2018 OLYMPIC PENINSULA CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE

Diana Savage - Conference Keynote Speaker

8/5/2018

3 Guidelines for Success
After Missing the Boat

Along with the thrill of publication, every writer must face rejection and redirection from time to time. Such experiences are simply part of the writing journey. But what do you do when you miss the boat that promised to sail you to success? Or worse, how do you recover when the ship you were counting on to deliver the fruits of your labors suddenly capsizes? Diana shares details of her most recent shipwreck and how she’s staying afloat by using survival secrets learned during her four decades as a published author.

Diana Savage has written or contributed to more than a dozen books and has published more than 200 articles, poems, and short stories. She speaks at a variety of venues in the US and abroad and for three years directed the annual Northwest Christian Writers Renewal conference, where she developed a surprising reputation for rap performances. As the principal at Savage Creative Services, LLC, she provides professional writing, editing, and speaking services. She earned her BA degree from Northwest University and her master’s degree from Bakke Graduate University. She has served on the board of directors of four nonprofits, as director of women’s ministries at a large West Coast church, and as development officer for a ministry to homeless children and their families. Diana loves living close her grandson (and his parents). She also enjoys cats, chocolate, organizing living spaces, and learning new things. Find out more at www.DianaSavage.com.

Kate Breslin - Creating Unforgettable Characters

7/31/2018

Creating Unforgettable Characters

Are your hero and heroine larger than life? Sympathetic? Believable? Join award-winning author Kate Breslin for a hands-on workshop on how to develop complex, engaging characters in your work of fiction or memoir that will invest your readers in the journey and keep them turning the pages. Kate will share her toolkit of experience: building great story conflict, honing point of view, creating good dialog, and establishing strong motivation as the means of breathing new life into your story cast. Hand-outs will be available in class. Recommended for beginner/intermediate level writers.

Former bookseller-turned-author Kate Breslin enjoys life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and family. A writer of travel articles and award-winning poetry, Kate’s first novel, For Such A Time, was shortlisted for both the Christy and RITA awards, and won American Christian Fiction Writers 2015 Carol Award for Debut Novel. Kate's third novel, High As The Heavens, released in June 2017. When she's not writing inspirational fiction, Kate enjoys reading or taking long walks in Washington's beautiful woodlands. She also likes traveling to new places, both within the U.S. and abroad, having toured Greece, Rome, and much of Western Europe. New destinations make for fresh story ideas. Please visit her at www.katebreslin.com.

Dennis Brooke - Travel Like a Writer

7/31/2018

Travel Like a Writer

Do you want to vacation like a tourist—or like a writer? Novelist and travel writer Dennis Brooke will teach you how to use your time away from home to develop a deeper and more authentic background for your writing and have more meaningful experiences during your travels. He will also give you tips on how to connect with other cultures and save money while on the road. Our presenter has journeyed and lived in destinations in Europe, South America, and the United States, including a 500+ mile pilgrimage on foot across Spain.

Dennis Brooke is the author of The Last Apostle, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers debut novel of the year award in 2017. He teaches on storytelling, travel, and other topics at conferences, community forums, and as a guest speaker at the high school and college level. He and his wife sold their house, retired early, and now live a life on the road abroad and in the United States. He is the former president of the Northwest Christian Writers Association and has over two dozen credits in publications including Focus on the Family and Toastmasters Magazine, Combat Crew, and The Seattle Times. Connect with him at www.DennisBrooke.com or www.WorldRovers.com or FaceBook.

Michael Bunnell - Query Letters

7/31/2018

Query Letters

Query. Wait. Rejection.
Query. Wait. Follow-up. Wait. Rejection.
Repeat query sequence any number of times.
Query. Wait. Follow-up. Wait. Invitation to submit. Submission. Wait. Rejection.
Repeat query and submission sequence any number of times. Submission. Wait. Acceptance.

The query letter session is intended to help writers shorten the entire process and increase their acceptance-to-rejection scores.

Michael Bunnell’s advice on how to open doors and overcome obstacles comes not only from his experience as an editor and publisher and not only from his years as a magazine and newspaper writer but also from his work as a radio station Program Director, a news bureau staffer, and a struggling creator/writer in Hollywood. The lessons learned from dealing with press releases, job applications, and story or program ideas can be useful to virtually any writer trying to reach a market.

Changing times and continually evolving technologies require some adaptability to the query and submission process, but the foundation of a successful proposal is in the content and the presentation.

Michael Bunnell cashed his first writing paycheck as an 18-year-old college freshman doing a column on campus life for the local weekly newspaper. Since then, he has seldom held fewer than three jobs at a time.
Promotion to Sports Editor of his college paper led to a weekend job covering sports for the local daily. At the same time, he became a late-night radio DJ.
During and after college, Michael supplemented his freelance writing income with stints as a shrimp boat deckhand, a house painter, a Christmas tree salesman, a pizza cook, a bartender, and a truck driver. He has been a newspaper reporter, columnist, and editor; a magazine feature writer and columnist; a wire service reporter and special features writer; and an advertising copywriter. He has written screenplays and radio and TV programs as well as three novels and two ghost-written memoirs.
Broadcasting remained a thread in the tapestry of his career: he has been a radio station Program Director, News Director, and Sports Director and a TV studio assistant. He still does occasional work as a voice-over announcer.
Since forming Skookum Bay Publishing, Michael has focused on editing and consulting but continues to write his own material.

George Crabb - Amazon: Step-by-Step, Getting Independently Published for Free

7/31/2018

Independently Publish Your Book - For Free!

Learn how to get your manuscript formatted to create a paperback and eBook at no cost to you. Learn how to get your book advertised and sold at Amazon.com, Apple iBooks and Barnes & Noble. A PowerPoint presentation and handouts will go through the Create Space, Kindle Direct Publishing and Smashwords process.

The presentation will go step-by-step through:

Preparing your manuscript
Downloading the proper Word or PDF template for the paperback
Formatting the eBook version for Kindle and iBooks
Book cover creation
Proofing your book (Font types & sizes, spacing, page layout, etc.)
Pricing (How royalties work)
Advertising and promoting
Questions and Answers

George Crabb is a former Army Ranger who served in the same elite unit deployed to Somalia. His unit and Ranger friends became famous by the movie, “Blackhawk Down”. Though he was not on that mission, he knew the men and saw more men lose their lives in the extreme Ranger training than they lost in Somalia. His books recollect much of these adventures in the Rangers.

Skip Heitzig and other senior pastors have acknowledged his work as spreading the good news of Jesus. His books are organic as they grew from the outlines of his messages he taught at his local church. The teaching series such as, “Road to Emmaus” became a book that engages the imagination as you enter the scene with Jesus.

George's education includes Dallas Theological Seminary online courses, Cabrillo College and the US Army Rangers.

His books are independently published and available at:
Amazon.com Barnes & Noble Apple I-Books

Sarah Daigle - Keeping the Reader Engaged

7/31/2018

Three Critical Steps for Keeping Readers Engaged

We all love to read a grabbing piece, but how about writing one?! Join Sara to learn more about the three critical steps in writing that keep a reader engaged and coming back for more. Write your own piece as she guides you through the process!

Sara Daigle is author of Women of Purpose and Dare to Love Your Husband Well, as well as a contributor to Daily TruthBytes for Moms. Her heart also comes alive when exploring sandy beaches with her family or hiking the peaks of her favorite mountains. Find more of her at www.saradaigle.org, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Sandy Frykholm - Accountability

7/31/2018

Accountability
As writers, we face the blank page with an idea in our head, and often with wavering will power to bringing that idea to life. It is a solitary task, often with no deadline, no other person waiting for the finished product. Can we be accountable to ourselves? To the project we envision?

Learn how accountability can make your writing time and writing life more productive and satisfying. Practical strategies can help you become more consistent with your writing time, and accomplish your writing goals, whether those goals involve word count, skill building, or publication.

Sandy Frykholm has published articles, plays, poetry, and she blogs at www.theitaliansouth.com. Her focus currently is a memoir, and completion of a historical time travel novel. Book length work will be published under her pen name, Sandra Lynne Reed. She has also edited several devotional booklets written by members of her church. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Sandy has a passion for history, including the family history she discovers through genealogical research. Born and raised in Alaska, she became a world traveler after a family camping trip took her around Canada, the United States, and Mexico at age 13, covering 22,000 miles in three and a half months. A graduate of the University of Alaska, she and her husband, Vern, have lived on the Olympic Peninsula since 1991, and have three adult children.

Marth McKeeth Ireland - Staying Motivated

7/31/2018

Staying Motivated Panelist

Martha McKeeth Ireland writes western novels, short stories and articles, and provides editing and proofreading services.
She began her writing career as editor of The Idaho Challenge, a monthly publication of the Idaho Allied Christian Forces; later became editor of Service Business, a Seattle-based quarterly trade journal; and became founding editor of the Peninsula Business Journal after she moved to Sequim in 1988. After serving as a Clallam County commissioner 1996-1999, she was a freelance columnist for the Peninsula Daily News for more than a dozen years.

McKeeth Ireland has self-published her first western series, The Trail of the Snake, in two versions. On Amazon Kindle, it is a four-book series; in print it is a two-volume set.Her Trail books are action-adventure, murder mystery set in the 1880s. They start along the Snake River in southern Idaho, where she is from originally. She especially enjoys creating in-depth characters and complex plotlines.

Martha McKeeth Ireland lives in the Carlsborg area, west of Sequim, with her husband, horses, cats and cows. She is the mother of two adult children and grandmother of four. She is active in Olympic Peninsula Christian Writers, Peninsula Evangelical Friends Church, Clallam County Republican Party and Republican Women of Clallam County; and is a member of Sequim Prairie Grange and Backcountry Horsemen of Washington.

Crystal Linn - Staying Motivated Moderator

7/31/2018

Crystal Linn will moderate a panel discussion of three published authors on the subject of How to Stay Motivated. Several other key topics will also be included, such as Time Management for Writers.

Crystal Linn is a free-lance writer and is also a multi-published author and award-winning poet. She began teaching creative writing classes in 2001.
Ms. Linn lives on the Olympic Peninsula where she enjoys reading mysteries, writing poetry, hiking, and sailing with friends and family.

Sharon Pierce - Value of a Writer

7/31/2018

Value of a Writer

The goal for this session is for each person attending be able to take away the awareness of at least 5-7 top personal values. Why is this important to a writer? Knowing one’s values, spiritual gifting, interests, life mapping, use of prayer and additional factors gears our choices, motivation and excitement on what to write as well as clearing mind clutter to make room for the creative process. Creative snapshots (insights noted on anything handy at the time) provide mindful information critical to the success of writing. If the writer is creating with this in mind, it is also valuable in knowing the best target market and multiple streams of income likely to buy a book, poem, sayings and the like. Sharon will provide additional handouts and offers services through www.maritimewithtreasure.com.

For over 30 years Sharon continues to use her own gifting, talents, values, God’s calling and passion for effective outreach through classes,writings, groups, one to one, church ministry, retreats and presentations. She believes that regardless of one’s expression of creativity in the visual and performing arts (writing, fine art, dance, music, acting, innovation), awareness of how one is wired also provides a sharper intentional focus of how and to whom they are expressing their creativity the way God intended. The result is fulfillment and joy in a person’s life and work, identifying a niche market that also aligns with God’s calling and passion, making choices, clearing the mental and physical clutter that derails the expression of the creative process, while moving towards purpose and meaning.

Sharon has also struggled with searching for God’s calling through what we are given and thoroughly enjoys walking along side people who want to move forward and yet needing direction, motivation and action towards the same. Find out more about Sharon and how to marry time with these treasures at www.maritimewithtreasure.com

Taylor Rubart - Writer's Business Plan

7/31/2018

Writer's Business Plan

Workshop information to come soon.

Taylor Rubart tries to spend more time outdoors, than indoors — mountain biking, running, & hiking are some of his favorite activities. At the core of everything he does, he believes people have valuable messages to share — both in their personal lives, and in their business lives.

He is the owner of Flannel Media, which helps businesses communicate in a world of noise by creating marketing material that is both clear, and effective. He and his team do this by creating engaging websites and marketing videos. He is also the Creative Director at The Rubart Writing Academy, which helps save people years of struggle, frustration, and wasted time by showing them a step by step process to turn their writing and publishing dreams into reality.

Dave Stoeckl - Poetry Workshop & Staying Motivated Panelist

7/31/2018

       Poetry Workshop

Local writer Dave Stoeckl leads an interactive poetry session. In the same fashion by which we are made in the image of Creator God, we all have individual gifts to create from within. In this session, we come to create under the category called poetry, but writers of prose are also welcome for all of us who craft literature paint pictures of the mind, heart and soul with the fluid, flowing colors and subtle tints of words.
                                        In short, come ready to write.

In this interactive session, we will all compose starting with the same title, then discuss, expand and play with it as the featured poem is uncovered and disclosed. Who knows where it will go? And, when we’re done, you are welcome to share what you’ve created and will not leave empty handed.

Dave has been writing primarily Christian prose for four decades. He is presently working on his fourteenth book, Patmos, a Biblical novel about John, the last living apostle of Jesus in exile on the Greek island of Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelation.

He also loves performing, composing and singing with his acoustic guitars.

He lives in Sequim, WA with his wife Amy, some teenagers, 4 dogs, a cat, a couple of guinea pigs and an as yet unnumbered number of fish.

Dave commonly writes under the pseudonyms David Sterling and Ben Lomond.

Jan Karol Tanaka

7/31/2018

Plotter or Pantser

When it comes to writing fiction, are you a plotter, a pantser, or somewhere in between? Successful discovery writers—or pantsers—are rare in the tight current market, making it important to recognize how an engaging work of fiction is developed. The plot points must be identified, if not before writing the manuscript, then at the end when writing the summary for an agent or publisher. In this short class, I’ll share my writing evolution from discovery writer with a series of interesting scenes to relying upon a system of plotting that enables me to develop a cohesive story. We’ll look at what makes a good story: plot points, pinch points, story goals, character arc and plot arcs. The goal of the class is to help the attendee add some tools to his toolbox for constructing a sound story. I’ll bring along some of the spreadsheets that have helped me in the process and point out resources that cover the same material in greater depth. Bring your coffee cup, your notebook and an open mind. It’s not your English teacher’s old method of outlining.

Jan Karol Tanaka came to authorship late, after teaching others the writing craft as an English teacher in public and private schools. www.writingconstructions.com A graduate of Purdue University with a degree in English education, Mrs. Tanaka has been in the business of wordsmithing for all of her career. With experience in scriptwriting, editorial work, and years as a writing coach for youth, the step to fiction writing was a natural one. Her publishing career began with a middle grade work of fiction, Misha Alexandrov, a semi-finalist in the BookLife Prize in Fiction. To hone her plotting skills, she moved to American historical romance with The Sawtooth Range series. Her most recent work is inspirational historical fiction set in the San Juan archipelago, A Light from Friday Harbor. You can connect with her pen name and alter-ego Samantha St. Clarie at www.samanthastclaire.com.

Cynthia Webster - Writing With The Five Senses

7/31/2018

Writing With The Five Senses

Let’s get to it and have some fun writing with the five senses--visual, auditory, olfactory, taste, and touch--in ways we may not have imagined. This hands on workshop will challenge us to step outside our normal frames of reference and help improve perspective, not only by increasing our awareness of the world in which which we reside, but by illuminating the very interesting world of sense that resides inside each of us. You may be just getting started, or you may have been writing for a while. You may even have a book or two under your belt. This class will benefit everyone.

Bring a notebook and be prepared to write. Participants are encouraged to take part in class discussion and share their discoveries with the group. This will be a fun space, alive with encouragement and growth.

Author and voice over artist Cynthia Webster believes in supporting “the kid in all of us.” She recently published a children’s audiobook LITTLE RED RIDING PANTS’ NARROW ESCAPE under her pseudonym Eva Stanfield. Her memoir SECOND STREET now seeks a publisher, with two more historical fiction novels in the works. A Port Angeles native, she returned home after travelling abroad to work on historical fiction and a collection of “Refrigerator Box Stories” written under pseudonym Eva Stanfield. When she’s not writing Cynthia teaches music in Sequim, assisted by her iconic studio dog, Mia, and serves as pianist at St. Joseph Parish. For more on Eva Stanfield (Cynthia Webster) visit her website and blog at www.evastanfield.com and her voice over website www.secondstreetvoice.com.

Barbara West - Staying Motivated Panelist

7/31/2018

Staying Motivated Panelist

Barbara Crymes West holds a Master’s Degree from Regent University in Organizational Leadership, with a concentration in Not-for-Profit and Faith-Based Organizations Management. During her studies, she discovered that “relationships” are a common and recurring thread.

With this theme in mind Barbara takes her readers on a journey that finds its foundation in Christ, and is applicable whether we are at home or on the job.

Barbara's Website is at: BarbaraCrymesWest.com

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