The Third Annual Catholic Writer's Conference Online

It's almost here! The Online Catholic Writer's Conference. Come and check it out!




M E D I A R E L E A S E






CONTACT: Karina Fabian
Phone: (805) 285-0108
E-mail: karina@fabianspace.com






Ann Margaret Lewis
Phone: (317) 755-2693
e-mail: annlewis@joesystems.com






For Immediate Release






Catholic Writers Online Conference Provides Authors More Opportunities than Ever!


World Wide Web--In order to get published, writers need several things: knowledge, support and opportunity. The Catholic Writers Conference Online seeks to give writers all of those--for free!


Writers, editors, agents, and other publishing professionals from around the world are gearing up for the third annual Catholic Writers’ Conference Online, which will be held February 26-March 5, 2010. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild, the online conference is free of charge and open to writers of all levels who register before February 15, 2010.


Workshops and live online chats cover the gamut of writing topics from idea generation to marketing a published novel; traditional and self-publishing, article writing and fiction, and much more. "We have sixty subject-matter experts giving their time to teach others--from the fledgling writer learning about plot to the experienced author wanting to better market their works," said co-coordinator Karina Fabian.


In addition, ten prominent publishers (Catholic, Christian and secular) will hear pitches, giving authors an unprecedented opportunity to chat personally despite living hundreds or thousands of miles away.


The CWCO has also added small critique workshops, where writers can get information and advice specific to their writing.


"CWG's goal in creating these conferences is to help Catholic authors get published. In this economy, the online conference provides a great opportunity for Catholic writers to better their skills and jump forward in their writing careers. The cost is nil and the value is priceless. No Catholic writer should miss it," said CWG Vice President Ann Lewis.


Although the conference is offered free of charge, donations are accepted; proceeds will go toward future conferences. To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com.






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Graphics, interviews and further information available upon request.

Guardian Angel Publishing Releases New Magazine

Guardian Angel Publishing (GAP), the publishing company which has three of my children's books under contract, recently embarked on a new adventure. They announced the debut of their online interactive magazine titled Guardian Angel Kids. Lynda S. Burch, publisher of the well-known Guardian Angel books, is also the publisher of the magazine. She named Jennifer Reed, founder of Wee-Ones magazine, as Editor-in-Chief. And Kevin McNamee was named Technical Director. A big congrats goes out to them.

The magazine has stories (some consisting of well-known GAP characters), activities, videos and tons of free stuff.

Go on over and try it out. If you're a fan of the books, I think you'll love the magazine.
Leave a comment - what do you think of this new mag on the market?

A Spiritual Bouquet to March for Life

A Spiritual Bouquet to March for Life

Today, hundreds of thousands of people gathered to march on Washington DC for the annual March for Life. It occurs every year on the anniversary of the Roe V Wade decision legalizing abortions. March for life not only acts as a voice for the unborn, but also the elderly and all those facing end-of-life care and decisions.

As Editor-in-Chief of a Catholic Magazine, I was disappointed I couldn’t make the march this year. I still wanted to do something to show my full support for this cause as I watched on TV speakers, children, adults and others stand up for life.
In that moment I decided that prayers for these supporters and their cause will go a long way. They need the strength of the Holy Spirit to persevere for they are fighting for God and His children. Therefore, My Light Magazine decided we will present a spiritual bouquet to the March for Life Organization.

Please pledge your prayers in support of all the marchers in the March for Life. Send My Light your designated prayer and any short words of encouragement. Some great prayers are the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Mass, etc.

We will collect all the prayer intentions and present them to the March for Life organization. Each pledge will be represented by an illustrated flower as part of the bouquet. We will list your name and your prayer pledge. If we have too many contributors, we will provide a list of all the prayer pledges along with a beautiful illustrated bouquet. Illustrator and My Light’s paper doll designer, Candace J Hardy will design the illustration for the bouquet.

The goal is if we can support the marchers with our prayers we are helping the cause. We are helping not only get their voices heard, but we are helping to save lives, including unborn children. Press release to soon follow.

To begin e-mailing your prayer pledges, send them to bouquet@mylightmagazine.com

SCBWI's Conference Blog

I stumbled across this blog - the SCBWI conference blog. Though I will not be attending the Summer Conference in LA due to the fact I'm on the East Coast, I have benefited from the conference in New York and local confrences in my home state. If you're an SCBWI member, give this site a visit.

Many of you know I've been adding writing tips to my blog. The biggest tip I can offer you is to attend a conference now and then. Of course, you won't be getting anywhere if you don't write, but the fellowship, networking and learning from other writers at the conferences are definitely a plus.

Check out the blog at http://scbwiconference.blogspot.com/

Keep On Writing

I hit another writer's block. I knew I had something great stuck in my head - but how would I ever get it on paper? The advice that instantly pops into mind is "just write". But that is easily pushed aside by thoughts that say, "Why bother. It won't be any good. This is nothing like the other stories or books out there."

That's why I'm grateful for exercises given by our fellow writers. For example, on Laurie Halse Anderson's Facebook page she is giving writing prompts and a challenge to write continuously for 15 minutes straight all throughout August.

Just one of these prompts are pulling together a story I had in my head for ages. It is amazing what story elements develop as you write. You may not have it all planned out. Maybe you just have a thought or a situation in your head. But if you just write, you'll see elements pull together.

So, if you're stuck on a thought or worried you won't be able to write another word, try checking out exercises like those on Laurie Halse Anderson's page.

Jen's Writing Tip # 10: Join the Conference!

That's right. There's no better way to make contacts, sharpen your skills and learn about the craft than to attend a writer's conference. I know, I know. The cash flow isn't there to attend as many as you'd wish. That's why I've been attending the Muse Online Writer's Conference the past few years. It's perfect for my situation. I can attend it from home and the best part is: it's free!

This year the conference runs from October 12, 2009-October 18, 2009, however the deadline to register is August 1, 2009. The director of the conference made it clear: NO EXCEPTIONS. So, if you'd like to attend the conference, head on over to the Muse Group and sign up - before August 1.

Jen's Writing Tip# 9 How Exciting!

We all know great things happen in our stories and articles. We want our readers to pick up on it. Chances are, if they're following the story, they will pick up on the excitement.

As authors, we are tempted to put in expressive punctuation to emphasize our point. The most over used punctuation mark? The exclamation point. We use exclamation point to show excitement. Something out of the ordinary is happening. Or something wonderful, or scary. It is fine to use these powerful helpers sparingly. In fact, when used in moderation, it can make that line perfect.

However, we should be careful not to over use them. If you have a simple statement like, "Go find the dog," you should end that with a period. Could you imagine your sister or brother saying to you, "Go find the dog!" I have this vision of someone standing in front of me yelling loudly. Do we do that when we talk to each other ?

So how often should you use them? My advice would be one or two per manuscript, depending on the length. For anywhere between 500- 1000 words use one - maybe. Remember, you want that punctuation mark to do its job - show excitement. How exciting can something be if every other sentence ends with an exclamation point?