COMMON GROUND
"Writers …spend way too much time alone. That’s part of the calling, and we accept it. Even thrive on it at times. And yet, we all need time with those of like minds and passions to share and encourage, to reason and laugh.”

Karen Ball,
Executive Editor, Fiction
Zondervan Publishing

A Quiz – With One Right Answer

A. Does your spirit suffer from engine knock?
B. Could your will use a good wash and wax?
C. Is your writing due for its 3,000-mile oil and lube?
D. All of the above.

Answer D: Just like cars that last, excellent writing that endures is serviced regularly by a master mechanic. Bring your hopes, dreams, and writing talents to Seattle Pacific University for an annual tune-up!

Join forces with other writers and industry professionals. Sit under the best instruction in the business and learn together with those who understand the struggle to write and publish. Strategize, renew your strength, and learn what it means to answer The Master’s Call to Excellence. Come prepared to sharpen your writing skills and to strengthen your resolve. Set aside these two days and you will marvel at what they do for you productivity and sense of writing direction the whole year long.



KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Calvin Miller

Born the seventh of nine children, Calvin Miller writes a great deal about spiritual formation, how fears, victories, and defeats must be perceived as incisive tools of God’s craftsmanship. In Becoming: Your Self in the Making (Revell), Miller observes: “The Holy Grail is holiest not when we have it but while we pursue it. It is the ‘getting there’ not the ‘being there’ that fills life with meaning; the way, not the goal, is the glory.” Miller has published dozens of books, including The Divine Symphony (Bethany House) for adults and When the Aardvark Parked on the Ark (W Publishing Group) for children. The company he keeps includes Luci Shaw, Richard Foster, Walt Wangerin, and Madeleine L’Engle. For many years a pastor who lived in what he calls “wealthy poverty,” Miller is a professor at the Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama, and a writer and speaker widely hailed for his wit and wisdom.

Don’t Miss All This for Just $129!
$129 includes all workshops, general sessions, refreshments, and closing dinner ($149 after April 7)

•22 workshop sessions
•Reality Panel of Experts
•13 workshop presenters
•Group Editorial Appointments
•6 informal discussion groups
•Closing Banquet
•2 keynote addresses

Online registration is now closed. To register contact Judy Bodmer at 425- 488 - 2900 or e-mail her at christianwriters@spu.edu

“An Evening With Calvin Miller”
Friday, May 5, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Third Floor, Gwinn Commons

TICKETS: FREE with each paid Writers Renewal registration; guests, $12.

Don’t miss this evening especially for lovers of good writing and deep insight. One of today’s finest Christian writers and speakers shares about his personal journey. In “The Anatomy of an Artist,” you’ll hear how Calvin Miller was saved by grace and how God called him to write the eternal story. Includes dessert, Q and A, music, and the opportunity to purchase Calvin Miller’s books and have them autographed. See the registration form to order additional tickets for family and friends.

Learn From These Leaders in Christian Publishing


Craig Bubeck
Senior Acquisitions Editor/Product Developer,
Victor Books, Cook Communications Ministries

In addition to his editorial responsibilities, Craig Bubeck is a part-time English literature and writing composition professor for Colorado Christian University in Colorado Springs (B.A., English, Wheaton College; M.A. English and Creative Writing, Binghamton University).




Lonnie Hull DuPont
Director of Acquisitions, Revell/Baker

A former high school teacher, Lonnie Hull DuPont began her work in the publishing arena more than 20 years ago. She held editorial positions at Guideposts Books, Harper San Francisco, and Thomas Nelson, before moving to Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group in Michigan.



Terry Glaspey
Director of Acquisitions, Harvest House Publishers

Terry Glaspey is the author of a number of books, including Not a Tame Lion: The Spiritual Legacy of C.S. Lewis, Book Lover’s Guide to Great Reading, and Pathway to the Heart of God. He holds a master’s degree in history from the University of Oregon and is married with two teen daughters. The topic of his current book project is the unique spiritual needs and struggles of people with a creative bent.



Paul Muckley
Senior Editor for Nonfiction, Barbour Publishing

Paul Muckley, with Barbour Publishing since 1998, enjoys writing on the side and has produced six Bible trivia books for Barbour under the pseudonym Paul Kent. He and his wife, Laurie, have adopted two children and serve as unofficial ambassadors for adoption.



Pat Rushford
Mystery Writer, Novelist

Pat Rushford has written numerous articles and authored more than 40 books with sales topping more than a million copies. The books include Sins of the Mother, a romantic suspense, and several mystery series including The Jenny McGrady Mysteries for kids and The Angel Delaney Mysteries for adults. She was nominated for an Edgar by Mystery Writers of America and won the Silver Angel for excellence
in media. Visit her Web site at www.patriciarushford.com.



Les Stobbe
Literary Agent and Editor-in-Chief, Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild

Les is a veteran of Christian publishing. His credentials include years as denominational editor, a newsletter editor, a book editor, a curriculum editor, and president of a publishing house. A writer himself, he is the author or co-author of 14 books and hundreds of magazine articles.


OTHER PRESENTERS
Peggy King Anderson — Peggy King Anderson is the author of four books for children, including the award-winning The Fall of the Red Star (Boyds Mills Press). She has stories in two story collections as well as hundreds of stories in such magazines as Highlights for Children and Pockets. Visit her Web site at www.peggyking.com.

Lynne Baab — Lynne Baab is the author of five books, two for InterVarsity Press and three for The Alban Institute, which published resources for congregational leaders. She is currently at work on a book on fasting, due out later this summer. Her latest book from IVP, Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest, received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly and is in multiple printings.

Gloria Kempton — Gloria Kempton is the author of 10 books, a writing coach, and a former magazine and book editor. Her book Write Great Fiction: Dialogue is published by Writer’s Digest Books. Gloria is also a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest magazine and an instructor with their online writing courses. Visit her Web site at www.writersrecharge.com.

Penny Lent — Penny Lent is one versatile writer. She co-hosted KBRO’s “Night Flight” in 1969 and since then has bungee-jumped, traveled across Russia and Belarus, and collected legends from around the globe. She is the author/contributor for nine books, writes features and takes photographs for Northwest Christian Examiner, and has published nationally in Charisma magazine and locally in a variety of publications including The News Tribune.

Bette Nordberg — In the third grade, Bette Nordberg won a toy fire truck for an essay on fire safety. But it wasn’t until after a career as a physical therapist that she turned to full-time writing eight years ago. She has since published five fiction and three nonfiction titles, including A Season of Grace and Detours, both from Harvest House.

Colleen Reece — Colleen Reece learned to read by kerosene lamplight in a mountain home without electricity or running water, but fully furnished with love for God and family. She never dreamed that she’d some day write 140 “Books You Can Trust” with sales of more than 4.5 million copies, thereby fulfilling her desire to reach people for Christ.

Shannon Woodward — Shannon Woodward is the editor of The Ministry Toolbox for Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life ministry. She is the author of A Whisper in Winter and a new June release, Inconceivable: Finding Peace in the Midst of Infertility (Cook).

Conference Schedule

FRIDAY, MAY 5

12:00 Noon – 5:00 p.m. — Registration. Weter Lounge, Weter Memorial Hall (center of campus, southeast of clock tower building – enter from south side)

1:00 – 5:00 p.m. — Group Editorial Appointments. Request an appointment on the registration form to have your appointment time waiting for you when you arrive. Or, sign up at registration – first come, first served (Bubeck, Dupont, Glaspey, Muckley, Stobbe), but be advised that early editor/agent appointments will be cut off Wednesday, May 3.

1:00 – 2:15 p.m. and 2:45 – 4:00 p.m. — The Idea Exchange. Informal discussion groups held in Weter Memorial Hall at Registration. Includes these topics: multiple sales from one idea, basic article writing, poetry, self-publishing, song writing, and how to pitch your idea to an editor/agent. Join with other writers and knowledgeable facilitators for a free and open discussion.

5:00 – 7:00 p.m. — Dinner. Food service available on-campus in Gwinn Commons (pre-paid with registration only) or by cash at Subway/Convenience Store. Several restaurants are off-campus but close by.

7:00 – 9:00 p.m. — “An Evening With Calvin Miller.” Marvel at fitly spoken words fashioned from gold and silver. Keynote address: “The Anatomy of an Artist.” Q and A, dessert, music, and book signing. Guests are welcome (see registration form).

SATURDAY, MAY 6

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. — Welcome. Singing. Devotions. Announcements.

9:15 – 10:30 a.m. — Continuing Session and Elective Workshops #1

Writing Mysteries to Die For / Pat Rushford (continuing three-part workshop — continues at 10:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.) In this three-part series, delve into the mystery of creating characters that leap off the pages. Sharpen your writing skills so characters move your story from scene to scene, pull your plots out of the coffin, and create killer openings.

Or choose one from these five electives:

• Earning the Right to Be Published / Les Stobbe
What five steps in his writing earned Dr. Luke the right to be published? In this workshop, we analyze how Luke put those five principles into practice, comparing his approach with that of other Gospel writers. Then we’ll apply that to how we today can earn the right to publish in either article or book form.

• Write Successful Magazine Articles / Penny Lent
Join a lively review and discussion of what a good article contains, from hook to conclusion, and how to pique an editor’s interest to buy it from YOU. Learn how to find projects they REALLY want and how to write the WAY they need.

• Writing as a Spiritual Discipline / Terry Glaspey
Explore the blessings and hazards that the writing life can produce for our spiritual lives. As the author of seven books, Glaspey has given attention to the effects, both positive and negative, that the writing life has on his relationship with God. Reorient your priorities and make a deeper connection!

• Getting Started and — More Importantly — Keeping On / Colleen Reece What is the “pre-write versus rewrite” approach? Learn the Reece method from her book Writing Smarter, Not Harder: The Workbook Way that has helped launch authors from Lauraine Snelling to Christine Tangvald. Great for those newer to writing.

• Help Your Editor Create a Winning Book / Paul Muckley
Learn what editors like (and don’t like) to see in proposals; how to work together to polish an idea; the good, bad, and ugly of manuscripts; and tips for promoting your book after publication.

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. — Break

10:45 – 12:00 p.m. — Continuing Session and Elective Workshops #2

Writing Mysteries to Die For / Pat Rushford
(continuing three-part workshop – continues at 2:45 p.m.)

Or choose one from these five electives:

• The Strategic Writer / Agent Partnership / Les Stobbe
Why are agents becoming more important in Christian publishing? When do you need an agent and what kind do you need? What can and can’t an agent do for you? How do you find a trustworthy agent? Here’s how to break through.

• Four-legged Writing / Shannon Woodward
You wouldn’t offer God a three-legged lamb, would you? So why settle for three-legged writing? We’ll examine a checklist of excellence — elements to include in every piece you write so that you consistently offer God your best.

• Do You Know a Fresh Idea When You See One? / Lonnie Hull DuPont
As a writer, how can you find The Next Big Thing? Or can you make one happen? Do all ideas really have to be fresh? How do you know what will work? What’s working now and why? Let’s talk!

• Everything I Know About Writing, I Learned From the Bible / Lynne Baab
A colorful survey of some vivid Bible passages and what they teach about writing. Includes some of the words of Jesus and his use of hyperbole and parables; some of the wisdom literature and the bizarre and effective metaphors in it; the psalms and the way they convey passionate emotion; and the apocalyptic literature and its powerful word pictures.

• Write Compelling Nonfiction / Craig Bubeck
If there is no end to the making of books (Eccl. 12:12), then why should you add yours to the mix? What’s your motive, and how will you translate it into something that will be read? Beginning with a biblical examination of why we write nonfiction, Craig will work through the practical applications of translating a great concept into powerful and relevant nonfiction that audiences will want to read.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. — Lunch (on your own unless prepaid – see registration form)

1:00 – 2:15 p.m. — General Session: Reality Panel of Publishing Experts

2:15 – 2:45 p.m. — Break

2:45 – 4:00 p.m. — Continuing Session and Elective Workshops #3

Writing Mysteries to Die For / Pat Rushford
(continuing three-part workshop — conclusion)

Or choose one from these four electives:

• In Fear and Trembling / Shannon Woodward
Every writer faces fears. But instead of allowing the emotion to paralyze us, we need to make it work in our favor. Let’s debunk our most common worries and discuss some successful writers who overcame their fears.

• A Book in 30 Minutes / Bette Nordberg
Discover the nuts and bolts of making your writing time incredibly fruitful. Nordberg cared for four kids when she started. Learn how to whet the audience’s appetite and create real people for your novel — from new neighbors to intimates.

• Master Class — Bringing Artistry to the Written Page / Calvin Miller
Writers are not interested in left brain function only, but in ornamentation and intrigue. Learn from a master what it takes to make your writing gleam. Limited to published writers only.

• Write Successful Children’s Stories / Peggy King Anderson
Have you ever wanted to write for kids? When you try, do you run into the three trolls under the bridge (otherwise known as writer’s block, wandering plot lines, and cardboard characters)? Come find seven tips to help you past those nasty critters.

4:00 – 4:15 p.m. — Break

4:15 – 5:30 p.m. — Elective Workshops #4

Choose one from these five electives:

• Harness the Power of Blogging / Shannon Woodward
Blogging sounds like something you might do after eating too many nachos, right? Truth is, it’s the new Internet rage – and it’s here to stay. Let’s discuss the how’s and why’s of creating your own blog.

• Turning Issues Into Inspiration / Bette Nordberg
Publishers often do well with books forged from the crucible of current events, social challenge, and the struggle for human dignity. Here’s how to show ordinary people confronting extraordinary circumstances with courage, faith, and wit.

• Dialogue That Delivers / Gloria Kempton
Learn to write dialogue that’s full of tension, suspense, conflict, intrigue, and emotion. Use it to pace a scene, reveal character motivation, and integrate setting into your story. You can even create the kind of story dialogue that will change a reader’s life.

• C.S. Lewis on Books and Writing / Terry Glaspey
Drawn from his research in writing a biography of Lewis, Glaspey has compiled some of the great author’s most inspiring thoughts about how God uses books in our lives and his practical advice about writing.

• Storytelling – The Heart and Soul of Fiction and Nonfiction / Colleen Reece
Louis L’Amour complained there were too many writers, not enough good storytellers. Stories and illustrations are long remembered. Explore how novels, short stories (both true and fictional), gift book entries, personal experience, and other articles demand the highest level of storytelling skill.

6:00 – 7:15 p.m. — Dinner / Sound Off
Enjoy a delicious meal together (included in your registration fee) and a time of community sharing about the writing life and God’s work in us during the conference.

7:30 – 8:30 p.m. — General Session — Calvin Miller presents “Advice From Three Greeks”

8:30 – 8:45 p.m. — Closing and Reflection on the Year Ahead – Conference Leadership

8:45 p.m. — Book Signing

Miscellaneous

Meals
Friday dinner and Saturday lunch (Saturday dinner included in registration) may be purchased at SPU’s Gwinn Commons only if you pre-pay with your registration (see form). Also available on campus in Lower Gwinn Commons with no pre-payment: Corner Place Market (convenience foods, prepackaged
salads and sandwiches, and espresso) and Subway (submarine sandwiches and salads). Restaurants available off-campus.

Bookstore
Michael Adeney and Harvest Logos Bookstore will provide book sales for titles written by our speakers, teachers and conferees. If you have published books that you would like to place on consignment, please call Michael at (206) 781-8725 or email him at madeney@aol.com. Be sure to frequent the book table and take home lots of good reading.

Event Leadership
Judy Bodmer is an author, editor and past president of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association; Clint Kelly, conference director, is a novelist and communications specialist for SPU; Judy White is an award-winning Christian bookseller and former sales and marketing director for Thomas Nelson/Word Publishing; and Carla Williams is an author, speaker, and past president of the Northwest Christian Writers Association.

Lodging
School is in session and on-campus lodging is not available. Check the appropriate box on the registration form for information about off-campus lodging.

Group Editorial Appointments
A maximum number of people — usually five to six — will meet with an editorial rep. Each person will be given approximately three minutes to present an idea for a book. The editor or agent will indicate if he or she wishes to further pursue a particular idea. Follow-up appointments and/or requests to see manuscripts are at the editors’ discretion. Please respect the process, compressed as it is. Let your idea speak for itself.

Sign up on the registration form to have an appointment time waiting for you — or sign up when you arrive for remaining times. First come, first served. Questions? Call Judy Bodmer at (425) 488-2900 or email christianwriters@spu.edu.

Sponsor: The Seattle Pacific University Fellows
The Seattle Pacific University Fellows is a community of friends and alumni of Seattle Pacific. This group has committed to come alongside the University to support its mission of “Engaging the Culture, Changing the World” through the transforming gospel of Jesus Christ. For more information about the SPU Fellows or any of the other events hosted by the University, please call (206) 281-2723.

What Our Editorial/Publishing Leaders Want

Craig Bubeck, Victor Books, Cook Communications Ministries
Not accepting unsolicited proposals (but all conference attendees are considered solicited). Also not accepting hard-copy proposals (not at the conference, nor even SASE sent by mail). All solicited proposals must be submitted at CCM’s proposals Web site http://www.cookministries.com/booksubmissions); sample materials can be electronically cut and pasted into the Web form. For a sampling of our different brands, and the proper material to submit for each, visit http://www.cookministries.com/books.

Lonnie Hull DuPont, Revell/Baker
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, publishes fiction and nonfiction in trade paper and cloth editions. In fiction, we publish for adults only, both historical and contemporary, both series and stand-alone, both for the Christian market and to some extent the general market. We look for good stories and good writing from a Christian voice that is not didactic or full of Christianese. We prefer good stories over hard-hitting messages, and we publish around 24 novels per year. A first-time novelist would need to submit a complete manuscript. In nonfiction, we have a long tradition of books on self-help, family challenges, Christian living, and spirituality; we’re always looking for fresh responses to life in those categories. We have also become well-known for our youth books in the past few years, but the writer needs to have strong visibility in that arena. We do not publish children’s books or gift books except from a handful of our best-selling authors.

Terry Glaspey, Harvest House
• books on practical and spiritual issues of importance to women, with practical take-away and a fresh perspective
• Christian living/biblically-based ”selfhelp” on issues facing contemporary men and women fiction (except biblical fiction) that is well-written, with an interesting hook and a marketable story-line
• lay-level apologetics books on spiritual growth with a clear focus (not overly general) and fresh ideas and perspectives
• lay-level theology and reference
• We are not currently looking for biography, memoir, personal narrative, children’s books, gift books, or poetry.

Paul Muckley, Barbour Publishing
1) Women’s devotionals, with an interesting hook. For example, recent or upcoming titles include Daily Wisdom for Mothers, Daily Wisdom for Working Women, The Quilt of Hope (based on quilt stories), The Simple Life (based on stories of the Amish), and Secrets of Beauty (thoughts on true, inner beauty). Our needs are for one-page a day, full-year devotionals (approximately 92k words) or books of 60 readings, each 500-600 words (30-36k words total).

2) Practical Christian living/self-help titles, primarily targeted toward women. For example, recent or upcoming titles include Mommy’s Locked in the Bathroom — Surviving Your Child’s Early Years with Your Sanity — and Salvation — Intact, Manners Matter, Manners Matter — for Teens, and The Total Marriage Makeover — A Proven Plan to Revolutionize Your Marriage. Word count generally in the 45-55k range.

3) Popular theology titles that can appeal to all readers. For example, recent and upcoming titles include The 21 Most Effective Prayers of the Bible and The 21 Most Encouraging Promises of the Bible. Word count in the 40-50k range.

4) In fiction, we’re looking for a variety of things: Full-length fiction (80-100K words) with romance as the focus. A variety of settings welcomed, including historical. Recent series include The Daughters of Lancaster County (Amish-based romance), The Penbrook Diaries (multigenerational stories through the Civil Rights era), and The Heirs of Anton (multigenerational stories set in Russia and the USSR). Heartsong Presents romances (40-50K words). Heartsong Presents mysteries (50-60K words) — the cozy mystery is the focus, but it should have a subplot of romance. Novellas (20K words each) — four romances with interrelated themes written by a team of four authors. We
will also look at ideas for teen fiction about relationships, children’s fiction in the areas of fantasy for 8-12, and character adventures for early readers. Fiction for teen girls is a new category for us, but we have interest in Melody Carlson-type projects.

Les Stobbe, Literary Agent
As a former magazine and book editor, Les Stobbe for more than a decade focused on helping first book authors get published, both in adult fiction or nonfiction. Through word of mouth, his client list has grown to include a wide variety of writers: housewives, pastors, doctors, educators, therapists, women’s ministry leaders, lawyers, leadership trainers, video and movie producers — all seeking to glorify God through the written word. While he places more adult nonfiction than fiction book proposals, his fiction placements are more often as series. Experience has taught him the importance of a writer’s marketing
opportunities, so he will draw on his experience as a promotional writer to help authors improve their presentation, while recognizing that the quality of writing is the best sales tool of the author.

REGISTRATION FORM
$149 includes all workshops, general sessions, refreshments, and closing dinner.


BY MAIL:
Complete this form, clip and
mail with check made out to
Seattle Pacific University to:
Seattle Pacific University Fellows
ATTN: Bobbie Taylor
3307 Third Ave. West, Ste. 105
Seattle, WA 98119-1922

REFUNDS:
A $10 administrative
fee will be charged on
all refunds. No refunds
given after April 28.

Name _____________________________________ Day Phone ______________________

E-mail ____________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________________

City State Zip ______________________________________________________________

___ I plan to stay overnight in the Seattle area. Please send lodging information.

MEALS:
___ Friday Dinner ($9.65) 5-7 p.m. ___Saturday Lunch ($6.95) 12-1 p.m.
(No meal reservations and payments taken after April 28.)

GROUP EDITORIAL APPOINTMENT REQUEST:

1st choice ___________________________________

2nd choice __________________________________

3rd choice __________________________________

Check at the appointment desk at registration on Friday between 12:00 and 12:45 p.m.
for your appointment times. Questions? Call Judy Bodmer at 425-488-2900 or email
christianwriters@spu.edu.

PAYMENT:
____ I am registering for the full conference at $149,
which includes one free ticket for “An Evening With Calvin Miller” and Saturday dinner
= TOTAL $ ___________

____ I want extra tickets for “An Evening With Calvin Miller” x $12 each
(groups of 5 or more x $10 each) = TOTAL $ ___________

____ I have reserved meals as above = TOTAL $ ____________

TOTAL (ALL THE ABOVE) = $ _______________

Check (payable to Seattle Pacific University) enclosed for $ ____________

Credit Card: _____ Visa ____ MasterCard

Card Number ____________________________ Expiration Date (required) ___________

V Code (required) — last three digits from back of credit card ________

Print Name (as it appears on card) ____________________________________________

Signature (required) _______________________________________________________

QUESTIONS? Call Judy Bodmer at (425) 488-2900 or email her at christianwriters@spu.edu.

Registrations by mail or Internet accepted until May 3. Walk-ins welcome on-site,
first come, first served.