Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair is issuing a call for authors, especially those writing for children.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, February 22, 2014, at Robeson Community College in Lumberton, NC. Doors open to the public at 9:30 AM and close at 4:00 PM.

Book ‘Em North Carolina brings together more than 75 authors, publishers and literary agents as well as the film industry. Authors sign and sell their books and participate in readings, activities and panel discussions. This is the third event to be held in Lumberton; the previous two events averaged more than 2,000 attendees.

The Children’s Corner will have readings all day by children’s authors and volunteers. Students from the Public Schools of Robeson County’s theatre department will be dressed as recognizable storybook characters, such as Snow White, the Cat in the Hat and The Little Mermaid. Volunteers will also conduct activities all day, including making bookmarks and worm pencils, as well as face painting as storybook characters. The Children’s Corner has been a very popular feature of the event.

Book ‘Em North Carolina raises money to increase literacy rates. While the entire event is free and open to the public, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of books goes to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Robeson County, Communities In Schools and Friends of the Robeson County Public Library.

For more information, visit http://www.bookemnc.org/ or contact bookemnc@pmterrell.com. There is a link to the registration form for authors on the Home Page. The last two events were filled with authors by mid-summer so hurry and get your registration form in early!

Information from Librarian- Teen Services, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Matthews Branch
230 Matthews Station St., Matthews, NC 28105

Thanks for giving us comments and suggestions. We really DO listen and try to implement changes that will make each Conference better than those before it.

 

Loved the new location!

Wonderful variety of topics/speakers/editors and agents.

God ministered to me through the praise music, especially “The Alabaster Box” song.

Vijaya Bodach is a wealth of knowledge about children’s magazine articles!

I came to support a friend, but God spoke to me through several classes – and I think I found my voice!

I liked the mix of worship, instruction, and encouragement.

The fact that we were able to meet one-on-one with faculty was probably the biggest blessing for me. Awesome faculty!

Special thanks to Samantha Bell for reaching out to me at the restaurant and inviting me to join her table!

 

As writers, we need to give feedback as well as receive it. One way to get feedback is to be part of a critique group. So here is your chance to be part of one! Fill out the form below and email it to Donna Earnhardt (wordwranglernc@hotmail.com).  Once she receives at least five names, she will start sending out emails for instructions on how to start your own crit groups and some general thoughts on how to run them.

Simply copy and paste the info below, fill it out, and email it to Donna. Let the critique groups begin!

 

Name: _____________________________

Address: _____________________________

Phone number: __________________________

Are you interested in an in-person group o online group?_____________________________

What is the farthest you would be willing to drive to go to an in-person critique group? _____________

What genres are you interested in? (be as specific as possible) ______________________

How long have you been writing? _____________________

Have you been part of a critique group before? ________________________

 

We are thrilled when God sends new Write2Igniters our way. Just one more way that God works behind the scenes to make Write2Ignite! Conferences special.

Write2Ignite! first-timer, M.H. says:

I signed up for Write2Ignite at the last minute after talking to my friend Jean Hall.

I had no idea what a treat I was in for until I stepped through the door. Right away, the worship drew my heart and focus toward the Lord. It was beautiful! The speakers were stellar, each session filled with so much knowledge that I couldn’t take notes fast enough.

My first picture book is coming out soon, and I learned exactly what I will need to do to prepare for a strong debut plus so much more. Thank you!

If you would like to help us spread the word about Write2Ignite! please email us with your name and postal address, and we’ll send you some of our business cards. Feel free to share them with every writer or illustrator you meet.

Heavenly Father,

We want to thank You for gifting us with many blessings through Write2Ignite! 2013. As Team members we watched You work behind the scenes to provide all we needed for this event.

You brought the best possible speakers, editors and agents to our Conference. Most came to us through extraordinary circumstances. But, then, You are the God of Circumstances, aren’t You?

Thank You, Lord, for bringing us to North Greenville University. Thank You for their generosity in allowing us to meet on their beautiful campus. The building we used a few weeks ago is beautiful, clean and terrific for holding conferences.

Thank You, Father, for the many registrees. You brought brand new writers, mid-career writers, and long-established writers together to share with, and learn from, each other. You knitted some new friendships, and some new professional relationships during the Conference. Thank You.

The weather was gorgeous. The facilities wonderful. The food tasty. The opportunities grand.

Best of all, Lord, You were there with us. We felt Your awesome presence in the workshops, the keynotes, the worship times, the meals, the conversations. Thank You for joining us to make the Write2Ignite! 2013 Conference one that will impact not only us, but those who will read the words and enjoy the art You help us to create.

We ask You to continue to provide for our needs at Write2Ignite! as we seek to minister to those who will create encouraging works for the children around us, and the children yet to come.

In Jesus’ perfect name,

Amen.

Words can’t describe it! We experienced a fantastic Conference last weekend.

However, seeing as we are all writers, over the next couple of weeks we will give it our best shot at filling you in on the details of the 2013 Conference.

Not to mention some great photos will be coming your way, too.

We’ve already started planning for 2014. We’ll hopefully have a 2014 date some time this May. And YOU, my friends, are on the “Need to know” list for that info.

If you participated in Write2Ignite! 2013, we would love to hear from you! Simply email us with your comments,  suggestions and photos. Pinky promise that we’ll read and mull and pray over every email, and that we’ll post bits and pieces of them here.

Many blessings!

Jean & the Team

Busy, busy, busy!

Getting those last minute details ready for Friday.

We hope to see a passel of you at Write2Ignite! 2013.

Now, don’t tell me ya’ll don’t know what a “passel” is!

 

Six Days and Counting!

Writers Stand Firm, Filling the Gap

Gleaning Gold: Interview with Bill Reeves

Sally Matheny

Time for the Write2Ignite! Conference is approaching quickly. There is still time to register, if you haven’t already done so. We know life is busy for you. It’s difficult carving out time away from work and home in order to attend a conference. The W2I leadership team understands because we face the same issues.

However, we’re passionate about God’s call to be here and support this ministry.

You knew Write2Ignite was a non-profit organization. But you didn’t know it was a ministry? We believe it is. There is a great need—a gap—that needs filling with excellent literature that honors Jesus Christ.

We want to encourage you to seek God’s will for your writing. The Write2Ignite team desires to support you, educate you, and connect you with others. You and the conference have been in our prayers. We’re working very hard, but we trust all the final details to God.

Come, and we’ll stand firm together, honing our skills, and learning new ways to represent Christ through our writing.

One workshop presenter will be Bill Reeves. He is a partner at The Working Title Agency in Springhill, Tennessee. The agency “represents and assists creatives in developing product for Christian consumers.” Some of Bill’s clients include Randy Alcorn, Cheri Hamilton, Stephen and Alex Kendrick.

Bill Reeves is a man who is answering God’s call to stand firm, fill the gap, and to assist others who are filling a void in the media.

Bill, you have worked with Veggie Tales, Tommy Nelson, and now Working Title Agency. Why did you choose the Christian market?

The Christian market inspired me as a young teen. I was heavily influenced by Christian music, and decided that I wanted to leave a legacy for the next generation, as the one before me had done for me.

Should writers, who are Christians, stay within the Christian market? Is it possible to be salt and light in the secular market?

When I worked for VeggieTales, Phil Vischer once gave a speech in which he responded to a question he received often…”Is Big Idea a Christian company?” His response was funny (as you would expect). He said, “What’s a Christian company? Does it go to Heaven when it dies?”

Writing, in and of itself, is amoral. It’s not good or bad. Writing is writing. However, ALL writers (Christian and non-Christian) write from a particular worldview. I think a Christian writer should simply stay true to their deeply held Biblical beliefs. It can be the presence of good, or the absence of bad. Both are viable for writers who are Christian. Some of that (presence of good) often works well for Christian publishers, like Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. Absence of bad writing works well for the general market publishers, like Simon & Schuster and Scholastic. But either way, the work needs to hold to Biblical values.

What is your opinion about today’s entertainment media? With the success of several Christian films, do you see a shift taking place?

My opinion about today’s media is that it is more powerful than ever. With multiple ways for a consumer to access entertainment (laptops, cell phones, iPads, etc) people are digesting it more than ever. So it’s also being created in droves, as well.

What I see is not a shift in entertainment, but simply a diversification of entertainment. I see Christians, for example, finally getting into serious filmmaking, a skill that has been lacking for the Christian consumer for many years.

There was once a day that a Hollywood movie could play nicely for the Christian consumer. A movie like “Singing in the Rain” could be a strong family-fare film. Or “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” from the early 70′s. But as content grows more and more Godless, then the need arises for Christians to step up and fill that void.

This also applies to book publishing, music, internet content, and television. So I don’t think there’s a shift happening, as much as a gap-filling happening.

As kids, the Kendrick brothers enjoyed making videos with friends. As a kid, did you promote others in their projects? Can you look back and see ways God was preparing you for what you are doing now, or was it something He brought about later in your life?

I was almost always a diplomat. I found ways to communicate hard things to people in gentle ways. I think God was forming me for the business-negotiating side of things from an early age. I didn’t become well versed at it until I had failed several times, including within my own family. But God knew what He was doing preparing me for this job. I’ve felt a passion for Christian entertainment since I was a teenager.

How important is social networking to the success of a product? What do you recommend to those who have apprehensions about using Facebook, Twitter, etc.?

Well, these are mixed blessings, but a necessary tool in today’s marketing world. While there are certainly some pitfalls with social media, I have mostly seen them used as a positive tool in today’s marketing mix. It really boils down to a customer wanting to hear directly from the author. They LOVE feeling as though they are personally connected to an author, vs. the author being some distant person to which no communication is possible.

Social media is also cheap. And publishers like cheap. Publisher’s budgets are a fraction of what they use to be, so you need cost-efficient tools to promote the book. By using social media, you are also helping to build your own audience/brand by controlling what is said about you and your book, not some random marketing person in an office somewhere.

When success does come to Christian writers and filmmakers, how do they keep pride in check?

The folks who have had the most success in this area are the ones who keep their pre-fame friends close. Those who start punting their pre-fame friends and make new friends are the ones who have the most problem in this area.

One of the best examples of doing this properly is Max Lucado. I worked with Max for several years on “Hermie & Friends”, an animated series for children. Max’s manager and business leader is a gentleman named Steve Green. Steve was Max’s college roommate, and close friend. Max has kept Steve on his team for many, many years. And I believe that has led to a very healthy relationship for both Max and Steve. They can be honest with each other, and keep each other in check. “New” friends that come post-fame almost always want something, and are often afraid to speak truth to the ‘talent’. This causes bad things to happen, because pride almost always sets in.

During the reading of First Pages, at last year’s W2I Conference, you mentioned your agency does not want anything that could lead a child astray, not even a hint of a curse word. That is a rare and courageous stand in today’s world. Is your policy just for the children’s market or for the adult market as well?

I do not accept books (or any product) with foul-language in them. This is true of children, teen and adult books. I have made this mistake in the past, and regretted it. I know this is a tough concept, and one that will always be debated.

I get pressed occasionally on this issue because I still watch and read content that DOES have bad language (albeit, product that is selected carefully). For example, I’m reading Steve Jobs autobiography right now, and it contains profanity. Some would argue I’m hypocritical. But Steve’s autobiography was not written by a Christian. Yet, I still feel I can learn something from Steve’s life (and indeed, have).

Christians should hold themselves to a higher standard than the world when it’s creating content, and not simply copy the world. My company has taken a stand on this issue concerning what we represent as only being Biblically based product. And Biblically based product should not, in my opinion, have bad language in it. I also believe a strong creative person can find more creative ways to express his/her point without the need for bad language. So I think I’m demanding a higher creativity from my authors than those who allow bad-language.

Understanding God teaches us new things everyday–what would you say God is teaching you at this season in your life?

God is currently reminding me how important it is to stand strong for Him in the entertainment industry. It is not easy, and can get messy at times. But He sustains me when I have to make hard decisions for Him. And He ultimately gets the glory.

 

Thank you, Bill. We look forward to your workshop at the Write2Ignite Conference. May God continue to bless you, your agency, and your clients as they stand firm in their faith and uphold the Truth in their work.

A Poetic Countdown

By Kristi Butler

 

It’s almost here! Excitement is mounting!

Our conference is down to _7_ days and counting!

The planning team is placing each finishing touch,

Door prizes being packaged with ribbons and such.

Conference notebooks are filled with info galore;

You’ll be so amazed at the learning in store!

The Sleep Inn awaits us with pillows all fluffed.

The meals will be yummy! We all will be stuffed!

Our praise team will lead as we worship our Lord,

Reminding us of the One that we are writing for.

Cec Murphey will bless us with every Keynote;

Presenters will astound you with the outlines that they wrote!

Editors, publishers, and agents await

Individual appointments…You’re going to do great!

New writer friends will be there, just waiting to be met;

We’re so glad you’re joining us for the best conference yet!

And in case you’re not in our attendee line-up,

You need to know, it’s not too late to sign up!

All you have to do is click the registration link above,

And get ready for an experience that you are going to love!

We can hardly wait to meet you face to face.

You’re going to love NGU! It’s such a lovely place!

 

Eight Days until Write2Ignite! 2013

If you subscribe to the definition that leaders are influencers, we are all leaders. The big question is: toward whom or what are we leading those who are following us?

As writers, are we leading our readers to good and godly things, or, are we merely following the market trends?

As Christians, are we leading other writers and industry professionals toward a relationship with Christ, or, are we following the money-makers and best-sellers?

Please join us at Write2Ignite! 2013, as we seek to lead others by sharing God’s love through literature.

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. (John Quincy Adams)

Photo credit: © Eugenp | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images