Did you Blog About the Conference?

Now that those of us who traveled long distances to the conference are overcoming our jet lag, we're beginning to blog our thoughts about the conference.

• Nick Harrison (editor at Harvest House Publishers) blogged about why "personal experience" stories have a hard time finding a home with publishers.

• I (Laura Christianson of Blogging Bistro) blogged about writers' conferences in general, and I included a picture of the lovely people who attended my Branding Continuing Class.

What about you? Have you been blogging about your experiences at the FCWC? If so, please include a link to your post(s) in the Comments area.

Stay tuned for a slideshow of the conference. If you have great pix, please send me low-res versions of your best shots. Or better yet, send me a link to a slideshow of conference pictures you've uploaded to a photo sharing site. I'll share the link on this blog. My address is laura@bloggingbistro.com.

Will There be Books in Heaven?

Do you think we’ll have books in heaven?

I twirl that one back and forth in my mind, sometimes deciding yes, sometimes no. I do know we’ll have friendships. Deep friendships that go to the core of our glorified bodies.

That’s why I’ve said, “Relationships” when people have asked about my conference highlights.

Relationships with new friends like Al Gansky, Matt from Dayspring, Tim Shoemaker, Loyd Boldman, Ginny Smith, Jon Vonhof, Ken Kuhlken and many others.

Spending time with long-time buds like Carla Williams, Athena Dean, Randy Ingermanson, and Bryan Davis.

Meeting my wonderful friend Twila Belk in person for the first time.

These are rich moments that will carry into eternity.

Getting the chance to chat with Johnnie, Shelly and so many other talented aspiring writers. Discovering Torry Martin is the creator of Wooten Basset on Adventures in Odyssey. (Wooten is my family’s fave character by miles.)

Seeing Billie up there on stage simply being herself, not aware of how warm and funny and wonderful she is.

Walking in the morning sun with my teacher, mentor, and dear friend Cec Murphey.

Five years from now will you remember the classes you went to this past week? Snippets maybe. But what you won’t forget is the encouragement you gave or received. The thrill of meeting a kindred spirit. The laughter you shared with a new friend.

Yes, the publishing world is about writing in the here and now, but the friendships we build are forever.

Write Every Day... Except During Tax Time - Ken Kuhlken

By Ken Kuhlken
Novelist, short story writer
California

Maybe a hundred times I’ve heard writers comment that if you take this vocation seriously, you need to write every day. Well, they all must live in a different dimension than the one I live in. Here, stuff happens.

Like occasional burnout. Tax time. Catching up on all the nonsense such as bill paying, household chores, yard work, and family outings I didn’t do when I was writing every day. Not to mention a day job, which for me at this point is trying to do justice to teaching and serving as president of Perelandra College.

No whining intended. I’m preparing to make a point. Which is, the most valid reason for writing every day is that once you take days off (let alone a month or two), getting started and finding momentum again is an arduous proposition.

It’s likely I won’t return to the current novel until around March 1. So, in order to jump start the reentry, I hope to arrive at that date with a solid outline of the rest of the novel. Even if I feel no need to stick to the outline, having a solid one urges me on, so I can reach those scenes I most long to write and read.

Ken Kuhlken’s stories have appeared in Esquire and dozens of other magazines and anthologies, been honorably mentioned in Best American Short Stories, and earned a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. He has been a frequent contributor and a columnist for the San Diego Reader.

His novels are Midheaven, a finalist for the Ernest Hemingway Award for best first novel, The Loud Adios (Private Eye Writers of America Best First Mystery Novel, 1989), The Venus Deal, The Angel Gang, The Do-Re-Mi (a January Magazine best book of 2006 and a finalist for the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel), and The Vagabond Virgins (February, 2008). Visit Ken at www.kenkuhlken.net

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