Brooke Williams is a former radio announcer/producer and script writer turned freelance writer and author. She currently specializes in clean romantic comedy, though she’s written a bit of everything including a thriller and two children’s books. Her latest release “The Leftover” came out from BQB publishing in September 2017. .
Brooke will be teaching the workshop Adding Humor to Your Writing. Visit the workshop page to learn more.
We asked Brooke a few questions to help you get to know her better.
Do you remember a gift you received that seemed so useless and nonsensical and you didn’t know how to express your gratitude? How did you handle the situation? A friend of mine gave me a purse that doubles as a very small cooler. I don’t carry purses and knew I’d never use it. Well with two young girls I take that thing in the car everywhere with milk, water, cheese sticks and so on!
All of us have faced rejection, how do you (did you) deal with it at the time and now that you look back upon it? The worst rejection letter I got was back when you had to send self addressed stamped envelopes along with your query. The envelope returned empty with a ‘no’ written on the outside. Ouch. Eventually that book went on to win awards. So there. Haha!
Do you read for relaxation? If so, what authors do you keep close by? I looooove to read but when my girls aren’t taking my attention I’m writing for clients so there’s not much time left. I keep a book on my bathroom counter and get in a few pages when I dry my hair. Takes a while to finish a book but I can’t give up!!
Visit Brooke on her website to learn more about what she writes.
Anne Rauth grew up in a small town in Northwest Missouri, with a high school graduating class of only 44.
After high school, Anne received her MBA from the University of Kansas and immediately went to work at Hallmark Cards in their Advertising and Hallmark Hall of Fame division.
She also worked at other Fortune 500 companies such as H&R Block managing national promotions and sponsorships but ultimately followed her passion and is currently working in the nonprofit sector.
Anne belongs to the Heart of America Christian Writer’s Network and has led sessions at their annual conference. She has also spoken at the Wordsowers conference in Omaha, Nebraska.
Anne will be teaching the workshop Don’t Monkey around with Mailchimp and Email Marketing. Visit the workshop page for more information.
We asked Anne a few questions to help you get to know her better.
Do you set goals for the new year? If so, does it help you produce more? I led a Vision Board workshop for HACWN and that has really encouraged me around my goals for 2019. 2018 was a challenging year, and even though it is only a turn of a calendar page, I want to stay focused in 2019. / If you’re a more visual person, come see me and we can talk through how to craft your own vision board!
Did a parent or grandparent say something to you that you have remembered for a lifetime? A grandparent said something to my mother but you’ll have to get the book Short and Sweet VI to see what it was!
What is your favorite part of a writing conference? My favorite part of a writing conference is the focus on writing and the relationships I have built. Some writers I may only see twice a year but I still consider them to be true friends. There are writers all around you at a conference. I want to soak it all up to keep me encouraged in the coming months when I can’t see writers face to face.
I love that when Christian writers come together, we’re FOR Jesus and his love! Also blog post about what to do after the conference.
Visit Anne on her website to read her blog and find out more about what she does.
For over 24 years, Associate Editor Susan King has served at The Upper Room, a daily-devotional magazine that reaches millions of readers in more than 100 countries. One of her greatest joys has been representing The Upper Room every year at several of 23 different Christian writers conferences in the U.S. and Canada.
Two years ago, she retired from 27 years of teaching English and feature-writing classes, most recently for Lipscomb University but also for Biola University and Abilene Christian University. Formerly, she served as writer, book editor, and radio-program producer/on-air talent for The Institute of Scriptural Psychology; wrote magazine features as a freelance writer; and functioned as a seminar facilitator in leadership and group dynamics.
Susan will be teaching two workshops this year: Turning Personal Experience into a Devotional Message and Finding Our Creativity and Setting it into Motion. Visit the Workshop page to learn more.
We asked Susan a few questions to help you get to know her a bit.
How do you deal with writer’s block? I freewrite or brainstorm. I put the topic of the article—or chapter—at the top of am MSW file, then for 10-15 minutes type everything that comes to mind about that topic—without stopping to edit myself./Then, I isolate the good ideas and, in turn, put each of those sub-topics at the top of a new file and go through the process with each one.
Do you read for relaxation? If so, what authors do you keep close by? I love mysteries—especially cozies—but also police procedurals, political intrigue, and law-firm settings. My favorites include Carolyn Hart, Cleo Coyle, Rex Stout, Laurie R. King, Lisa Scottolini, Robert K. Tanenbaum, David Baldacci, and David Rosenfelt.
Do you have a favorite scripture, if so, how has it helped you? Just as with most categories of favorites, I have a hard time narrowing them down./ Romans 8:28 is a perennial favorite because it gets at the heart of living as a Christian./In my teen years, 1 Corinthians 10:13 helped keep me on the straight and narrow. Ever since the first time I was interviewed for a magazine feature, I have quoted Ps. 37:4 because I desired to be an editor in my high-school and college days but didn’t know how so I set aside that desire for decades until God brought me to my first editing position and then my second long-term position (24+ years) at The Upper Room—long after I had stopped looking. Ironically, today I’m back to the same Psalm but a different passage—37:5-9—which is helping me to back off and put everything in God’s hands
RJ Thesman is the author of 10 books and 700+ articles, and her work has been included in 14 anthologies. She is also a Certified Writing Coach who helps other writers birth their words.
Thesman writes from the heartland of Kansas where she lives with her adult son and an elderly cat. She enjoys teaching workshops, gardening and cooking, especially anything with blueberries.
RJ will be available for half hour coaching sessions at the conference for a fee. See the conference main page for more information. You can still sign up for one of these even if you have already registered. Simply go through the registration form again and choose only the coaching option, then make your purchase through Paypal.
We asked RJ a few questions to help you get to know her better.
Do you set goals for the new year? If so, does it help you produce more? Absolutely! As a writing coach, setting and reaching goals is a vital part of how I help other writers but also how I find my own direction.
All of us have faced rejection, how have you dealt with rejection in the past and now that you look back upon it? Whenever I am rejected, I immediately send the manuscript to a different publisher. So I stay in positive hope instead of dwelling on the rejection. And … a bit of dark chocolate always helps.
What is your favorite part of a writing conference? Meeting new writers and helping them find their a-ha moment to move toward their dreams.
Visit RJ on her website to learn more about her books and her coaching.
Deb Butterfield is the author of four books, which include 7 Cheat Sheets to Cut Editing Costs, and Carried by Grace: a Guide for Mothers of Victims of Sexual Abuse. She is a freelance editor and writing coach as well as an editor for CrossRiver Media Group publishing house. Debra has been a freelance editing since 2010 and joined CrossRiver Media Group in 2014. Her editorial credits include three award winners: Wilted Dandelions, This I Know, and Bethany’s Calendar. She is a former copywriter for Focus on the Family.
Deb will be teaching two workshops: The Five Essentials to Every Manuscript Submission and Marketing Through the Use of Story. Visit the workshop page to learn more.
We asked Deb a few questions to help you get to know her.
Do you set goals for the new year? If so, does it help you produce more? Most definitely I set goals! Having no goals is like taking a vacation with no destination—you get nowhere. Goals keep me focused on what’s important and show me what I’ve accomplished at the end of the period I’m measuring, be it a day, 90 days, or the year.
Do you have anything posted around your writing desk–a reminder of why you sit at a computer for hours on end? I have several things posted, mostly verses from the Bible that offer me encouragement in doing what God has called me to do. I am currently creating a vision board that I will put on the wall next to my desk to keep my goals and vision daily in front of me, spurring me on to bring those things into my life.
Do you read for relaxation? If so, what authors do you keep close by? One would think that as an editor I get my fill of reading when I spend all day reading manuscripts. But I’ve always loved reading, and reading for pleasure is important to me. It’s relaxing, but I also learn about writing from reading other authors. I like mysteries; Rhys Bowen’s Her Royal Spyness series and M.C. Beaton’s Hamish Macbeth series are favorites. Mary Connealy’s westerns are always a treat, too!
For thirty years Sally Jadlow wrote poems and shoved them under the bed. At a newly-formed writer’s group at church twenty years ago she began to learn about a world of loving writers, helpful critique groups, and conferences. It wasn’t long before she tried her hand at writing short stories and devotionals.
In 2002, her first published book, Sonflower Seeds, a book of poetry, took 1st place at the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation contest. She has won many awards since then and published ten books.
Her newest historical novel, Hard Times in the Heartland received 1st place at the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation Conference in 2016. It is the third in The Late Sooner series.
Sally will be teaching the workshops Convert Your Book into an Audio Book and Another Look at Poetry. Visit the workshop page to learn more.
We asked Sally a few questions to help you get to know her better.
Who influenced you most in your life?Dan Quisenberry, pitcher for the Royals, most profoundly influenced my writing career. He started a group at church for writers. Although I’d written poetry for twenty-five years, he directed me to writing groups in the city which gave me direction and room to grow.
Did a parent or grandparent say something to you that you have remembered for a lifetime? No matter what project we worked on, Grandma always said, “Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.”
Do you have a favorite scripture, if so, how has it helped you? I Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Visit Sally on her website to learn more about what she writes.
An author and software developer, Chris L. Meyers is a WordPress presenter, coach and web developer.
His books include a fantasy series called Legends of Aeo. The next two books are expected in 2019. Chris also penned Distraction-Free Writing, a short how-to book based on his time spent balancing family, a full-time job and long-term illness while writing a book.
Chris will be teaching the workshop Winning at WordPress. Visit the workshop page to learn more.
We asked Chris a few questions to help you get to know him better.
Do you set goals for the new year? If so, does it help you produce more? Goals are a mixed bag for me. They’re good for helping me define my direction, but they’re bad if I take them too seriously. I aim somewhere, set some reasonable expectations, then go after it. Production can take care of itself.
What or who inspired you to become an author or singer or preacher? My wife. She never gave up on me and wouldn’t let me give up on myself.
How do you deal with writer’s block? For me, physical activity helps most with writer’s block. Get the blood pumping and get out of my own head for a bit.
What is your favorite part of a writing conference? Meeting other writers.
Visit Chris on his website to learn more about what he writes.
N. L. Sharp has been writing for children for more than 20 years. Her first book, Today I’m Going Fishing with My Dad, was a Nebraska Golden Sower nominee. In 2003, Sharp created her own publishing company, Prairieland Press, to publish and market her books. Her debut book under that company, Effie’s Image, was a Nebraska Golden Sower nominee. Her second book, The Flower Girl / The Ring Bear: A Flip-Over Book, was a Nebraska Center for the Book Award winner. Sharp’s first novel for middle grade readers, Keeping Captain, was a winner in the children’s category in the 2017 Nebraska Center for the Book Awards.
Nancy will be teaching the workshop Writing for the Children’s Market. Visit the workshop page to learn more.
We asked Nancy a few questions to help you get to know her better.
Do you set goals for the new year? If so, does it help you produce more? I have found that yearly goals are too long for me–and make me think I have more time than I really have! I do much better setting quarterly goals and then dividing those goals into weekly and monthly mini-goals and projects. These seem to allow me to be more accountable and stay on track better, and, in the long run, more productive.
What or who inspired you to become an author or singer or preacher? I was fortunate enough to have attended a one-room country school, where our teacher read to us every day. That was my favorite part of the day. When our teacher read the book THE LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE to us, and I realized that you could be an author by just writing down the stories of your own life, I was hooked and knew that someday, I wanted to be a writer, just like Laura Ingalls Wilder!
How do you deal with writer’s block? Because I am a teacher, I have found the best way for me to overcome “writers’ block” is to give myself an assignment and a deadline–and the smaller the assignment (and the shorter the deadline) the better I will do. It is much easier for me to think about writing a scene or a character description than a novel–so I work on small steps–and try not to worry about the entire project at one time.
Do you have a favorite scripture, if so, how has it helped you? One of my favorite scriptures comes from Galatians 6: 1, 4-5, taken from THE MESSAGE. These words remind me that God calls us to do the creative best we can with the gifts we have been given and leave it to him to decide where those gifts will take us. //”Live creatively, friends. Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”
What is your favorite part of a writing conference? Networking and talking shop with other writers–something I don’t get to do at home!
Visit N.L. Sharp on her website to learn more about what she writes.
Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The Line Between, Iscariot, The Legend of Sheba, Demon: a Memoir; Havah: the Story of Eve, The Progeny, Duology, and The Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker. (FORBIDDEN, MORTAL, SOVEREIGN).
Her books have won the Gold Medallion, the Christian Retailer’s Choice Award, Forward Magazine’s Book of the Year Silver and Bronze, and have finaled for numerous others, including a second Gold Medallion and two Christy awards. You can find Tosca at ToscaLee.com, on social media, or hanging around the snack table. Be sure to check out ISMENI, the free e-short prequel to THE LEGEND OF SHEBA! Find it on Amazon.
Tosca will be teaching a two part workshop: Writing Unforgettable Characters.Visit the Workshop page to learn more.
We asked Tosca a few questions to help you get to know her a bit.
Tosca Lee What or who inspired you to become an author or singer or preacher? Reading books by great authors. I remember thinking, “Wow. That was awesome.” And not being able to stop thinking about the story or story world for hours or even days.
All of us have faced rejection, how do you (did you) deal with it at the time and now that you look back upon it? Rejection used to make me cold and clammy, but these days I consider it more a sign post than anything, pointing the way down the road—at least for this stretch of it—and to my ideal readership.
What is your favorite part of a writing conference? The people. Conferences are great for learning about the market and the craft. But one of the most valuable things you can take away from a conference is connections to new people to take the journey with you. I met so many of the authors I call “friend” today that way, and we’ve been able to encourage one another and weather the road together.
Visit Tosca’s website to learn more about Tosca and her books.
Today, we welcome freelance editor Debra Butterfield to our blog. We are highlighting her newest book, 7 Cheat Sheets to Cut Editing Costs. You are sure to use this book over and over! It’s not a long book, but it is packed full of valuable information. Ever wondered what goes into the editing process? Have you ever been a bit daunted by the thought of self-editing your book before initial submission – to your critique group or publishing house? Whether you want to do a better job at self editing or critiquing your writing partner’s book, or just be able to partner better with your publishing house’s editor, this book is for you.
Debra created cheat sheets for Research, POV, Showing vs Telling, Chicago Manual of Style, Punctuation, Creating a Style Sheet, and 10 Things to do before Hiring an Editor. Her writing is to the point and easy to understand. This is one resource you don’t want to pass up.
Debra Butterfieldis the author of 7 Cheat Sheets to Cut Editing Costs, Abba’s Promise, Carried by Grace: a Guide for Mothers of Victims of Sexual Abuse, and Mystery on Maple Hill (a short story ebook). As a freelance editor, she offers book and article editing, proofreading, critique, and coaching services, as well as Scrivener training. Her editorial credits include three award winners: Wilted Dandelions, This I Know, and Bethany’s Calendar. She is a former copywriter for Focus on the Family.
What kinds of interesting things have you done in your life? I’ve been aboard C130 airplanes and watched US Marines jump out. It’s tough to beat that! I also lived in Germany from 1987-1991, during which time the Berlin Wall fell and the Gulf War erupted. I saw a lot of amazing places, but there was also danger in being an American in Europe—we learned things like checking our car for bombs whenever we went off base.
When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing? When I’m not writing, I’m editing. As a self-employed writer/editor, I battle balancing my time. It can be all work and no play, but that’s not healthy. I enjoy reading and crocheting. When I lived in Colorado, I went hiking. I miss that here in Missouri.
What does your family think of your writing? My parents (now both dead), children, and siblings are very proud of my books. They actively help me market them as well, especially my book Carried by Grace. I’m very fortunate to have them help that way.
Tell us about getting your mind in a creative mode? How do you begin your writing process? There is no “getting in a creative mode.” I sit down and do it. When I’m working on a book, I often reread a portion first to get myself oriented to where I left off. If I want to capture a specific mood for a scene I’m writing, I’ll play instrumental music that fits the mood. The closest I come to getting in a creative mode is to play movie soundtracks while I write because music stimulates my creativity. I think every writer should spend time learning what stimulates her/his creativity.
What motivated you to write on this topic? The same kinds of mistakes pop up in all the manuscripts I edit, so I decided to help writers solve those errors before they send their manuscript to editors or publishers. All writers need professional editing and helping them reduce those costs is what the book is all about. Simple things they can do that make a big difference in the time editors spend doing the work.
Click image to Tweet
What was the hardest thing about writing the book? The hardest portion of the book was the section on the editing process. I wanted to give writers enough information without overwhelming them with details. I hope by explaining the editing process and giving them a way to determine costs, it empowers writers to move forward with professional editing rather than blindly fearing the costs.
Which part of your book was the most enjoyable to write? Writing the cheat sheets. I do this stuff every day; that made them easy to write. That’s not to say I never reach for my style guides or catch every error when I proofread. But if writers follow this advice, they’ll create stronger stories and cleaner manuscripts, and that translates into saving $$$ in the professional editing process.
What has been your biggest challenge when it comes to self-editing?
Meet Jennifer Slattery, 2017 Wordsowers Conference workshop leader. She will be teaching Avoiding Story Deflators.
Jennifer Slattery is a multi-published author, freelance writer, editor, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, a ministry that seeks to help women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. She writes Christian living articles for Crosswalk.com and is the managing and acquisitions editor for Guiding Light Women’s Fiction, and imprint with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Visit her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com
What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. My heart is first and foremost for the writer. I love seeing men and women discover, grab hold of, and live out who they are in Christ and what He’s called them to do. In other words, though I’m looking for strong manuscripts for my women’s fiction imprint, I’m also coming to this conference as a fellow traveler, cheerleader, encourager, and friend.
What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop? Who will get the most out of your workshop? Though this workshop is geared toward fiction writers, we’ll be looking at some key components of strong writing. Therefore, writers of all genres should be able to glean helpful information that, if applied, will bring their writing to the next level.
If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Can I share two? First, I’d say, if this is something you truly want (to get a publishing contract, article acceptance, or whatever your personal writing goal is), pursue it with perseverance and diligence. Learn as much as you can, and recognize that the more teachable you are, the stronger your writing will be. Also recognize that this is a long, difficult journey, one where many quit along the way. Determine now what you’ll do when (not if) rejections come and the writing becomes difficult. Write this in your journal and pray over this often.
Jennifer’s books are sure to encourage you. Enjoy her most recent release.
Restoring Love
Mitch, a contractor and house-flipper, is restoring a beautiful old house in an idyllic Midwestern neighborhood. Angela, a woman filled with regrets and recently transplanted to his area, is anything but idyllic. She’s almost his worst nightmare, and she s also working on restoring something herself. As he struggles to keep his business afloat and she works to overcome mistakes of her past, these two unlikely friends soon discover they have something unexpected in common, a young mom who is fighting to give her children a better life after her husband’s incarceration. While both Mitch and Angela are drawn to help this young mother survive, they also find themselves drawn to each other. Will a lifetime of regrets hold them back or unite them and bring redemption along with true love?
