Today’s Writers’ Tip: The 2020 Montrose Christian Writers Conference is History!

The 2020 Montrose Christian Writers Conference is History!

 Conference center director, Jim Fahringer, and former writers’ conference director, Patti Souder

WE MADE IT!

    The 2020 Montrose Christian Writers Conference began Sunday evening, July 12th and ended Friday, July 17th on the campus of the beautiful restored home and conference center of world-renowned evangelist, missionary, and author R.A. Torrey.
   We had 12 on faculty including award-winning and best-selling authors, and we had about 60 conferees attend. With over 50 classes teaching anything from the basics of editing and writing well to marketing and promoting your book, the conferees went home with their heads stuffed full of knowledge they can apply to their own writing career.
Our wonderful faculty shared invaluable information to help beginners as well as those who’ve been published. We also had a Praise and Worship time every day with gifted pianist Kathy Brittain. That time is always a highlight for mostly everyone.
 With the ongoing COVID -19 threat, the conference center director, Jim Fahringer, and his staff did everything humanly possible to keep everyone safe, including taking our temperatures every morning, everyone wearing masks, having hand sanitizer available all over the place, and practicing social distancing. The kitchen and dining room crew went, what I consider, way beyond “playing it safe,” handling food meticulously with no salad bar and using paper/Styrofoam products. We even practiced social distancing at the dining room tables.
For you who attended,  you know God richly blessed the week. We made new friends and renewed old acquaintances. Some folks were in tears on Friday when we dismissed because their week had been so blessed. One faculty member said, “I don’t want to leave.” Another one told me, “I’d love to move here!”
 For you who missed because of a number of reasons, I pray that next year we’ll be able to resume “normalcy” and once again have another writers’ conference to encourage and uplift every faculty member and conferee who will attend.  In a few weeks, I’ll begin planning for the 32nd MCWC!
Thank you all for your prayers. God did bless in a marvelous way!
Marsha
Director

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Today’s Writers’ Tip: Excellent Character Development

On Writing: Excellent Character Development

Here we go! Here are 10 ways to make your characters come alive in that next great American novel you’re writing:

1. Make each character uniquely different with different names. A few years ago, I had another writer friend critique my first four chapters of the Amish fiction I wrote, and she caught a “biggie.” I had two characters named “Joe.” DUH!

2. Give each character his own distinctive voice. After a few chapters, your reader should be able to tell who’s speaking without even looking at the tag.

3. Have your characters working jobs or going to school or doing “something” relevant to the plot. If you’re writing a murder mystery, your main character probably shouldn’t be babysitting puppies for a living.

4. When you name your characters, give them names that fit their personality, body type, nationality, etc. Now picture this: your character is a 220-pound Italian hunk, built like Superman and he’s a policeman, then you give him the name “Wilbur.”

5. If you’re writing fiction with different viewpoints, only get inside the head of your main characters. I’ve read books by one of the leading writers of Amish fiction in the country, but I have trouble following her because of the multiple P.O.V.s. In one book, there were 16 P.O.V.s. I was so confused, I had to start over and write down everyone’s name, who they were, and what they did in the book. The author has a big name, but I don’t care for trying to unscramble all those P.O.V.s.

6. Build your characters a little at a time as you write the novel. The plot should “thicken” at the same time you start to describe your characters more vividly and get them totally involved in the action.

7. Even though you’re writing fiction, be authentic. Interview policeman, veterinarians, computer geeks, or whomever so you have a thorough understanding of their job descriptions. In book seven of my Keystone Stables horse series, I wrote about a barn fire. Before doing so, I went to the local firemen and interviewed them to get the details of how the fire company would handle a barn fire in a countryside setting. I asked what kind of equipment they needed, what certain names of the trucks were, and how they’d tackle the task. The account in my book is accurate and detailed, even though the book is fiction.

8. Start each characters’ names with different letters. How confusing would this be? Sam told Susie that Stella was going to be with Savannah the night of the social. Sheesh! Who’s who in that quandary?

9. For at least your main characters, give them some depth by including some history about them. They didn’t just hatch from eggs the day you started writing about them. (Or did they?) Build character sketches for each of them. I’ve heard of some writers giving their characters full families, birthdays, college degrees, bank accounts in Sweden, and so on to “flesh them out.” Details DO matter when you’re writing about people. Write so that your reader thinks he/she can almost hear your characters breathe.

10. Have your characters less than perfect. Develop flaws in their appearances or personalities, which they must overcome or accept as the plot unfolds. No one likes to read about a character who seems too good to be true. In the long run, that character will be too good to be true, and he/she will turn your reader right off.

P.S. I hope you’re making plans to attend the 2020 Montrose Christian Writers’ Conference. More details coming soon, but we have agents, editors, and best-selling authors for fiction, kid lit, devotions, magazine articles, adult fiction, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and more! Don’t miss it: July 12th to the 17th!

Marsha

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Today’s Writers’ Tip: How to Write “Tight”

 What Does It Mean to Write Tight?

How often have you heard conference speakers, i.e. authors, agents, and editors, say that, to be a successful, published author, you need to write “tight”? The term kind of reminds me of squeezing something big into something tiny or speaking poignantly.

So in pen laymen’s terms, what in the world does writing “tight” mean?

Here are eight qualities that will define a piece of literature as “tight” or stripped to its cleanest components:

1. Use specific nouns:
Not: The bird flew over.
Rather: The raven flew over the barn.

2. Pitch out as many adverbs as you can:
Not: He spoke loudly and angrily.
Rather: He yelled!

3. Be positive in sentence inflection:
Not: He didn’t show any respect.
Rather: He showed no respect.

4. Use active not passive voice with your verbs:
Not: Bowser, the dog, was walked by Joe.
Rather: Joe walked his dog, Bowser.

5. Get rid of sentences that start with “There” or “There were:”
Not: There was a lot of snow last month.
Rather: Last month’s snow total broke records.

6. Show, don’t tell; in other words, describe your action clearly:
Not: Billy was really angry.
Rather: Billy pounded his fist on the table.

7. Watch for redundant phrases:
Not: Millie blushed with embarrassment.
Rather: Millie’s face turned bright red.

8. Use down-to-earth language and throw out eloquent pedantic phrases and euphemisms that no one will know what the heck you’re talking about:
Not: Rickie’s face showed lines of agony and remorse while streams of tears flooded her poor anguished soul.
Rather: Rickie cried as though her heart was broken.

So, there you have it. Embrace these tidbits on how to become a best-selling author, and your readers will be begging for more.

Me Know Everything!

Marsha Hubler
(Website) www.marshahubler.com
(Blog) www.marshahubler.wordpress.com
Best-selling Author of the Keystone Stables books

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Today’s Writers’ Tip: Six Tips for Beginners

Six Tips for Beginners

So, you’ve got your blank screen before you, you’ve got a tremendous idea for the “next great American novel,” you’ve got your dictionary, thesaurus, Elements of Style, and your Chicago Manual of Style ready. You rub your hands together, blow on your fingernails, and say, “Look out, world. Here comes brilliance!”

If you’ve never tried writing anything but eight-line poems or a letter to the newspaper’s editor once in a while, there are a few tips I’d like to share with you to help you not only write well but also get published. You might not be ready for a novel; perhaps, a 1200-word fiction story or article would be the best way to start.

Whether you’re determined to write a novel or start with shorter stuff, the tips I want to share will help. They’ll also be brief and to the point. In other words, I will not expound with long, convoluted sentences, which is one of the tips I have for you.

Tips to Help You Write Well:

1. Don’t write long, convoluted sentences. Write short, poignant sentences with very few flowery words and long descriptive paragraphs. Today’s readers won’t stand for your showing off for pages of narration that will bore them to death and cause them to set a match to your work.

2. Avoid the exclamation mark! One per page is often too many. Use clever words to emphasize emotion and action. Stay away from the exclamation mark!

3. Even if you’re writing fiction, be accurate. Do your homework. If you’re describing a fire scene, make sure you visit your local fire company and get all the details of what fire fighting is all about.

4. Stay away from fancy words. Go for simple active verbs, not descriptive adverbs and impressive adjectives. Instead of “She walked limply and lazily” try “She hobbled.”

5. Avoid figures of speech. They often distract your readers from the real core meaning of your sentence or paragraph. It just makes your reader think you were too lazy to put your own words together to write a clever line.

6. Try to stay in the background, like, invisible. A skillful writer will have his/her readers engrossed in the story, identifying with the character or theme and will not give the author a second thought. Not until the last page. Then the readers are free to exclaim, “Wow! What a story!” (And with the exclamation marks!)

Marsha Hubler
www.marshahubler.com
www.marshahubler.wordpress.com
Author of the Keystone Stables Series

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Start saving and make plans to join us next July 12th to the 17th at the 31st Montrose Christian Writers Conference in Montrose, PA. We have editors, agents, and best-selling authors on faculty to help you with any facet of your writing. :) 

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Today’s Writers’ Tips: The Montrose Christian Writers Conference

THE MONTROSE CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE

Writers, the 2019 Montrose Christian Writers Conference is history for a month already. With over 100 writers, agents, and editors gathered together in mid-July, we had a wonderful week of fellowship and learning how to write better for God’s glory.

Believe it or not, I’m already working on the 2020 MCWC and already have verbal commitments from about 10 authors, editors, and agents. Lord willing, our next conference will be held from Sunday, July 12th to Friday, July 17th, 2020. A few folks who’ve already said yes to coming on faculty are freelance editor Vie Herlocker, literary agents Sally Apokedak and Michelle Lazurek, authors Annette Whipple, Joyce Magnin, and Tiffany Amber Stockton, social media expert Don Catlett, and marketing guru Karen Whiting. There are still about five or six more potential faculty members, so check in often to see the final line-up, hopefully before the holidays are upon us.

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned writer and whether you write fiction or nonfiction, there will be over 40 classes presenting all facets of the writing/publishing world. We also have interesting and fun events Monday through Thursday evenings, often allowing conferees interaction with faculty members.

Then there’s Frank and Bucky, who always liven up the week’s boring moments (if there is such a thing.)

So mark your calendar and start sprucing up your manuscripts. Next July you just might find yourself with a contract in your hands.

 

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THE 2018 MONTROSE CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE IS HISTORY

August 6, 2018

THE 2018 MONTROSE CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE IS HISTORY!

From Sunday evening, July 22^nd to Friday morning, July 27^th, a stellar faculty of 14, and about 70 eager conferees gathered at the Montrose Bible Conference campus for almost a full week of over 45 workshops to help any writer, newbie or experienced. The evening activities also brought more insight into the world of writing/publishing as well as lots of laughs.

(For all the details of the conference, please go to https://bit.ly/2pdcYQC)

Pictures are worth 1000 words. Thus, no more words…just pictures of the exciting time….

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2018Montrose Christian Writers Conference Spotlight: Best-selling authors Karen Whiting and Jeanette Windle

2018 MCWC FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

July 22^nd to 27^th  

INTRODUCING KAREN WHITING

Karen Whiting will present a Major Morning Series entitled

MARKETING THAT FITS YOUR STYLE

Harness the power of the five key areas of marketing to your specific brand/book:

Social Media (FB, twitter, Pinterest, etc.)

Print (articles, freebies, promo materials)

Speaking (events, keynotes, retail stores, libraries, churches)

Media (radio, TV, internet, newspapers)

Expertise (get quoted)

 

Karen will also present three afternoon workshops:

Writing for Today’s Tweens

Writing to engage kids and to motivate them to apply Biblical principles in life, we’ll look at countering the top reasons older teens and young adults leave the church. We’ll review language that interests youth and how to be authentic in writing for kids without writing “down” to them.

Writing Devotionals for All Ages

Karen has written devotional books for preschoolers, women, girls, families, history buffs, and more. Learn about basics in devotional writing and markets for selling single devotionals. Learn how to apply to write devotionals for outsourced products or pitch a book of devotions

Selling to Children’s Periodicals

There are many opportunities for writers, especially aspiring writers in magazines, Sunday school take-homes and denominational newspapers. Learn how to target your writing for the audience.                                                                                            

WHO IS KAREN WHITING?

 Karen Whiting (www.karenwhiting.com) is an international speaker, former television host, and award-winning author of eighteen books. She has written more than six hundred articles for more than sixty publications. Currently. Karen writes for Leading Hearts Magazine and Molly Green Magazine. She writes for women, families, children, and the military. Best sellers include God’s Girls and My Princess Devotions.

Her Awards:

Christian Retailing Best 2014, children’s nonfiction

AWSA Nonfiction Book of the Year

Awards: Military Writer Society of America Gold Medal, faith category

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ALSO INTRODUCING BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JEANETTE WINDLE

 Jeanette will present a Major Morning Series entitled

SO, YOU WANT TO WRITE?

How do I get started as a writer? Find material or choose a topic? Create a scene or compelling character? What is the meaning of such cryptic terms as “show, don’t tell”, “passive vs. action”, flashback, deep POV, head-hopping? What are the formatting and editing guidelines an editor will expect? How and where do I actually SELL my writing? These are some of the mysteries veteran author, journalist, editor, and writing coach Jeanette Windle will be clarifying in this continuing track designed for the beginning writer.

This class is hands-on and interactive so bring pen-and-paper or laptop.

 

Jeanette will also present an afternoon workshop on Monday:

A Story to Tell—Your Own or Another’s: Writing the Memoir/Collaborative Title

Non-fiction biography is the bread-and-butter of freelance writing. Whether writing your own memoir or someone else’s life story, this workshop will walk you through the practicalities of breaking down, organizing, and weaving into story form a compelling life narrative. Not writing a full book? Principles apply as well to the personal experience short story/article.

On Tuesday afternoon Jeanette will coordinate a Freebie Peer Critique Group for writers working on

nonfiction: theological/memoir/Christian living

WHO IS JEANETTE WINDLE?

Award-winning novelist, journalist, editor, & collaborative writer Jeanette Windle has lived in six countries and traveled in almost 40. Those experiences have birthed 21 fiction and non-fiction titles, including Forgiven: The Amish Schoolhouse Shooting, a Mother’s Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace (2016 ECPA Christian Book Award/Christian Retailing Best Awards.

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Writers, it’s not too late to register! Go to: http://www.montrosebible.org for more information and the registration form! I’d love to see you next week!

 

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Goodbye, MCWC, for Another Year!

IT’S OVER! 

 

Thursday Evening’s Writers’ Theatre

BUT PLAN FOR MCWC 2018!

The 2017 Montrose Christian Writers Conference is history. I can’t believe it’s three weeks ago already that the conference was underway. What a blessing this year’s conference was to me as the director. Without the help of my “committee,” I wouldn’t have been able to pull this off. Thank you, gals. You are deeply appreciated. (And you know who you are!)

I want to personally thank Jim Fahringer and his wonderful staff for providing such an excellent place at the Montrose Bible Conference Center, including fine meals and homey rooms. Without exception, folks say the beautiful setting and family atmosphere are tops.

I also want to thank each faculty member, who made this year’s conference one of the best we’ve ever had. We’ve had almost 100% of positive feedback from the conferees, who gleaned from the faculty’s expertise.

Thank you, Conrad and Donna Krieger, talented musicians, who once again provided spirit-filled Praise and Worship times every morning to start our days with thoughts about our wonderful God.

Then, I want to thank each conferee who sacrificed a lot of money and time to attend this conference. Besides paying tuition, room, and board, the conferees opened their hearts to the needs of others by donating used books for our Budget Book Sale. I’m guessing we had at least 300 books to sell. Along with those book donations, faculty and conferees “purchased” dozens and dozens of those used books and many MCWC can coolers to support the General Scholarship Fund. We raised over $500 to help future conferees with their finances as well as donating $350 to the kitchen staff, many who work as volunteers or get paid minimal salaries.

When our conference closed on Friday, July 21st, we always end with a short praise and worship time, a challenge from a faculty member, and a circle of friendship and prayer. It’s not unusual for conferees and faculty members to part with tears in their eyes, pledging to return next July. Once anyone attends MCWC, he/she is considered “family,” and we look forward to seeing each one every year.        

I overheard one gal say “just had to come back next year” and she planned to save all her loose change to put toward next year’s expenses. That’s an excellent idea for those who have to “count every penny” in their budget. In a year’s time, quite a few dollars can mount up.

If you’ve never been to our Montrose Christian Writers Conference, please consider joining us next year. Mark the dates on your calendar: July 22nd to the 27th. I promise you won’t be sorry.

For you who’ve been there for 15 years or just for one year, I look forward, Lord willing, to seeing you again in 11 short months! God bless your writing endeavors over the next year.

P.S. Whether you attended or not, you might enjoy looking at my Pinterest 2017 MCWC Board with over 100 photos of the conference’s faculty, conferees, and events:

If you weren’t at the conference and would like to know what you missed, check out the conference’s details:

http://www.montrosebible.org/OurEvents/tabid/113/page_550/1/eventid_550/58/Default.aspx

Marsha, Director

1 Corinthians 15:10

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10 Reasons Why You Should Attend a Writers’ Conference

TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND A WRITERS’ CONFERENCE

              Two 2017 MCWC Faculty Members: Torry Martin + Carol Wedeven

1. Your family loves what you’ve written, but now you’ll get the full scoop from editors and agents of how good your manuscript really is (or isn’t).
2. You’ll learn how to properly submit your work to a publisher.
3. You’ll discover that your high school English needs A LOT of brushing up.
4. Words like “genre,” “royalty publishing,” “submission,” and “elevator pitch” will finally have meaning.
5. You’ll have the opportunity to talk shop with best-selling authors.
6. You’ll be able to attend dozens of workshops that will teach you all aspects of the writing/publishing business.
7. You’ll be able to purchase “how-to-write” books at a reduced price that will help you hone your craft.
8. You’ll be able to meet the editor or agent of your choice to show your work.
9. You’ll make new writer friends who will encourage you by email or phone.
10. You’ll leave with the determination to revise, revise, revise and get your work published.

Faculty Member:
Artist Dave Weiss

 

We just had a terrific week at the Montrose Christian Writers Conference. I’m sorry if you weren’t able to join us. Take a peek at what you missed and make plans to attend next year.

http://www.montrosebible.org/OurEvents/tabid/113/page_550/1/eventid_550/58/Default.aspx

Marsha, Director

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Writers, Have You Ever Asked Yourself These Questions?

Writers, Have You Ever Asked Yourself These Questions?

Writing for publication can sometimes be a lonely and discouraging career path to take. For the last 27 years, dozens of Montrose Christian Writers Conference faculty members have attempted to encourage writers to keep plugging on and to share with them how to become the writers God wants them to be. Too often folks with talent for writing give up too soon on their publishing dreams and quit right before they would have landed that contract.

If you’re a discouraged writer, the 2017 MCWC is just for you. If you’ve ever felt as if there was no hope for what you’ve written, you probably asked yourself some of the following questions. But there’s an answer (a title of a workshop) for every one of your concerns with the classes offered this year:

1. How do I prepare my manuscript to submit to a publisher?   Formatting before Beginning
2. How do I get rid of this annoying writers’ block? Three years is long enough!  21 Ways to Overcome Writers Block
3. How can I change my short story into a drama?  Creating a Viable Stage Production
4. Would I have a chance at winning a writing contest?  Writing for Guideposts Contests
5. Will social media, especially a blog, help me sell books?  Blogging 101
6. Why should I bother writing poetry? No one reads it anyhow.  The Art and Craft of Poetry
7. Someone told me my characters are “flat” in my kids’ story. How can I fix them?   Putting Characters in Place
8. Do I need to apply for a tax number to write? To sell my books at book signings?  Understanding the Business of Writing for Publication
9. What questions should I ask the person for whom I’m writing a profile piece?  Writing the Profile Piece
10. Is my devotional book different from the tons of devotionals out there already?   Writing Compelling Devotions
11. Will anyone be interested in buying the book I’m writing?  Marketing for Writers Who Don’t Like to Market
12. Do folks ever read Bible studies anymore?  Bible Studies That Sell

We could go on and on, telling you about the 40+ workshops offered at this year’s conference, but I think you get the idea. We’ll have practically all genres and pertinent issues about writing/publishing addressed at the conference.

The opening exercise is Sunday evening at 7:30 at the Montrose Bible Conference Center, Montrose, PA. And … as long as there are rooms available for lodging, it’s not too late to register! Even better, if all the rooms  are taken and you are close enough to commute, you can register anytime, even after the conference is underway!

Please check out all the of the classes and special perks available at http://www.montrosebible.org/OurEvents/tabid/113/page_550/1/eventid_550/58/Default.aspx

and register today! You’ll never be sorry!

Marsha, Director

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