Board Feature
Two are Better than
One
By Jeanette
Hanscome
“Two are better than
one, because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can pick him up . . .
“ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a
What writer can forget
that first writers’ conference? I arrived at my
first Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference in
1995, not knowing anyone. As excited as I was, I
felt clueless and scared. I had so many questions.
What workshops
should I take?
What if an editor
wants to see my work?
What should I wear?
Am I the only one
who feels overwhelmed?
A few years ago, after encouraging an
overwhelmed Mount Hermon newbie and reminiscing
about our own first conference jitters, my friend
(and fellow CANer) Marilyn Hilton (www.marilynhilton.com)
and I got an idea for a pre-conference mentoring
program that would allow first-timers to get such
questions answer before they arrived at Mount Hermon.
They could also receive advice on how to pace
themselves through the jam-packed schedule, approach
editors, and get through moments of discouragement.
The idea grew into “the Buddy System.” It has been
so encouraging to watch the program evolve over the
last few years. God has used it to create
friendships, provide conference veterans with a way
to give back, and allow new registrants to arrive at
the conference feeling confident and ready to make
the most of their Mount Hermon experience.
The Buddy System is
one of the many doors that God has opened for
encouraging and helping new writers. What doors has
he opened for you? How has serving newbies refreshed
and uplifted you? As we support one another in book
promotion and the writing life, may we also remember
those who are just starting the journey. After all,
“Two are better than one.” And that goes for both of
the two.
Oh, and if you are
attending this year’s Mount Hermon Conference and
would like to be matched with an experienced buddy,
please contact me:
jeanettehanscome@sbcglobal.net.
If you would like to
serve as a buddy, I would also love to hear from
you!
Buddy pairs will be
matched up this week so it’s not too late.
§§§
Member Feature
Giving Others a Voice
By Mary DeMuth
CAN
Member
Mary DeMuth
shares this month, about a powerful
resource that she offers that allows readers to
share their family secrets.
After writing Daisy Chain, I made the correlation
that much of my writing, particularly fiction, is
about folks getting free from their secrets. My
marketing friend Jim Rubart and I collaborated on an
idea (he helped me think outside of the box and gave
the kernel of the idea) to help others be set free.
My Family Secrets was born. The aim is to
help those who haven’t yet shared their family
secrets in a safe, anonymous format. I’ve had almost
200 entries in one year now, ranging from sexual
abuse, to divorce, to all sorts of interesting
stories. What’s been cool is that the blog has
formed a supportive community around itself. When
someone posts, others offer encouragement.
I’d say 98% of the posts are anonymous, though a few
share their names. Now that my memoir Thin Places
has released, my blog designer redesigned the
blog skin to match it. So we’re getting new readers
and new contributors. I’m thankful to provide the
first step for folks afraid to share their family
secrets. It’s my hope that sharing the first time
will lead people to be brave to share their secret
with a trusted friend and find healing in community.
Here’s the blog:
http://blog.myfamilysecrets.org
Share your secret:
http://blog.myfamilysecrets.org/2009/01/tell-your-secret.html
With joy,
Mary
§§§
Member
News
Judy Gann Judy Gann
is presenting "The Anatomy of a Book Proposal" at
the Saturday, March 20th meeting of Writers Edge in
Tacoma, WA. The meeting will be held at The Church
of All Nations at 10am.
Jeanette Hanscome
is coordinating the first-timers’ pre-conference
Buddy System for the Mount Hermon Christian Writers’
Conference. Once at the conference (March 26-30) she
will be serving the first-timers, as well as
presenting a 20-Minute “Nugget” on “Keeping the Joy
in Mentoring” in the Career Track.
Gail Gaymer Martin
will be on staff of the American Christian Writers
conference in Dallas, Texas from March 11- 14,
teaching a four-part course on writing Christian
fiction along with two other workshops, a plenary
address and a keynote. The conference is held at the
Holiday Inn Select on the LBJ Freeway.
For more
information, visit the
ACFW Colorado web site and
click on Events.
§§§
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