Interview with Conference Director and author, Marlene Bagnull

Dear From the Heart reader, it is my privilege today to introduce to you, Conference Director and author, Marlene Bagnull.

Marlene thank you for joining us here today. Marlene you arrange and plan two writers’ conferences a year. Can you tell us when this first became a vision of yours? Exactly how did you begin the process and where has this journey taken you?

Actually it all started in early 1983 with the Nazarene Publishing House offering to help establish Christian writers groups. Shortly after that the editor of The Christian Writer asked me to plan a seminar for him in the Philadelphia area. I took a leap of faith and said yes to both opportunities little knowing that today I would be directing not one but two Christian writers conferences, each with a faculty of 60 plus. Truthfully, I’ve often said I would have run the other way. Why? I really wanted to serve the Lord, but self-doubts had a stranglehold on me back then. God has been so good to take me by the hand and grow me as He has grown the conferences.

What is the particular mission of your writer’s conferences?

My ministry and the ministry of the Greater Philadelphia and Colorado Christian Writers Conference is to encourage and equip Christians to “write His answer.” Whether through nonfiction or fiction, I believe our writing needs to point our readers to the answers that only can be found in Christ. This doesn’t mean quoting Scripture on every page or in every chapter, and it certainly does not mean preaching. Instead, I believe we need to be so grounded in biblical truth that it naturally flows through writing that is winsome and excellent.

I would imagine the planning of a conference is a lot of work. Do you have helpers?

As I was saying, I would have run the other way! It never ceases to amaze me how much work is involved in directing a three-day conference. Although this is my 27^th year directing Philly and 14^th year directing the Colorado conference, it doesn’t get any easier. I’m grateful my husband is now retired and is able to help with mailings and data entry. My three grown children, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law help each year at the Philly conference along with my three grandchildren. Well, Erin at 20 months, is still too little to help, but soon-to-be six-year-old Laura and her four-year-old brother Ryan love coming to the conference and helping. And then there’s my dear friend in Colorado, Margie Vawter, who assists me with both conferences. I’m very grateful she’s able to fly in and stay with us for a week or longer for the Philly conference. There’s also Wanda Dyson who coordinates the appointments for both conferences and lots of people who come alongside to help during the conference. Can I use more through-the-year help, especially in my home office? Absolutely!

Did your book title, Write His Answer: A Bible Study for Christian Writers and Write His Answer, A Book of Encouragement for Writers come before during or after the conference planning began?

The first edition of Write His Answer was released the day the Gulf War started. It, as well as the second expanded edition, both resulted from meeting the editor at a Christian writers’ conference. I waited until the 25^th anniversary of the Philly conference to make “write His answer” the conference theme. Immediately people began referring to the conferences as the
“Write His Answer Conferences” and so the theme has stuck. Given the ongoing crises in our world I can think of no better theme.

Do you have any other titles brewing about in your head?

I have about 15 chapter titles for another Bible study book for writers and would also love to do a how-to “write His answer” book, but right now I know I can make the greatest Kingdom impact by directing the conferences. There honestly isn’t much time for writing during the almost year-round job of directing.

Has it been a fun experience over all, planning and promoting these conferences? Do you have any miracles you would like to share with us? Any times when you believe God showed up in a very pronounced way?

Fun? Not really. Years ago when I worked in the editorial offices of the American Baptist Churches I used to think that deadlines were exciting. They are anything but exciting and fun now. But does the conference work bring me joy? Absolutely! Even though the hours are often ridiculously long, the time pressures intense, and the computer glitches that seem to always occur during conference season stressful, I am so grateful Father has called me to this work. Each conference I see Him at work touching and changing lives, including mine! And every year He definitely shows up in a very pronounced way. One year that especially stands out in my memory is when we had two sheets of Styrofoam with little metal crosses on each that represented the number of Christians who had paid the ultimate price for their faith during the three days of the conference. I invited everyone to come and take a cross and then go back to their seats. We held our cross up and prayed for our brothers and sisters around the world who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. Last year in Philly C. Hope Flinchbaugh led a Chinese secret house church experience that she will repeat this year in Colorado. Words cannot describe the impact it had on all who participated.

How exactly does a writer’s conference meet the beginning author?

Jesus talked about building our house on a solid foundation. I believe that is what a Christian writers’ conference does for a beginning author. Beyond learning the basics and how to avoid all-to-common mistakes, the relationships that are formed are so important in encouraging a beginner to keep writing.

What do your conferences offer the published author?

For sure there is always more to be learned and friendships to be formed and deepened. Conferences also offer published authors valuable networking opportunities. One of the special features of each conference are the FOUR 15-minute one-on-one appointments with faculty that conferees choose.

Have authors that attended your conferences gone on to becoming published authors? Any one we might know?

Joyce Magnin has a debut novel with Abingdon and Christa Parrish met her agent at the Philly conference and is now publishing novels with Tyndale. Miggy Krentel was in her 80s when she went to the Colorado conference and landed a contract with David C. Cook. There are so many others. Thank You, Father!

This year what is the particular social justice issue you hope to bring to light for many that might not be aware of and what ones have you championed in the past?

Social justice issues and especially human trafficking will be highlighted at both conferences as well as the needs of persecuted Christians in China and North Korea. The August 12-14 Philly conference will offer a new continuing session on “Justice, Compassion & Advocacy” with Dr. John M. Perkins (also keynoting); Geraldine Ryerson-Cruz, advocacy writer, World Vision Int’l; Steven Lawson, senior editor, Regal Books; and a team of professionals.

What has been the hardest part of the fulfilling of this call on your life?

Without a doubt the spiritual battles. I remember Jim Watkins saying years ago that you can’t get several hundred people together and excited about writing for the Lord only to have the evil one say, “Isn’t that nice!”

What do you hope people will take away from attending this year’s conferences?

It is always my prayer that they will encounter God in a new and deeper way. Knowing Him is the key to making Him known in our writing.

Where can people find out more about you and the conferences?

In my “spare” time I manage three Web sites. The umbrella for my ministry is www.writehisanswer.com. It has Bible studies, how-to’s, info on my Write His Answer and Get Your Book in Print Seminars that I’m available to teach around the nation, a bookstore for writers, and more. Then there’s www.writehisanswer.com/Colorado where writers can register securely online for the May 12-15 Colorado conference. The Philly conference at www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia still has last year’s info. I plan to begin updating the site the end of this week and open online registration April 1. No fooling!

I confess to being Facebook, Twitter, and Shoutlife challenged although I do have an account with each. I know there’s so much more these groups offer that would help spread the word about the conferences, but until someone comes alongside to help me or Father miraculously grants me more hours in a day, I only occasionally post updates.

Would you like to offer our readers out there a last word of encouragement?

Keep your eyes on Jesus as the writer of Hebrews says. Stay in the Word. Trust Him and His perfect timing, and don’t give up. Stay on the growing edge spiritually and professionally. And to combat the self-doubts, disappointments, and discouragement that those who are truly called are likely to struggle the most with, order Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers through my online bookstore at www.writehisanswer.com.

Marlene, thank you so much for joining us here today and I hope our readers will check out your links here in this blog and make plans to attend one of your conferences. I have had the privilege to attend both and feel they offer some of the best workshops, and faculty appointments an author could hope to find.

From my heart to yours,

Diana

An Irish Blessing

Since it's St Patrick's Day and a lot of people know that I'm a 5th generation Irish storyteller and a 4th generation Texas Bull Shipper (you notice how carefully I said that word) that it might be appropriate to say a few words.

My Irish heritage goes back further than 5 generations, that's just as far as I can document the storytellers in the line, although I suspect they all are. My great-grandmother was an O'Green from Cork County, although they dropped the O on the boat on the way over and it just became Green. I know her daddy could spin a wee tale, so that makes five for sure.

On St Pats day everyone wants to be Irish. I was at a conference in San Antonio when it rolled around a couple of years ago and everyone in the place was trying to be Irish to the core. When they found out I was the real deal I became something of a celebrity. Given my size they speculated that I might actually be a leprecauhn disguised in a ten gallon hat. Someone pointed out that leprecauhns were very little men but someone else quickly pointed out “not in Texas.”

I neither confirmed nor denied it and still stand by that position. If you look up the definition of leprecauhn it says "they usually take the form of old men who enjoy partaking in mischief." Ask my wife if that isn't true.

Should any of you be superstitious, or if you just don't want to take chances, the famous "Luck of the Irish" is only transferable on this day by receiving an Irish blessing, preferably from a real leprecauhn. For that reason I will now pronounce upon you the most famous of all the Irish blessings:

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Oh, yes, it's also said that you can capture a leprecauhn and find the location of their pot of gold, but that's back in the old country and you'd have to catch one over there to accomplish that.

Interview with Terry's Client Bryn Jones

What is your latest project? Tell us about it.

The book is called The Next Chapter. It is a thriller where Sal Russo, a writer, finds his career in a freefall after losing his wife and daughter to a terrible accident. While missing deadlines and facing an ultimatim from his publisher, he finds a mysterious package in his garden. In it, he finds a chapter detailing a young girl's abduction. It ends with a challenge: Write the next chapter in her life, or she dies. Proving this is no mere hoax, the package also holds a plastic bag with a heart inside. Meanwhile, the police are investigating the girl's abduction as well as the reappearance of bodies of girls who'd gone missing years earlier. At each of the body dump sites the police find a page of one of Sal Russo's novels. With evidence mounting against Sal as a suspect, his only chance for vindication is to write the next chapter and save the girl before time runs out.

How did you research for this book?

I set the book in Bloomington, Minnesota and its surrounding cities since that's where I live. I called various law enforcement agencies, including the Bloomington Police Department, the FBI regional office and the BCA. I spent hours reading police procedure for abductions and crime scene investigation. I also had a contact who gave me detailed information on the Mall Of America's security procedures for the abduction scene.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

In the most unsuspecting places. For this book I woke up with an idea of a writing game where one person starts a story and the next person has to continue it. In my sleep-adled brain, I wondered what would happen if whatever someone wrote, it really took place. Around the same time I was doing a lot of thinking about God's sovereignty and why bad things happen to good people. I had an idea of a story that would show how even though God is directing our fate, he sometimes allows us to go through terrible things, knowing that he's working it to our ultimate good (in this case, Sal Russo directs the girl's fate in his writing).

What has been the hardest part of writing your latest book and how did you overcome it?

Getting from one chapter to the next. The first 100 pages were both fun and hard. As I got into the story, my outline changed completely and at times I felt like I was driving blind. I overcame the writing by doing what I call the Dean Koontz method. I wrote each chapter over and over until I had it down to what I wanted it to be. Then I moved on to the next. This allowed me to focus in on each scene and craft it for tone and feel. It also allowed my brain to get the story's tempo. I noticed the chapters get shorter and more intense as the story moved toward its climax.

What do you hope people will take away from reading your book?

That while we don't understand why God allows bad things to happen to us, He is in ultimate control and both sees us and knows us.

What new projects are you working on?

I'm working on a thriller/Adventure where treasure hunters are looking for the broken fragments of the original Ten Commandments that Moses brought down and shattered at Mt. Sinai.

Where can people find out more about you and your writing? The programs and speaking that you do?

I have a web site, www.brynjones.celestialsign.com. There you can read about me, view a few sample chapters of my novel and read a number of short stories that have been published.

What is the best writing advice you ever got? The worst?

The best advice: My mom: "Is that the best word you can use to describe that?" also a book called "Between the Lines."
The worst advice: The market doesn't like novels with writers as the main characters. Or men. Male writer characters aren't going to sell.


Anything else you'd like to take this opportunity to say?

Writing fiction is like being a superhero. There's this gift that seems so hard to use, is often overlooked or underappreciated, and yet it comes with great responsibility to use properly and constantly, regardless of compensation.

_____________________________________

Notes From the Fla Christian Writers Conference shared by Diana

Dear Reader; I wanted to share with you a few of the highlights from the Fla Christian Writers Conference I just returned from this past Sunday.

This was the second year that the Fla Christian Writers Conference was held at the Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center located in Lake Yale Florida and my first time in attendance. What a beautiful venue for the conference. Each morning we were greeted by incredible beauty even if the temps were low and our breath could be seen as we walked over to the cafeteria where our breakfast was served. The food was very good and in plentiful supply. The dinning hall was banked by windows with a lovely view of the Lake and was wi fi wired.

The most outstanding feature of the landscape to this Pennsylvania girl was the Spanish moss draped trees. It gave the campus an Other Worldly feel. Mysterious and exotic. The perfect backdrop for the eclectic group pf writers editors and publishers assembled.

I thought I might share some of the wisdom imparted to us from the highly qualified faculty I was privileged to be a part of.

Three of the keynote speeches were given by Cec (Cecil) Murphey. For those of you new to Cec, he is an author and Ghost Writer of award winning titles, and has had 108 books published, 17 of them fiction. Cec’s current bestseller is 90 Minutes in Heaven, which he wrote for Don Piper. Another title he is well known for is, Gifted Hands,The Ben Carson Story, a personal favorite of mine. You can find out more about Ces at www.themanbehindthewords.com/ .

Cec spoke to us, "Don't be afraid to say things your way. Be as open and transparent as possible. In Christian writing it is easier to sound like everybody else. Be as real and as true to yourself as you can. Let us know who you are." He implored us to take risks, reminded us that we had something to offer others that only we could offer. "You don't have to be brilliant- be authentic!"

A second keynote speaker was Jesse Floren from Focus on the Family. Oh my goodness, he has us all laughing so hard and groaning the next! His introduction gave us a take away tag line, "Writing Will Make You Sick!" If you know anyone that was there- ask them to explain that one for you! We will never forget it! (Has to do with riding upside down in a P51 Mustang airplane for his first story for Focus.) Jesse also shared that we should realistically examine ourselves to see if we are meant to be a writer, Is the writing life for me or am I meant instead to be an editor, a marketer or an agent? Also, "You can't be a writer without hope. You must apply Christ's words on servant hood to the writers life. Serve your reader, serve your subject, serve the tools of the trade and serve the editor.We all have blind spots- editors often know best. Lastly but most importantly, serve God." He shared a quote by Ken Dyer, "The words you write, they are not sacred, nor the pen and paper but the heart that God moves is."

Author Jerry B. Jenkins spoke Saturday night. What a wonderful glimpse into the heart of a gifted writer. He shared the many 'malapropisms' his friend often said, making us LOL. He told us, "writers are good readers, great writers are great readers." He shared many excerpts from his favorite writers, driving home his point. He challenged the writer to write concisely and to use words the reader would understand, being careful to get out of your own way. Two scriptures Jerry shared were Psalm 91:1&2 and Joshua 4:19-24.

A highlight for me was getting to sit in on three workshops presented by Zena Dell Lowe titled Screenwriting- Using Hollywood Storytelling Tools. Most everything Zena presented is applicable to the novel fiction writer. She blew me away, pointing out by example many films I had seen, describing what they had lacked or succeeded in doing right. She stressed the importance of a writer telling a normal story in a unique way. For Example: Finding Nemo was a coming of age movie. Told in a different way. "Figure out your genre and write for it." "Action must have action, comedy must be funny." " Writers work better with boundaries". Sharing about spiritual gifts and demonstrating the fruits of the spirit, Zena reminded us it was not what we did but HOW we did it. "Don't carry the mantle without seeking God." Zena continued, "The writer must do a good job of telling the truth. Don't protect the reader by withholding truth from them. There is a lot of criticism that we think we hold the corner on truth- well we do!" Zena's told us to present the truth and let the Holy Spirit work. I highly recommend trying to catch this screenwriter at a conference near you!

In addition to these there were workshops on blogging, marketing, public speaking, writing a great book proposal, to how to make your reader care. I hope this gives you an appetizing taste of what a writers conference has to offer. We encourage you to attend one if you can.

I made a new forever friend in my roommate Nina Bergman as well as met many talented unpublished authors. An album of pics can be seen at my FB page. Stop over and take a look. Some of you will see many familiar faces.

A final note: A recurring thread of discussion through out the whole conference and from most editors we have talked with this year, is the need for authors to present the highest quality writing to their agents and editors. Hone your skills at workshops such as these, through online courses, and in critique groups. Make it an easy decision for the editor to chose your manuscript above the others placed on their desks.

Thanks for stopping by.
From my heart to yours,
Diana

Good Morning from Joyce.

I’ve been thinking about rejections this morning, especially since I’ve received three already this week. And yet, I’ve received some good news too, proposals going to committee, a publisher reconsidering a book that he turned down. All in the course of the work that we do here at Hartline Literary Agency. I know rejections are disheartening, they are for all of us, and believe me we get our share of them.

And then again, we get a good share of offers for publishing.

Here is an explanation from an editor of a rejection that I got yesterday:

“However, the basic reason we reject most of the proposals that we look at is that we decide, for a variety of reasons, that we won’t be able to sell enough copies of the book to make it a good business decision. That touches on the topic, the audience, the size of the audience, whether the audience in question is likely to buy a book on the topic (or would they be more likely to get their data off the Internet), the other books that are already out there on the same topic, and so forth.

All of this (and more) comes into play with every proposal we look at. If we don’t feel that we can move large numbers in year 1, with low returns, we don’t go after a book no matter how much we might like it personally.”

I hope this will help you to understand the business of publishing a little better. Rejections are not necessarily personal.

We all have to realize that publishing is a business, an expensive business. For many publishers it is also a ministry. However, those companies have salaries to pay, utilities to keep on, upkeep on buildings, etc. They have to make a profit to stay in business and publish the books they do buy.

Keep on writing and don’t get discouraged when you get rejections. Well, you can get discouraged a little while, but then get up and write some more. One well-known author wrote eight books before he got one sold. As I’ve said before it takes consistence and perseverance.

May you all have a wonderful day, encourage one another and write for His glory.

In His service,
Joyce

Free books? by Terry Burns

It is a good idea to think it through and decide what our free book policy should be. I did think it through and came up with one before I had books to give and made it known. That’s easier than trying to change policy midstream.

I do give copies to immediate family, mom and kids, although one or two like to have a collection of them but rarely if ever read them.

Traditionally one is given to whoever the book is dedicated to.

To other family and friends I make it clear that I get a limited number of author copies and once they are exhausted have to buy books to have personal stock so I expect people to buy them. I have a local bookstore that I consider my ‘home store’ and keeps my books in stock. I apologize for being out of author copies and refer family and friends there to get them. I also count on family members to come to book signings in their area and to help turn out a crowd. It is a key factor for a decent book signing to have someone who will assume a personal responsibility to have people there and make phone calls to make that happen. Family are the most likely candidates if that role is made clear to them.

Blog tours and reviewers plus any that might be given away with an interview I don’t consider giveaways but advertising and they show up on my income tax just that way. It’s hard to quantify what sort of impact these have on book sales but all contribute to the ‘word of mouth’ promotion that everyone agrees is the most important of all of the strategies for book promotion. There are some reviewers that have to be done in advance of the release of the book and often these have to be done by the publisher rather than the author. These are the critical reviews, the ones that book buyers for libraries and bookstores count on for selecting products they will acquire since they obviously cannot read all the books.

At church I will often give signed books if they will put an appropriate amount or more in the building fund in my name, then I deduct that amount from what I give to the building fund. That means I am putting the amount in the building fund I intended to give and putting a few books out in the process. That also makes me feel less like one of the ‘sellers in the temple’ where Jesus overturned their tables and tossed them out. That’s not company I want to be in.

The point is, the smart thing to do is to think it through before the process starts in order to be able to articulate just what the policy is. The most important phrase for those family and friends that think they should get a free copy is “I’m sorry, I have exhausted all of my author copies now and have to buy them just like you do.” But be careful about exceptions, exceptions lead to more exceptions.

I'll be interested to see your further thoughts on giving away free books.

Terry

Interview with Diana's client, Author Cleo Lampos

Cleo, when did you first develop your passion for writing? During high school and college, I loved any written assignments. Keeping journals during those years taught me to express emotions. When my children were growing up, I wrote devotionals based on their antics for our church newsletters. During their teen years, our family experiences became short stories and narratives for Sunday School papers and magazine articles.

You recently retired from Teaching. How did teaching influence your writing and did you get any of your story ideas from experiences at your school? The 26 years of teaching regular and special education translated into numerous articles for magazines such as Teachers in Focus. Whenever a student overcame a challenge, I wrote their anecdote in my notebooks. So many children in an urban setting struggle against great odds. Recording their victories inspired me as a teacher. These notes are the basis of story ideas.

You have tried your hand at writing historical and contemporary fiction genres, as well as non-fiction. What is your favorite book you have written so far? I really enjoyed writing Second Chances, a novel with a teacher fresh from the country trying to survive in Diamond Projects, an urban school. Of course, she meets the local police officer with a mysterious past. Her struggles to connect with her students parallel my own challenges as a first-year teacher from a dairy farm facing a class of forty-two culturally deprived students in a high crime district. Wouldn’t this make a great series about other teachers in Diamond Projects?

I certainly think so! Hopefully the publishers will too.

You have a published book titled, Grandpa’s Remembering Book. Can you tell us a bit about this book and why you wrote it, Cleo? Grandpa’s Remembering Book is inspired by the heart wrenching deterioration from Alzheimer’s of my Aunt Lois, and the illustrator’s father-in-law. In the book, the steps for passing memories from one generation to another is provided. The practical text engages the reader in a journey of empathy depicting a tool to use with memory loss in loved ones. Although it looks like a children’s picture book, it is a family informational book.

What has been the response from its readers? Several nursing homes in the Chicago area share the book with the families of new patients suffering memory loss. Oddly, speech pathologists claim that it has been of special help to them. Anyone who is a caregiver has found the book to be helpful and encouraging. A Writer’s Digest review begins, “It is an amazing little book.”

Cleo, the story I signed you on with was about the Orphan Trains of America’s History. Do you know before I read your manuscript these Trains were totally unknown to me? Your story is a beautiful one of a Mother’s love for her children and the great sacrifice the mothers at that time were called upon to make. Is it written from any personal family history?

My brother’s family lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota, one of the stops for the orphan trains. As the orphan train riders grew to adulthood, they held reunions in which they told their stories. The local town people listened to them and invited them to speak in the schools. Today, the grandchildren of these orphans relate their experiences. The county museum in St. Cloud houses many books about the orphan trains and personal narratives as well. These resources became invaluable in my research.

Do your characters just pop in your head? Where do they spring from? My characters for A Mother’s Song are based on the types of women who entered the orphan train experience. One is the women who must give up their children and the other is the women who adopt these children. Their stories are as varied as the women themselves, but underneath the motivation of most women is their love for children. Widely reading their narratives enabled me to feel their pain and longings.

How do you research your historical stories, do you spend a lot of time at your library? Yes, I utilize the local library, but I actually buy a lot of books so I can underline and go back to passages. Through the internet, I gleaned a lot of information as well as contact with the resources at the Orphan Train Museum in Kansas.

What do you hope people will take away from reading your books? We all face difficulties and problems, whether as an orphan, urban teacher or caregiver. In every book that I have written, the power of love to overcome obstacles is evident. Our ability to love comes from a deep realization of God’s faithfulness.

Cleo, I know that you’re a member of ACFW. How has this been a help to you? Do you belong to a local chapter? ACFW is the first inbox mail that I open in the morning. I enjoy reading other author’s opinions, suggestions, struggles and triumphs. Such inspiration! I do belong to a writer’s critique group with Lynn Austin, Jane Rubietta and Joy Bocanegra. They keep me accountable both professionally and spiritually. Writing is not a Long Ranger adventure. We need each other to make it.

I would imagine like most authors, once people know you are writing you get a lot of advice. What has been the most helpful to you? At the Wheaton Write to Publish Conference, one of the panel members said she used the “button chair method” to write. It really works!

Do you use any of the newer technology in your writing habits? I am connecting with other authors through Facebook, and tend to Google a lot more. A yellow legal pad is still my best bet for writer’s block. The feel of a lead pencil on paper is magical.

Where can people find out more about you and your writing and your previously published title? I am on Facebook, loving to communicate with other authors. Amazon.com carries Grandpa’s Remembering Book.

Would you like to offer the other authors out there a last word of encouragement? Our words can be healing in a broken world. We need to hone our craft and become the best communicators of God’s love that we can in a fresh and relevant way. That is my desire.

Cleo, thank you so much for joining us here today. It has been good to get to know you better. It is apparent your writing is ministry as well as a labor of love. May your Grandpa's Remembering book continue to help families deal with their heartbreak and we hope to see your others tiles join this one on Amazon.

From my heart to yours,

Diana