Play Detective and Make Connections Prior to a Writing Conference

by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites

Who’s going to the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference next month? 

Me! Me! Me! And, I can’t wait. 

I missed almost all of last year’s conferences, because I had two darling grandbabies on the way. My two daughters were pregnant with grands number two and three. 

It feels like so long since I’ve been to a meeting of writing minds.

Finding Your Writing Way

by Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted

Being raised in the mountains of East Tennessee, I didn’t have access to a great choice of classes in high school. Many small county school systems were and still are financially challenged, so these writing classes simply were not a part of the school curriculum. Schools inside the cities have a greater financial advantage over smaller county schools that don’t have access to additional tax funding that provides a greater school curriculum. 

When I attended my first conference, I had no idea about POV (Point of View) or even what it was. I didn’t have a clue about plotting, description, or voice. I knew basic English. I’d never had a deeper exposure to the writing world because our schools just didn’t offer those types of classes.

Conferences in 2023 for Speakers, Writers, and Leaders

by Yvonne Ortega @YvonneOrtega1

Save your money and make plans for 2023 for a conference that is live, virtual or a combination of both. I am listing only those that offer both a speaking track and a writers track with both traditional and indie publishers with some sessions that can fit in either track.

You are a Word Artisan

by Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted

It was 2004. Eva Marie Everson stood on the stage at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. She lifted her hands for everyone to stand. We complied. Then she said, “Raise your right hand and repeat after me. I. Am. A. Writer.”

Staying On the Trail As a Writer

by Tim Suddeth @TimSuddeth

For many of us, this has been an exciting week as we have gathered at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Whether we were there personally, or attending the virtual conference, we were able to attend classes taught by caring and knowledgeable instructors, renew relationships with friends, and make new friends and acquaintances.

 

Just being able to get out and do something ‘normal’ was a great feeling for many of us.

5 Ways to Embrace Your Next Writing Conference/Retreat

5 ways to embrace your next writing conference

by Lucinda Secrest McDowell
@LucindaSMcDowel

Spring and Summer are prime seasons for Writing Conferences, so I hope you are able to take advantage of one in the coming months. There are so many benefits to gathering with other creative folk and learning from one another, especially while going deeper with God. While such events are an essential investment for your writing career, they do require energy, resources and time. 

How can you make the most of your next conference/retreat?

It's Contest Time at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference!

by Eva Marie Everson @EvaMarieEverson

Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Contests

The Selahs

BRMCWC Director’s Choice

BRMCWC Foundation Contest

We are happy to announce that our 2017 contests are now open

A Recap of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Through Memes

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

As most of you know, I've spent the past week as Director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. It was an amazing week—full of inspiration and encouragement. Some of the highlights came from our keynote speakers. These are memes I created during their keynotes. It thought it would give you a glimpse of what we experienced.

"Celebrate your place in the story." ~Steven James

"Embrace the changes in publishing and put into practice the things that are working." ~DiAnn Mills

"The odds are always in God's favor." ~James Watkins

"If we're not growing as writers, we're dead." ~Eva Marie Everson

The pearl starts as the irritant. What irritates you to write? ~Jane Jenkins Herlong

"Creativity begins with the creator." ~Alton Gansky

Little Seeds

Little deeds are like little seeds, they grow to flowers or to weeds. Daniel D Palmer
(Image taken during the 2015 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference at Ridgecrest Conference Center)

I spent this past week at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. There were some amazing people there who did some pretty amazing things. They went out of their way to bless others.

There were also those who let the stress of circumstances influence the way they treated others. 

As the co-director, I had the opportunity to see the fruit of seemingly small seeds spread by those attending. Some blossomed into beautiful flowers, and others, well, not so much.

Share your thoughts in the comment section below. 

I also invite you to use this image any way you like online. Post it to your blog, share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, anywhere you'd like. All I ask is that you keep it intact, with my website watermark visible.

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Weekend Worship—Above the Clouds

Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. I Thessalonians 5:24

Many of you know today is the start of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian WritersConference. I’m privileged to be the co-director of this wonderful conference and it’s one of the highlights of my years.  

But I didn’t start out on staff—far from it.

One Writer’s Bucket List

by Edie Melson

Isn’t it funny how certain phrases become part of the vernacular? One phrase I find myself using fairly often is Bucket List. For me, it denotes more than just a wish, these are goals and dreams that I’d like to accomplish before I kick the bucket.

I had the opportunity to hear Debbie Macomber  speak at ACFW in 2008. One of the things she said that stuck with me was to make a list—a crazy, I’ll-never-in-a-million-years-accomplish-this list—and write it down. She shared how she had done that, and been able to cross off almost everything on that list.

Thursday Review—The Dance of Character and Plot

by Lynn H. Blackburn

Plenty of people know that DiAnn Mills is a fantastic novelist, but they may not realize that she is also a wonderful mentor to new writers.

I’ve had the privilege of attending her classes at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, sitting in on webinars she’s taught through the Christian Writers Guild, and having her critique my writing.

So when I learned that she had taken time from her fiction schedule to write a book on the craft of writing, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

Reading TheDance of Character and Plot is like having DiAnn in your home for a writing seminar.

Budgeting Your Time at a Conference

By Laurie Epps

The first big writers conference is overwhelming for most of us. It was for me too. Though I was so excited about all that I'd be learning and the contacts I'd make, I still arrived, and as you learned at my last post, I got lost right way. 

Because it can be so overwhelming, it helps to remember why you decided to come in the first place, and pace yourself. You may have a commando approach like I did, where you just want to dig in, and learn as much as possible, but allowing for mental breaks will best optimize your time.

Reflections from My First Writers Conference

By Laurie Epps

Pictured with Edie Melson

Most of you will recognize the wonderful lady to my right (your left). After attending my first writers conference, I can tell you that there were some things I was, and wasn't prepared for. I knew I'd be meeting industry professionals, but somehow it didn't register that I would also be forging friendships.

Today, I'd like to talk to you about what to expect at a writers conference.

How Writing Ruined My Wife—A Spouse's Experience at the 2013 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference

by Kirk Melson

Edie Melson, Alton Gansky & Eva Marie Everson

As many of you know, my wife co-directs the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian WritersConference (BRMCWC) along with Alton Gansky, and contest director, Eva Marie Everson. 

The conference was held last week in North Carolina. I've figured out the required spousal support really peaks during those conference weeks, and this was no exception. 

What can I do?

I was supposed to attend the banquet on the last night of the conference, but of course I got a call from her, needing me to bring her stuff the day before. So, there I went—shuffling my schedule, gathering our things, delivering the dog, and hustling off to the conference one day early.

Of course, that was only the beginning. I came with the warning that I would need to work in the hotel room during the days. 

Don't Miss the Selah Awards—Live Streaming at 8pm Eastern TONIGHT!

Today I'm giving Kirk another day off, the play catch-up with his own engineering work.

Truthfully it couldn't have come at a better time. Right now I'm in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

As most of you know, I'm the Co to Director to Alton Gansky. He's the HMOC (head man on campus) this week. Tonight's award banquet is the culmination of a week of connecting with others in the industry and concentrating on going deeper into the craft of writing.

Thursday Review—Award Winning Author, Alton Gansky Shares His Latest Publishing Venture

Today I'm excited to have my good friend, Alton Gansky on my blog for an interview about his latest publishing venture. I know you're all as familiar with his books as I am, but today we're going to hear about an opportunity to revisit some of our favorites!

EM: For those who don’t know you, give us a little of your publishing background.

Thursday Review—Some of My Favorite Writing Conferences for 2013

BRMCWC Awards Banquet, Photo Courtesy of Mary Denman

Today I'd like to highlight some of my favorite writing conferences that are coming up in the first part of 2013. There are literally hundreds to choose from, but I only endorse those I've been to or where I know the majority of the faculty personally. 

Thursday Review—Author Cindy Sproles Shares the Story Behind Her Newest Book, New Sheets

I'm excited to welcome Cindy Sproles, Executive Editor and co-founder of ChristianDevotions.us. She has a new devotional out, New Sheets: Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be. 

Cindy, Tell us about your new release, New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be

New Sheets is a thirty-day devotional/inspirational book. In the beginning the title was longer (if you can believe that). It was Thirty Years in Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be. The reason…well, it took thirty years for God to refine me into the woman  I knew I could be. And by the way, I’m still being refined.

Thursday Review—Pros and Cons of Returning to the Same Writers Conference

A Guest Post by Lynn Blackburn

A few weeks ago I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for the second time. The fact that I live less than two hours away from one of the best conferences in the nation made this an easy decision.

But what if you have to fly to all the big conferences? What if you can only choose one? Do you return to a conference you’ve attended before, or venture out and explore something new?

Based on my own experience, let me give you a few pros and cons for returning to the same conference.

Pros:

Understanding the Schedule. New conferees take a look at the schedule and start searching for a paper bag to breathe into. But once you’ve gone through it, the flow of the conference makes sense and the only thing you have to stress about is choosing classes.

Reconnecting with Friends. Instead of standing in registration hoping you don’t stick out as a newbie, you’ll be squealing (well, the men do more of a head bob than a squeal) and hugging friends you made the last time.

Fewer Newbie Gaffes. There are plenty of stories of writers who didn’t recognize award winning faculty members or who tried to pitch to volunteers or who misspelled names on thank you notes. I can’t say you won’t do any of that on a return trip, but it’s less likely.

More Interactions. Lots of writers are introverts, and hanging out with 400+ strangers can be intimidating. This time, I found I was more likely to introduce myself to people and strike up conversations on the way to meals or before classes.

Better Overall Experience. I didn’t think my conference experience could get much better than it was in 2010. I was wrong. My conference goals were different but my sense of satisfaction, both with what I learned and what I accomplished, was much higher. In 2010, I was thrilled to keep my head above water, but in 2012, I felt like I was riding the waves.

Now, to be fair, there were a few negatives to returning to the same conference.

Cons:

Fatigue. With so many friends and so little time, I didn’t get much rest. I networked (that’s conference speak for “hanging out with friends eating chocolate”) after the evening sessions and then got up early to network (that’s conference speak for “meeting people for breakfast or coffee”) most mornings. I decided I could sleep when I got home.

More Interactions. Contrary to popular belief, faculty members are not mean ogres out to embarrass you. They try to be kind to the newest members of the conference community. But, if they get to know you and know you can take some tough love…well, you might get some. The good news is you’ll learn a lot…and get a story you can use out of it!

So what do you think? Should you return to the same conference or visit a new one each year?

Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Lynn

Lynn Huggins Blackburn has been telling herself stories since she was five and finally started writing them down. She blogs about faith, family, and her writing journey on her blog Out of the Boat. Lynn is a member of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and the Word Weavers, Greenville. She lives in South Carolina where she hangs out with three lively children, one fabulous man, and a cast of imaginary characters who find their way onto the pages of her still unpublished novels. She drinks a lot of coffee.