Conference Update

The Asheville Christian Writers Conference is just under 4 weeks away and I am filled with anticipation. If you don’t know what the Christian Writers Conference is all about, check it out here. Not only will I have the opportunity to meet other like-minded Christian writers, but I also had the chance to enter a writing contest. This is my very first writing contest. Want more information on that, check it out here.

Since I started my online journey in the writing community, I have found that there are many Christian fiction writers. Why is this important? Well, as I have previously mentioned

Humans are shaped, swayed, and driven by stories for good or ill…

All of us are impacted by what we consume. From the food we eat, drinks we drink, to the music we listen to, movies we watch, socials we scroll, and yes even the books we read. Everything has an effect on us. God created us in such a way that we are shaped, swayed, and driven by everything. This is why it is so important to be grounded in His word (a blog for another day).

Christian Fiction

I cannot speak for all Christian fiction writers, but for myself only. When I write powerfully dynamic and gripping stories full of love, loss (death), darkness, light, and evil; it is opportunity to point others to the light. My main characters face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. They face a myriad (my wife loathes this word, I use it so much) of personal struggles that hinder them throughout their journey. All of this is to show the reader that even in the midst of hardship, there is always hope, and hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5). This is why I believe Christian fiction is important.

Now, about that conference. I wanted to take a moment to share with you all the goodies available to the attendees. The schedule is packed with all kinds of classes that hit home, not only for newbies, but also for seasoned/published writers. Some classes/workshops are a easy pick, while others make the choice more difficult. I’ll list the options below for Friday and share my unprofessional, inexperienced, insight. HA!

Friday

Ins and Outs of Social Media

This one sounds really good. The only thing it seems that takes place social media is discord, but that’s because it is so easy to post an unpopular opinion and let the fires rage (James 3:5-6). Therefore, I am excited to learn about using social media effectively as an aspiring author. Is that what this class will teach? I don’t know, I am speculating, but hopefully that is the direction it will lead.

Cautious to Confident – Marketing in Your Strength

This, and the next class both occur at the same time. This is usually how conferences are done. No doubt because there is only so much time; however, as an attendee the necessary decision making required can be cumbersome. If I was to guess what Marketing in Your Strength entails, I would assume it is learning to use the specific gift(s) God has given to do just that. Market! This can be helpful. If one decides to self-publish, marketing is a mandatory feat that can make or break a book campaign. Bear in mind, that was my unprofessional, inexperienced, and online fed opinion. Haha!

Writing Suspense

This is the other class that mandates a decision from the attendee. You may not know this about me, but I write more than just fantasy. I like to write thriller and crime stories that include a lot of intense scenes, and yes even suspense. I have found that regardless of genre (i.e., fantasy, thriller, crime, etc.) suspense must be part of the writing and it must be written well. As such, I think this will likely be the class I choose out of the two.

Script Writing

No doubt this can be a helpful class. I do not write scripts; however, I dabbled in script writing when I was much younger. I have also entertained the idea of writing some in the future. At the moment, my main goals are my 3-part fantasy series, and a few other books I have already built a framework for. Therefore, I will likely skip this one.

Canva for Writers

Canva may be for seasoned writers and published authors, I am not sure. But what I can tell you is that the self-pub community seems to use it a lot. It has come through for me in various ways. For example, I have used it to make video thumbnails for church services, mock up book covers, and many other things. This class may prove useful for the newbie (that’s me).

There is then a small break for dinner and some other boring details I won’t burden you with. Then worship begins. I hope there are some powerful Christ-centered, God-glorifying, Holy Spirit-infused hymns. One session that I am thoroughly looking forward to is the Working Writer. It is my presumption this session will discuss obstacles faced by those of us with full time jobs, that seek to burst into the writing (published author) sphere with limited time, resources, and energy. Is that what it will discuss? Your guess is as good as mine, but I feel the probability is high.

Don’t forget to follow on x, Instagram, like on Facebook, or subscribe to the newsletter on the website. If you wish to get a more intimate look at the world I have built, learn more about the characters, and their journey check out the blog posts below.