• Historical (including romance and Biblical fiction
• Contemporary (including romance and women’s fiction)
• Mystery/Suspense
• Speculative

Comparing the writer’s life to a meal, with friendships being the “secret sauce” that makes it memorable and exciting. Some sauces are elegant, spicy, earthy, citrusy or comforting – but all make the meal special and heartwarming. I will use real life examples and personal stories.

You hear all the time about goals, motivation and conflict for our characters, but what does it really mean and how do we achieve it?

The creative process in writing can be daunting. In this session, Robin will walk attendees through the steps to create believable and gripping goals, motivation, and conflict that will assist in taking their stories to the next level.

This workshop will cover all the important elements of world building for both fantasy and non-fantasy
books. Writers will learn simple ways to show cultural and language differences, how to incorporate landscape and setting without info dumping, and when to include maps, charts, calendar dates, or diagrams. The workshop will also cover types of magical systems, tips for naming fantasy characters, and how to avoid cultural appropriation.

• Discover three key elements to build your hero’s outer journey.
• Choose from the five elements needed to create a connection between your reader and your character.
• Choose from four visible goals to give your readers something to root for.
• Learn how to plot your story into the Three-Act Play format with six stages and five turning points. 

The LORD is the everlasting God; the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or WEARY. Isaiah 40:28 (NIV)

He gives strength to the WEARY and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)

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Many writers struggle with pride—or lack of it. I hope this short talk will help them come to grips with our need to market our work.

Some stories you can’t put down. Others you forget before you finish them. What’s the difference?
In this energizing, interactive class, author and storyteller Pam Kumpe pulls back the curtain on the deep craft secrets that make readers stay up until 2 am, finish books in a single sitting, and
close a story feeling like something inside them has shifted.
This isn’t your typical writing workshop. We’re going beyond plot and character into the techniques that happen beneath the surface of a story and grip a reader without them ever knowing
why.

You’ll discover:
• Why the quiet scenes are often more powerful than the dramatic ones
• How to make readers feel smarter, more seen, and completely unable to stop turning pages
• The surprising places where the best story ideas actually come from
• What every unforgettable story has at its heart—and how to put it in yours

Demonstrate the ins and outs of the powerfully beneficial but often underutilized Amazon A+ Content. What it is, why it’s important in converting browsers into buyers, and how to (easily) design it yourself.

• Historical (including romance and Biblical fiction
• Contemporary (including romance and women’s fiction)
• Mystery/Suspense
• Speculative

(Based on Proverbs 16:3) Writers are planners by nature. We map out stories, outline books, and dream about the impact our words might have. But the most powerful writing journeys happen when our plans are surrendered to God. In this keynote, bestselling author Tricia Goyer shares how faith, obedience, and bold vision work together in the writing life. Through personal stories and biblical encouragement, she will challenge writers to dream big, pursue excellence, and trust God with the outcome. When we commit our work to the Lord, He establishes our steps—and often leads us to places we never imagined.

Human beings use body language to communicate even more than words. Make sure you are using body language to maximum effect in your writing.

What do Christian authors bring to the table?  With so many serious issues confronting our world,  what can we offer to the serious discussions going on around us?

Psalm 51 was written by King David after one of the lowest points in his life. He had endured sins’s terrible consequences, including the loss of a child. The psalm is a sincere cry for God’s mercy.  Verse 10 is familiar. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Verse 8, however provides a new idea. “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.”

Daniel was a godly man of prayer. This devotional will highlight Daniel’s commitment to prayer and how it impacted the people around him. Daniel’s faithfulness to God placed his life in peril, but God saved him from a lion’s mouth.

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Many novelists feel stuck when it comes to building a platform. But nonfiction writing—blogs, devotionals, articles, and short pieces—can become a powerful tool for connecting with readers and expanding your reach. In this session, author Tricia Goyer shares practical ways fiction writers can use nonfiction to grow their audience, deepen reader relationships, and create new opportunities for publishing and ministry. You’ll walk away with ideas you can implement immediately to strengthen both your platform and your influence.

The session will include the mechanics of writing together. What are the benefits of collaborative writing? What are the drawbacks? How is the work divided? Will you co-author one book with another author? If you write a novella for a collection, how closely will the novellas be connected? Who will choose the theme and compile the proposal? If you take part in a multi-author series, how will you keep track of the details from the other writers’ books? Who will compile the series guide, and how detailed should it be? How will the income be divided and distributed? How will promotion be organized? If the work is contracted by a publisher, what options do you have? Will rights to the work eventually revert to you? This session will address these and many other details to be considered before beginning collaborative writing. As a writer with experience in all of the mentioned situations, Susan Page Davis can help you understand what you’re jumping into before you leap.

Are you stuck with a blank page and wondering what to write next? Is your stubborn character refusing to give up secrets? During this presentation, attendees will be introduced to, learn, and practice different methods of freewriting to generate ideas at the beginning of projects and to unlock writer’s block in the middle of projects. We will discuss character interviews, Julie Cameron’s Morning Pages exercise, and freewriting from the participants’ childhood world using maps.

Attendees will learn how to mine their own experiences for story ideas, how to have fun with words, how to use writing to help push through writer’s block, and how to fill pages so that they can reduce writing anxiety and begin their stories.

Details about this session are coming soon. 

Q&A session about writing, marketing, and publishing.