The Secrets to a Successful Writing

CareerLearn the "big picture" and key tools to

establish a writing ministry/career, while building portfolio and platform. Includes how-to books, markets, social media, and

other aids. How to submit writing like a pro and work with editors/agents. For newer

writers.

What kind of writing?Fun or profit?

Personal, freelance, book length, non-fiction, fiction, combo?

Online or Print: Really it’s both nowadays.

ABA or CBA?

ABA- (American Booksellers Association) secular writing, mainstream America.

The ABA has a major event called the Book Expo of America usually held in May.

CBA – (Christian Booksellers Association) Christian writing arena.

The CBA has a major event called ICRS (or International Christian Retail Show) held in the summer, but may be morphing into a new retail show as the industry changes.

Both are membership organizations

Writing Organizations:What are they & Where are

they?ACFW www.acfw.com American Christian Fiction Writers $65/1st yr $45/annual

Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). Advanced women's only includes authors, speakers, media professionals. Annual dues are $40. Must apply & meet criteria.

Catholic Writers Guild http://www.catholicwritersguild.com $24/annual

Christian Authors Network (CAN): Advanced/Traditionally Published Authors. Annual dues are $35 http://christianauthorsnetwork.com/join-can/

Idaho Writers League http://www.idahowritersleague.com/ (Secular organization)

RWA www.rwa.com/ $85/annual

RWA: Faith, Hope, and Love Chapter $20/annual http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org/

SCBWI: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

Great list of more writing organizations if this didn't meet your genre: http://writersrelief.com/writers-associations-organizations/

Conferences:Local, Regional, National.

ACFW changes locations each year. www.acfw.com

Blue Ridge (actually 3 conferences) http://www.brmcwc.com/

CCWC Colorado Christian Writers Conference (has sister conference in Philadelphia) www.writehisanswer.com/Colorado

Catholic Writers Conference http://www.catholicwritersconference.com

Inland NW Christian Writers Conference www.inlandnwchristianwriters.com

Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conferencehttp://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference/

NWCA http://www.nwchristianwriters.org/

Romance Writers of America Conference www.rwa.com

New York Pitch Conference http://newyorkpitchconference.com/index.htm

Retreats?Retreats are great for:

• Small group atmosphere so you can dig into your questions and writing deeply.

• Networking that becomes more relational.

• Learning in a relaxed atmosphere.

• Builds brainstorming, critique, and professional confidence.Retreat concepts range from

educational to business focused to writing intensives.

Here’s a few starters:• MT Pages—Held at a Bible

camp 45 min. north of Missoula, MT in August. http://angelabreidenbach.com/MT-Pages-Retreat/

• Margie Lawson Immersion Classhttp://www.margielawson.com/immersion-master-class

Genre Examples:

Fiction: Contemporary, historical, suspense/thriller, romance, biblical, missional, Western, prairie, Amish, military, fantasy/sci-fi, women’s fiction, children’s (includes age specific ranges), literary, YA, etc.

Non-fiction: poetry, articles, Christian living (secular is called self-help), Bible studies, memoir, biography, curriculum, marriage, parenting, how-to, homeschooling, cookbooks, etc.

Building a Platform:Connectivity and Relationship, we don’t use

chalk anymore…

Website/blog/social media are now expected, not optional. But you choose…

Website: www.AngelaBreidenbach.com,

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbachInspirationalSpeakerAuthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/AngBreidenbach

LinkedIn: Angie Breidenbach

Youtube: Angie Breidenbach

GoodReads: Angela Breidenbach

Klout.com AngBreidenbach

Pinterest: AngBreidenbach

It’s crucial to link as many of these to one another as possible. Using a tool such as HootSuite or TweetDeck helps to put them all in one place.

Writing Articles,Joining Group Blogs, etc.

Writing articles shows your ability to meet market need and helps you to gain readership, business acumen, and credibility. The clips can be used in proposals as well as help you find your voice in writing non-fiction, fiction, freelance, etc.

Joining group blogs helps you to build a following while connecting to other writers running the publication race with you. www.theFaithGirls.com started in 2006 with 6 unpublished writers. Today 5 are multi-published and 1 is multi-contest winner ready to “pop”

Other examples are Seekerville, OnWritingWell, and Novel Rocket.

And organizational like the Christian Authors Network:http://christianauthorsnetwork.com/blog

How many drafts does it take? What’s Normal?

3-5 drafts per book are normal. The more you write, the less you need additional drafts.Writing with the 5 senses (Example) In the book I wrote for Abingdon Press, A Healing Heart, here’s a very small POV (point of view) snippet from the hero, Joel Ryan. He’s just brought Mara home from the hospital. Her neighbor made dinner… “Maybe some of that, um, cheatin’ chili would be a good thing for you.” He had to get that recipe card for his mother’s collection. The spicy aroma triggered sudden hunger signals. Joel’s stomach rumbled. He’d jumped on a plane out of LAX after an early breakfast, landed before lunch, and ended up at the hospital with his newest client for the rest of the day. “It’ll help combat the effects of that medicine if you have a full stomach.” Joel started to follow the others into the kitchen. He stopped at the sound of a small snore. She didn’t. He turned back. Mara’s head tipped into the recliner’s wingback. He watched for second. Yes, there it was. Another small snore and a puff at the end finished it off. He resolved never to tell her. No-way-no-how would the proud and mighty Mara Keegan take kindly to a fall from dignity. He grinned and went in for dinner. Well maybe he’d never tell her. Or maybe they’d laugh about it. No, he’d probably never tell her.

Plotting/Pantzing How much freedom and flexibility do you need versus practical work?

Skeleton Plot

Overview Plot

Free Writing

Others?

Scene/Sequel means action/reaction.

What happens to incite an incident?

What’s the character reaction to that incident?

Be aware of the logical flow of events

Finding the Elusive “Voice”…Finding your really means:

• Telling the story through your eyes.

• Using your personality in the vocabulary choices while preserving “character integrity”.

• Infusing your world view into your work.

• Answering the deep questions on your heart as you explore them in story (fiction or non-fiction.)

• Everyone can see the same scene in this picture. Your personality, life experience, feelings toward cats and babies, relationships with adults as a child/teen/adult, and expertise will create your story.

Traditional, Indie, or Hybrid?

Agents/Editors

Unless your first book is finished, you’re not ready to submit. But if it is, the best place to meet industry professionals is to attend writing conferences.

Follow their blogs and read their submission requirements on their websites

You must have a professional pitch. A professional pitch includes a 30 word log line, a longer 100 word description, a few words about your expertise (why you are qualified to write this subject such as your character is a quilter, you are a quilter), and how ready is your manuscript including word count and genre.

Suggested Starter Tools: Laptop, printer, filing system, Internet.

CDs/MP3s/Thumb Drives are inexpensive to buy from past conferences.

Craft books: Writing Fiction for Dummies, Christian Writers’ Market Guide, Thesaurus, Dictionary, How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen, A Writer’s Guide to Fiction and The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit by Elizabeth Lyon, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass.

Industry tools: Youtube tutorials (How to build a website, How to use social media, How to…do anything, really…)

A place to write away from distractions.

For great characterization, first get to know yourself and those you work/live with. Get Strengths Finder 2.0, new –used books don’t have a usable code.

Would you like Angela to speak for your women’s retreat, workshop,

or conference?

Please contact me with your needs at:http://angelabreidenbach.com/contact-angela

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The Secrets to a Successful Writing

CareerLearn the "big picture" and key tools to

establish a writing ministry/career, while building portfolio and platform. Includes how-to books, markets, social media, and

other aids. How to submit writing like a pro and work with editors/agents. For newer

writers.