Learned Anything New Lately? by Terri Weldon

Life's been a little different lately for me. The last time I attended a local ACFW meeting was in February. And this little thing called a pandemic nixed any conference travel plans and writing retreats I might have attended in 2020. But I still need to learn new things! Not to mention interacting with other writers. Are you facing the same challenges?

If you are, there are many learning opportunities online. My first foray into online learning was a FREE online class. I had been struggling with writing and this course dealt with ways to stop sabotaging your future. Fantastic course and did I mention it was FREE?

Next I took several more FREE online classes through the Glendale Public Library. Their writer in residence, Tina Radcliffe, is one of my favorite instructors. So I enrolled in Motivation for Writers, Writer's Platform, and Querying and Pitching to an Editor and Agent. A wealth of information and Tina offered some fantastic perks. Plus as I mentioned above she's one of my favorite instructors.

Right now I'm enrolled in a FREE two part mastersclass being taught by Ted Dekker and I'm scheduled for another class on Saturday. Learning opportunities are available in abundance and I'm loving them!

If you're bummed about having to miss conference (most have been cancelled) than try an online conference. Sally Shupe told me about the 2020 Kentucky Christian Writer's Conference. The fee was only $20.20 for the entire conference plus online access to all the recordings for six months! Believe me, I jumped on that train before it could pull out of the station. The classes were wonderful and I love having access to the classes I missed. There was one timeslot where I wanted to attend three of the courses. Guess what? Since I have online access I'll be able to have virtually attended them all.

ACFW is offering their conference online. It's a little more expensive than what I've mentioned to date, but it is an option. Also, there is the West Coast Christian Writers, the Southern Christian Writers Conference, and the Writing Warriors for Jesus (WWJ) Writing Conference. I'm sure there are many more, so if you know of others, especially resonably priced ones, mention them in the comments.

And if an online course or conference doesn't appeal to you, how about a brainstorming luncheon session on Zoom, Facebook, or one of the other online meeting options?

My intent wasn't for this post to read like a look what I've been up to post. No, it was to encourage you to take advantage of the learning opportunities available to you.

Have you taken advantage of any online courses or conferences? What was your favorite? Enrolled in anything coming up soon? Care to share? I'd love to hear your opinion on online learning.

Right now I'm enrolled in a FREE two part mastersclass being taught by Ted Dekker and I'm scheduled for another class on Saturday. Learning opportunities are available in abundance and I'm loving them!

'

Have you taken advantage of any online courses or conferences? What was your favorite? Enrolled in anything coming up soon? Care to share?

'

A Match Made in Sheffield

Natalie Benton bounced from one foster home to another until she landed on Ellie Alexander’s doorstep. Natalie’s vagabond childhood caused her to yearn for a secure life, which led to Natalie’s five-year plan: complete her law degree, marry the perfect man, become a partner at Montgomery, Haynes, and Preston, and produce one child. 

Getting arrested wasn’t in Natalie’s plan. Needing a public defender wasn’t in her plan. Falling for Grady Hunter, her public defender, definitely wasn’t in her plan. 

Can Grady convince Natalie there is more to life than her five-year plan? 

Is Ellie the only one who sees a future for Natalie and Grady?

Terri Weldon is blessed to be able to write fulltime. She enjoys gardening, reading, working jigsaw puzzles, and shopping for shoes. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction. She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has an adorable Westie – Crosby. She is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Terri is the award winning author of The Christmas Bride Wore Boots.

Passion—Three Keys to Success by Peter Leavell

One of my favorite authors sat across the table. My palms were suddenly sweaty. I’d learned long ago if I didn’t say anything about my emotions, I would hate myself later. How this would go down?

I looked up and opened my mouth to catch her attention, but then I was interrupted. As faculty at the conference, other attenders wanted to chat about my books and workshop. As a famous author, she had people chatting about her books as well. I tried again, but it didn't work.

The interruptions allowed me to observe her personality.

She was shy. Kind. People around her seemed interested in what she had to say. She tried to get others to talk about themselves, deflecting attention away from herself. It worked. She was truly interested in them.

After a few attempts to get her attention, I noticed a puzzled look on her face. She was looking at me, and probably perceived my efforts to say something to her. So, I blurted out my admission, “You’re my favorite author!”

Silence.

She smiled, and as we chatted, those at the table listened to two veteran, literary historical fiction authors talk. And a few times over the course of the week, we managed to trade industry tips.

Most of the time, she remained reserved, but when she talked of American history, her voice rose above the conversations in the room. Color sprinkled her cheeks. She sat straighter, her elbows flared, and her hand motions were wide and generous. Her reserved manner turned into Jonathan Edwards preaching to crowds of tens of thousands. Everyone listened, enraptured. I found myself loving American history, renewing a passion for the past that had fallen dormant. The feeling was so strong, I’m adding a master’s degree in history to my MA in Literature.

In that moment, I learned three things about passion.

—Passion passes from person to person. Smile, and people smile back. Have you a passion for your books? The genre you write? The subject matter you work with? Your fans feed off of the emotion. Talk about your passion. They will buy your books because of your hunger. They will look at the world through your eyes.

—Passion burns longer than grind. If you don’t like your subject, marketing, editing, or some other aspect to writing, you will burn out. And quickly. Continued passion is sustaining.

—Passion makes life fun. Strong emotion makes the quiet person the center of attention. Passion chases away the shadows of doubt and inconsistency, replacing the darkness with vibrant colors that appears in your work.

Choose passion. Indulge in those things you love most. Talk about them. Write them. Make your passion your playground. You won’t regret it as people flock to see what has you so excited!

Passion and three keys for success in your writing. @peterleavell #seriouslywrite #writerslife

Passion in you creates passion in your writing. People will want to know what you're excited about, and will buy your books. @peterleavell #seriouslywrite #writerslife

The passionate person gets noticed—three keys to success using your passion. @peterleavell #sereiouslywrite #writerslife

Peter Leavell, a 2007 graduate of Boise State University with a degree in history and currently enrolled in the University's English Lit Graduate program, as well as History Graduate program, was the 2011 winner of Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest, and 2013 Christian Retailing's Best award for First-Time Author. An author, blogger, teacher, ghostwriter, jogger, biker, husband and father, Peter and his family live in Boise, Idaho. Learn more about Peter's books, research, and family adventures at www.peterleavell.com