Early Bird Learning Labs & Workshops 2019

 

A great way to get acclimated,
learn more, make new friends,

and view the wildlife!

Coming a distance?
Tuesday night lodging available.


There is no registration fee for Wednesday
and no charge for the evening session.

If you register for one or more days (not including Wednesday)

Learning Labs from 1:00 – 4:00 – cost $40 
Add a 4:45 – 5:45 workshop for only $15 more.

Individual workshops cost
$25 for one, $40 for two, $55 for three


Coming only on Wednesday?
Individual workshops cost
$35 for one, $60 for two, $85 for three.
Learning Labs from 1:00 – 4:00 – cost $65
Add a 4:45 – 5:45 workshop for only $20 more.

There is an additional $18 YMCA commuter fee
if you are not a YMCA member
or you are not lodging on campus.

1:00 - 4:00 Learning Labs (Only $40) 

E1     Scrivener from Zero to 60: Get up and running –  and writing – with Scrivener TODAY - Debbie Allen
          Scrivener writing software: everyone says they love it, but what writer has time to learn something new? And most writers using Scrivener miss out on some of the program’s best elements. This workshop will help you start, literally, at zero, and get up and running right away. Even long-time users will learn to take advantage of features they didn’t know were there. Learn to navigate stunning elements to make writing--and research--faster and more efficient, no matter what genre. This workshop is for both fiction and non-fiction writers. Bring your computer with Scrivener already downloaded (you can try it free for 30 days).
 

E2     Practice Your Pitch and Develop a Unique Marketing Plan – Karen Whiting
      
    Part 1: Polish your pitch into a power statement that shows the purpose, target audience, benefits, and uniqueness of your book idea, in one sentence.
          Part 2: Develop a unique marketing plan that builds your platform and utilizes you strengths. This includes identifying how to reach your target audience, coordinate promotional efforts, follow a promotional timeline, use a spreadsheet to track marketing, and choose where to invest your efforts for maximum impact.
 

E3     Creating Credible and Motivated Characters – Darcie Gudger
         
Practical ways to make the population of your storyworld leap off the page. Got personality? An examination of personality types and how to use them in character building. What's their motivation? Every behavior and action in fiction must have a believable reason/motivation behind it. Learn how to dig deep into the minds of your characters.
 

E4     Devotionals and Other Nonfiction Books: From Passion to Process – Ava Pennington
          You're passionate about your non-fiction project. It could be a devotional, a how-to book, or a  Christian living manuscript. Join us as we explore how to process your passion into a manuscript. We'll examine strategy, purpose, and audience. How does your premise tie into your theme and concept? How will you research your topic and organize your material? What style will you choose? What storytelling techniques will you employ? (Yes, even for non-fiction.) When and how will you edit your work?  Finally, what is included in an attention-grabbing query? What are the components of an effective book proposal? Lots of questions. Bring your book idea and we’ll find the answers together!
 

E5     Writer, Thou Art Loosed! – Beatrice Bruno
          Have you not yet published your first book? Or, have you published your first book but still doubt the gifting God has placed on the inside of you to write more books? Beatrice Bruno, The Write Drill Sergeant for YOU, is here to help you be loosed from those infirmities that would hold you in bondage so you can complete God’s mandate for your life. Through interactive exercises, timed writings, and perspective illustrations and exercises, Beatrice will lead you on a 3-hour Phased writing experience to show you how to embrace the Writer-You and move forward to accomplish great writing exploits for the Lord. In this Mini-Bootcamp experience, you will write, laugh, cry, and expand as you sit in a writing atmosphere created for you to receive, believe, and trust God for the writing anointing that is yours! Click here for pre-class writing assignment.


Important: If you visisted earlier, please note that I’ve changed the following schedule, adding another workshop period and an additional workshop, “Email Marketing” with Patricia Durgin. 


1:00 – 2:00 Early Bird Workshops                     

E6     Balancing Privacy & Relationships When Writing Real Life Events – Cindy Lambert
         We all applaud honestly and transparency in powerful writing, but how do we write of the events in our lives without violating the privacy and trust of others who have played some part in our life stories? Is it possible to find the freedom to tell the truth without destroying relationships, hurting people in our lives, or putting others at risk of public exposure? Yes, it can be done! Discover the defining boundaries, guiding principles, and tested techniques used by successful authors so that your writing can be authentic without damaging the reputations or privacy of the people God has woven into your life story. NOTE from Marlene: This is a MUST workshop if you’re writing life experiences that involve others!
 

E7     Write Devotionals and Get Published – Debbie Hardy
          
Learn to write concisely, share your experiences, and, most important, touch hearts and change lives through devotionals.
 

E8     Your Senior Years: The Write Time – Catherine Lawton
         
 Seniors have depth of experience and perspective. This is a great time of life and a great time in history, as opportunities abound to use your gifts and callings. Finish well and leave legacies and examples for upcoming generations to follow.
 

E9      Weaving in a Biblical Worldview without Preaching – Marjorie Vawter
What fiction book or series has impacted your walk as a believer the most? Would it have been the same story without the spiritual thread? What made it so powerful to you? We will look at what Scripture has to say about the importance of a spiritual takeaway for fiction and then look at techniques for making this work through your characters in your work-in-progress. Mainly for fiction writers, but also helpful for creative nonfiction and memoir.  


2:15 – 3:15 Making the Most of Your First CCWC (no charge)

First time at the CCWC?  Congratulations, and if you feel a little overwhelmed, please know that you’re going to feel much more comfortable and knowledgeable over the next few days.  But why wait to be a Writer’s Conference expert until the day before you go home?

Why not be confident and fully prepared for this amazing event from Day 1? 

How about sitting down with Eric Sprinkle, a 5-year “veteran,” who can give you a detailed overview and share all the tips and tricks to help you navigate the three big areas you’ll encounter while here – Networking, Craft-Sharpening, and Potentially Selling your Work.  


3:30 – 4:30   Early Bird Workshops                

E10   So, You Have Been Indy Published for a Year . . . – Roy Hanschke and Bob Ruesch  
          Roy and Bob will talk about the publishing process with an indie publishing company and a traditional publisher. They will discuss the pitfalls, snags, and triumphs of getting a book published in each venue.  You’ll learn how to choose a publishing company; what the publisher requires from the writer; and what to expect during the selection, working process, and bringing a title to the market for the first time.  


E11     Soloving Plot Problems – Dave Lambert
           Every novel is a mystery novel. By that I mean that every reader is reading to find something out – and when they no longer care about that something, they stop reading. The way you keep their interest piqued is by skillful use of plotting. In this class, we’ll examine many aspects of this all-important fiction technique: Handling suspense, handling conflict, confrontation, and compulsion, foreshadowing, plot structure, the intersection of plot and character, and common mistakes


E12   It Takes a Team – Chris Richards
          The traditional picture of an author is a person sitting alone with paper and pen, or a typewriter, or a computer. However, the truth is it takes a team to create a published book. This workshop talks about who needs to be a part of that team, how to find them, and how they need to work together.

 
E 13   Email Marketing – Patricia Durgin
           
Let’s face it. Email marketing takes work. And the tech is complicated. How does getting someone to put their name in that magic “sign up” box help you sell books and services, anyway? And once someone signs up, what do you say? See the step-by-step graph that shows how the tech works, then learn the strategies and tactics to create your first (or next) email series. You’ll leave this workshop with a 5-Part Email Series Blueprint. (No laptop required.)


4:45 – 5:45   Early Bird Workshops

E14   The Literature of Personal Disaster – Sherri Langton
          Is a story good just because it relates a horrific event? Why we write about tragedy and how to make it real to the reader as well as redemptive.


E15     Crafting a Winning Nonfiction Book Proposal – Cindy Lambert
            A winning book proposal is a tool that entices seven audiences (author, agent, editor, pub board, marketing, creative, and sales) to grasp a contagious vision for a book, and then equips them to successfully play their parts in placing the book into the hands of its ideal readership. Prerequisite for those taking her clinic, but this workshop is open to everyone.
 

E16  Practical Productivity: 10 Ways to Write More, Write Better, and Quash Your Inner Editor - Debbie Allen
         If the lure of laundry pulls you from your writing, if the fear of the blank page keeps you from your writing chair, if the siren song of social media spirits you away down the visual rabbit hole, this class is for you. We'll figure out your reasons for distraction and how to address each one. Before long, your words on the page will become an unstoppable snowball!
 

E17   The Heart of a Writer – Susan Baganz
          How can we nurture our relationship with God as we write? The importance of accountability for the quality of our writing and especially for our faith walk.
      

E18    Starting Strong – Jim Hart
          
Strong first lines determine if a reader is going to continue reading. We will discuss strategies and how to begin unpacking your Big Idea in the early pages of your nonfiction book.

 

6:00 Check-in (rooms may be available earlier) & Dinner


7:45 Opening Session
 

CCWC was such a blessing and inspiration to me; I had the opportunity to connect with other writers and some agents, and even develop friendships. I also was "wowed" by the godly and Spirit-filled environment.

Bonita Jewel - Fresno, CA