Some instructors interact with pre-submitted writing samples. If you submit for Thick-skinned Critique (fiction or nonfiction) or The Perfect Word, you must use standard manuscript format.
Audio recordings will be available for all clinics and workshops, and outlines for each will be printed in the conference notebook.
Thick-skinned critique
Jerry is author of more than 175 books, with sales of more than 70 million copies, including the best-selling Left Behind series. He is former vice president for publishing and currently chairman of the board of trustees for the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. Jerry’s writing has appeared in TIME, Reader’s Digest, Parade, Guideposts, and dozens of Christian periodicals. Twenty of his books have reached the New York Times best-seller list (seven in the number-one spot). His 2011 novel releases include a Chicago-based cop novel trilogy called The Precinct Eleven Novels, the first of which is entitled The Brotherhood.
Michael is the editor-in-chief for the Christian Writers Guild. He has written for newspapers and other print and online outlets. He edited several nonfiction books, was the senior editor for a faith-based financial services and insurance organization, and is the ezine editor for American Christian Fiction Writers.
Is your manuscript ready for publication? Jerry critiques fiction—Michael, nonfiction. Submit the first page of your manuscript only.
The Perfect Word
Deborah Raney’s first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Her books have won the RITA Award, ACFW Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers’ Choice Award, Silver Angel, and twice been Christy Award finalists. After All, the final book in her Hanover Falls series, released in May 2012 from Howard/Simon & Schuster and she is currently working on a standalone novel for Howard. Deb and her husband Ken Raney enjoy small-town life in Kansas. They have four children and four grandchildren.
By choosing a few perfect cinematic words to begin each scene of your novel, you make your setting come to life and ensure that you show instead of tell. Learn to deepen characterization, make your characters’ names do triple duty—and many other secrets of strong writing. Choose the precise word and leave the exact impression you want. Submit the first 300 words from any scene that introduces a new character in a new setting.
A Novel Approach to Research
This veteran speaker and encourager is the author of 28 books with more than three million copies in print. Here Burns My Candle was named 2010 Best Inspirational Romance by Romantic Times Book Reviews, and her 2011 novel, Mine Is the Night, was a New York Times bestseller.
Learn the secrets of on-site research—walking the streets, interviewing locals, and much more—to add depth to your writing.
Change Your Genre, Expand Your Market
Dennis holds four degrees in communications, including a Ph.D. in English from Ball State University. He is director of the Professional Writing major at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, and recently published his 52nd book, Jack London’s Masterplots (Taylor University Press). He is a long-time member of the Christian Writers Guild’s Editorial Board. He and his wife Rose have two children and four grandchildren.
Did you know Romeo and Juliet was the basis for West Side Story? What if you changed the genre for your story? Learn to update characters, plot, settings, dialogue, and more.
Freelance $uccess: Increasing Your Income
A former corporate writer and editor, Lisa is an award-winning freelance writer for the general and Christian market. She edits and publishes Spirit-Led Writer, an online magazine for Christian writers, and often teaches at writers conferences. She is the author of A Student’s Guide to Toni Morrison and I Want to Talk With My Teen About Money Management.
Selling reprints and writing on assignment are two ways to expand your writing reach.
Ghostwriting (Friday only)
Bio coming soon.
Do you have what it takes to produce a manuscript in someone else’s voice? Larry will help you unlock the doors to life as a ghost.
After the Conference (Saturday only)
Bio coming soon.
You found an agent or editor interested in your story. Or you’ve struck out and are discouraged. Either way, what’s next? Learn five important things to do right away.
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