2015 faith & culture writers conference – Faith & Culture Writers Community

May 1, 2015May 1, 2015

Returning to this year’s conference – And cutting loose

By Jemelene Wilson

My word this year is “release”.

I didn’t want a word this year. After all, I have a whole phrase I’m living in. Who has time for a word and a phrase. Not this girl.

Well, apparently I needed to make time because when you ask the Holy Spirit to impress something on your heart and He does, listening seems to be the wisest course of action.

Two weeks ago today I rode north to Portland with my friend. Tresta is a gifted writer who speaks bold truths with a gentle gracious spirit.

Our destination was the Faith & Culture Writers Conference for 2015.

Last year I left with ideas. I had motivation. I wrote about “Coming out of the margins,” and how I was going to move forward with my writing, speaking and living out my faith by raising my voice.

Last year I prayed, “What is it Lord that you want me to write? Who is it Lord that you want me to touch? How is it Lord that you want me to move forward on this beautiful earth in my messy life?”

As I looked back over the year I saw progress. There was forward movement, lives touched and I am steps closer to fulfilling part of my calling.”

I also saw more roadblocks and detours thrown in my path. It’s amazing how easy it is to focus on the things that slow us down. The belief that my focus must be unique in order for my voice to be my own.

This year I found breakthrough and the reality that maybe it’s supposed to come in steps. Maybe growth isn’t always at breakneck speed but often it’s a one foot in front of the other affair.

This year the conference included a Friday retreat setting with a writing workshop after lunch. Seth Haines encouraged us to sit outdoors and spend the time writing from our perspective. We returned to the room to share what we wrote about.

There was a tree that stuck up over a building. It was full of blooms. I wrote of the short time this tree would look like this and wondered if anyone noticed that it was signaling that change was in the air. I lamented the short span of life the blooms had but the beauty of it’s return every year.

As writers shared their work a woman began to tell us about a tree she observed. It had reminded her of the time of year she lost her child and how it was a time of reflection. We wrote about the same tree and even some of the same observations but our words and voice were our own. Our vantage point and life experience gave us both a unique perspective with similar conclusions.

Another spoke poignantly of her own unique point of view because the community she identifies with is at a painful crossroad in history. Her lament echoed over the long wooden table as other writers admitted that we too find it hard to wrap up hard words with a happy ending.

Sometimes I write from the middle and have no ending at all.

My inbox is filled with close to a hundred drafts waiting for the perfect ending. I’ve been locked up by my own need to fix every problem I write about. To bring a conclusion to stories that need to be shared but aren’t quite finished.

We came back together to share as a larger group. As we went around the room I was tagged to share our small group observation. After relaying the revelations found in the workshop the question was posed, “How is this going to change your writing?” I blurted out “I’m cutting loose!”

I’m cutting away from the need to always give the answers when sometimes we need to sit in the questions.

I’m letting go of having to be the only one to address a topic or hiding my words because someone with a platform already said it.

Sometimes we need to repeat things in our own voice with our own words with our own space.

There is still so much more about the weekend that feels like freedom but I don’t have to wrap it all up for you now.

When I returned home there was a present waiting for me. It’s a special edition mug for Jen Hatmaker’s “For the Love” launch team. Most people chose the same hashtag. Me? I lamented over mine so much that I sent a frantic last minute email asking if it was too late to change mine from #grace.

It couldn’t have been better timing or a more appropriate word.

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Jemelene Wilson’s writing can be found at Jemelene Wilson website/blog

April 29, 2015May 1, 2015

Listening silently – then come the takeaways

By Nicholle Franke

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill

In a world of constant NOISE… Will we sit down and LISTEN?

In a world of constant NOISE… Will we stand up and SPEAK?

On April 8, 2015 Andrew and I boarded a plane way, way too early for Portland, OR. We were heading to the Great Northwest for our 10th Anniversary Trip (How is that possible?), a Tour of Two Airplane Factories (Andrew-always the plane enthusiast) and for me to attend the Faith & Culture Writers Conference (truly the reason this trip came together).

And because nothing, absolutely nothing is ever simple for me. We were also privileged to spend an extra hour in the PDX Airport with their awesome carpet awesome carpet and seriously the NICEST TSA agents on planet earth because I left my cell phone in one of the bathrooms behind security. But have no fear, they found it! HALLELUJAH!

Can you say this Power Couple (hahaha) is efficient? We killed three birds with one trip.

Plus for good measure we saw about one-quarter of the state of Oregon in a tiny little clown car, had a great lunch with my cousin at a Brewery, and rode Segway’s for the first time around Bend, OR.

When my in-laws were naming their son, I’ve often joked Efficient should have been his middle name. Of course, he did marry me, always the inefficient one. So perhaps he knew his proclivity towards exactness and needed some balance in his life. I mean seriously how many people do you know that leave their cell phone in an airport and can’t remember where they left it? Perhaps our diverse personalities are what joined us together.

But I digress. Because truly this trip was about confronting what’s next for me. It was my chance to wrestle with my passion for Revival and see what that could look like in terms of living as a Writer and even Bigger than that, engage with others around my Calling as Prophet in the Body Of Christ. And honestly, until this trip and the weeks that have followed – the jury was still out in my soul.

I had certainly spent MONTHS in total Silence with the Lord. Months wrestling with understanding what the Lord was asking of me. Months spent writing in these cute little notebooks my friend keeps supplying me with. And Months spent seeing visions of what was to Come. But MONTHS of all of that for an extrovert, can feel like AGONY!

“Listen to Me in silence, And let the peoples gain new strength; Let them come forward, then let them speak…” – Isaiah 41:1

Let me speak plainly for just a moment. I was beginning to feel like a crazy person when people asked me what I was up to these days…

“Well, umm, you know,” I’d say. And they’d say, “well no, I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking.” . . . see crazy person here.

But somehow with each passing day, and each moment spent at Jesus’ feet I was gaining more strength, more hope, and more passion to SPEAK! Because each moment I spent listening to HIM was a moment of being Built Up in my inner being. The very place where I needed it most, the INSIDE OF MY FRAGILE HEART!

And therefore when I arrived at the Faith & Culture Writers Conference Friday Evening, my outside life (the one everyone sees most days) was ready to listen to what I needed to do to be strengthened to stand up and Speak the Words that the Lord was placing in my inner being.

Don’t be confused though. I have not arrived, I still have no idea what I’m doing most days, and I still wrestle. I am the very least likely person God should use to broadcast anything to the world, but like Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians-its God’s grace that calls me to announce God’s good news, which is unsearchable.

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ… – Ephesians 3:8

And at the Conference, I finally found a space to rest, to find strength and courage, and to discern the words I was struggling to own about who I was. I was able to be still and LISTEN, so I can SPEAK.

So maybe you’re wondering what I heard God speak to me up in Oregon at that Conference… Me too!

But honestly as I listened to the words spoken over me at the FCWC and re-read my notes over the last few weeks I walk gently because it’s hard to follow so much collective wisdom. But here are my five key takeaways as I journey forward to speak and live out my calling in a Noisy World.

1. I will Never Arrive. Sorry this isn’t such good news to some, but there’s some strange comfort in it for me. Once I’m published, once people hear what God’s given me to say, once… There’s always another once. But from every published author, from every workshop leader, from every main stage speaker, I heard in their voices a hunger for continued obedience. So until we’re in heaven, creation will continue to wait for the revealing of our hope which is Christ.

2. There’s Beauty in the Redemption Process. Cornelia, Romal , Emily , Phil, Tony, William and everyone else that led our time there shared with fear and trembling God’s mighty work of redemption in their lives. And each of them reminded me that if the LORD has told me to listen, to write, to speak about my journey from broken-ness to wholeness – I need to see that I only have one choice: obedience.

3. My Best Writing and Theology Will Come out of Living the Gospel. Thank you AJ. I know this, and need to hear this EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!

4. Gut-Wrenching Honesty is Always My Preferred Method of Hearing the Truth. You are probably saying, for real? But yes, it is for me. I heard from different agents and publishers that yes, if I want to be a published author, I’m gonna have to work HARD, HUSTLE, and GROW my platform. And even in all that it’s not a given. But it is the truth.

5. My Passion and Calling Won’t Let Up Even When the Work is Hard. Because as Jeff Goins says, “I would rather do hard things that matter than easy things that don’t.” From every person who spoke, to every volunteer, to every attendee who was at the Conference, there was this sense that we all kind of knew what lay ahead wasn’t easy, but we were all ready for whatever it was.

I have no earthly idea, if any of those takeaways will help another soul. But today I was obedient to write and here’s what i realized… although I haven’t arrived, I will share my redemption process of becoming who I’m called to be, so that as I preach, write and live out the gospel with truth I’ll give someone else a sense that what we all do matters and we are ready for whatever that is!!!!!!

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Nicolle Franke is a writer and speaker and can be reached at: Nicholle Franke Website

April 17, 2015April 27, 2015

Not the usual suspects

By Romal Tune

So where do I begin?

If I had to some up the 2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference in one word it would be “refreshing.”

I’m on the road three weeks a month each year speaking or teaching at conferences or other venues.

But this conference felt different. It was more like a retreat. The positive energy, encouraging conversations, the inspiring workshops and the great speakers made me feel at peace.

More than that, it was a reminder that I am not alone and that my voice is valued.

Faith & Culture 2015 was refreshing and replenishing, which is important because life can be a bit challenging at times and we need places where people help us recharge. It’s good to know that there is a conference of authors and writers who are willing to share their journeys and stories in ways that are uplifting.

That’s a big deal.

Maybe like me, you have been in somewhat similar settings where there are these passive aggressive competitions between people trying to prove they are better, more important, or attempt to lure you into the comparison trap to make you feel like you’re just not good enough yet. I didn’t sense a hint of that at Faith & Culture, and that was refreshing.

I came across the event on Twitter; and after we followed one another, I checked out their website.

The first thing that struck me was that fact that the list of speakers did not have what I call “the usual suspects” of speakers.

A lot of conferences tend to keep the same speakers in rotation, and after a while that gets a little boring and predictable. I often hear people talking about how there needs to be more new voices included at conferences but I’ve not seen very many actually include new voices.

But, the Faith & Culture Writers Conference was different.

They purposefully inviting new voices to the conversation around faith, culture and the arts. And this was evidenced in the line up of speakers – there were a lot of new voices and very few, if any, “usual suspects.” After all, they even invited me to be a keynote speaker and co-facilitate a workshop without previously hearing me. The leadership took the recommendation of a mutual friend and decided to add another new voice.

I did two large group talks where I shared my story. The point of the both talks was to show that within our personal stories, as messy as they can be at times; God can turn a mess into a miracle. A miracle that if shared through our testimonies, can save and change the lives of others who are wondering if there is anyone who can relate to what they are going through, and can show them that life gets better. As a writer our personal narratives impact who we believe we can become in the world.

Revisiting the stories we have been telling ourselves impacts the stories we are able to share through our writing. We are free from pain, shame, and judgment; we are free to be bold, courageous and creative. In a sense, we go from blank to beautiful, the theme of the conference.

A final thought. The plenary sessions felt like church, or should I say what I wish church should feel like. The music was great; the speakers were empowering, practical and relevant. But more than that, there was no pretense, no judging, no shaming. There was just great fellowship, a desire to meet new people, cultivate new friendships and help each other pursue purpose and passion through writing. I couldn’t help but think to myself; wow this is kind of what I wish church felt like.

Thanks to all who attended the 2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference. My heart felt gratitude to the leadership team for inviting me to be a part of the amazing experience.

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Romal Tune was one of the speakers at the 2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference. He’s an ordained minister, an author, and a speaker. Find his writing and work at Romal Tune

April 9, 2015April 9, 2015

A Welcome Letter from FCWC Director

By Cornelia Becker Seigneur

On behalf of the entire Faith & Culture Writers Conference Leadership Team, I want to welcome you to the Expanded 2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference – Rough Draft: From Blank To Beautiful.

Last year you spoke, saying you wanted more time for fellowship and legroom — in short, more breathing space — and we listened. We added our Friday pre-conference experience which we are calling “Breathing Space-A Mini Retreat”; we also have Art Stations in McGuire, where you can reflect on the conference visually. In addition, we will have a prayer room available to ponder your creative God-given calling. We truly hope and pray that you find inspiration, courage, and community during your experience with us.

We need in-person connection and we intentionally want to be a creative community where everyone belongs and feels as though their story matters. Because it does!

It Takes a Village!
After my life-changing Accident in January, this amazing team that I serve alongside continued to move this conference forward, and without them there would be no conference! I am incredibly and humbly grateful for their service and friendship.

Bethany Jackson has been so faithful, keeping us on task as our Executive Administrator
Marc Schelske serves as our Scribe and (new!) Launch Coordinator and all-around get-things done guy
Taylor Smith returns as the warm and amazing Communications Coordinator of our speakers;
Brooke Nicole Perry is once again our expert, matching attendees with their Agents, Editors, and Mentors;
A big nod goes to Tony Kriz, one of our visionaries and Advisory Board Members;
Leah Abraham, is our awesome Website Administrator;
Matthew O’Connell, organizes our Faith & Culture Writing Contest;
Jody Collins, is our Volunteer Coordinator|Administrative Assistant.
Our Committee members include: Kim Hunt, social media coordinator, Cayla Pruett and Rachael Metzger, creative space coordinators; Faye Strudler our Prayer Team Coordinator; and Stephen Carter, Writing Contest|Social Media Assistant.
Huge thank you goes to Bethany Sundstrom-Smith for re-designing our website this year. Be sure to see our “Acknowledgments” page in your folder for complete list of thank you’s.
We are also thankful to Warner Pacific College for their hospitality as our sponsoring host. Grace Kim and Melody Burton have made us feel very welcome, as they have worked behind the scenes with logistics and details. Thank you to Mimi Fonseca for coordinating our bookstore and Joel Santana, our meals.
Once again, we are honored that Martin French created our beautiful WORDS logo shown at the top of this letter;
Aaron Esparza returns as our photographer;
Brad Ediger is recording all talks and sessions for you to purchase.
And, we give a shout-out to the judges of our Writing Contest as well as Scrivener and Bedlam Magazine.

A Couple of Changes.

I do have a couple of notes to make you aware of. We are sorry to say that due to a family situation, Amber Haines and Erika Morrison are no longer able to be with us. And Nish Weiseth has to leave early so she will not be leading the afternoon mini-retreat small groups. But, Micah J. Murray and Karen Zacharias Spear are stepping in to join the co-led groups of Seth Haines and Brooke Perry and Tony Kriz and Romal Tune

We serve a creative God who carved something beautiful out of nothing; and now He calls us to create, to fill the blank pages of our lives with our WORDS, our stories. We pray that you find a place of community and belonging here, and that you sense that you matter. May Christ be honored this weekend; may He give you the WORDS to share the stories that change lives. I am so glad you are here!

Happy Writing and stay connected.

P.S. Please understand if I am not my usual, energetic self! Blame it on the concussion. Hey, you try surviving getting hit by an SUV and live to tell!

– Cornelia Becker-Seigneur

Cornelia is the founding Director for the Faith & Culture Writer’s Conference, and blogs at www.corneliaseigneur.com. If you have any questions about the conference, you can email her at cornelia@corneliaseigneur.com.

March 10, 2015March 11, 2015

God moving in the heart via writing

By Jane Halton

I felt like a bit of a fraud when I signed up to attend the Faith & Culture Writers Conference last year. I had recently started blogging and openly confessed it was more for my coaching business than my love of writing. I knew I had to ‘get my name out there’ to grow my business so I started blogging. However, I was surprised by how quickly my love of writing grew! Blogging and tweeting connected me to a world of wonderful people. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet them in person. So I signed up for the conference with fairly low expectations and mainly to learn from others.

I was thrilled with my experience! The conference drew a unique, beautiful and gifted group of people together. It was clear by the ethos, speakers, and conversations taking place, that there was more going on here than just “networking” and “skill obtaining improving.” People were making deep connections with each other and the connections previously made on line were being lived out in the flesh. Writing is such a heart-felt enterprise that it makes sense people would be deeply moved when hearing speakers like Sarah Bessey and Deidra Riggs while sitting in the company of fellow writers.

In addition to the depth, it was downright fun. I read a tweet by Tamara Rice describing it as “One big awkward blind date” and another person was commenting on how we should write our twitter handles on our nametags because we are often more familiar with them. Although I laughed in every session, I also witnessed deep transformation.

For example, so many of the conversations I had while waiting for a session to start involved people telling me they came to hear Sarah Bessey. Now I am a Jesus Feminist, I read Sarah’s blog and appreciate her voice but I always found her words encouraging and similar to the way I’ve thought for a while. I met more women at this conference whose lives were deeply changed by Jesus Feminist (and Sarah’s blog). People were finding their voice for the first time because someone told them they mattered. Strangers welled up in tears as they talked about how writing had changed their life. I knew I would be back the next year and began to wonder about it.

As I continued to blog and coach (and coach bloggers), I grew in my understanding of how important the practice of writing and sharing your words means to people. Our passions, frustrations, encouragements and challenges all come out when we write. The more writers I coach the more this rings true.

Because writing is so vulnerable, our identity is put on the table.

What will people think of this writing? What does it say about me if I write this or that? I want to be successful. I don’t want to be one of “those” writers. The list goes on. Our identity is wrapped up in what we write, for good or bad. And when you put a bunch of writers together this only gets heightened.

But the Faith & Culture Writers Conference seemed to be taking strides to approach this differently. Instead of competition and comparison, there was a spirit of camaraderie and encouragement. It made me want to get more involved!

I sent an email to Cornelia Seigneur, the conference director, with some ideas about how I would love to further serve this creative crew. I was quick to tell her that I’m not a prolific writer or even that serious of a blogger. I don’t know anything about professional editing or finding an agent. But I know that there is so much more going on with these writers than their need to find an agent or publish a book.

I was not surprised when Cornelia (and Jody Collins, the conference Volunteer Coordinator) replied with confirmation of what I was thinking. They explained they were adding to their mentor options additional one-on-one support for conference attendees by way of “spiritual mentors.”

Deeply moved by how God is working on matters of the heart in writing, the Faith & Culture Writers Conference planners wanted to give attendees an opportunity to debrief, process, and perhaps pray with someone.

I was thrilled when they asked me if I would be willing to return as one of the spiritual mentors.

There will be an opportunity to meet privately with a spiritual mentor during the Saturday morning, April 11 session. The mentors will ask questions, listen well and give attendees an opportunity to process their experience at the conference and/or as writers in general. Often times this type of conversation is just what someone needs to get unstuck or find inspiration.

If this sounds helpful, please sign up for a spiritual mentor appointment when you sign in at the conference on April 10, 2015!

Jane Halton is one of our new Spiritual Mentors at the 2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference. A certified coach, writer and speaker. She describes her coaching work as pastoral care meets your to-do list (or sometimes ‘blowing up evangelical baggage’). Using her coaching skills, an MDiv, wit and thought provoking questions she not only helps people figure out what really matters to them but also, what they’re going to do about it. Jane is a Canadian who got lost in California for half her life (there is sadly no good Mexican food in all of Canada). She lives with her husband Dane and their two young and extremely chatty boys in Vancouver, BC. She loves reading, swimming and officiates creative weddings as a side gig. Sign up for an appointment with her when you check in at the conference this year. For more info visit: janehalton.com, Twitter or Facebook.

January 26, 2015January 30, 2015

Three Essentials for Writing Words that Matter

By Emily Freeman

I recently watched a four and a half minute video where author and pastor John Ortberg remembers his friend, Dallas Willard. One quick segment shows a clip from a conversation John and Dallas had only a few months before Dallas passed away.
John: “How do we help people – if somebody wants to think about, “How is my spiritual life going or how is my soul doing?” – how do we help people ask and answer that question?”

Dallas: “Well, very slowly. One at a time, we listen to them . . . I think the next thing is a question and not a statement: What’s bothering you? Start there.”

They talk some more and then John makes a joke.
John: “What’s bothering you? could be an interesting liturgical question – to start the church service asking, What’s bothering you? And the people could respond back, And also you.”

I laughed out loud when he said it and so did the audience. Then, as the clip ends, Dallas can be heard saying, “That would be absolutely revolutionary.”

I had to pause the video at that moment, three minutes and fifty-five seconds in, Dallas’ deep voice and thoughtful statement hanging there in the air over my desk. That would be absolutely revolutionary. I knew I agreed with Dallas but it took me a few minutes to figure out why.

I don’t remember being expressly taught not to be bothered, but somewhere along the way I learned it anyway. To ask myself or someone else what is bothersome seems like a self-focused, self-indulgent invitation to rant or complain. But what if we were willing to look deeper in? Instead of manufacturing peace by shooing away my frustration or smoothing out my ruffled feathers, I am learning the importance of getting quiet enough to honestly consider what bothers me – not just on the surface, but deep within my soul. Sometimes what I learn is ugly or uncomfortable. But there are other times I discover right next to my frustration lives a drop of passion I didn’t realize was there and a spark of hope I didn’t realize I needed.

What does this have to do with writing words that matter? When it comes to uncovering my authentic voice as a writer, the first thing I have to know is what is bothering me. Once I’m able to honestly access my frustrations, I can begin to uncover the passion and hope that live close-by. This is how all four of my books were born.

Being frustrated doesn’t make me qualified or ready. But it does wake something up within me, something that compels me to move and want to get ready. The frustration rolls into a compulsion towards change, passion to communicate and to move into the chaos of the questions even if I don’t have all the answers. But being frustrated about an issue and compelled to do something about it won’t sustain the message for the long-term. For me, what really keeps me moving is the hope of something better. It’s important for these three things to work together – frustration, passion, and hope. Otherwise, my voice will be something I don’t intend.
Passion and hope without frustration feels inauthentic.
If I’m not bothered deeply enough, no one else will be either. Frustration is the spark that fuels the passion and the hope. Without it, my writing won’t have enough life to meet a strong enough felt need or to tell a compelling story.
Frustration and hope without passion leads to detachment.
If I’m frustrated and have hope for change but I’m not passionate about the issue, I won’t be able to engage it with enough heart to make a difference. Love is tucked deeply inside passion, and we don’t want your loveless art.
Frustration and passion without hope leads to cynicism.
In my experience, when I am frustrated and passionate without hope, I’m vulnerable to cynicism. If I don’t have hope for change, despair creeps in and my writing feels too dark and filled with angst. Without hope, I write afraid.

Frustration wakes me up. What frustrates you? Passion gets me moving. What compels you? Hope keeps me going. What do you most hope for? I’m thankful for Dallas Willard’s revolutionary question: What’s bothering you? As writers, may we be brave enough to answer it, passionate enough to engage it, and hopeful enough to influence change.

Emily is the author of A Million Little Ways, Grace for the Good Girls, and Graceful. She shares her words and photographs on her own website at www.ChattingAtTheSky.com. We are honored to welcome Emily as one of our featured speakers at the 2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference.

January 5, 2015March 3, 2015

Tell your naked honest truth

By Marc Schelske

I started calling myself a writer a little more than a year ago. The truth is that I’ve been writing all of my life. I’ve got a stack of book starts buried in lost corners of my computer. I’ve been writing original content in the course of my employment for almost 20 years now. I self-published a book on Amazon almost exactly 2 years ago. (Man, was that cool!)

Then, at last year’s Faith & Culture Writer’s Conference I pitched a book and ended up with an agent! But even still, it took a little stern encouragement from Jeff Goins to push me over the emotional line of actually referring to myself as a writer.

One of the tasks I started thinking about as I started taking my writing more seriously was the serious quest that all writers must embark on: “Finding my voice.”

I worried about my writing voice as I blogged. I fretted that I might invest so much time building a blog, then discover I was writing in the wrong voice all along. Then what?

I started paying attention to the voice of writers I admired. What were the secret ingredients? How did Ann Lamott come off so self-effacing, so honestly-insecure and hilarious? What made John Gruber’s technology writing so engaging? What allowed him to be so darn opinionated and yet not off-putting? I was thinking about my voice, and then I was thinking about my thinking about my voice. That’s a stressful mind-game if ever there was one!

Then I remembered something. I had already found my voice once.

I’ve been a professional speaker for… well a little more than 20 years now. I’m closing in on a thousand presentations. During that time, I went through a host of stages.

There was the “Karaoke stage” where I tried speaking in the style and tone of various famous speakers I admired.
There was the “Memorized Perfection stage” where I not only wrote the presentation word-for-word, but then memorized the tone, the gestures, the whole darn thing.
For a few years I was in the “Speaking Factory stage” where I presented three different original talks every week for two years straight.

Through all of that I’ve tried on a pile of different voices. I’ve channeled African American preachers, comedians, TED talk presentations, professors, and the voice I imagine favorite authors speaking in. In all of that time, I was building skills. I was building experience. I was building courage. But I wasn’t really finding my voice.

I found my voice when I decided what I really had to offer.

I’ve been a preacher for most of my public speaking experience, so I had the authority of scripture and the buy-in of congregations that wanted to be taught. But we’ve all heard preachers. We’ve heard preachers talk about the very same scripture. What makes the difference between one you connect with and one you don’t?

At first I thought what I had to offer was great scholarship. So, I’d study and research and prepare so I could understand my material as deeply as I could. That helped me be accurate and thoughtful, but it wasn’t my voice.

Then I thought what I had to offer was well-crafted material presented with excellence. So, I’d write and re-write. I’d practice and practice. That made my presentations less painful for the audience for sure, but it wasn’t my voice.

At one point I thought what I had to offer was a twist, a new way of looking at an old truth. So, I’d hunt and pray and reflect on my material, always looking for a new angle. That made my work more interesting — sometimes in a helpful way, sometimes not so much… It also wasn’t my voice.

I found my voice when I learned that what I have to offer, my unique view, was my honest authentic vulnerable truth.

Over and over I experienced this. I’d put hours and hours into a presentation, crafting every edge, and the audience would be unmoved. Then I’d take a risk, push past the very visceral panic in my gut, and share something from my own journey. Some moment of insecurity or fear, a place where I blew it, my own weakness and doubt. Those moments? Every. Single. Time. People responded. They were moved. They were challenged. They grew.

I found my voice when I started telling my truth.

As a writer, I’m re-learning this lesson. I’m re-learning what it looks like to offer great content, to do it in a way that connects with people—but most of all, to do it in the most honest, authentic, vulnerable way I can bear. That’s where my voice resides.

It’s a scary place to write from. But it’s also when you start writing things that matter, things that will move people. Write as much as you can. Master the technical skills. Blog, because blogging is to writers what gigging is to musicians—it’s practicing in public. But most importantly, tell your naked honest truth. That’s where you’ll find your voice.
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Marc Alan Schelske attended his first Faith & Culture Writers Conference in 2014, and returns this year as an important member of the leadership planning team. He serves as the email and launch coordinator as well the scribe.

Marc is the author of Discovering Your Authentic Core Values, an upcoming online course called, “How to read the Bible to Hear God and Grow without Having to be a Legalist, a Theology Professor, or a Crackpot,” and has a book in development about the intersection of faith and emotion, and is represented by the DC Jacobson Agency.

Marc grew up in Ohio, but he’s lived in the Northwest long enough to feel like a native. Marc is a husband, dad of two, speaker, writer, hobbyist theologian, recovering fundamentalist who drinks tea & rides a motorcycle.

Visit him at: MarcAlanSchelske.com |Twitter: @Schelske

December 30, 2014January 9, 2015

The Quest for Epiphany

by Tony Kriz

There is something that happens when pen hits the page, when pixels populate the screen. It is like the unknown becomes known. It doesn’t always happen that way. In fact it is the categorical opposite of predictable, of formulaic, but when it happens, it is magic.

Writing transcends consciousness.

I am not a genius writer. Far from it. I have a simple formula that guides the majority of the chapters of my long form writing (books). It goes like this (I can’t believe that I am admitting this):

You start with a story. The magic of a story is not its drama. It is not its otherworldliness. It is not that it is exceptional. The magic of a story is found in its meaningfulness. You may ask, “Meaningfulness for the reader?”

No. The magical element is the meaningfulness for the author. Magic and meaningfulness exist in a delicate marriage. When a writer writes out of their own visceral meaningfulness and into honest expression there is the real hope that magic will happen.

One more thing… When I write a book, I am essentially asking myself one formative question. When I wrote Neighbors and Wise Men, I was asking myself “What are my formative memories when non-Christians taught me how to follow Jesus?” In my current book, Aloof, I was asking myself “What are my formative memories about God’s presence and God’s troubling absence?”

Once a story is identified, I often don’t actually know exactly WHY it is formative, I simply know that it is. I begin the chapter by teasing my best guess as to what the stories formative lesson might be; that is my introduction.

Next I tell the story. I write very existentially. If you were to happen upon me writing a chapter in a corner booth at a local pub or coffee shop, odds are you would see my face contorting with the emotions of the story I am writing. You might see my eyes filled with moisture or a hotly furrowed brow. That is how I write.

When the story is fully told, including a well-imagined setting, sympathetic characters and a believable conflict and climax, I move to the chapter’s conclusion.

This is where the magic happens. It does not happen every time, but when it does, it is one of the great endorphin cocktails. Suddenly, as if I am an observer and the chapter itself is a seducing character sitting across the table, the true meaning of the story blossoms right before my eyes.

I rarely see it coming. How could I? And the surprising frequency that this newly realized meaning is harmonious with my spackled-together introduction (bringing new meaning I could not have predicted) is soothing, comforting and arousing.

If we were to flip together through the pages of my books, both of us would probably be surprised by how many chapters I would admit “I did not know where this chapter was going to end when I started it.”

Keep writing. Write viscerally… existentially… and dare the magic.

Let the epiphanies come. That’s how we move from the blank page to something beautiful.

Tony is the Writer in Residence at Warner Pacific College, the sponsoring host for the 2015 Conference; Tony is also on the Faith & Culture Writers Conference advisory board, and a speaker at this year’s event. He has been at every single Faith & Culture Writers Conference, either as an attender, speaker, keynote speaker, advisor, or leader. His new book Aloof: Figuring Out Life with a God Who Hides is coming out in January, 2015. Tony writes at www.tonykriz.com.

December 16, 2014January 9, 2015

Rough Draft – Our conference theme, our lives.

By Cornelia Becker Seigneur

I love the quote by Maxwell Perkins that goes like this: “Just get it down on paper, then we will see what to do with it.” Perkins, as the editor of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe, knew what he was talking about.

I just wish I would live by those words, as I should.

The blank page. Why does it haunt us?

Just begin.

The perfectionist in us perhaps, or the fear of being criticized or the fear of the painful memories we channel when we begin to write. But, the quote by Perkins reminds us to just begin, just get it on paper, onto the computer, into that journal.

That’s why we are really excited to announce the theme of the 2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference:

Rough Draft: From Blank to Beautiful.

We want to gather friends of words and story and The Word together to give them permission to create. To not be afraid of the blank page. To know that it’s okay to know that our work is in progress. Because aren’t we all rough drafts, creations of God whom He’s working on?

Every year as we think through, pray over, and dream about the theme for the Faith & Culture Writers Conference, we come up with five words that represent our vision for the year. This year, to go along with the Rough Draft theme, we wanted to have those five words reflect the nature of the creative process. Those five words this year are:

Decide, Dare, Prepare, Persist, Release.

Follow these 5 words, and you will find your creativity expand and your writing career moving forward.

Decide. We need to decide we are writers, dreamers, artists, activists, authors, entrepreneurs, believers. It starts with a yes. An, “I can do this, I will do this, I start today.” It is a simple yes, packed in deep dreams and beliefs and that you-know-you-are-called vision. Don’t wait for someone else to give you permission, to tell you you are good enough. You do not need their permission. God has already given you permission. He has shaped you and molded you and made you into a creative being. He is a creative God. His first words, “In the beginning, God created.” Decide. Begin.

Dare. To write that first word. That first story. That first blog post. That first article. That first book proposal. That hundredth book proposal. Let’s face it, It takes courage to get our words and story out there. It takes guts. People may not like our work, they may not appreciate our story, they may think we are not good enough. That’s okay. Do it anyway. It’s your calling.

Prepare. Yes, you do need to decide that you are a writer with something to contribute, and you then need to dare to get your art out there, to have courage. But then, you need to find a way, get some advice, seek out the expertise of others, learn how to write moving blog posts. As a writers’ conference, we want to help you prepare for that launch of your words, your art, your story, your creativity.

Persist. Okay, you’ve decided to begin, you’ve said yes to the dare, and you’ve begun to prepare for what that means. Perhaps, it’s twice a week blog posts, meeting with a friend, seeking out an editor, attending a writers conference. But, then truth be told, it takes persistence. It takes sticking with it! There really are no one–book wonders or one-blog-post-goes-viral-and-you-are-famous wonders, or one-anything-wonders. Most of those authors who “make it” have been writing for years. When no one was noticing. Until one day, they got noticed.

Release. It’s time. You’ve decided to get your words out there, you’ve dared to be creative, you’ve prepared and you’ve stuck with it. Now, let it go. That’s it. Let people read it, and keep getting it out there, and leave the results to God. If one or a million or just you are changed by your words, your story, your art, it was worth it.

Cornelia is a freelance journalist and the mother of five children and finds her pen often turning to the chaos and craziness and beauty in her family life. She is the Founding Director for the Faith & Culture Writer’s Conference, and blogs at www.corneliaseigneur.com.

July 1, 2014January 9, 2015

2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference dates and location announced!

The date and location of the 2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference have been announced!

On Friday-Saturday, April 10-11, 2015 we will hold our Fourth Annual Faith & Culture Writers Conference at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon.

Warner Pacific College reached out to our founding conference director, Cornelia Becker Seigneur, who met with Warner’s Writer in Residence Tony Kriz and FCWC executive admin Bethany Jackson along with key Warner folks to discuss details. We are excited to partner with this wonderful college. One thing that Luke Goble from Warner said is that Warner wants to be more involved in terms of the planning and presence of the event on their campus. I love this! More details to follow. 2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference Date and Location announced!