Tag: Faith & Culture Writers Conference

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Last Year I declared “I am a writer.” This year. . .

writer hands charaBy Chara Donahue

Last February, I was certain God had prompted me to join Twitter and start a blog. These are weird things God, I prayed, but whatever you say.

It is a habit of mine to ask God at the end of any conference, “What step of obedience should I take in response to what I have heard?” Normally, it is something a bit more understandable, like remove this thing from your life, help this person, or serve in this area.

Starting the blog fell under service, but in a way that was quite unfamiliar to me. Could my writing hobby really be used to bring glory to my Savior? I have learned to give what He is asking even when the submission falls into curious realms. I would rather be where God is moving, than to reason away what I do not understand. For it is in that space that marvel and wonder abound.

Grabbing a $5 blogger template from Etsy and shortly after joining Twitter, I took those first steps of faith that are often the hardest.

I began following a smattering of people on Twitter, and saw that Kari Patterson, a writer who had been gracious enough to give me some tips, was going to be speaking at the Faith & Culture Writer’s Conference. For Christmas my husband had gifted me a weekend away to work on my creative endeavors, and this appeared to be the perfect opportunity to cash in on his generosity.At this point, I had published a couple of posts and had rejoiced about my first freelance piece being accepted.

I realized, if I was going to go and sit amongst those who spread beauty by putting words to page, it was time to admit I was one of them.

Acknowledging this simple truth freed me to see a new reality; what qualified me to be a writer – is that I write. No lofty author had to bestow the title upon me; I didn’t need to have a book published, and there wasn’t some foreboding checklist taunting with what I must do next.

Writers, write. It isn’t about numbers or publications, but living out a God-ordained purpose for which I was created. I had to ask myself: was I willing to trust?

This venture has eclipsed all expectations, and dwarfed even my wildest anticipations. I have seen God use my words. I have been privileged to meet other writers and read what God has given them to say. I am a regular contributor on four different websites and have guest posted all over the place. A year ago I wasn’t dreaming of this, but God was leading me to it. All I had to do was give Him my yes.

As this new year begins – I am dreaming, setting goals, meeting regularly with others in the Faith and Culture circles, and lifting it all up with open hands in prayer. Whatever is to come, I want to maintain the simplicity of I will trust and obey. Whether it is more freelance work or less, the completion of a book proposal or a manuscript, or a time of rest and inspiration, I want to live in the divine tension of everything God wants for me, and from me, and will settle for nothing less.

The whispers of doubt have not fallen completely silent; I still wonder if God really cares about which social media platforms I choose to utilize. Does He really care if I keep my words to myself, or If I allow others to see them? Does He really care about this expanding facet of my life?

He does.

He wants to be in it all, at all times. And this hobby, He has chosen to make it more. He imparts the gifts we are called to use for blessing others. He helps others find hope in words delivered through my pen by His spirit.

For long before I chose to call myself a writer my God fashioned me a scribe. Would I dare tell the God of the universe, “You can have my hands but not my pen?”

“Writer” Chara Donahue’s work can be found at:  Chara Donahue

 

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What it Looks Like to Find Home (yet again)

Ashley Hales

by Ashley Hales

We almost moved to Portland in 2009 to do an apprenticeship with a church. We fell in love. We wanted to be downtown people. We wanted to walk on lazy Saturday mornings with a cup of hand-crafted coffee and browse in Powell’s. We ached for urbanism, books, meaning, and craft beers. We longed for the coming together of pubs and stories; of the gospel and hipsters; of beauty and brokenness. And then it turned to ashes. We didn’t move. And we felt like death. Six years later, this last weekend, I returned to Portland and even in the span of three days and three nights, I am resurrected.

I am more fully alive, more fully myself, more a member of a tribe than I dreamt possible. There is a quiet back and forth between the prophetic fire I feel stretching for release inside of me and the long, slow soul-digging necessary to make a life of writing work. And it all is good work. Because now I believe I have a community of soul friends; where, hunched over drinks around a table, even though we come from different backgrounds and theological viewpoints, we are home. There, around the table, we are most fully ourselves, most fully alive. Because home was never about being right. Home is belonging. Home is where we hash out who we are and what we believe; but surrounding that process, is a womb of protection. Home is where we can be messy, scared, broken, angry. And a true home can hold us as we thrash about as we are birthed into ourselves.

I found a little slice of home there in the drizzly northwestern rain. I found a home by myself, sandwiched between earth and concrete, feeling as much a part of one as the other. I found home in a Kingdom that is wide and deep and long and a breath of air. I found home in words that filled me, where I marveled at beauty and truth wrapped around one another like lovers. I found home in the eyes of my friends, when I could listen to their hurt, to their cries of lament from systemic oppression; or where I could weep at the violence done to them because they were sacrifices to a system. These are systems based on fear or control, where the image of God becomes something to squelch and squash, like my toddler squishes Play-Doh back into its plastic tin. I found home in the words of meandering faith journeys, where we hold holy space open for each other. I found home in my tears. Portland birthed me. Me. Not in my writerly garb, but just me.

I have some resolutions of sorts, some lessons to take away and tape up to my bathroom mirror, to remind myself what I will do:   I will dig gently. But I will dig. I will tell myself the truth of the middle day. That there is dusk and there is dawn and at these threshold moments we are the verge of beholding glory. I will see. I will pause, slow down and not rush to resolution. My first duty is to see. I will proclaim truth. I will point others to glory. And, I will show them home.

This was Ashley’s first time attending the Faith & Culture Writers Conference. She blogs at: Website

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Letting go of fear and saying, “I am a Writer”

By Leanne Sype 

There’s something I haven’t told you because I’ve been fearful. I thought I was being humble. But this past weekend I attended the 2015 Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference, which turned into two-day therapy-retreat where I cried a lot and got really depressed before I became inspired. I was hindered to inspiration because I was blocked by truth.

I sat in a guided writing experience with Micah J. Murray,  during the new, “Breathing Space: A Mini Retreat” that was added to the conference this year. Micah called us out our snippy inner-gremlins and fought against them by writing a fan letter to ourselves. I wasn’t going to read mine out loud because my gremlins told me that everyone else’s letter was way better, that I would be self-centered if I volunteered, and that everyone would think mine was stupid. I punched my gremlins in the face by volunteering to read mine.

I read my letter and I was okay; people liked it.  Micah asked me to read it again. The second time I read it, I wasn’t okay. I began to cry and could barely get through the dang thing without snotting all over it. I got mad(ish) at Micah, “Why did you make me read this again? Look at what you made me do!”  He had called me to a place of public vulnerability–then asked if the group could pray for me. He asked the sweet girl next to me, Michelle, to lay a hand on me and pray. And pray she did, so beautifully and tearfully. This was a powerful moment that I didn’t understand in the moment.

In this same class, a gentleman, Sovann Penn (@SovannPenn), read his letter. He said to himself, “You have been mistaking fear for humility far too long… you have friends who are awesome and believe in you.” This stuck with me the rest of the day the same way a rock gets stuck inside your shoe.

That night in the main session, author Emily Freeman said, “I want to write like a hostess. A hostess doesn’t leave her guests to go call all the people who RSVP’ed “no” to find out why the didn’t come and why they don’t like her. That’s crazy. I want to write like a hostess, not a crazy person.” This put another rock in my shoe, and I went home feeling depressed, annoyed, and uncertain if I would be back the next day. I snuggled up to my husband and blubbered all over him with no words to express what was wrong with me.

I woke up the next morning with the very clear voice of the Holy Spirit:

“You’ve been mistaking fear for humility; you’re missing out on the full experience of the gift you’ve been given and the ministry in which you have been invited to participate. You are scared of people rejecting you, mocking you, and being angry with you, yet in all the things I’ve given you to write never once have you experienced what you fear. Not even in your most public confessions of sin. You are a lovely hostess with many guests I’ve brought to you because they can hear you; your translation from the Kingdom to the guests is good! But you leave them so you can wait by the phone for the “no” RSVP’s to call. They aren’t calling… and you’re missing the party! You have faithful friends, family, and even strangers who believe in you, but most importantly I believe in you. I have work for you if you’re willing; the fruit will be good and beautiful if you will trust Me.”

Here’s what I want to tell you:

I’ve spent the last 14 years pouring into and editing the stories of others, defining myself as an editor and merely dabbling in my craft as a “wet-noodle” writer. I confess that while I adore, honor, and value other people’s stories, I’ve been using editing as a way to avoid the true work God has for me–writing. I have been fearful of stepping into the public arena of vulnerability, giving power to voices of the gremlins and cloaking my fear in humility so as to justify my place behind the scenes (which, incidentally, is where an editor works. How convenient.)

Yes, some of my recent writings have been more confessional and vulnerable, evidence of God’s effort in coaxing me out into the arena, but I can tell you they were published in trembling obedience and reluctant submission.

Writing  I surrender with humble declaration that I am writer. I write creative non-fiction about real-life, my story, and God’s unwavering persistence to be the anchor for both. I translate through written words what I hear, see, and feel from God so I can better understand the purpose he has for me, how I can live that purpose for His glory, and how I can invite others to discover the same for their lives. My prayer always is that through my experiences, you find yourself encouraged, inspired, and invited into a Kingdom that is safe and welcoming, and promises purposeful life no matter how broken you are. You are loved unconditionally. And so am I.

God gave me my first assignment in January– a children’s book called The Hungry Garden. It’s an alphabet book the Hungry Gardenthat explores the ordinary to extraordinary food that gardens grow and why these foods are so exciting. It comes with a 26-recipe “snack book” that parents and children can use in their kitchen to be creative with food. I have completed the first draft of the main manuscript, and I am currently developing and testing the recipes.

I never wanted to write a book, let alone a children’s book . . . let alone a children’s book about food.  I didn’t feel qualified. But as I have been following His lead on this project, it’s becoming more clear that as a recovering anorexic patient, I understand the fear of food intimately. I know what it feels like to see food in front of me that looks scary, smells weird, and would certainly be the worst thing ever if I ate it. As a child of God living with an eating disorder, I can relate to children in a way others cannot. Only God can orchestrate such a unique connection.

I look forward to sharing with you the nutty things that have happened since beginning this process, along with the mysteries and surprises I encounter as I journey forward. I promise not to hold back anymore! I am joining the party and will step into the arena as my name is called.

And those grumpy gremlins? Well, they aren’t invited.

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Leanne Sype was a speaker at the 2015 Faith & Culture Writers Conference. She IS a also a  writer, whose work can be found at Leanne Sype website

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God moving in the heart via writing

Jane Halton photo MG_7648  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.

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God, gender and the use of pronouns

Tony KrizBy Tony Kriz 

Today on “Off The Highway,” The Shack and Cross Roads author, William Paul Young (whom we just announced is a featured Faith & Culture Writers Conference speaker), addresses an issue for which he is, uniquely, both a lightning rod and a thoughtful scholar.  In The Shack, Paul famously embodies God the Father, “Papa,” as an African-American woman and the Spirit as a wispy Asian woman.

I want to focus today’s post on an implication of Paul’s theology… a very practical implication for me in my vocation.

As a writer on topics of faith and spirituality, God is often the subject of my writings.  At this point in my writing development, one issue that I am working through is the use of God-pronouns in my writings.

To put it simply, do I refer to God as exclusively “he” or do I mix in both “he” and “she” references.  Straight talk.

Paul Young, mixes his references. For instance, he most typically refers to the Spirit as “she” since the Hebrew word for Spirit is grammatically a feminine word.

I had an article published earlier this week on a national website.  As happens, minor edits were made by the editors.  A punctuation correction here, a phrase added there.

In this article, the editors changed the word “God” to “he” at several points.

Look, I get it.  From the traditional editorial model, I use the word “God” too often, sometimes multiple times in one sentence.  I say “Godself” instead of “himself”.  My motivation is to avoid the gender question as often as possible.

Here’s the deal:  I would probably prefer to weave in both “he” and “she” in reference to God.  I believe that this would be more ontologically true of God’s character, even though it would be a shock to my religious-literary tradition.  However, I know that because of that shock, many, many people from my traditions would be offended by references to God as “she.”

On the other hand, referring to God as “he,” particularly if it is exclusively as “he” is also offensive to a significant group of people that I very much care for, a group that has often experienced indefensible abuse at the hand of males.  I want to write as inoffensively as possible.  I desire to be heard.

So what am I left with?  I can either risk offending (thus losing my message) a fairly large group by using “she” AND “he” for God OR offend another group of people (for whom the offense is often much more visceral) by sticking strictly with “he.”

My solution.  Since we don’t have an all encompassing or “neutral” pronoun in English, I try to avoid pronouns for God as much as possible.  Even if it makes my writing slightly more wooden.  If you read my most recent book ALOOF, you may even notice that from the start of the book to the end, my use of God-pronouns decreases along the way.

And why not?  Even if it is wooden, this is God we are talking about.  Throughout human history there has been a special deference to the names of God.  Scribes would use a different quill when writing a word for God.  Orators use unique and specific phrasing when speaking God’s name(s) aloud.  Why not also remove the use of pronouns, at least in English, so that whenever God is referenced the full gender-spectrum is always embodied in each use.

What do you think?

On the other hand, I am also playing with the idea of using the pronoun “they” for God, instead of “he” or “she.”  It removes the gender dilemma.  And it was God who referred to Godself saying “Let US create humankind in OUR image… Let US create them male and female.”  Maybe a transition to “they” could provide a lovely solution.  Also, it would be fun to watch auto-grammar-correct deal with a sentence like: “When God speaks to people, They tend to do so in a way that surprises.”

[Watch today’s episode to hear more of William Paul Young’s thoughts on the topic.]

Tony Kriz (D. Min.) is an author/teacher of faith and culture through media and at universities, conferences and communities of faith, and returns as one of our speakers at this year’s Faith & Culture Writers Conference,  for which he serves on the Advisory Board. He has taught in the spheres of Intercultural Studies and Spiritual Formation at Multnomah University and Warner Pacific, among others.  In addition to his recent book Aloof, he’s the author of  Neighbors and Wise Men: Sacred Encounters in a Portland Pub and Other Unexpected Places(Thomas Nelson, 2012).

Many were first introduced to this unique thinker under the name “Tony the Beat Poet” through Donald Miller’s book, Blue Like Jazz. Tony has served in places as diverse as the Muslim world and Reed College. Tony lives with his family in North Portland in an imbedded, intentional community.

Website: www.tonykriz.com | Twitter: @tonykriz
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Three Essentials for Writing Words that Matter

Emily FreemanBy 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 FreemanEmily 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.

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If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write

By CORNELIA BECKER SEIGNEUR

One of my favorite writing quotes is by Martin Luther: “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” I think I have always appreciated the power of the pen, the strength of story and the wonder of Words.

As we head into the weekend for Portland’s second Faith & Culture Writers Conference at Multnomah University, Friday-Saturday April 5-6, I am excited to lead a breakout session on “Freelance Writing in the Digital World.”

I love sharing the story of how God opened the door for me to freelance for The Oregonian newspaper beginning in 1996. I have had the honor of penning stories of doctors going to Africa, of kids raising money for orphans, of entire youth groups traveling to Mississippi rather than go to a summer camp for fun. After people read my stories, I receive emails or phone calls from folks saying they read my story and they decided to donate funds, or help someone, or go on a mission trip. Wow, that feeling of lives being changed through story is amazing.

My daughter Rach had written a teen column for The Oregonian while she was in high school and one of the things she wrote about once was how she did not want gifts for Christmas but instead she wanted money so she could go on a mission trip to Mississippi. She received a check in the mail for $ 100 from a reader who was so moved by her story. My Rachie said to me, “Mom, I did not realize how much writing can impact people.”

While I have specialized in stories of faith and culture, family and community for The Oregonian, I had also  dreamed of writing for Christianity Today, and am grateful for the opportunity that has opened up for me to do just that.  I have been able to pen stories about (the late) Richard Twiss and Lopez Lomong, whose story is that running — and writing — saved  his life.

I look forward to penning more stories. But first, our upcoming writers conference. And, speaking of Christianity Today, I asked my editor Katelyn Beaty to donate magazines, and they did. We have a few gift subscriptions as door prizes, and a box full of magazines to give away. Christy Tenant Krispin will be here representing CT and its This is Our City Project, which collects stories of folks reaching out and impacting culture locally.

Buzz is building for this weekend’s conference as people who have never been before are learning about it. It’s fun to see all the connections being made with old friends and new friendships forming. Twitter hashtag #faithculture2013 is active on our @WritersUniteNW Twitter page and our  Faith & Culture Writers Connection Facebook page can be found at:  Facebook Faith & Culture Writers

Registration at the door on Friday-Saturday April 5-6 is $ 75 and students are just $ 25. Visit: Faith & Culture Writers Conference

 

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From Behind the Pages to In Front of a Crowd

By Leanne Sype

 

As an editor, I spend the majority of my time buried in the pages of unpublished books, blogs, and other beautifully blunder-filled prose.  I am energized by what I do, and I enjoy (prefer) being behind the scenes helping my writers polish their message so it shines for the world. I take what I do very seriously because writing is hard… and for most authors, editing is excruciating.  I respect that.  I honor it.  Hey, I’m a writer too, so I get it!

I love editing, though.  It’s my favorite part of the entire writing process because it is where the smoke clears and the destination you were trying to reach comes into view.  But more than editing, I love cultivating relationships with other writers.  I am inspired, intrigued and taught by my community of fellow writers, readers, and life-livers.  I find great joy in learning from others and engaging in discussions of or relating to reading and writing and life–life is what gives us the material about which we write.

So imagine my delight when I was asked to speak at this year’s Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference!

*hand to mouth gasp*

Oh yes!  I’m coming out from behind the pages and getting in front of a crowd.  EEP!  I’m stoked!

Why?  Several reasons but here are the main two:

1) Community!  Writing is a solitary (and sometimes dark) endeavor that requires community engagement.  Our craft, as writers, messes with the psyche, causing both doubt and euphoria regarding our skills in a matter of seconds.  A writer’s conference brings us together with others who understand the celebrations and commiserations associated with the writing process.

Writers are also a community of creators who share a common DNA for an art we simply must share with others, yet each individual is as unique as the stories he/she creates.  We come together at an event like this and gather knowledge, perspective, and inspiration that help us keep creating and sharing with the world– better than we did before.

2) Learning.  I hope to forever be a scholar of the writing craft–always learning how I can be better.  Though I am excited about the opportunity to speak, I’m looking forward to being part of this event at a student.  Reading through the session-topic schedule is analogous to walking through a See’s Candy shop… everything looks so good I just don’t know which ones to pick!

The bottom line is this: when it comes to writing, the rules are changing, the publishing arena is changing, and what readers want from content and its authors is changing.  I want (need) to know how to better connect with my readers.  I need to know how to better help my clients so they can reach their publishing dreams.  And everyone who’s speaking at this conference will offer perspective on how to be better.

Plus, the two keynote speakers are Ken Wytsma (founder of The Justice Conference) and William P. Young (author of The Shack), both of whom I respect and believe will offer outstanding insight/testimony!  To be honest, I am a bit geeked-out about hearing them live.

So what will I speak about?

My session is called “Beyond the Mechanics: Editing for Audience Connection versus Proofreading for Mistakes.”  I will illustrate the differences between editing and proofing, how to craft your message so it connects with your reader.  A reader does not connect with pretty words and perfect punctuation; however, good word choice and clean grammar are necessary for a reader to understand your message and take it to heart.  That is to say both editing and proofreading are crucial to your writing process…and completely different from one another.

I’ll be unpacking what all this means and how to approach this phase.

Enough about me! If you’d like to come to the conference, you should definitely come because you are invited!

You can also hop on over to the Faith & Culture Writers Connection Facebook page for updates and announcements.

Thanks for reading through this awfully long post, my friends. It truly is a always a wonderful opportunity for all who come, so I wanted to be thorough about why this is so from my perspective.  I hope to see you there… would love to meet you!

 

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From Timid Writer to Marketing Speaker

By Nicole Miller

 

Had you tried to convince me two years ago that I’d be approached to speak at the Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference, you would have failed. Trust me.

In 2011, I was a quiet, timid writer with a few year’s experience under my belt of attending writer’s conferences. I’d even rubbed elbows with some major editors and agents at the local Oregon Christian Writer’s conference. But something about the Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference felt different.

It was a strange sense that overwhelmed and left me feeling like a newbie all over again.

But it was also a rush of excitement and anticipation.

The memories of the inaugural 2011 Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference fill me to this day—the intoxicating words of the keynote speakers, the intensive workshops, the friendships bonded and the rush of inspiration.

I walked away from the conference confident that big things were in store. And boy, were they. I signed with my literary agent that same year, I moved to a new job that entered me into the world of social media marketing, and I was offered my first chance to teach a workshop.

Now, I have the honor and privilege to be leading two workshops on marketing and social media tricks for writers. This step into teaching has fulfilled me in ways I never expected (and I’d love to see you all at the conference!)

2011 was a year of defining change, and I felt it stirring at the Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference. I can’t guarantee the same experience for you—but I can guarantee you won’t regret the time and investment into your career and your spirit.

I challenge you to journal the day before, the day of, and the day after the Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference. Just see what sort of difference comes about. It could be a big year for you.

 

Nicole M. Miller is an award-winning writer, history buff, equestrienne and a former rodeo queen—all of which come together in her historical fiction and blogging. A social media coordinator and self-proclaimed Facebook and Twitter addict, she coaches writers and small business owners in utilizing social media as a marketing tool. Connect with her at www.nicolemillerbooks.com and www.millermediasolutions.com.