Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Breakout Seminars A – 11:15 AM
- Jennifer Grant – Room 202
- “Slip out of the Grip of Impostor Syndrome…and Get On With Your Good Work.”
- Do you ever find yourself mired in negative self-talk about whether you’re “really” an artist or a writer? Do you hold yourself back or fear being exposed as a fraud? It’s likely you do! More than 70% of us think we’re phonies at one time or another. This insecurity causes us to limit ourselves, back away from opportunity, and fail to take steps to grow in our craft. Fortunately, there are simple and effective ways to prevent these feelings from taking over and to let your gifts shine.
- “Slip out of the Grip of Impostor Syndrome…and Get On With Your Good Work.”
- Dominique Gilliard – Room 204
- “Prophetic Voice”
- We become authors for a myriad of reasons. Some of us are compelled by our lived experiences, others are inspired by recognizing scholarly voids, and others write because they yearn to correct, and/or redirect, cultural conversations. Whatever your muse is, we all write to inspire others, and to evoke change. Therefore, writing is a prophetic act! As Toni Cade Bambara says, “The job of a writer is to make revolution irresistible.” In this workshop, we will explore how you identify, hone, and exercise your prophetic voice.
- “Prophetic Voice”
- Amy Julia Becker – Room 205
- “Writing about Hard Topics”
- Disease, death, grief, prejudice, even faith–all of these are topics we are told to avoid at the dinner table. But writing well about topics that help us explore the deep human questions of meaning and purpose is also crucial for engagement with what it means to be human and live in community with others. How do we craft narratives about the hard stuff of life in a way that welcomes readers and encourages thoughtfulness? How do we make particular experiences into stories that resonate with a broad audience? In a world of endless light content, short attention spans, and ceaseless opportunities to be entertained, how do we write stories that draw readers in and help them think and grow?
- “Writing about Hard Topics”
- Helen Lee – InterVarsity Press – Room 207
- “The Pros, Perils, and Promise of Twitter”
- Are you someone who looks at Twitter with fear and trembling? Does the thought of trying to offer content to the world in 280 characters or less either intimidate you or feel uncomfortably restrictive? Do you worry that you will post something in a moment of temporary insanity that will go globally viral and blow up your personal feed? Come to this session to find out more about how Twitter can be an aspiring author’s best friend as well as what to avoid in using this unique and important social media platform.
- “The Pros, Perils, and Promise of Twitter”
Breakout Seminars B – 2:30 PM
- Jennifer Grant and Caryn Rivadeneira – Room 202
- “Embracing the B List: Work Hard, Let Go of Ego, and Enjoy Life as a Working—Not Famous—Writer.”
- We live in a celebrity-obsessed culture, but attaining prominence as writers is elusive, at best. (And when we look at writers who are “rich and famous,” we can’t help noticing that attaining celebrity is not the promised key to happiness, success, or spiritual fulfillment…and sometimes not a sign of excellence in the craft.) If you have been called to write, you likely have been called to tell stories for the common good, piece together a freelance career, and do your best work while letting go of grandiose expectations. Come learn from two happy “B-listers” who make their living writing.
- “Embracing the B List: Work Hard, Let Go of Ego, and Enjoy Life as a Working—Not Famous—Writer.”
- Dominique Gilliard – Room 204
- “Prophetic Voice”
- We become authors for a myriad of reasons. Some of us are compelled by our lived experiences, others are inspired by recognizing scholarly voids, and others write because they yearn to correct, and/or redirect, cultural conversations. Whatever your muse is, we all write to inspire others, and to evoke change. Therefore, writing is a prophetic act! As Toni Cade Bambara says, “The job of a writer is to make revolution irresistible.” In this workshop, we will explore how you identify, hone, and exercise your prophetic voice.
- “Prophetic Voice”
- Sarah Atkinson – Tyndale House Publishers – Room 205
- “What Are You Looking For? A quick guide to understanding what publishers want and choosing the path that’s right for you”
- “What are you looking for?” is a question that publishers hear all the time from authors and agents. Some elements of the answer change from season to season—but some are always the same (and easier than you think). In this session, Sarah Atkinson walks you through what acquiring editors are looking for today, how to tell when a publisher/author relationship is a good fit, and what you as a writer should be looking for along the way.
- “What Are You Looking For? A quick guide to understanding what publishers want and choosing the path that’s right for you”
- Vinita Wright – Loyola Press – Room 207
- “The Art of Spiritual Writing”
- How do we transform personal experience into written accounts that will resonate with a larger audience? What does creativity have to do with commerce? And how do we negotiate the constant intersections between creative process and spiritual development? Through conversation and on-the-spot writing exercises, we will explore these aspects of the writing life.
- “The Art of Spiritual Writing”
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Breakout Seminars C – 9:30 AM
- Helen Lee – InterVarsity Press – Room 207
- “What Makes a Good Book Proposal?”
- To get a book proposal through to acceptance, you will need to gain the approval of both editors and marketers in a publishing house. This session will help you learn what both editors and marketers are looking for, and what not to do, from a publishing professional who has been in both roles at InterVarsity Press.
- “What Makes a Good Book Proposal?”
- Andy Olsen – Christianity Today – Room 002
- “Thinking Big: What Is “Thought Journalism” and Why It Matters to Getting Published”
- Thought journalism–the kind of stories and op-eds that dominate national magazines from The Atlantic to The National Review to, yes, Christianity Today–can be a tough nut to crack. Fortunately for good writers, publishing competitive thought pieces is entirely possible if you’re willing to do your homework and stay humble.
- “Thinking Big: What Is “Thought Journalism” and Why It Matters to Getting Published”
- Jennifer Grant and Caryn Rivadeneira – Room 202
- “Embracing the B List: Work Hard, Let Go of Ego, and Enjoy Life as a Working—Not Famous—Writer.”
- We live in a celebrity-obsessed culture, but attaining prominence as writers is elusive, at best. (And when we look at writers who are “rich and famous,” we can’t help noticing that attaining celebrity is not the promised key to happiness, success, or spiritual fulfillment…and sometimes not a sign of excellence in the craft.) If you have been called to write, you likely have been called to tell stories for the common good, piece together a freelance career, and do your best work while letting go of grandiose expectations. Come learn from two happy “B-listers” who make their living writing.
- “Embracing the B List: Work Hard, Let Go of Ego, and Enjoy Life as a Working—Not Famous—Writer.”
- Brian Allain – Room 004
- “Why You Should Consider Self Publishing”
- In this presentation we will discuss how changes in the publishing industry mean that there has never been a better time to consider self publishing. We will review recent and current industry structure, the top 10 reasons to consider self publishing (all the way from tools to economics to platform to sources of assistance), and deal with the concern of legitimacy. We will also consider a couple of examples.
- “Why You Should Consider Self Publishing”
Breakout Seminars D – 11:00 AM
- Sarah Rubio – Tyndale House Publishers – Room 207
- “Where’s My Road Map? Finding Your Path to Publication”
- Creative careers don’t usually come with handy step-by-step guides to success, and becoming a published author is no exception. What do you do when you stall out, come up against a roadblock, or don’t even know where to start? What if what’s worked for every author you know isn’t working for you? Join editor and author Sarah Rubio to discuss different paths to publication and how to overcome the obstacles in your way.
- “Where’s My Road Map? Finding Your Path to Publication”
- Karen Neumair – Credo Literary Agency – Room 002
- “Landing a Literary Agent”
- Get insider information on how to open the door to traditional publishing with the right representation. This Q&R style session with Senior Literary Agent Karen Neumair will give you the answers to the following questions: What is a Literary Agent? What does a Literary Agent Do? What does a Literary Agent look for in an author? How do I find a Literary Agent? How do I approach an agent for representation?
- “Landing a Literary Agent”
- Jennifer Grant – Room 202
- “Slip out of the Grip of Impostor Syndrome…and Get On With Your Good Work.”
- Do you ever find yourself mired in negative self-talk about whether you’re “really” an artist or a writer? Do you hold yourself back or fear being exposed as a fraud? It’s likely you do! More than 70% of us think we’re phonies at one time or another. This insecurity causes us to limit ourselves, back away from opportunity, and fail to take steps to grow in our craft. Fortunately, there are simple and effective ways to prevent these feelings from taking over and to let your gifts shine.
- “Slip out of the Grip of Impostor Syndrome…and Get On With Your Good Work.”
- Caryn Rivadeneira – Room 004
- “Cultivating Curiosity: Getting Great Ideas on the Page”
- Writers are always asked where we get our ideas. It seems like such a dumb question when the world is teeming with amazing, interesting things. Who could ever run out of ideas? But of course, getting to the place where we could never imagine running out ideas takes work—as does translating those ideas into great stories. In this session, we’ll look at how to cultivate our curiosity and learn to spot those ideas everywhere, getting the most out of our imaginations, and then how to harness their power on the page.
- “Cultivating Curiosity: Getting Great Ideas on the Page”
Breakout Seminars E – 3:15 PM
- Helen Lee – InterVarsity Press – Room 207
- “What Makes a Good Book Proposal?”
- To get a book proposal through to acceptance, you will need to gain the approval of both editors and marketers in a publishing house. This session will help you learn what both editors and marketers are looking for, and what not to do, from a publishing professional who has been in both roles at InterVarsity Press.
- “What Makes a Good Book Proposal?”
- Amy Julia Becker – Room 205
- “Writing about Hard Topics”
- Disease, death, grief, prejudice, even faith–all of these are topics we are told to avoid at the dinner table. But writing well about topics that help us explore the deep human questions of meaning and purpose is also crucial for engagement with what it means to be human and live in community with others. How do we craft narratives about the hard stuff of life in a way that welcomes readers and encourages thoughtfulness? How do we make particular experiences into stories that resonate with a broad audience? In a world of endless light content, short attention spans, and ceaseless opportunities to be entertained, how do we write stories that draw readers in and help them think and grow?
- “Writing about Hard Topics”
- Andy Olsen – Christianity Today – Room 002
- “Thinking Big: What Is “Thought Journalism” and Why It Matters to Getting Published”
- Thought journalism–the kind of stories and op-eds that dominate national magazines from The Atlantic to The National Review to, yes, Christianity Today–can be a tough nut to crack. Fortunately for good writers, publishing competitive thought pieces is entirely possible if you’re willing to do your homework and stay humble.
- “Thinking Big: What Is “Thought Journalism” and Why It Matters to Getting Published”
- Karen Neumair – Credo Literary Agency – Room 004
- “Landing a Literary Agent”
- Get insider information on how to open the door to traditional publishing with the right representation. This Q&R style session with Senior Literary Agent Karen Neumair will give you the answers to the following questions: What is a Literary Agent? What does a Literary Agent Do? What does a Literary Agent look for in an author? How do I find a Literary Agent? How do I approach an agent for representation?
- “Landing a Literary Agent”
Breakout Seminars F – 4:45 PM
- Caryn Rivadeneira – Room 002
- “Cultivating Curiosity: Getting Great Ideas on the Page”
- Writers are always asked where we get our ideas. It seems like such a dumb question when the world is teeming with amazing, interesting things. Who could ever run out of ideas? But of course, getting to the place where we could never imagine running out ideas takes work—as does translating those ideas into great stories. In this session, we’ll look at how to cultivate our curiosity and learn to spot those ideas everywhere, getting the most out of our imaginations, and then how to harness their power on the page.
- “Cultivating Curiosity: Getting Great Ideas on the Page”
- Sarah Rubio – Tyndale House Publishers – Room 207
- “Where’s My Road Map? Finding Your Path to Publication”
- Creative careers don’t usually come with handy step-by-step guides to success, and becoming a published author is no exception. What do you do when you stall out, come up against a roadblock, or don’t even know where to start? What if what’s worked for every author you know isn’t working for you? Join editor and author Sarah Rubio to discuss different paths to publication and how to overcome the obstacles in your way.
- “Where’s My Road Map? Finding Your Path to Publication”
- Karen Neumair – Credo Literary Agency – Room 004
- “Landing a Literary Agent”
-
Get insider information on how to open the door to traditional publishing with the right representation. This Q&R style session with Senior Literary Agent Karen Neumair will give you the answers to the following questions: What is a Literary Agent? What does a Literary Agent Do? What does a Literary Agent look for in an author? How do I find a Literary Agent? How do I approach an agent for representation?
-
- “Landing a Literary Agent”
- Brian Allain – Room 205
- “Why You Should Consider Self Publishing”
- In this presentation we will discuss how changes in the publishing industry mean that there has never been a better time to consider self publishing. We will review recent and current industry structure, the top 10 reasons to consider self publishing (all the way from tools to economics to platform to sources of assistance), and deal with the concern of legitimacy. We will also consider a couple of examples.
- “Why You Should Consider Self Publishing”
Return to main conference page.