Can you believe it? There’s less than a month till the conference!
The Mentoring Clinics are held each day during the major morning tracks, are by application only & limited to ten writers per group. The goal is to give novelists and nonfiction writers concentrated time for having their works in progress critiqued in a knowledgeable, sympathetic, but realistic manner. This is an awesome opportunity!
To participate in the CAREER TRACK: for Professional Writers you must complete an application and meet specific criteria. The focus of the Career Track is book publishing, marketing, and career development. DEADLINE is March 18th.
I have attended two Mt Hermon conferences and would love to attend many more. God spoke to my heart while there in ways that have changed my life. He answered prayer in amazing and faith-affirming ways and opened doors of opportunity that gave me the confidence to pursue writing.
I’ve learned much, both from workshops and continuing tracks, to the times of worship, prayer and reflection. Mt Hermon is an amazing place filled with the unmistakable spirit and presence of the Lord, a place where you can’t help but be moved and inspired. I can’t believe how much a few days at Mt Hermon has shaped me as a writer. It has been a tremendous, life-changing experience for me.
Camille is an avid Christian novelist/writer and takes her faith-inspiring fiction seriously enough to lock herself away with a computer more than her family would like. They’ve learned that Lasagne from a box is not from the devil, after all, and that duct tape can stop a surprising amount of bleeding. She is represented by Rachelle Gardner of WordServe Literary Group.
It’s a month away from Writers Conference and we are attempting to encourage more teenagers to attend. What an incredible experience it would be for any teen who loves to write to have the privilege to learn the craft of writing in a setting like Mount Hermon! So here’s the deal . . .
We’re offering a one time 50% discount of all conference costs for any teen who would be participating in the Teen Track. This does not include travel or fun costs once here, but any conference charges, including tuition, housing and food. The process would be the same for registration . . . register on-line at www.mounthermon.org/writers, and in the comment box, mark it TEEN TRACK writer, and ask for a campership form. From there we’ll handle the working out of the details.
Do you know any teen that loves to write and just needs a little encouragement financially? Spread the word! You’ll be happy you did . . . and I can promise you THEY will be!
I just got a message from an excited writer eager to tell me all about the novel she’s writing. “My greatest fear was writing the dialogue,” she wrote. “I was afraid I couldn’t make it realistic enough. But I stumbled onto a secret. I’m hiding my digital recorder in the house so I can capture real talk and copy it!”
Um… uh-uh.
See, the aim isn’t really to write real talk. In real talk, we say such things as:
“Hey, guess what! I just got back from the… what’s it called? Um… oh, I hate getting old! That place where we had your brother’s birthday deal, remember? Over by that apple place? Anyhoo, I thought I saw Micky there. So funny after what happened that other time. Last year, you know… You were there. It was so hot and windy and that funny guy who sells the….”
No, the aim is to give the illusion of real talk while you actually accomplish something important such as moving your story forward or revealing a character or showing an incident rather than simply telling about it. The illusion of dialogue might say something like:
“Hey, I just got back from Gray’s Farm. I thought I saw Micky, but after what happened last year, it can’t be!”
Writing good dialogue is an art. (Okay, that dialogue isn’t so good, but you get the idea.) If you write your dialogue well, it will add great strength to your work—non-fiction as well as fiction.
Kay Marshall Strom www.KayStrom.com Recent Releases: In the Presence of the Poor: Changing the Face of India The Call of Zulina - Grace in Africa Trilogy Book 1 Second-Half Adventure Forgotten Girls: Stories of Hope and Courage The Voyage of Promise - Grace in Africa trilogy Book 2 Upcoming Releases: The Triumph of Grace - Grace in Africa trilogy Book 3 (Feb 2011) Faith: The Blessing of Ashish - Blessings in India trilogy Book 1 (Sept 2011)
Blog: http://www.KayStrom.wordpress.com
Twitter: http//twitter.com/kaysblab
If you’re a night owl who regularly watches David Letterman, you know his fondness for lists. So, in deference to my fellow Hoosier (yes, Dave’s from Indiana), I offer this list of reasons why all writers—even those determined to pen the great American novel—should begin by mastering the art of article writing. Drum roll, please!
5. More markets. Did you know there are 13,000 magazines regularly published in the U.S.? Some are relatively unknown, such as Fusion, Tapestry, Youth Walk, Word Alive, The Mennonite Brethren Herald—all EPA award winners. Last year 734 new magazines were launched.
4. Displays your talent. Editors constantly scan magazines looking for fresh new voices to take on book-length assignments. (My first two books were direct results of articles.)
3. Builds your platform. When you write regularly for a certain magazine, you build a fan base…readers who look for your byline. Those people also will look for your books.
2. Reaches a large audience. A typical magazine has a readership in the hundreds of thousands—more when you consider the pass-along rate. A first-time book author is lucky if his publisher prints 5,000 copies of his book. Just think of the people you will reach with your Christian message.
1. No agent required! In fact, agents don’t want to represent magazine writers. Why? It’s not worth their time financially. An agent typically receives 15% of anything an author makes. Do the math. You don’t have to share!
Holly G. Miller, co-author Feature and Magazine Writing
In her third year on the teen track of the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, Hayley Cox has a unique perspective on the growth she has personally experienced so early in her writing career. For all the young aspiring writers out there… Hayley has some encouraging words to share.
I have been blessed to attend the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference three times since 1994 and I’m looking forward to going back this April. From the beginning, the entire experience has enriched both my spiritual and writing life. God had plans for me that far exceeded my hopes.
I stepped out in faith, and followed one step behind Him. The first time I attended, I had two newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetic children, nine and eleven years old. The Lord touched the hearts of two women in my CBS (Community Bible Study) group to offer to take my children into their homes for the five day conference. The second year I was able to financially help a friend attend. The third year, a friend helped me. Nothing is impossible for Him.
Through Mt. Hermon, God offers the tools to equip you, teachers to mentor, and the fellowship of believers with whom you can hone your writing skills. If you hear Him calling your name, pick up your pen and obey.
Kathy Boyd Fellure is the author of two illustrated children’s storybooks in The Blake Sisters Lake Tahoe Adventure Stories. She has written a fiction novel and numerous newspaper articles. She is the founder of Amador Fiction Writers Critique Group.
Currently, Kathy lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two stand-up comedian dogs.
Sherry Kyle tells us why the atmosphere of the Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference is so valuable for her. And no she is not referring to the amazing Redwood forest.
If you want to know more about Sherry the author you can look here http://mac.com/dkyle
When I arrived at my first writer’s conference, I fully expected to show my writing to an editor or agent and leave with what Orson Wells, in The Muppet Movie, refers to as the “standard rich and famous contract.” Those expectations began to fade as I realized how much I needed to learn about the craft. But that was okay, because at the same time I was learning another lesson, one that is even more important than “avoid the passive voice” and “keep your point of view consistent.” I was learning how rewarding it could be to network with others at the conference.
Writing can be a lonely business. We sit at our computer, listening to the voices in our head, striving to craft a story that will keep a reader’s attention. Our spouses try to be supportive, our children learn to tolerate our funny schedules, and our friends ask if we’re going to quit our day jobs when we become successful. But no one truly understands us like another writer, or editor, or agent. When I adjusted my expectations, that first writer’s conference turned into one big family reunion. The friendships I made with fellow writers, even some agents and editors, have lasted for years, and they have blessed me as a writer and as a person.
The best advice I can give the person attending their first writer’s conference? Learn as much of the craft as you can. But don’t neglect to take the opportunity to make new friends. In the words of TV’s Monk, “You’ll thank me later.”
Dr. Richard Mabry, author of medical drama/suspense, Prescription for Trouble Series (Code Blue, Medical Error, Diagnosis Death)
