.

2) Nicole Resciniti, from the Seymour Agency - Conflict is the core of a novel. It's about eliciting emotion. Without conflict, there is no emotion. Without emotion, there is no story.

3) Kathi Macias (During an editor panel) - Social Media is essential to being a successful writer. When her books stalled years ago, her editor told her if she wanted to continue writing and selling books, she had to use Social Media. She took his advice, and her career moved forward.

4) I can't recall where I heard this, but in one workshop we were told that contractions (don't, can't, etc.) did not appear in writing until the 1800's. So, if you're writing a historical prior to that time, don't use them.

5) Kathy Macias' workshop on The Train of Thought method of writing - If you're on topic and on target, you'll be on time. Decide who you're writing to and what you want to write. I loved this class and plan to invest in her book.

These points are mere snippets of what I learned. I loved this conference and encourage you to look into attending it next year.

What are some of the writing tips or advice you've garnered from attending a conference? Readers: Do you like getting a behind-the-scenes look at what writers go through to get published?


Photo Credit: absolutlil

Conference Pictures

My dear friend, Jeanette Levellie, and I finally met in person. Here she is at our regular "catch you after a workshop" spot at the base of the Learning Center stairs. Isn't this picture stunning? She's a beautiful lady--inside and out. :)

The figures you see in the background are part of a nativity scene.

It must have been near the end of the day. I look tired (but definitely happy).

From Left to Right: Barbara Higby, Jeanette Levellie, and Susan Panzica

Barbara is a new friend. We hit it off right away.

She and Susan came to the conference together.

Susan and I met here two years ago.

From Left to Right: Susan J. Reinhardt, Jeanette Levellie, and Elaine W. Miller.

Elaine is an author and speaker. She taught a workshop at the conference. We met on the

Internet through our friend, Diane Estrella.  Hi, Diane! Sorry you couldn't join us.

Here's Jen going over her notes for the next editor meeting. Isn't the setting gorgeous?

To the left of the picture is a small lake with ducks and geese. We

enjoyed getting some refreshment for the soul.

If you ever get an opportunity to attend the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, jump at it. We had a fabulous time!

What is your favorite part of a writers' conference? The workshops, the editor/agent/author meetings, or networking with other writers?



Conference Update

The 2011 Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference will go down in my personal history as one of the most exciting I've attended. Besides meeting Jeanette Levellie and her hubby for the first time, my work caught the eye of two editors and an agent.

After talking to various people, I did something out of character. I abandoned the one sheet. Speaking from my heart about my book, "The Moses Conspiracy," piqued their curiosity and yielded two requests from editors for partials and also from an agent.

Karen Lange and I wanted to test the level of interest for our book before we got too deep into the writing. A couple of people questioned the timeframe (Colonial), but Karen found a title being released next year by a major publisher in the same genre. Our book has a working title of, "Unexpected Pathways." One editor and an agent want to see the chapters.

I couldn't wait to get home and call Karen with the news. We're both a bit shell shocked at all the interest and worked like crazy to get the submissions out. We'd appreciate your continued prayers for favor.

Next Monday, I'll share some of the things I learned in the workshops. If I can get my pictures developed and scanned into the computer, you'll also get to see some happy faces.

Have you ever "thrown out the script" and poured out your heart? I'd love to hear about your experience. Readers: Can you discern when a writer is completely immersed in their story?

Conference Week!

Yay! I'm super excited because the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference begins this week. The link will take you to the website, Write His Answer. From there, you can click on the link for the Philly conference. Marlene Bagnull started the conference 28 years ago. It's not too late to sign up. They accept walk-ins.

I'll be on the Internet sporadically this week, but I hope you'll stop by and say, "hello." Have you ever attended a writers conference? What was your favorite part about the experience?