What Now? Conference Follow-up

Now that we're all back home and wondering what to do with what we learned at KCWC 2009, please remember, it's not all about what you learned. Some of your benefit from attending KCWC this year will come from the people you met.

Follow up by writing notes to faculty, committee members, and other writers who gave you contact information. Use e-mail if possible, because that's the primary communication method that publishers and professional writers use these days. Some of the people you met this year might be your link to getting your work published.

Conference coordinator, Judy Sliger, said, "This was a conference of connections: connecting with other writers, connecting with faculty, connecting with ways to improve our writing. But, most of all, it was about connecting with God's plan for each person as a writer. Now we need to connect our fingers to the computer or our pens to our paper, so we can connect with the readers God wants us to reach!"

Mark your calendar for June 11-12, 2010. Virginia (Ginny) Smith will be our featured speaker, and we'll have other top-notch faculty for workshops and private appointments. Subscribe to this blog to get updates as the committee plans for next year.

Conference Tips and Updates

Tips on making the most of the conference...

• Pray for God to lead you so that you may get everything out of the event that He wants you to receive.
• Study the publications and websites of our visiting publishers and editors so you will know what types of material they are looking for and be prepared with ideas for them.
• Get a buddy to take the workshops you cannot take and compare notes.
• Look for people with similar genre interests to fellowship with during meals and breaks.
• Dress comfortably.
  

For further tips, please check out the CLASS Services website.

Check out this handy information about how to keep up with your conference expenses on The Seekers' blog.

Need help finding your way to Northside Baptist Church or to the local hotels? Go to Mapquest for your directions. Also, directions are on our website.

Most hotels are off I-65 on exit 94. To get from Exit 94 area to Northside Baptist Church:

• Take Mulberry street (US-62 W/KY-61 S) toward downtown.
• Pass under railroad overpass and take a right on Ring Rd. at the next light (Walgreen's on corner).
• Follow Ring Road about 2.7 miles.
• Turn right at light in Pear Orchard Rd. Intersection is at bottom of hill with no good landmarks.
• Go 1.7 miles. Church is on left. There will be signs to direct you to registration.

Conference information is on the website at www.kychristianwriters.com. Registration is still open. If you have questions, e-mail kcwcregistrar(a)gmail.com.

Jumpstart Your Kentucky Conference Experience

In less than a week, I'm headed to Elizabethtown, Kentucky for the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference. I look forward to seeing you there. I've been preparing to my keynote messages and my workshop. I've been sorting through my 20+ years in publishing to give the perfect focus to these messages.

I love writers' conferences. I've found it to be a grand idea haven where we can talk shop and learn from other writers. If you want to succeed in the writing business, I've got four keys to Jumpstart Your Conference experience:

1. Take daily time to pray about the various people you will meet and the ideas you will discuss. Ask the Lord to guide you through each detail of the conference such as who you will sit with at the opening meeting or where you will sit at each meal and what will be discussed. Ask for God to give you divine appointments. These encounters will be far beyond anything that you could have orchestrated or planned. Be aware and watching for the Lord's handiwork throughout the conference.

2. The second way to Jumpstart Your Conference Experience is to come prepared to meet others and start new relationships. Prepare some business cards and be prepared to give them out to everyone you meet—but don't make it a one way exchange. When you give a business card, make sure you receive a business card. Writing is a solitary occupation and we need each other. You will form new and lasting friendships at the conference if you come prepared for it.

3. The third way to Jumpstart Your Conference Experience is to study the background for the various faculty members and get familiar with their different roles. Publishing is constantly changing. I'm in a different role as a publisher than six months ago when I was a literary agent or when I've been as an acquisitions editor. Your familiarity with the different faculty will help you form deeper relationships during the conference. I believe your time in preparation will be rewarded.

4. The final way to Jumpstart Your Conference Experience is to come with the right heart attitude. Many writers come to their first conference expecting to sell their book manuscript or magazine article. Yes, there will be some of those exchanges at the conference. A much more central part of every writer's conference is where individuals learn new aspects of publishing and take great strides of personal growth. Come with expectations and a willingness to learn and grow. With the right heart attitude, I'm convinced that you will not be disappointed but your expectations will actually be exceeded.

How can I say that expectations will be exceeded? Because I know each member of the faculty is a Christian and a person who is filled with the Spirit of the Living God. I love the verse in Ephesians 3:20 which says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

Today God is preparing for you the people and lives that will be touched during the time we are together at the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference. I will be coming with high expectations and anticipations. I've never been disappointed in the past.

See you soon at the Northside Baptist Church!

6 Days to Go! Updates and Announcements

KCWC 2009 is less than a week away!!! Don't wait. Register today.

Announcement:

Worship leader for Friday and Saturday opening worship sessions will be John Docimo of Owensboro. John is founder of Upward Call ministries, a non-profit Christian organization dedicated to spreading the Gospel through music, teaching, and evangelism. He uses his musical talent to bring glory to God and share Christ.

Registration Update:

If you missed the meal guarantee deadline, not to worry. We have a "cushion" in the number of meals we ordered, and, for now, meals are still available. There is no tuition discount for those who register after meal availability expires.

Also, there are faculty appointment slots still available if you register right away.

Again, you do not have to preregister, but it's possible that we won't be able to offer meals to those who register at the door on Friday or Saturday.

To register, go to our registration page.

Virginia Smith: She Did It Again!

Virginia Smith can safely call herself an award-winning novelist. Last year, she won Writer of the Year at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference in California. Check out our blog post on that award here.

Well---she's done it again! She's a finalist for yet another award. Here's the announcement from straight from Virginia:

"I recently received an exciting bit of news. A Taste of Murder, the first book in the Classical Trio series, has been named a finalist in the Inspirational category of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense! The winner will be announced at an award ceremony in July during the Romance Writers of America's national conference in Washington D.C."

For details on the RWA contest, go to their website. Find out more about A Taste of Murder and Smith's other mystery novels on her website, where you can read sample chapters of most of her books. Visit the mystery page here.

And---there's still time to register for KY Christian Writers Conference 2009, where Virginia will be teaching fiction workshops.

Getting to Know KCWC Faculty 2009

I hope you’re registered and ready to be with us on Friday and Saturday, June 19-20, at Northside Baptist Church in Elizabethtown. If you haven’t read our faculty blog posts yet, please take a few minutes to check them out by following the links below to each faculty post. If you’re still on the fence about whether you’re coming this year, maybe reading the faculty posts will help you decide.

Featured Speaker, TerryWhalin

Michael Brewer

Wendy Brown

Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress

Tracy Crump

Carlton Hughes

Dara Lehner

Virginia Smith

Jim Stafford

Jim Watkins

Faculty bios and workshop descriptions are on our Conference Details page. See the conference schedule on 2009 Schedule page. Then, go to the registration page to register. Please register by June 10th for the meal guarantee.

"Five P's for Dealing with Life's Challenges" by Dara Lehner

Having recently returned to college to complete a yet unrealized goal, a professor called me a “Renaissance woman.” I laughed and commented I often feel like I am the king’s court jester juggling so many balls if I stop I’ll bounce one off of my head. He replied how easy I made it look. If he only knew how hard I work at it.

We often stand back watching fellow writers, envious of how they have it all… the time for family, friends, work, and most of all God. How can we juggle it all? My friends, family and professors at times have looked at me in that light. I caution them what they see is not always the true picture, and I too have to guard myself against the ugly envy monster. Don’t fall into that trap.

I hope to share some of my tried and true tips which have worked for me. Each of us must find what works best for us. There is no magic formula, we all juggle. With my many interests and responsibilities, I found I have to stay organized. My friends call me the “queen of time management.”

As a retired marathoner, I still have days where I feel as if I am running a new marathon, my running times are off pace, and in marathoner’s speak have “hit the wall.” I can’t see the end of the race. I can’t see any way to juggle, church, family, my day jobs, school, and writing. How does everyone else manage?

First, we can’t compare ourselves to others or put them on a pedestal. They will fall and shatter our romanticized illusions of a writer’s life. Writing is hard work. Rarely, does it come in the “overnight success” package. We are each God’s unique creation. We have talents and skills no one else has, share yours and learn from others.

Writing, as with any of my marathons, requires discipline, sacrifice and planning. Friends ask how I do it all. I don’t. I can’t. No one can do it all. I don’t try to be perfect, because I know how imperfect I am, and it is a waste of time to keep up that facade.

So how does one wade through life’s marathons? I call it the Five P’s …Planning, Patience, Persistence, Play and Prayer. I think these five things will get us through most of life’s challenges. Writing is a challenge.

Planning for me is key. I am a list maker. Whenever I start my day, I have a plan listed. I prioritize and organize all of my goals; some may have to slide to another list. The unexpected has a way of creeping into our lives. Take a deep breath.

Modify, adapt, and overcome is another mantra I have incorporated into my marathon life. Plan each segment of your life. I have plans for my day, my week, my month, my year, and my five and ten year goals. Dream big, and then work out an organized plan to achieve your goals.

Patience is truly a virtue. My patience, or lack of it, for myself continues to be on my list for improvement. I am very patient with others, but could kick myself at times for not accomplishing a goal in the manner I envisioned. We need to give ourselves a break. If no one is around to give a pep talk, do it yourself. Remember, we are not perfect and must be patient. No procrastinating, we must work our plan patiently and we will succeed.

Persistence. If we are patiently and consistently working our plans we will reach our goals. There are times when detours will arise. We may have to modify our plan when the unexpected threatens to derail that plan. Our persistence will pay off.

I have a friend who believed in her book and revised and shopped it for 13 years. It found its home with a large regional publisher and is being released this June. She now also has a multiple book contract. If she had listened to all the naysayers she would not be off on a book tour. I can’t celebrate enough for her because I know how hard she has worked to accomplish this goal. Don’t give up. If we don’t try, we are certain to fail. If we don’t persevere, we can never taste the sweet rewards of our persistence.

Play. Allow oneself some down time. Be spontaneous, go dance in the rain or a sprinkler for ten minutes. Jump on a trampoline, roller blade, or skateboard. Do something that will make your family and friends think you are a bit crazy; or we can incorporate something a little more sedate, like walks in the park or a picnic. We must give ourselves permission to do NOTHING. Sit quietly under a tree; but watch out for the irate squirrels hurling nuts, and the blue jays dive bombing your appearance in their serene world.

Prayer. Meditate and ask God for guidance and wisdom. There is nothing wrong with a failure or with being mistaken. We must learn from these trials, the unexpected that creeps into our marathon life. God provides these times as opportunities to learn, to modify, to breathe and yes, to even laugh at ourselves. Take your concerns to God in prayer, but also don’t forget to take your praise and thanksgiving celebrations to Him as well.

I hope these few nuggets helped someone. I’ll be sharing more in our three different workshops:

1. Hurried, Hassled, and Hopeless No More: Time Management for Writers,
2. Keys to Using Photography to Increase Your Writing Income, and
   
3. Writing for Children’s Magazines.
   

I hope to see you in one of them, if not please stop by and introduce yourself. You can’t miss me; I think I’ll be the only skate-boarding juggler bouncing balls off my head in attendance.

Visit our website for Dara's bio and more information on her workshops. Go to Dara's website for more on her writing and photography. Register by June 10th for meals guarantee. Details on the registration page.

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