A Christmas Gift to Myself

Sometimes I don't have enough money to attend a national writers' conference, but that doesn't prevent me from reaping the benefits. If the budget is tight, I can still choose a few audio recordings for my personal training. And if I receive a few cash gifts for Christmas, that's enough to buy several conference recordings. Call it a Christmas gift to myself. 

For example, I can buy and download recordings of the 2023 ACFW Conference in St. Louis at this website. If you attended this year's conference, which workshops and plenary presentations would you recommend? Why?

I'm making my list and checking it twice,
        so please pass along your Conference advice.

Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth.

Exploring the ACFW Merry-Go-Round

Raise your hand if you've logged in to the ACFW website lately. Daily? Once a week? Once a month? Until I became president of the Indiana chapter, I have to admit I rarely used acfw.com. Even now, I still don't avail myself of all its treasures.

 

 

Note to self: check what's new at ACFW on a regular basis. 

Meanwhile, I'll explore several options with you, kind of hopping on and off this merry-go-round called ACFW.

First, let's visit the CONFERENCE tab since it's just around the corner. Click on that and you'll find everything you need to know from registration instructions to the schedule, to hotel info, even who to contact if you want an author photo taken. My photo is now six or seven years old, so I signed up!

The CONTEST tab is one you'll want to study. Submissions open for First Impressions next month. Guidelines and rules for submission are available there. Some of you love entering contests; others find them discouraging--they're so subjective. Genesis and First Impressions are no different, but the feedback received from the wiser judges is priceless.

Moving? The CHAPTERS tab can show you the chapter nearest to your new home.

STORYFEST is a new tab. Geared more for readers than writers, anyone can register for this mini-conference side by side with the annual conference in St. Louis. ACFW has lined up several authors who will give readings from their books, then meet with their audience for some Q&A, and I assume book signing.

 

 All of the above is available for web browsing for the whole world, but wait until you log in as a member!

 

 

If you're published, you can ask for an interview or apply to have your novel accepted into the ACFW Book Club under AUTHOR OPPORTUNITIES. Any of us can join the book club and see the latest releases from ACFW authors, or we can join  a small group to read and discuss a selection.

CONNECTIONS means what it says. You can connect with email loops (plural) and critique groups. You can take online courses for free. Attend a webinar, also free. Do want to be held accountable for your writing progress? Join "Novel Tracks." You can listen to podcasts. The last time I checked, Brandilyn Collins was offering a booklet on personalizing your characters.Check it out near the bottom of the connections page.

Under MY MEMBERSHIP you can connect with anyone in the membership directory. (That's how I find some of your email addresses. 💁) This is where you'll also find opportunities to volunteer.

If you click on MEMBER RESOURCES, you'll find all kinds of help from research to marketing. Now that my web designer has retired, I'll be using the link on the right side of the page to interview other web design companies within ACFW.

Do you want to know who's operating this merry-go-round? Click on BOARD, STAFF, AND VOLUNTEERS, or check out the BY-LAWS.

As you get comfortable with ACFW, consider judging one of the contests.  First round is open for member volunteers, and information is available on the CONTEST JUDGES DASHBOARD. (If you haven't been a judge, I'm not sure that button shows up, but the email loop always puts out a general call for judges, which will get you started.)  Before you judge a contest though, enter one of them yourself. It will give you a much better idea of what it's like on the receiving side of comments. You'll know which criticisms to take to heart as well as which praises hold the most merit.

 

 

So, join me on the merry-go-round called ACFW.

You can take things slow, hopping on and off at will, or you can hang on for a wild ride of activity. If you're planning to be in St. Louis for the conference, please contact me, through this blog or ACFW Indiana's Facebook page, via my website or my email, and we can figure out a place to meet other than the Zone Breakfast. So far, I know five of us plan to attend. Are there more? Hop on and enjoy the ride!

 

Linda Sammaritan writes realistic fiction, mostly for kids ages ten to fourteen. She has completed a  middle grade trilogy, World Without Sound, based on her own experiences growing up with a deaf sister and is currently working on a women’s fiction series.

Linda had always figured she’d teach middle-graders until school authorities presented her with a retirement wheelchair at the overripe age of eighty-five. However, God changed those plans when He gave her a growing passion for writing fiction. In May of 2016, she blew goodbye kisses to her students and dedicated her work hours to learning the craft.

A wife, mother of three, and grandmother to eight, Linda regales the youngest grandchildren with “Nona Stories,” tales of her childhood. Maybe one day those stories will be in picture books!

Where Linda can be found on the web:

www.lindasammaritan.com

www.facebook.com/lindasammaritan

www.twitter.com/LindaSammaritan

 

It's Conference Time, Baby!

 To this day, I still marvel at the uncharacteristic nerve I mustered to attend my very first writers’ conference, nearly three-and-a-half decades ago. In those pre-internet-access-in-every-home days, it must have been the trusty Writers’ Market Guide that alerted me to this opportunity to take a serious step forward despite a quivering stomach and an overwhelming sense that I had no idea what I was doing. But I signed up anyway, applied for a scholarship, and received it!

I drove nearly three hours to an unfamiliar city to attend a gathering of people among whom I would surely know no one, to absorb information about a subject that although dear to me, was an arena in which I’d only begun to dabble. Despite road construction that had me circling a college campus with seemingly no way to get to the set of buildings I needed. I finally arrived in the correct parking lot, a million red flags waving in confirmation that I was in way over my head. But it was too late to back out now.

I will never, ever forget my utter dismay at the warm yet very pointed and blunt greeting that apparently was part of the conference curriculum. “Hi, what do you write?”

No one had ever asked me that. Certainly not perfect strangers. Not even the people who knew me, who were privy to my interest in writing. The three-day adventure overflowed with new, out-of-my-comfort-zone experiences that not only fueled my desire to write but also bolstered my confidence in approaching new endeavors. And 1000% sold me on the value of writers gathering under the same roof to encourage, support, and inspire one another as well as push, prod, and take a firm stand against excuses. Because who but another writer can begin to fathom that burning desire to put words to paper (or screen!) in an order, tone, voice that brings stories and characters and truth to life?

A treasured conference memory from 2013

Many years and conference experiences later find me as “sold” as ever on the value of writers experiencing treasured times of learning and fellowship together. I plan to attend at least one conference this year in person—the first since the summer of 2019. Below, find links and dates for the top three closest contenders. Who knows? Maybe I’ll attend all three!

• Kentucky Christian Writers Conference -- June 16-18 -- a hybrid event (in person OR virtual) -- Elizabethtown Community College, Elizabethtown, KY  

• Midwest Writers Workshop -- July 14-16 -- a hybrid event (in person OR virtual)  -- Ball State Alumni Center, Muncie, IN

• Taylor University's Professional Writers' Conference -- July 29-30 w/Advanced & Teen Track beginning July 28 -- Taylor University Campus -- Upland, IN 

 

And of course, no discussion about writers' conferences would be complete without mention of the ACFW national conference. I've been blessed to attend this incredible event three times. 

• ACFW Conference -- September 8-11 -- Hyatt Regency at the Arch -- St. Louis, MO 

Will you do me a favor? If you plan to attend any of these conferences, will you share that in a comment on our ACFW Indiana Chapter Facebook page, on the post promoting this link? Share below as well! Let’s make a deal, all of us, to connect with each other, okay? Explore the possibilities of carpooling, sharing a room, comparing conference workshop selections, seeking that familiar face for the lunch session, or meeting up for dinner. Believe me, personal connections are the icing on an awesome conference cake! Just writing about this has my mind kicking into planning gear . . . 

Beth’s combined experiences teaching the high school Sunday School class, substitute teaching in the public school, and connecting with the teenage staff at the fast-food joint where she claimed a “back booth office” helped inspire her young adult “Choices Matter” fiction series. She's a "cheerleader" for saving sex for marriage and for "renewed waiting" because it's never too late to make wiser choices. Her “Waiting Matters … Because YOU Matter” blog helps people of all ages navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage while her “Slices of Real Life” posts find GOD in the day-to-day moments of real life.

 As a genetic genealogy enthusiast and "search angel," she writes and speaks about her experiences as a "foundling" who located her birth parents. Her journey to find and connect with her biological family is chronicled in the blog series “A Doorstep Baby’s Search for Answers.” She also serves on the executive board of the National Association of Adoptees and Parents. All of her writing endeavors can be found on her website, https://bethsteury.com. 

The ACFW Conference Meets the 2020 Pandemic

 

I will always remember my first national ACFW Conference—St. Louis, 2011.

I will never, ever forget my second national ACFW Conference—Indianapolis, 2013—where seven of the eight critique buddies/writing partners/dear friends that made up the Scriblerians shared time and space in-person for the very first time. One of the very best experiences of my life!

I had a great time when Linda Samaritoni and I trekked to Nashville in 2016 for my third national ACFW encounter.

I’ve said it a hundred times at least: there is nothing like spending time with other writers. Absolutely nothing inspires me and infuses my heart, mind, and soul with fresh enthusiasm for writing as does sharing time with people who are also passionate about writing.  

Well, 2020 has punched a huge hole in the opportunity for such encounters, now hasn’t it? Disappointment welled within me as one event after another suffered the hatchet’s blow due to COVID-19. Oh, how I missed my local writing buddies and mourned for the conference experiences that would not happen.

While nothing completely replaces those in-person connections, I’ve been very thankful for and have benefited from a number of virtual opportunities to connect with fellow authors. In fact, I may well have lost my mind if not for those online occasions to feed my need for writerly companionship.

Chalk up the 2020 ACFW Conference as another victim of the pandemic. I’m sure many tears were shed by faithful, longtime conference attendees as well as those hoping to soak up writerly vibes at their very first ACFW national event.

Thankfully, the conference will be virtually hosted next month, on September 18-19. Via Zoom meetings, conference workshops and virtual appointments will fill Friday and Saturday. The event will culminate with the Awards Gala.

Check out the conference schedule and registration details before September 1 to take advantage of this as-good-as-it-gets compilation of camaraderie, craft-sharpening, and writing business know-how.   

I’m pondering the idea of making my way to a safe location away from home and the dailiness of life, where I can immerse myself in the conference experience more fully. A sort of virtual conference meets personal retreat. Sounds like a good way to add the 2020 ACFW Conference to my list of memorable, beneficial learning experiences.

Comment below if you'll be "attending" the virtual conference. And please share any ideas you have for making the two-day event a more complete conference event. 

2020 Annual Conference

“The Premier Christian Fiction Conference”

ACFW’s First Ever VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
via Zoom
September 18th & 19, 2020

 

 

The Virus Vs. Our Vision, Vitality, and Victory

For the last eight months, we've been living in a war zone as we battle an invisible virus. We are filled with uncertainties, and no sure victory is in sight for the near future. We're weary. And with weariness come short tempers and defeatist attitudes. 

When the subject of our "_______________" times comes up, (you fill in the blank), every person who speaks of it to me, sighs or gets angry or confesses their depression. With the shutdown, writers confess they have more time than ever to write, but they suffer writer' s block or a lack creative energy.

I addressed a related topic last month, and today, I want us to move forward with a vision toward our future, with the vitality to progress toward our goals, and to win ultimate victory over the weariness that saps our strength.

How do we fight this war?

We start with prayer.

We know we need help, and where does our help come from? From the Lord. Ask Him to help you reach the finish line, to show you how to develop the ideas He's already given you, and ask what He envisions for your future work, rather than generating your own ideas. What does Jesus want you to write about? How does He want you to serve Him? He will give you the vision you need. 

We continue with prayer.

As I've prayed through the spring and summer, He has filled my head with so many story ideas, I'll need to live past the century mark to complete them. So now I'm working on the vitality portion of my prayers. I need the energy and drive to work efficiently, so I can get all these books written before I'm ninety! I need a sense of direction, a plan of action to get things done. 

We act on those prayers.

God answers our prayers for guidance and for vitality in our writing life with His plan, and we're obligated to follow it.  As we fight the malaise of "COVID Times," we feel weak and out of shape at the beginning, but like any other exercise, we'll get stronger as we work out. Besides, God is the Perfect Trainer. He'll strengthen us one step at a time. (And here's a side note for one possible step: our ACFW Indiana August 22 meeting!)

Like my writing sabbath last month, God sends us to places of refreshment--a book to study, an online conference, or a walk in the woods, and take the laptop along.

We finish with praise and thanksgiving! 

With the vision He gives, with the plan He creates, and with the vitality He provides, we can march a path to victory. We are soldiers for Christ. We've been given a mission to accomplish in His name. We live the words of Philippians 4:13 and  2 Timothy 1:7. No virus, no level of shutdowns, and no civil unrest can stop us from writing stories that offer Light to a hurting world.

Let the celebration of praise and thanksgiving begin!
 
 

Next Up!

ACFW Conference. Nanowrimo. Elections

ACFW Indiana has a lot activity coming up.

While we won’t send out a ballot until early December, our board elections hold top priority on the to-do list. After several years, Michele Harper is stepping down from the treasurer position to devote more time to her writing career and publishing business, L2L2. So…we need a new treasurer. The treasurer collects dues, manages the checking account, and pays any fees related to our meetings. Michele plans to pass on her knowledge to whomever accepts the position and will remain available for questions.

PLEASE email me if you are interested in serving ACFW Indiana in this capacity. The same goes if you are interested in running for president, vice president, or secretary. We take nominations for all board positions when it comes to elections.

With National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) in November, we’re turning our November meeting into several meetings—by region. If you are interested in hosting a meeting in your area, again, email me. I will be sending ideas to host/hostess volunteers on activities you can do with your small group. It doesn’t matter if your meeting contains two members, or five, or ten. If you have ever been part of a Nanowrimo group, things can get zany. Nanowrimers meet for the main purpose of writing, but three hours plus of concentrating on a computer screen or a pad of paper will bring on a headache if you don’t have some entertaining breaks!

This could also be a meeting where we can invite non-member writers, kind of an unofficial meeting. A time to get to know other Christian writers. An encouragement to join ACFW in 2020.

.

Finally, the ACFW Conference starts next week in San Antonio. I am so envious of those of you who get to attend. (But I’m aiming for next year in St. Louis!) If, like me, your schedule or finances couldn’t get you to Texas, ACFW has been advertising the at-home conference, which I heartily recommend. No, you won’t be there, but you’ll be able to participate in some online workshops, watch the gala mainstreamed, and join the Facebook group. And you can do all that for free.

Our three official meetings this year were so beneficial: Hallee Bridgeman’s fabulous presentation on newsletters, our panel of agents who critiqued our work, and a panel of authors in all different stages of their writing journeys who shared successes and setbacks with their queries and proposals. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can come up with for next year that will be just as beneficial.

Linda Sammaritan writes realistic fiction, mostly for kids ages ten to fourteen. She is currently working on a middle grade trilogy, World Without Sound, based on her own experiences growing up with a deaf sister.

Linda had always figured she’d teach middle-graders until school authorities presented her with a retirement wheelchair at the overripe age of eighty-five. However, God changed those plans when He gave her a growing passion for writing fiction. In May of 2016, she blew goodbye kisses to her students and dedicated her work hours to learning the craft.

A wife, mother of three, grandmother to seven, Linda regales the youngest grandchildren with “Nona Stories,” tales of her childhood. Maybe one day those stories will be in picture books!

Where Linda can be found on the web:

www.lindasammaritan.com

www.scriblerians.com

www.thescriblerians.wordpress.com

www.facebook.com/lindasammaritan

www.twitter.com/LindaSammaritan