Cultivate the Words of an Excellent Writer

“Now go; I will help you speak [write] and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:12 (NIV)

OCW’s spring conference, “Cultivate the Words of an Excellent Writer,” is set to bloom with excitement as veteran publishers, authors and speakers Bill and Nancie Carmichael take the platform in Eugene. Nancie Carmichael’s session, “What It Takes to Develop Your Message,” defines how to feed your life so you have something to say. Good writing comes out of the wellsprings of your life. You are the real message—you are not separate from what you write.

Bill Carmichael’s keynote address, “Writing with Heart and Integrity,” keeps the spotlight on you, the writer. “Your life is a story, a continuing story, being written by you and God. Your story is the story that becomes the basis for good writing. Knowing the true you is essential to writing with heart and integrity.”

The dynamic Carmichaels founded VMI Publishers and are the founding publishers of Good Family Magazines: Christian Parenting Today, Virtue, and Parents of Teenagers. Bill and Nancie are the authors of 15 books, including: Habits of a Healthy Home; Lord, Bless My Child; Lord, Bless This Marriage; Desperate for God; Praying for Rain; Selah; and Your Life, God’s Home. They’ve been published by Tyndale, Thomas Nelson, Harvest House, Baker, and Crossway Books. They contribute to magazines, including regular columns in Becoming Family and PE Weekly; are often talk show guests on radio and television; and conduct marriage, family, parenting, and relationship and leadership seminars across the US and Canada.

Bill and Nancie received honorary doctorates recognizing their contributions to Christian publishing, but their greatest delight is their family of five children and seven grandchildren.

Bill Carmichael’s afternoon workshop, “Getting Published—What It Takes,” tells of the changes in today’s world of publishing. This class is for writers who are ready to find out what publishers can and cannot do for them and what can be done to get a foot in the door. From concept to creation, proposal to author participation, learn what publishers expect.

Nancie Carmichael’s afternoon class, “Why You Should Be Your Own Best Editor,” refines the discipline of self-editing so the words you use don’t obscure what you mean to say. Come gather practical tips to get what you write ready to be published.

Tom Fuller’s class, “‘McTruths’ from God’s Word,” is for those who want to learn how to write devotionals in succinct and lively ways. The proper linking together of anecdotes and Scripture creates observations that can impact the lives of others.

Fuller is the senior pastor at Calvary Chapel Newberg. He has a widely read blog of daily devotionals at http://pastortomfuller.blogspot.com/ and also organizes the devotions for the OCW website. Fuller is the Communications Manager for the Oregon Employment Department and an author.

“Bringing Fiction to Life” is taught by Donna Fleisher. You must take your reader to a vivid and vibrant place—a world that lives and breathes, drawing him or her into the very essence of your story. In this workshop you’ll discover ways to create vibrant places where your characters live, strengthen characterization, avoid author intrusion, and structure scenes to fully capture each moment.

Fleisher is the author of Zondervan’s four-part “Homeland Heroes” series and the 2005 recipient of Mount Hermon’s Writer of the Year award. In 2006, Wounded Healer, the first novel in the series, reached #16 on the list of top 20 bestselling Christian novels for July. She is a freelance editor through her business, I’ll Read It! Editorial Services. Her six-hour course “Bringing Fiction to Life, On Writing Powerful Christian Novels” is available at http://www.donnafleisher.com/.

“Gazillions of Ideas” is presented by Sylvia Stewart. Your unique experiences might be familiar topics to others—but no one else has seen them through your eyes. Life is full of a gazillion unrecognized ideas ready to be harvested. Find out how to turn your personal experiences into fresh articles and stories. There will be door prizes.

Stewart taught college-level English grammar and writing courses to third-world students in Malawi and Ethiopia. Her articles have appeared in numerous Assemblies of God denominational magazines (The Pentecostal Evangel, Advance, Woman’s Touch, and Mountain Movers) and in WASI Writer. Stewart is a freelance writer under contract with Network211.com, and is busy writing a children’s novel using her experiences in Africa.

“Mastering a Well-Crafted Pitch,” taught by Pamala Vincent, is just in time to get you ready for Summer Conference. It is natural to want to impress agents and editors, but pitching your ideas can be nerve-wracking for even veteran writers. There is a fine line between being confident and being arrogant. Your active, prepared participation will assure a positive encounter for both of you. This class will outline a well-crafted pitch that will help convince them to write you a contract.

Vincent was Teacher of the Year 2003–2007 for Alternative Education in Oregon. Her book, Gate Keepers at Home, is a woman’s devotional. Her contributions are featured in Ripples of Joy, Birds and Blooms Best of 2005, Nature Camp, and Maxine Marsolini’s book, Raising Children in Blended Families. Vincent has recently been published in Christian Communicator, The Storyteller, and International Christian Writer.

Carol Brian’s workshop, “Skittering Moments (Poetry),” makes it plain that we don’t have to sit on a mountaintop in Tibet in order to write poetry. Poems are all around us every day. When we give ourselves the freedom to play and be in the moment, the connections the brain makes may surprise us. If we capture those insights and impressions before they skitter away, and crystallize them into a poem, the results can be profound.

Brian has been writing poetry since high school and was most recently published in The Oregonian. She is an active member of the Central Oregon Writers Guild in Redmond and enjoys sharing her passion for poetry with others. Her favorite poet is Billy Collins.

“Writing to the Rule of Three” with Linda Clare, is about timing. Experienced writers know odd numbers work better than even ones. Writers of fiction and nonfiction must master rhythm and timing to construct scenes, describe characters or make lists. This class will discuss and practice how dialogue, descriptions and other techniques can benefit from this loose “rule,” which helps writers avoid “speeches” and talking heads in dialogue, too much or too little description in one spot, getting in and out of flashbacks, and more.

Clare is a writer, teacher, mentor and the author of Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them, and co-author of Revealed: Spiritual Reality in a Makeover World, and Making Peace with a Dangerous God.

“Ask Your Writing Questions” is an open forum where you get to ask questions of three experienced writers: Sally Stuart, Donna Fleisher and Pamala Vincent. This is a great opportunity to gain valuable tricks of the trade from some experts.

Stuart is the author of 35 books, including the Christian Writers’ Market Guide, and more than 1,000 articles and columns. She is a sought-after speaker and leading authority on Christian markets.

The May conference, full of practical information to get your writing to blossom, will help you along the path to becoming an excellent writer.