More on the Houston Christian Writers Conference

Friday, July 31, you can enjoy the Meet The Christian Author Night in Spring, Texas, information in the previous blog, and the next day, August 1 is the Houston Christian Writers Conference held at First Baptist Church in Houston.

Cec. Murphy will be talking on Who We Are Determines What We Write.

Following the keynote address, attendees will enjoy a variety of workshops. The conference fee includes a continental breakfast, lunch, snacks, and four workshops. Sign up sheets for personal 15 minute conferences with Don Aycock, Janice Thompson, DiAnn Mills, Kathleen Y'Barbo, Terry Burns, and Anita Higman will be available on a first come, first served basis at the registration tables.

Workshop Presenters and Topics are:

Cecil Murphey
TopicsHow to Write a Best Seller
Keep Your Writing Simple

Kathy Ide
Self-editing Your Manuscript
Tax Tips for FreelancersWriting
Selling Church Plays and Scripts

Janice Thompson
Mystery: Cozy or Suspense?
Cooking up a Good Plot (with Kathleen Y’Barbo)

Kathleen Y’Barbo
Writing Around the Roadblocks
Cooking up a Good Plot (with Janice Thompson)

Anita Higman
Writing Gothic Mysteries

DiAnn Mills/Gail Martin
Writing Christian Fiction - Part I - Weaving Faith in Fiction - Gail Gaymer Martin
Writing Christian Fiction - Part II - Creating Characters - DiAnn Mills
Writing Christian Fiction - Part II - Showing Real Emotions - DiAnn Mills
Writing Chrsitian Ficiton - Part IV - Plotting and Pacing - Gail Gaymer Martin

Gail Martin
Common Writing Problems

Cyndy Salzmann
Organized by Design (2 Back to Back)
Putting the Clamp on Clutter

For more information visit http://www.tcwchouston.blogspot.com/
Or contact Conference Director, Martha Rogers at martharogers@sbcglobal.net

Meet The Christian Author Night - in Spring, TX

I'll be participating in a conference on Saturday, and the before I'll be participating in Meet The Christian Authors Night. Spring, Texas is near Houston. I would love to meet you there. Please jot it on your calenders.

More About Gideon in the Blue Ridge

The day we arrived at the Gideon Film Festival Conference, Bob and I decided to eat dinner in Black Mountain since our confernece meals didn't start until the next day. We found a great place called Red Rocker Inn. It's a B & B but they also have a dining room. The day was Sunday, and they had only a buffet, but the food was good. I thought the place was charming.
























One of the special opportunties for authors was to have a scene from one of their novels dramatized by actors. I scripted a scene from The Christmas Kite, and this young woman, Sandy B. read the part of Meara, an Irish born woman with long red hair. She read it with a brogue.

I learned that day that I'm not a scriptwriter or screenwriter. I have a lot to learn if I ever decided to tackle that.

Rusty Whiterner read the part of Jordan in the script. He was a great guy and fun to get to know.

This photo was taken at the Gala that ran from 9:30 to noon. It was an opportunity to buy books and movies and to network with all the artists who were there. I met some great people.

Maria Lemmon is looking at the trailer for The Christmas Kite. She is a screenwriter and won an award for adapting a book into a movie script. I enjoyed meeting her.






















A great writer and friend, Rene Gutteridge presented two workshops at the Gideon Festival--one on novelization (turning a movie into a novel) and one on adaption (turning a novel into a movie). She's done both successfully. Her book Never A Bride is now in the stores. It's a great book and sure to be an excellent movie.

Anyone who is interested in screenwriting, movie producing, acting and even presenting church productions can learn very much from this great conference.

The Gideon Experience

The Gideon experience starts on our ride through Knoxville, Tennessee. Fields of flowers blossom along the roadways, and when I saw the field of poppies, I knew I was on my way to the Land of Oz. It is breathtaking.

(Don't forget to click on the photos for an enlargements, then use the back button to return to the blog.)


Ridgecrest is in the Blue Ridge Moutains, and those who attend anything at Ridgecrest will experience a setting of moutainsides. The hotel where we stayed is on a higher level than the cafeteria where we ate and most of the classrooms. . .so conferees need to adjsut to steps or walking down and up hills. Huff. Puff. Pant. Pant.


This venue hosts Ridgecrest Writers Conference and the Gideon Film Festival, and I've enjoyed being on staff at the writers conference and being an Honored Author at the Gideon Festival . At the Festival Honored Authors had special events such as talking with movie producers about our stories and learning the craft of adaption and novelization.

We arrived early for the banquet. Here's picture of Gayle Roper and I at the table set with candles, fine china, and alternating desserts. If you look closely, you'll see a chocolate mountain made of mousse and a cream filling inside. The other dessert was a blend of raspberry soaked cake layers with cream filling, and a layer of cheese cake with raspberries woven through. Really yummy.




Dinner was chicken with a cream sauce, oven baked potates and green beans, garnished with an edible orchid. A lovely event. Most tables had a movie producer or two where authors were able to talk and share ideas.

I also had a chance to hear a scene from one of my books dramatize by actors plus a Gala event. Those will be another day.

New Writing Book from Jeff Gerke

Some of you may know Christian novelist and editor, Jeff Gerke. Recently I learned about his new book The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction. I read this book and found it an excellent resource so I want to tell you about it. This book is easy to read and to understand for any genre of fiction, both Christian and secular.

The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction is not just for writing Christian fiction. This book is an excellent resources for any genre. It covers many techniques of writing fiction and will help you excel as a writer. Although I've sold forty-one novels, I found some great ideas on the craft of wrting and will use them. Gerke not only explains the aspects of writing but also provides good examples from popular movies and fiction so that it helps the writer understand. Some of the topics covered in the book include: beginning a novel, using setting effectively, dealing with point of view, showing vs. telling, dumb puppet trick (a great resource), using description, word choices, dialogue and more.

Jeff Gerke is a popular writer's conference teacher, professional book doctor, and Christian novelist. A Christy Award-winning editor, Jeff Gerke entered the Christian fiction publishing industry as a novelist. Under the pen name Jefferson Scott, Jeff has had six of his Christian novels published. He has served on the editorial staff of Multnomah, Strang Communications, and NavPress. Novels that Jeff has edited or acquired have won multiple Book of the Year awards. He is the founder and publisher of Marcher Lord Press.

You can purchase this book at Amazon Click here: Amazon.com: The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction: Jeff Gerke: Books or in Jeff's store at http://www.marcherlordpress.com/store/

Gideon Adventures

I am attending the Gideon Film Festival Conference in Ridgecrest, NC, a wonderul setting if you like to climb mountains to get to your classes. Now, I admit that is an exaggeration but this, Lifeway Conference Center is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains and you can't get anywhere without walking up or down an incline or a multitude of steps. . .so if you're looking for a great place to learn about writing or film making plus losing some weight through exercise, this is the place for you.

My husband says I'm the only person he knows who willing tells people the dumb things that they do. My philosophy is I'd rather tell them than have him tell the story. I prefer my POV.

One of my stupidest actions at the hotel was to call maintenance for a light bulb for my bedside lamp. The phone was on the table and it was almost too dark to read the instructions. But I made out, in the shadows, to dial the number and then add my room number. When I did this, I was connected, then popped in my room number and was told to leave a message. I gave a detailed story (since it asked for details) that I'd left a note for the cleaning lady but she hadn't taken care of the problem so I assumed I should call them. I finished the details and hung up.

A few minutes later, I noticed we had a message. Weird I thought, and since it was so dark in that corner I couldn't read how to retrieve the message. My husband figured it out -- and when he listened, he laughed. I'd left the message to myself. Upon reading the instructions to me, I learned that I should have dialed the number, then when connected begin by speaking my room number and giving details to the problem.

I explained that I wanted to test my message so that I didn't sound irritated. Bob didn't fall for it. . . but that's my POV and I'm sticking to it.

The next event -- though not stupid -- involved our walk back from Rutledge Chapel at 10:30 PM with Gayle Roper, author of so many wonderful Christian novels. When she stepped on rocks strewn on the steeply inclined asphalt and fell. Her head bleeding her concern that she'd broken her foot sent my husband to his cell phone to call 911. We followed her, along with Yvonne Lehman, to emergency and arrived back at the conference center at 2:30 AM with Gayle encased in a boot with a broken ankle but no concussion. Praising God for that. But where the story grows is the next day, we heard rumors to avoid walking anywhere with the Martins because were dangerous. LOL

I'm sure I'll have more wonderful stories but for now, I'm not confessing another thing.

Getting Ready for Gideon

Here's an amazing opportunity for Christian writeres to learn the art of screenwriting, acting and so much more. Novelists will learn how to better our writing by using screenwriting techniques and we will also learn to pitch our novels and have the opportunity to do that with Christian producers and screenwriters.

Gideon Media Arts Conference & Film Festival

Welcome to the Gideon Media Arts Conference & Film Festival, a Christian conference & Christian film festival.

Who should participate in the Gideon?

Actors, screenwriters, producers, graphic novelists, graphic artists, directors, singers, songwriters, radio hosts, publishers, filmmakers, writers, novelists and anyone aspiring to be in film, television, theater, church drama, or any other form of media arts. The Gideon offers opportunities for the beginner as well as the professional and for individuals or churches wishing to expand their drama ministry.
The Gideon was designed to spread the word of Jesus Christ through the media arts.

LifeWay Conference Center, Ridgecrest, NC

May 31 - June 4, 2009

REGISTRATION CONTINUES
You can still register for the 2009 Gideon. Registration will continue until May 31, so if you haven't reserved your spot, you still have time.

Visit: http://www.gideonfilmfestival.com/Home/?load=1