Craftsman Class X

Christian Writers Guild Craftsman Class X  (March 22, 2013)
Photo courtesy of The Christian Writers Guild 

We had a fabulous time of learning and fellowship at the Christian Writers Guild Craftsman Class X residency at The Cliff House in Manitou Springs, Colorado, March 20-24. I was challenged, stretched, encouraged, and blessed!

Tips on tackling that "dreaded second draft"

You've written the first draft of your novel.

Now what?

Review. Rewrite. Revise.

Dennis Hensley wrote an excellent piece on tackling this vital phase of novel writing: "Facing Your Dreaded Second Draft" for the Christian Writers Guild blog. Click on the links below to get to the article, which is published in two parts:

Facing Your Dreaded Second Draft, Part 1

Facing Your Dreaded Second Draft, Part 2

While you're there, check out the other blogs. They're short, concise, and helpful, no matter where you are on your writing journey or what genre you write.

CWG March newsletter

Catch up with what's been happening at the Christian Writers Guild with the March newsletter. Check especially the page about next year's Writing for the Soul Conference!Click here to access the newsletter. 

The Christian Writers Guild exists to educate, train, and support writers who desire to promote a biblically-based, Christian worldview through their writing. 

How to improve your writing

Learning how to write well is a journey--one that never ends. With so many resources out there, how do you choose? (You do choose, you know.)

First, what do you write? Fiction? Nonfiction? Books? Articles? PE stories? Devotionals? Blogs?

Second, how much time are you willing to carve out of your schedule for study time?

Third, how much $$ do you have to spend?


Following are some suggestions for you to explore:


CONFERENCES: 

Writing Success XXII,  a one-day conference, Emmanuel Christian Church, Stoneboro, Pa.,  April 27

St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference Grove City College, Grove City, Pa., June 18-22


COURSES:

Check out the writing courses Christian Writers Guild offers. Special prices on select courses through the end of February. Each student works with a personal mentor—a working professional writer and editor—who encourages, instructs, and challenges you each step of the way. Courses are available for adults and youth (great for homeschoolers!).

BLOGS:

Check the blogs I've listed in the right margin. The Christian Writers Guild blog, as well as Jerry B. Jenkins's blog on writing are both excellent and timely.

BOOKS:

I've recently downloaded the following books to help me learn to write fiction better. All are available on Amazon.com. (Every serious writer should build a professional library.)

Characters, Emotions, and Viewpoint, Nancy Kress
How to Write Descriptions of Hair and Skin, Val Kovalin
How to Write Descriptions of Eyes and Faces, Val Kovalin
The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression, Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

Anything by James Scott Bell:  
Plot and Structure
Conflict and Suspense 
The Art of War for Writers 
Revision and Self-Editing



Writing the Breakthrough Novel and Writing the Breakthrough Novel Workbook, Donald Maass (EXCELLENT!!!)
 
Elements of Style, William Strunk and E.B. White  (a MUST for all writers!)
 
Writing for the Soul, Jerry B. Jenkins


Writing from Within: A Guide to Creativity and Life Story Writing by Bernard Selling
 
Reflections from a Mother’s Heart, Publisher: J. Country
 
Writing Articles from the Heart: How to Write and Sell Your Life Experiences by Marjorie Holmes
 
Writing from Personal Experience by Nancy Davidoff Kelton; Publisher: Writer’s Digest Books.
 
Effective Magazine Writing, Roger C. Palms
 
On Writing Well, William Zinsser
 
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Renni Brown and Dave Kin

Stein on Writing,  Sol Stein
 
Write Tight: How to Keep Your Prose Sharp, Focused and Concise, William Brohaugh (WD)
 
The Writer’s Digest Guide to Good Writing, editors of Writer’s Digest (WD)
 
Writers on Writing, edited by James Watkins  
GRAMMAR:

The Write Way, Richard Lederer (grammar)
 
Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, Mignon Fogarty (she also has a blog)
 

One-day writers' conference

Looking to refine your writing skills? Need help revising your manuscript or finding the right market? Don't have a lot of time or money to attend a days-long writing conference?

Then consider Writing Success XXII, a one-day writers conference on Saturday, April 27, at  Emmanuel Christian Church, 4495 Greenville-Sandy Lake Road, Stoneboro, PA, 16153 (off Route 358 east, exiting Interstate 79 at exit 130).
 

Featured Writer: Karen Witemeyer

Two-time RITA® Finalist and winner of the coveted HOLT Medallion and ACFW Carol Award, CBA bestselling author Karen Witemeyer writes historical romance fiction for Bethany House, believing that the world needs more happily-ever-afters.Her books include Head in the Clouds, A Tailor-Made Bride, To Win Her Heart, Short-Straw Bride, and--coming in June--Stealing the Preacher. Karen is an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bakes a mean apple cobbler. She makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/ 

My two workshops are Interviewing 101 and Rx Manuscript Critique:

Interviewing 101 -- Michele Huey
Everyone has a story. But not everyone can write that story. That's where we writers can help. Too often, though, our subjects won't open up enough to reveal the important details that make an account memorable. Michele Huey, who has interviewed and written about dozens of individuals for her "People Who Make a Difference" newspaper series, shows you how to get beyond the mask and to the heart of a transforming story by asking the right questions.

RX Manuscript Critique -- Michele Huey
"RX (n.) A prescription for medicine or a medical appliance. A remedy, cure, or solution for a disorder or problem."

What am I doing wrong? is a question writers often ask. Reading how-to books and articles, and analyzing other writers' works can take you so far. It's like reading about health, but not getting answers that address your particular problem.

In this hands-on workshop, under direction of writing mentor and freelance editor Michele Huey, you'll diagnose problems and suggest solutions to the first pages of samples submitted anonymously in advance by workshop attendees.

Submission guidelines: Times New Roman font, 12 pt (regular, not bold or italic); double-spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs; one space between sentences; align left justification, not full; 1 inch top and bottom margins, 1.25 inches side margin; one page only (about 250 words). Send submissions to michelehuey@yahoo.com by April 15.

Check out the other workshops and faculty.

The conference cost includes your choice of workshops, lunch, the critique of one manuscript (no more than six pages), and the opportunity to enter nine writing contests. For additional cost, you may submit additional pages of a manuscript for critique.

Coffee and donuts will be available in the fellowship hall during registration. Lunch will be served in two shifts. You may skip lunch to attend a fifth workshop without change in conference fee.

A bookstore will be set up for your participation. You may bring your published works to sell on commission.

If you have questions, you can contact Gloria at  724-253-2635  or click on

Gloria Clover, Registrar

to send her an e-mail.

Check it out!

Click on the cover to get to the Amazon page.

Check out the latest how-to book from my favorite how-to-write-fiction author, James Scott Bell.

As soon as I skimmed the table of contents, I downloaded the book on my Kindle Fire (for only $4.99). I've already devoured the first couple of chapters, highlighting and taking notes as I read. Down-to-earth, practical, and easily grasped , Bell's writing on writing gets me itching to write, to put into practice the concepts he explains so well. There are a lot of great books on writing out there, but, IMHO, Bell is the BEST!

Here's the description of the book from the Amazon page:

Learn the inner secrets of selling fiction to an ever-increasing audience of readers! Bestselling author and writing coach James Scott Bell brings you powerhouse techniques and strategies in this collection, much of which is from his popular posts at The Kill Zone blog. PLUS, interviews with some of the best writers working today, including: Sandra Brown, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Jonathan Kellerman, Barry Eisler, Joseph Finder, Peter Straub, Steven Coonts, Katherine Neville, Andrew Gross, Lisa Jackson, Kathy Reichs, M.J. Rose If you’re serious about selling your fiction, Fiction Attack! is your battle plan for breakthrough. Praise for the writing instruction of James Scott Bell: "I had a novel with problems I didn't know how to solve. After James Scott Bell's class, I knew the solutions. This was easily the most practical writing class I ever attended. I sold my novel using what I learned." — Darrell James, author of Nazareth Child

OTHER WRITING BOOKS BY JAMES SCOTT BELL (all recommended by Yours Truly):

Plot and Structure

Conflict and Suspense

The Art of War for Writers

Revision and Self-Editing

New Year, New Directions

I realize my attention to this blog for writers has been sorely lacking. The past two years have been unique and  challenging. In 2011, I underwent three surgeries in 11 months, including carpel tunnel surgery and surgery to repair three neck discs. 2012 was a year of recovery and restoration. It was also a year I filled the pulpit for a small, local congregation until they found a pastor. I miss what I came to call "my little flock." Preaching every Sunday had me delving in God's Word and gave me a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment. 

I continue to write my award-winning newspaper column, God, Me & a Cup of Tea, for the Indiana Gazette and post the column every Sunday on my weekly inspirational blog. In March, the column will celebrate its sixteenth birthday. Imagine! I would have never dreamed when God gave me the vision in the mid-1990s to write a weekly meditation column for the local newspaper that I'd still be plugging away at it 16 years after it first saw print! But "He who calls me is faithful" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

On January 1, I launched a new daily blog, God, Me & a Cup of Tea Daily, to offer "a spoonful of encouragement" with a Scripture verse and a brief poem or prayer.

Since 2010, I've served as the director for the Punxsutawney Christian Women's Conference, being blessed to have been involved with the launching of this fun and inspiring ministry to women.


I continue to mentor developing writers through the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and The Writing Academy. In 2010 I was honored to be a member of the writing team that rewrote two of the Guild's writing courses (the Writing Essentials and Apprentice courses), along with Julie-Allyson Ieron, Karen O'Connor, and Roger Palms. It was definitely a high point of my writing career.

from left: me, Karen, Julie, and Roger

from left: Julie, Karen, Jerry, and me

 
After writing two novels, which were considered by several Christian publishing houses, and starting a third, which sputtered out in the wake of the three surgeries, I enrolled in the Christian Writers Guild's Craftsman fiction course. I'm excited to have Sandra Byrd as my mentor as I work through the course and my work-in-progress. I'm excited about attending the Craftsman four-day residency program in Manitou Springs, Colorado, in March.

Although my speaking and teaching schedule is wide open, I will be teaching a writing workshop at the 2013 Writing Success one-day conference near Stoneboro, Pa., on Saturday, April 27.

And I continue to pray for God's direction.

As for this blog for writers, I'll post information of interest from time to time. Do check the links in the sidebar to various blogs, web pages, and skill-building opportunities for writers. These links stay updated even when I don't!

One thing different I would like to try this year is a Q & A format. Sometimes looking for information about proper grammar, style, formatting, and other such information for writers can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially if you're just starting out. 

In addition to the helps I've listed in the sidebar, you can pose your question to me by either typing it in the COMMENT section below this blog, or emailing it to me at michelehuey@yahoo.com. I'll post an answer as soon as I can. 

Blessings as you seek and fulfill His purpose for you!

Michele 
 

 
 

 

E-books and publishing

Here's a good blog on the effect of e-books on the publishing industry:

http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/publishers-desperately-trying-to-protect-print-sales-and-failing/

Hmmm . . . I just may offer Before I Die, my first novel, as an e-book in 2012. What do you think?

Whiskey Run update

Whiskey Run update:
Last week's word count: 16,911
This week's word count: 17,277
Words written: 366

No new chapters, though. I went back through chapters 1 through 6 and added and deleted. I need to move forward with this thing . . .

A couple of interesting articles you might want to check out:

"Seven Habits of Serious Writers" 

"How to Get More Done By Pretending You're on an Airplane"

"Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' Turned Down 60 Times Before Becoming a Best Seller"

That's it. Short and sweet this week.

Until next week . . .

Keep writing!