Writers Conference

Attend the CLASS Christian Writers Conference to learn the craft of writing and increase your chances of an editor or agent reviewing your work.

Join experienced and new authors in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and concentrate on your writing career for four days.

Morning teaching labs with top professionals throughout the week will give you the tools to improve your writing and the inside scoop about the Christian publishing industry.

Workshops and clinics will equip you with the skills to self-edit, prepare a polished manuscript, write a proposal, set up a marketing plan, and pitch to an editor or agent.

Top publishers, agents, representatives, and professional writers are available during the conference for one-on-one consultations.

You’ll be spiritually renewed and inspired from keynotes by high profile Christian leaders and outstanding music from experienced worship leaders.

You can leave the conference as a published author by participating in the CLASS Conference Book Project. Every attendee may submit one chapter for the book and polish the piece with a mentor and a small critique group. At the end of the conference, a book will be published and made available for conferees to purchase at a discount. You do not have to buy books to participate in the project.

The 2013 Writers Conference will be October 17-19 at Albuquerque’s First Baptist Church.

Do you want to write a book? When you read magazine articles is your first thought, I could have written that? Are you a writer ready to take your writing to the next level? Have you published a few things but just need to encouragement to try a few more? Are you well-established in the writing world and need the fellowship of other writers who know what the writing life is like?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, the CLASS Christian Writers Conference is for YOU!

This Year Will Include:

Comprehensive Classes

Comprehensive classes in fiction, nonfiction, children’s writing, marketing, and article writing. The teens will have a track again this year so be sure to bring your children and grandchildren who are interested in writing. Also new this year will be the addition of the CLASS seminar – you will have the opportunity to become a certified CLASS speaker at this conference if you choose that track. So much to offer in such a beautiful setting.

WRITING 101   Taught By Susan Titus Osborn
Just starting out? Writing 101 will teach all the basics needed to write your first article or short story. Learn Susan’s three-step writing method and how to write and format a manuscript to an editor’s specifications. Also, ideas will be given on where to market your finished product.

Susan Titus Osborn is the director of the Christian Communicator Manuscript Critique Service where she heads a staff of 18 editors. She has authored 30 books, as well as numerous articles. She is a member of the Christian Leaders and Speakers Services (CLASS) staff and is also a CLASS speaker. Susan is a member of Advanced Christian Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). Susan is an author representing New Hope Publishers. She lives in Fullerton, California, with her husband Dick. They have five grown children, 12 grandkids, and one great-grandson.

 

NONFICTION BOOKS  Taught By Larry Leech
Have you always wanted to write a book but didn’t now how to get started. Do you have information that could change the world? You can make your book a reality. Learn how to choose your book style, create chapters, and make your writing strong and life-changing. Join Larry to learn how to write nonfiction books.

 

WRITING FICTION  Taught By Award-Winning Author Lynette Eason
You’ve definitely come to the “write” place! Writing fiction can be fun, but you’ve probably already figured out it’s hard work, too. You may have discovered there’s a lot you need to know and you’ve got questions that need answers. Well this is the place to learn and to get answers to those questions. We’re going to start out on the ground floor and while the view may not be so appealing from there, and the ride to the top may be interrupted with a few stops along the way, once you reach the penthouse and catch the marvelous view from the top, you’ll realize all your hard work was all worth it. So come join Lynette for some of the basics that will allow you to grow and mature as a writer–and hopefully reach the top floor of writing – publication!

Lynette has written over 30 books in the last 8 years and just signed a contract for a new series. She will teach you the basics, educate you on the many fiction genres, and inspire you to turn the stories running around in your head into a marketable manuscript. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to learn from Lynette.

 

MAGAZINE ARTICLES  Taught By Lee Warren
Constructing an article for publication is an art. Come to this workshop and learn about the eight different types of articles you can write for publication, the eight different types of leads, how to construct the body of an article and nine ways to end an article, in addition to discussing themes, subheadings and the importance of a good nut graf. Lee Warren has interviewed dozens of celebrities and written hundreds of articles for various newspapers, magazines and websites. He is anxious to share his article writing tips with you.

Teen Track

The teen track will be Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. This is the perfect opportunity for teens interested in writing to learn what it is all about, have fun with teens of the same interest, spend quality time with professionals who love teens and want to see them succeed.

TEEN TRACK – GROWING INTO A SUCCESSFUL WRITER   Taught by Jesse Florea
To be a success in writing takes the same determination as being successful in sports or music – you have to work at it. From age 15, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I landed my first professional writing job that year at a local newspaper and haven’t stopped writing sense. During the course of this class, we’ll look at finding your writing passion, different arenas where you can use your writing skills (books, magazines, newspapers, marketing, blogs), how popular authors became popular, and different tools of the trade. It’ll be practical, interactive, meaningful and most of all fun. Plus, everyone who comes will have the opportunity to be published in the CLASS devotional book that will be created at the conference. God has given you talents that you can use to glorify Him. Hone those abilities and make a difference in the world!

Jesse Florea is a teenager trapped inside a man’s body. He’s worked at Focus on the Family for more than 20 years. For the past 17, he’s been the editor of Focus on the Family Clubhouse (for boys and girls ages 8 to 12) and is currently the editorial director for youth publications where he oversees Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines. He co-hosts the biweekly “Official Adventures in Odyssey podcast” that often exceeds 1 million listeners. Plus, he is an occasional guest on the “Plugged In podcast” where he talks about movies and culture. Jesse teaches at writers conferences across the country and in local schools where he hopes to inspire the next generation of authors. He earned bachelor and master’s degrees in communications from Wheaton College, Ill. Additionally, Jesse has 25 years of newspaper experience and written or co-written over a dozen books (including Devotions for Super Average Kids, The One-Year Devos for Sports Fans, The One Year Father-Daughter Devotions, Linspired: The Jeremy Lin Story, Playing with Purpose: Baseball and Playing With Purpose Mariano Rivera). He lives with his wife, Stephanie, in Colorado Springs.

A New Book Project

For the last three years we have produced a compilation book of personal experiences while at the conference. Attendees contributed a story and left the conference with their first stories in print on the way to publication. The last three books were titled Out of the Overflow, Transformed, and Echoes of Mercy.

This year’s book will explore a different genre. It will be a devotional book. Attendees will meet one hour each day with an editor or other professional as facilitator of the group. Attendees will work on their devotions to have them ready to submit before they leave on Saturday. This not only produces a strong devotion, but also provides networking, honing critique skills, and great learning from others. Edna Ellison will be our general editor this year.

Industry Professionals

Terry Burns, agent for Hartline Literary will be back with us. Terry is one of the most knowledgeable folks in the business. You’ll be able to pick him out under the wide-brimmed cowboy hat!

Lynne Hinton, fiction author and pastor, will serve as our chaplain. This is Lynne’s first year with us and we are excited to share with her the excitement of our conference.

Karen and George Porter of Bold Vision Books will instruct from their broad base of knowledge of the publishing and speaking world.

Gloria Penwell representing AMG Publishers will be back to encourage those she meets with. Begin to polish those proposals now so they will be ready to present to Gloria and others. 

Conference Staff

Gerry Wakeland, President of CLASSEMINARS, will be on hand to guide and direct you, answer questions, and encourage you in every way she can.

Linda Gilden, will be directing this year’s conference. An author herself, she understands the specifics need of the writing life and loves to cheer for other writers on their journeys.

John Gilden will be back to drive our shuttle and do whatever he can to make sure we have a great conference. Many more to be added soon so keep checking back.