Tag Archives: writing conference

Christian Writers Gather in a Spirit of Unity

27 Saturday May 2023

Posted by in News Reports

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By David Kitz

I am writing this report just before Pentecost Sunday, so when reflecting on the May 5th Christian writers’ conference in Surrey, BC, this scripture readily comes to mind: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1, NKJV).

Yes, we gathered in one accord in one place. And yes, in various ways, I believe all the conference participants sensed the Holy Spirit, and the spirit of unity, as we came together for an afternoon and evening of teaching, inspiration, music, drama, art, and sweet fellowship at Peace Portal Alliance Church.

The conference began with a brief land acknowledgement statement that ended with this sentence: “With our First Nations brothers and sisters, we celebrate the manifold gifts of our Creator, land, sea, air, and life in all its rich and varied forms.”

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Carolyn Arends has released 14 albums and is the author of 3 critically-acclaimed books.

The evening ended with a keynote address by award-winning songwriter and recording artist Carolyn Arends. Arends sprinkled her presentation with songs that illustrated her love for her Creator and her engagement with the creative writing process. From start to finish, the conference truly was a celebration of the Creator and the creative process across the broad spectrum of the arts.

In the afternoon, a total of eight workshops were on offer in three distinct time sessions. The workshops built on the theme of faith igniting creativity. Each workshops featured some aspect of creativity in the writing, marketing, and platform building process. One of the most intriguing workshops included an “ask me anything” session where attendees were encouraged to build community as they posed writing related questions to experienced authors.

Perhaps the most appreciated feature of the conference was the visual art display in the conference area foyer organized by artist and writer Violet Nesdoly. Writers were encouraged to jot down their musings on the art on offer, then some of these thoughts were read out following the evening banquet. Also, there was a draw for a large painting that was graciously donated for the conference.

The Surrey Christian Writer’s Conference came together as a collaborative effort between The Word Guild and Inscribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship. The event beautifully illustrated this slightly modified rendering of Psalm 133:1. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live [and work] together in unity!”

That’s where our Creator LORD bestows His blessing.

Ottawa Christian Writers’ Conference

12 Saturday Mar 2016

Posted by in News Reports, Psalms

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Here is a guest post from about an upcoming writers’ conference that I am involved in organizing:

Hi from Denyse O’Leary on behalf of the Ottawa Christian Writers’ Fellowship, suggesting you join us April 2 if you are in the area, for all writerly things, at Greenbelt Church. We have a great and highly affordable conference, featuring a noted speaker:

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The Honourable David Kilgour

Plenary speaker: The Honourable David Kilgour who will be speaking on Developing your Platform as a Writer

And a choice of workshops:

A1: Memoir Writing     OR    A2: Dialogue Writing

B1: Article Writing        OR    B2: Editing Fiction

C: Panel Discussion and Q & A

PLUS a special deal on critiques of your work. For $25, a professional editor will look at your work.

This year, OCWF can provide manuscript critiques (for half the usual price). For $25, you can submit the first 5 pages in advance, and book a 15-minute appointment with a professional editor. Don’t miss this opportunity to find the best writer in you! **

That could save you dozens of wasted hours learning the hard way.

Now here I am, yer humble hack, to answer three burning questions people ask about writing in general:

  1. Do I have what it takes to be a writer?

That’s not the right question. Probably half a million people in North America make their living mainly by their ability to write. Whether you could be one of them depends on whether you are willing to accept a position like the ones they have. You must start by finding out what genres of writing are available and whether one would fit you. Newsletters? Fiction? Non-fiction? Screenplays? Devotions? One must research the field to see where one’s skills would fit.

  1. Can I make enough money writing?

Yes. No. I don’t know. I’ve been a freelance editor and writer most of my life, and made enough money. But one needs some business skills to be self-employed, which most writers are at least some of the time. So assuming that you can find a genre that works for you, consider whether you can also be successfully self-employed. Writing is a well-developed business for self-employed persons, but one needs to learn a different skill set from that of finding a job.

  1. Does it matter if I often feel discouraged, as if I am not getting anywhere with my writing?

Sure. It matters in the same way that discouragement matters to doctors, preachers, teachers, restauranteurs, and politicians. In each case, we look to the origin of the problem. Maybe we are not cut out for a writing career of any sort. But then again, maybe we are not approaching it in the right way. Maybe we aren’t dealing effectively with barriers and distractions. The best approach to those kinds of problems is to spend more time with other writers, listening to and learning form their struggles and sharing ours with them. That’s why we have an OCWF and a Word Guild.

See you at the conference,

Denyse

Denyse O’Leary