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Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Writing Craft » Page 10

Writing Craft

Conference Hacks for First-time Writers

By Megan Brownon August 17, 2023
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When I attended my first writers conference, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. In 2017, a mentor author awarded me a scholarship, purchasing my ticket to the Speak Up Conference with Carol Kent. I had never written an article, much less had any idea how to begin the process of writing a book. In my limited understanding, someone who was interested in writing a book just had to sit down in a quiet space, brain-dump every thought they had on a particular subject onto the page, and then organize these thoughts into something resembling a legible format. I know. I was a little naïve and a little silly at the beginning. I had never heard the word “platform” and had no concept of how to construct a book proposal. I found myself completely inexperienced, and it showed. Ultimately, some of the greatest benefits of writers conferences are the people you’ll meet while you learn all about the business side of this work.

Before you head off to your writers conferences this year, here are a few helpful tips I wish I knew from the start.

Do your homework. Take a moment to discover what the conference offers and what tools, if any, you’ll need to get the most out of your experience. Some conferences offer peer-to-peer writing groups or 15-minute, one-on-one appointments. Visit the conference website and search out what you can expect in attending. Prepare your one-sheet, your business cards, and even have a copy of your working proposal on hand.

Develop your 30-second elevator pitch. While at an in-person conference event, writers have a multitude of opportunities to connect with other writers, agents, and editors. Don’t miss an opportunity to share more about who you are and what you do with the right people. A 30-second elevator pitch includes:

  • Who you are, what you do, and what you want to achieve.
  • Your core conviction regarding what you’re writing.
  • Your skills and credentials to write on this topic.
  • Your belief about the impact of your book.

Here’s an example. “My name is Megan Brown. I’m a seasoned military spouse, mother of four, and military missionary. I believe God is in fierce pursuit of the military community, and He has called me to serve Him in sharing the gospel with today’s warrior class. I’ve been a military missionary for ten years and have graduated with two degrees: a bachelor’s degree in ministry leadership with a focus in women’s ministry and theology, along with a master’s degree in Global Ministry Design, from Moody Bible Institute. Mobilizing the U.S. Armed Forces for the gospel could be a catalyst for worldwide revival, and I’m writing resources to equip this community to carry the redemptive story of Jesus to the four corners.

Decide to be intentional with your time. One of my favorite things about writers conferences is the “happenstance” meetings on the fly. Between walking from one workshop to the next or at shared meals, I have found the connections made in the spaces between have been beyond life-giving. During these “in-between” spaces, be mindful of who is at the table or who is walking beside you.

Pay attention to the others at the table. Listen. Learn. Be willing to be invested in the people God has placed in your path. Don’t forget. It’s the people to your right and left who have the potential to create an impact on your writing career.

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Category: Conferences

Who Owns Whom in Publishing?

By Steve Laubeon August 14, 2023
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Updated August 2023 (first created November 2011) For a comprehensive list, check out The Christian Writers Market Guide. Available in print at your favorite retailer or as an online subscription (updated frequently) at www.ChristianWritersMarketGuide.com. My emphasis in this post is the Christian publishing industry. There are many fine commercial publishers that do not publish Christian books …

Read moreWho Owns Whom in Publishing?
Category: Book Business, Defense of Traditional Publishing, Get Published, The Publishing LifeTag: Book Business, The Publishing Life, Traditional Publishing

Characterization Part 4

By Lynette Easonon August 9, 2023
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Give your characters a personality In the last post, we worked on figuring out what made our characters tick. We talked about Most Painful Life Moment, goals, motivations, and the difference between the last two. Today, I want to continue the discussion on characterization. So, by now you should know your characters pretty well when it comes to their “why”; now let’s talk about their “who.” WHO …

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Category: Craft, Writing Craft

Characterization – Part Three

By Lynette Easonon July 26, 2023
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Welcome to part 3 of crafting characters. I did warn you there might be quite a few posts on this topic, but I hope you’re enjoying the journey. In the last post, I talked about building our characters and all of the things we needed to start doing that. If you haven’t yet, visit the post and take a look at the list/template I provided. Once I have most of the template filled in, I jump right to …

Read moreCharacterization – Part Three
Category: The Writing Life, Writing Craft

Endorsements: How Important Are They?

By Steve Laubeon July 17, 2023
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How important are endorsements? (Those “blurbs” on the back of a book that exclaim, “A real masterpiece!”) Let me answer with a question. When browsing a book title, do you look at the endorsements or notice who wrote the foreword or the introduction? I suspect you do without realizing it. And if you are unfamiliar with the author but you know the endorser, then you are …

Read moreEndorsements: How Important Are They?
Category: Book Proposals, Writing CraftTag: Endorsements, Get Published, Proposals

Writing Your Novel: Characterization Part 2

By Lynette Easonon July 12, 2023
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As I discussed in the previous post from June 22, when beginning work on a new novel, I go straight to my characters. Central to any story are the protagonists, antagonists, and supporting cast who drive the narrative, evolve throughout the story, and captivate the reader’s imagination. So, where do I start when it comes to character development? For me, it’s backstory. If I don’t know my …

Read moreWriting Your Novel: Characterization Part 2
Category: Writing CraftTag: Characterization

Everyone is a Critic

By Steve Laubeon July 10, 2023
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One of the burdens an artist must bear is the scrutiny of public opinion. It can either be exhilarating or devastating. At the risk of oversimplifying the issue, let’s look at some categories that define this topic. Opinion Everyone has an opinion. The problem for the author is to determine how much weight to give to those opinions. One mistake a writer will make is to ask someone or a group of …

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Category: Book Business, Book Review, Career, Craft, Creativity, Writing CraftTag: Career, Critiques, reviews

One Agent’s Loves and Hates

By Bob Hostetleron June 29, 2023
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I recently posted on social media about my (possibly unhealthy) love for em dashes—that is, the dashes that are the width of the letter m, often used to set off examples, explanations, or descriptions, as I did in this sentence. (See how beautiful it is?) An editor friend named Linda commented, “This is so me. I love the em-dash. Nothing aggravates me more when editing than when a writer …

Read moreOne Agent’s Loves and Hates
Category: Craft, Grammar, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

Rookie Conference Mistakes: How to Avoid Missed Opportunities

By Megan Brownon June 27, 2023
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“Stop talking, Megan Brown.” I could feel the heat flush in my face. This always happens to me. I realized I was unapologetically spilling my guts about the book idea in my brain without even pausing to breathe and completely dominating the conversation at this roundtable-style workshop. The look of sheer confusion on the mentor author’s face told me I was talking way too much, and I still …

Read moreRookie Conference Mistakes: How to Avoid Missed Opportunities
Category: Conferences

Starting the Story. It’s a Process. What’s Yours?

By Lynette Easonon June 22, 2023
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Characterization (part 1) I don’t know how you start your stories, but mine always start with the characters. And while every writer has their own way of creating what will be a book in the end, I’m going to share a bit about my process. Keep in mind, this is what works for me. There is no right or wrong way to write a book. If it’s a book in the end, you did it the right way. So, characters. …

Read moreStarting the Story. It’s a Process. What’s Yours?
Category: Writing Craft
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