Looking Forward to Writers Conferences in 2019

Another Monday is upon us. Let's face this week with a positive attitude and work to make the most of it. A new day means new blessings and new mercies. Thank the Lord, because I need all I can get! 

I made the suggestion recently, that writers would benefit from finding other writers to work with, learn with, learn from. Some of the ways I mentioned are: conferences, retreats, workshops and writers groups. In these different settings you can usually find editors, literary agents, mentors, publishers, etc. You may have the opportunity to learn from and even meet with some of these professionals to discuss your particular needs.

I plan to give you a head start on your research here, if you want to avail yourself of these resources. My list will by no means be exhaustive, it is just a taste of what is available to you. I know not everyone who reads my blog is a Christian writer, so I plan to give a choice for the Christian genre and the secular genre writers. 

Conferences:

Northeast

Secular: 

The Muse & the Marketplace
GrubStreet's National Conference for Writers
Boston, MA
April 5th-7th, 2019


This is a large conference with over 800 attendees. This conference is known for drawing some of New York's finest agents and editors. 

Christian:

Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference
Dock Mennonite Academy
Lansdale, PA 

August 8-10, 2019

All I know about this conference, is that it has been going for 36 years and has a great reputation. I have visited Philadelphia and it has so much history, it is worth the visit. One tip, if you want a great Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, ask a local police officer. That's what we did and he pointed us to a sandwich shop that made the most delicious one I had ever eaten.

West:

Secular:

2019 Northern Colorado Writers Conference

Fort Collins Marriott

Fort Collins, Colorado 

May 3-4, 2019

This conference will actually be held on a cruise! Their website states,  "The NCWC is one few writers' conferences that caters to a variety of genres including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting."

Christian:

2019 Summer Coaching Conference

Red Lion Hotel on the River - Jantzen Beach  

Portland, Oregon

August 12-15, 2019

With keynote speakers like Brian Bird (When Calls the Heart-Hallmark Channel) and Francine Rivers (A member of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame), this must be a great conference.

South:

Secular:

SteuthFest 2019
Embassy Suites by Hilton Boca Raton 
Boca Raton, Florida
May 14-17, 2019


This one is for Mystery, Suspense and Thriller writers. One of the highlights of this conference is the hands-on forensic workshops! 


Christian:

Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference
Ridgecrest Conference Center
Ridgecrest, NC 
May 19-23, 2019

On their website they write, "This is an intensive, hands-on workshop.  Participants should bring a WIP and writing materials." I have been to the Ridgecrest Conferences Center several times for marriage retreats and enjoyed it very much. That area of the country is beautiful.

Bonus Christian:

ACFW 2019 Conference
San Antonio, Texas
Hyatt Regency at the Alamo
September 26-29, 2019


I attended this conference last year in Nashville, TN (Refer back to my three posts in September regarding this). I thoroughly enjoyed my first conference experience there. I plan to attend again this year. It was a wonderful experience. I learned so much and I met some of my favorite authors. This is definitely a great choice, if you are a Christian fiction writer. Also, I have visited San Antonio, TX many times and love it. It has so much history. Make sure to visit the riverwalk, if you go. 

Midwest:

Secular:

MWW Super Mini Conference
Ball State Alumni Center
Muncie, Indiana
July 27-28, 2019


"Our programming schedule focuses on key areas such as craft improvement, genre knowledge, finding critique partners, and forming writing support groups to help improve your writing."-website. They have designed their mini conference for writers of every level. 

Christian:

Breathe Christian Writers Conference
L. V. Eberhard Center
Grand Valley State University
Grand Rapids, MI
October 18-19, 2019


This is a conference by writers for writers. "Our smaller conference size means you get to mix and mingle with the breakout session leaders and keynote speaker."-website. Their keynote speaker is Gary Schmidt a Newbery Honor and a Printz Honor recipient.

Ok, there you have it. This is just a handful of the options available to you. I hope you will seriously consider attending a conference this year, if you really want to step up to the next level in your writing. If you aren't a writer, there are probably great conferences in your particular area of interest.

I hope this is helpful. I hope this inspires you to find others at your level or those with years more experience to share your journey and help you along the way.

❉ Remember to subscribe here and on my website. (My website is still new and a work in progress.) I hope to get my first newsletter out this month and it should be made available to my website subscribers.  

May God bless you and your family this week.

In Christ,

Sandy

The Gift of Love

Happy Monday! Today I am looking forward to February 14th, Valentine's Day. I have a little advice, a little encouragement and some gift suggestions. I plan on celebrating with my Valentine, my Sweet Hubby and other family. Our traditional supper is steak and spaghetti, although spaghetti squash will have to do for me this year. I have been blessed with a loving husband and a loving family, but most of all a Loving God, because He has blessed me with them all.

God is Love and the love He has given us through the giving of His Son, the Lord Jesus is the greatest blessing. He shows us His love in other ways, too. He gives us family, friends, husbands, wives, special someones, children, grandchildren... Valentine's Day is a great day to celebrate the love you have for others and the love they have for you. 

Although many see Valentine's Day as a day for couples, I don't think it needs to be confined to that. As I said, it's a day to celebrate love. If you love anyone in your life, if anyone loves you, celebrate that relationship. If you are single and you can't help feeling left out, have you ever thought that Valentine's Day may be a good day to pray that God would lead you to the one He has planned for you when it's the right time? In the meantime, ask the Lord to help you grow into a person that will make a good spouse for that special someone. Caring enough about your future spouse to work at being the best you can be for them? That is a great gift.

Do you have a loved one that has lost a spouse? Maybe Valentine's Day would be a good time to invite them out for dinner or in some way take their minds off their loneliness for at least a little while. If you are not part of a couple, don't let that get you down. Find a way to celebrate the love of God and the many gifts of love He gives us. Be a blessing to someone else who may be feeling lonely.

If you are one who gives gifts on Valentine's Day, I thought I'd help you out by giving you some gift ideas. They are all books, but are you surprised? 😁

Children:

Berenstain Bears Lessons in Love by Jan and Mike Berenstain

Love Is . . .by Adapted From The King James Bible and Wendy Anderson Halperin (Illustrator)

Teens:

Holly's Heart by Beverly Lewis

The Guy's Guide to God, Girls, and the Phone in Your Pocket: 101 Real-World Tips for Teenaged Guys by Jonathan McKee

Singles:

The 5 Love Languages (singles edition) by Gary Chapman

God Send Me My Husband by Sherylynne L. Rochester

Married or Engaged:

The Love Dare Day by Day by Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick

Love & Respect by Emerson Eggerichs

Love Stories:

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

My Valentine by Tracie Peterson

Valentine's Day Ideas Book:

Christian Valentine Day by Dr. Miriam Kinai

We can all celebrate God's gift of love. I hope you, your family and friends have a very Happy Valentine's Day this year.  God Bless You!

In Christ,

Sandy 

P.S. 

I am enjoying my Read and Review book for this month, True to You by Becky Wade. I plan to give my review by the end of this month. Stay tuned! 

Qualities of a Great Writer

Hello, I hope your Monday is off to a great start. So far I am doing good and ready for today's post. The title for my blog was going to be The Write Stuff, but Author Max Lucado beat me to it, in an article I plan to reference today. "Great minds..." and all that. 😉

Anyway, Qualities of a Great Writer fits, too, because I do want to talk about the qualities of a great writer. I found several articles about this subject and really, if I had the time, I could probably find a hundred more easily, but even though this isn't a new subject, it is important enough for us to be reminded again. 

Not long ago, I heard a podcast host make the comment, "Everybody is an author." My immediate reaction was, "No, they aren't." Of course, I was right, but I'm sure she was just exaggerating to be humorous. Her comment did stick in my mind though, so I began to notice the monumental amount of books, authors, writers, magazines, articles...etc., etc...just about everywhere I went. Everyone may not be an author, but there are more than I can count. If you are a writer, why do you write? Do you want to be the best writer you can possibly be? Then come along and let's learn together.

Why do I write? I write for several reasons. I feel it is my calling. I feel that it is one of the reasons God created me, so I feel that He compels me to do it, by giving me a passion for it. I have stories, poems, ideas...whatever, that stay in my mind until I get them on "paper" or until I get them on paper and then perfect them as much as I am able. I love to write. It brings me joy. I love to read, but writing is so fulfilling to me that I can even put aside a great book and choose writing instead.

Interesting thought, but not really.

To be a great writer, I believe you must have a God-given gift for it, but for every gift we are given, we also have lessons to learn in order to use that gift to its fullest potential. Let's look at 10 of the qualities mentioned in the articles I read that I think may be good places to start in the process of going from an average writer to a great writer.

1. Attention to Detail
2. Discipline
3. Passion for Reading
4. Plunge Yourself into Your Writing
5. Creativity
6. Perseverance
7. A Love of Writing
8. Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses as a Writer
9. Go to Writer's Conferences and/or join a Writer's group
10. Study 

Articles Referenced: Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4

These are all great tips and pretty self-explanatory. One way I personally use to understand something better, is to try to find the opposite of that word or phrase. I don't know why, but it seems to bring me more clarification. For instance, years ago, I was studying the Fruit of the Spirit in the Bible (Galatians 5:22-23 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."). In order to understand this better, I tried to think of the opposite for each one. For example: Love-Hate, Joy-Depression, Peace-Anxiety, etc., you get the idea. So, that's what I did with these 10 tips. I tried to understand them better, by thinking of what I would consider the opposites. Here is what I came up with:

1. Vague
2. Disorganization
3. Apathetic about Reading
4. Multitasking While Writing
5. Copycat
6. Quitter
7. Writing is a Chore
8. Unwilling to Change or Grow
9. The Hermit Writer: Unwilling or Afraid to Learn from Other Writers
10. Stagnant

My opposite list could certainly be improved, so I would love to hear if you have ideas for better opposites for our qualities list. Also, if you have another quality you would like to share, please comment below. 

When I look at the list of opposites, it makes me want more than ever, to change, grow and become the best writer I can be. How about you? When you look at the qualities and then the opposites, do the lists give you different feelings as you read them? I can better see areas that I really need to work on. 

The two that stand out most as areas where I need to work are: discipline and plunge yourself into your writing. If you have read very many of my blogs, you know I am trying to find balance in my life. These are two of the things that suffer, when I am off balance. Hopefully, I am getting closer to where I want to be, but it is definitely a work in progress. 

Are any of you working towards a more balanced life? What areas are you struggling with as a writer? Don't try to make this journey by yourself. The ACFW Writer's Conference I attended last year and the Writer's groups I am part of have been invaluable to me as a writer. I am so thankful for all I have learned from the writers and authors who are ahead of me on this journey. Take a little time to research writer's conferences or writer's groups in your area, you may find one that is perfect for you.

Well, I hope this gave you some food for thought today. Whether you are a blog writer, poet or you write for a research journal, look at these lists to gain some insight into how you are doing. May God bless you and your family this week.

(SOURCE: BODYLITERATE.ORG)

In Christ,

Sandy

If you are doing the Read and Review with me for the book, True to You by Becky Wade this month, comment below. I would love to know who is joining in on the fun. Check out last week's blog post, if you want to find out more.

Learning to do a Book Review

Happy Monday! I'm back and ready to go. If you are new to my blog, welcome! If you are coming back for more, welcome back! I am so glad y'all came to join my Homemaker/Writer life. I started this blog almost a year ago. So much has happened since then in my personal life and my writing life.  I hope to start my quarterly newsletter next month, a year from when I started my whole "public" life, to share more of my personal journey and what's going on in my writing life. If you would like to receive my newsletter, please go over to my website, hit subscribe and when my newsletter goes up, you will be able to receive it via email.

If you have visited my website recently, then maybe you have seen that I plan to do my first Read and Review book review in February.  I am certainly not a professional book reviewer. I am not a professional editor, formatter, publisher, etc. I am only doing this for the fun of it and thought I would share the experience with you. It will be even more fun, if some of you join me. This is the book I plan to Read and Review:

You can purchase it here, if you don't have it already.

*I receive nothing whether you do or do not purchase this book. I don't personally know Becky Wade although I wouldn't mind meeting the Christy Award Book of the Year winner for 2018. 😀

As I was researching how I should go about doing a book review, I looked up book review templates. Most of what I found, though, were geared toward grade schoolers doing book reports.  I don't want to do a book report. Many of the questions seemed to be asked in order to make sure the kids actually read the books. 😄 If I dislike this book so much I don't want to read the whole thing, I'll just tell you. I don't think I will have that problem, though. There is no grade here. No teacher going to fuss at me. I don't want to give the story away either, so I will try not to give any spoilers.

What I did find useful, in my research is that three areas are usually covered in a review: content, style and merit. So, I tried to find information to help me be able to review each of those areas of the book. 

(Definitions were found in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: *I included the parts of the definitions that I felt suited our purposes here.)

content: noun  con·​tent | \ ˈkän-ˌtent  \

Definition of content

1a: something contained —usually used in plural the jar's contents the drawer's contents

b: the topics or matter treated in a written worktable of contents

c: the principal substance (such as written matter, illustrations, or music) offered by a website… Internet users have evolved an ethos of free content in the Internet.— Ben Gerson

2a: SUBSTANCE, GIST

b: MEANING, SIGNIFICANCE

c: the events, physical detail, and information in a work of art— compare FORM sense 10c The film was rated R for its violent content.

3a: the matter dealt with in a field of study… the content of sociology is inexhaustible …— Franklin H. Giddings

b: a part, element, or complex of parts

4: the amount of specified material contained : PROPORTION the sulfur content in coal

This particular section seems like it may be the most challenging one in which not to give spoilers. Commenting on the content, without giving content...hmmm, I'll do my best.

style: noun \ ˈstī(-ə)l  \

Definition of style

 1: DESIGNATION, TITLE

2a: a distinctive manner of expression (as in writing or speech)writes with more attention to style than to content the flowery style of 18th century prose

I'm not sure if this definition helps me much. According to The 6 Elements of Fiction by Ruthanne Reid:

 "Style is awesome. Style is needed. Style is the thing that makes your work stand out from everybody else’s, because in essence, it’s your “voice.”

You develop style by working on technique. Your syntax, word choices, and tone all contribute to this. Your style can demonstrate not only your voice as a writer, but is crucial to indicating details about your story and characters. Style shows accent and dialect, character intelligence and observation; it shows the underlying humor or drama of your piece. Your style is your unique flavor, and developing it will not only take your entire writing career, but is also one of the most rewarding activities as a writer." 

This is more understandable to me, but this still does not sound like it will be easy. I am gaining new respect for reviewers. Hopefully, I will get the hang of this and after I get a few book reviews under my belt, it will come more naturally to me.

merit: noun mer·​it | \ ˈmer-ət,  ˈme-rət\

Definition of merit

1a obsolete : reward or punishment due

b: the qualities or actions that constitute the basis of one's deserts Opinions of his merit vary.

c: a praiseworthy quality : VIRTUE but originality, as it is one of the highest, is also one of the rarest, of merits— E. A. Poe

d: character or conduct deserving reward, honor, or esteem also : ACHIEVEMENT composed a number of works of merit— H. E. Starr

This one seems pretty straight forward, but I think that as an amateur book reviewer, this will basically be me giving my unprofessional opinion, which is worth, well, nothing really. It still sounds fun to give it a try and I hope you will, too.

If you want to read some reviews from more experienced book reviewers, here is an article about where you can go.  

I mentioned earlier that I looked up book review templates. I didn't find what I wanted so I made my own. You are welcome to copy mine or find your own, if you are going to join me and do this book review. I would love to hear from you, if you are planning to do this with me. I would also love to read your review, so you are welcome to email your results to me at sandykayslawsonWriter@gmail.com. We start in February, so if you are going to do this with me, make sure to get your book soon. 

Book Review

Reviewer:                                                              
Date:

Title: 

Author:

Genre:

Content: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Style:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Merit:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Would I seek out more of this author’s books?
Do I recommend this book?
How many stars do I give this book?   ✩✩✩✩✩

My template is basic. If you want to do one more in depth, go for it. Remember, it's just for fun, there are no real rules here. I hope to make this a regular thing. So, if you have books you feel would be good for my Read and Review (soon to be on my website), please comment below and submit your ideas. Don't forget to subscribe here and at my website. 

May God bless you and your family.

In Christ, 

Sandy

Exercise, Eat Right and be Creative

Good Monday Morning! I am ready to jump into this week with both feet and I hope you are, too.  It's here whether we are ready or not, so we might as well make the most of it. 😀

If you are anything like me, you are wanting not only to make the most of this week, but this year. Maybe you have been thinking about your health more this month. I know I have. I am not getting any younger and sorry to break it to you..., you aren't either.  I exercise, eat right...most of the time..., but I need to do more to offset the effects of old age creeping up on me. Lack of sleep, stress, and those days when I am less than careful about what I am eating, affect me more the older I get. That is why I have been studying, researching and just thinking more about how I am going to fight this battle for my health as long as I'm able.

Anyone who has thought anything about getting in better shape physically or mentally, has heard that you need to exercise, eat right, even sleep more, but did you know that being creative is also good for your health? I use to think creative people were the crafty or artistic type, which I am not, but the more I read about it, the more I am convinced being creative is so much more than that.

I believe that when we were created in the image of God, part of that image is creativity. After all, God is the Creator of all. No one holds a candle to His Creativity, but He did give all of us the ability to be creative. We just need to learn what that means for us. 

According to this article in "Forbes" magazine,

 creativity is actually a basis of human life. Of course! God's Creativity is why humans exist at all! But, here are some of the benefits to creativity they give:

1. Increases happiness

2. Reduces dementia

3. Improves mental health
4. Boosts your immune system
5. Makes you smarter

This next article gives 22 reasons, why people with creative outlets are more successful:

A few of the reasons, Michelle Millis Chappel lists are:

1. You discover and develop your unique talents.
2. You see the world through fresh eyes.
3. You learn to think on your feet.

The problem is so many people believe they aren't creative, because they think like I use to.  "I am not an artist or crafty, so I am not creative." Wrong! Even in the first article I mentioned, they begin by talking about coloring and doodling. Creativity is so much more than that, although those are creative outlets too. Some of the most creative people on the planet are children. Do what they do for a while and their creativity will amaze you. They don't need art or craft supplies to be creative either.

As I was thinking about this blog, I began to come up with some ways people are creative. Some of these may appeal to you or you may have some different ideas you could share with us. Remember, you don't have to produce professional quality. Maybe after much practice you will find you are that good, but this is not about a paycheck, it's about you enjoying your God given ability to be creative.

Writing- (of course!) Writing can take many forms, from writing a novel to writing in a journal. 

Photography-If you enjoy taking pictures, then don't wait for the next family gathering or vacation. Take pictures, share them, let others enjoy the view of the world through your camera lens.

Woodworking-Refinishing a table, to building a table; I am impressed with the work some people can do with their woodworking skills. If working with wood relaxes you and is something you find interesting, give it a try.

Whittling-Really! There are some people out there that can do some pretty amazing work with a piece of wood and a pocket knife.

Singing/Music-You don't have to have a voice like Celine Dion to enjoy singing and this area of creativity, is as easy as turning on your favorite radio station.

*This is one of my favorite Karaoke songs to sing. With YouTube, you can do Karaoke at home! My family loves doing this together. My husband also loves to buy musical instruments for our grandchildren. They have so much fun making "music" with their Papa! Maybe one day at least one of them will find that they really do love making music and have been given that particular creative gift.

Gardening/Flower Arrangement-DNA for the green thumb, did not get passed down to me. That doesn't stop me from planting a spring garden every year with my husband. We still try to keep our fruit trees productive and make plans for new things we want to plant. I think my husband's efforts are the only thing that keeps them alive, despite me. If fact the only two plants I have been able to keep alive on my own are two cactus.

They don't look like much, but I am proud of them. They have survived my feeble attempts to take care of them for many years now. I keep thinking about moving them to a larger flower pot, but I don't know if they would live through that. Maybe one day I'll try. The point of this is, even though I am not good at gardening, it brings me joy to try. It relaxes me and whenever something does succeed in growing, it is like I have received an award.

Cross-stitching, Needlework, Sewing-There was a man I once knew, that had a heart-attack. His doctor told him he should take up cross-stitching to relax him and help him deal with stress. The man ended up loving it so much, he made large, beautiful cross-stitched pictures!

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, are very talented in the woodworking and sewing areas. They started receiving so many requests for the things they make, they now have a side business selling their creations, in addition to their missionary work. You can find them @scissorsandsaw. Here is some of their work:

 

 

Arts and Crafts-If you are good at these types of creativity, then make sure you make the time for it. You have a gift, that many people can enjoy with you.

I could go on and on with ideas for ways to be creative, but many books fill libraries with creative things you can do. So, of course, I have to stop somewhere. 😄 Don't make excuses, God gave you the gift of creativity for a reason. It's a good gift, so don't waste it. "But I don't have the time!", you may say. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. I had this trouble and still do. I don't know where my time has gone, and I don't know why I couldn't accomplish even half of the things I wanted to each day. What has helped me improve (I am still a work in progress.), and it may help you, too, is to look at your 24 hours and make note of how exactly you are using them. We need to make priorities in our lives. For me, my spiritual health, physical health and mental health are all priorities for me. If that means I have to say no to something that comes further down on the list of priorities, then so be it. My writing is very important to me, but if my family needs me, then my writing has to take a back seat to them. At the same time, my writing will come first to other things that are less important to me. 

We all have to make choices with our blessing of life. Make creativity a priority. I think you will find that you enjoy the rest of your life a little more, if you do. Also, creativity doesn't necessarily have to be done solitarily, sometimes you can find others, who enjoy the same things; a spouse, your child, a friend, take a class, join a club or just enjoy the time to do something on your own. Which ever way appeals to you, make the time.  Don't forget to thank the Lord, though, for the wonderful gift of creativity. May God bless you and your family this week with many opportunities to be creative.

In Christ,

Sandy

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