ETBU To Hold East Texas Christian Writers Conference

MARSHALL, Texas (9/18/12)- Seasoned writers and those who are just starting can benefit from the East Texas Christian Writers Conference at East Texas Baptist University. The two-day event will be held on Friday and Saturday, October 26-27, 2012. The conference, sponsored by the ETBU School of Humanities, will feature over 15 presenters who have writing experience ranging from published authors to those who write for newspapers, journals, magazines, and social media. Conference sessions will be held in Scarborough Hall, Marshall Hall, and the Ornelas Student Center.

The cost of attending the conference sessions on October 27 is $80 if registered before October 15th. Conference activities begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday with the conference ending at 4:30 p.m. If a participant registers after October 21, the fee is $90 and does not include the Friday evening banquet meal. The noon meal for all participants is not provided by the conference.

The pre-conference workshops on October 26 cost an additional $35 for a two-hour practical hands-on workshop. Pre-conference activities began at 3:00 p.m. on Friday and end at 8:00 p.m. If a participant registers after October 15th, the fee is $40 and does not include the evening banquet meal.

Student registration is discounted before October 15th at $50; after October 15th, student registration will be $60; some scholarships are available, first come, first served.

A dinner and program will be held on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. The speaker will be award-winning author James Watkins with entertainment by songwriter and recording artist Don Burton.

The session titles for Friday are "Communicate to Change Lives,” "Sharing Your Faith: Writing Devotionals,” "Developing a Writer’s Persona,” "Discover the Denominational Market,” "Building a Writing Investment-Keeping a Personal or Professional Journal,” and "Working with LOGOS Bible Software.”

The titles for the Saturday sessions are "The Ministry of Writing,” "Secrets My Editors Taught Me,” "Writing to Reach the Unbeliever,” "Getting Started Writing Poetry,” "Sharing Your Faith: Writing Devotionals,” "Writing for Newspapers,” "Biographies: Formula for Success,” "Logos Bible Software Workshop,” "Believable Characters and Realistic Conflict,” "Editorial Makeover,” "Introduction to Social Media for Writers,” and "Listen to the Calling.”

Other sessions on Saturday include, "Building a Better Writing Life,” "Writing for Scholarly Publication,” "Christian Non-Fiction Writing,” "Songwriter’s Bootcamp,” "Writing Book Reviews for Scholarly Journals,” "Editor and Agent Pet Reeves,” "Writing Poetry Outside the Box,” "Writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul,” "Discover the Denomination Market,” "Editorial Makeover,” "A Writers Group Experience,” "Blogging for Writers,” and "Broader Horizons in Poetic Technique.”

A writing contest is scheduled and features a grand prize, first, second, and third place prize. The entry fee is $10 for each submission. Entries must be received by October 15, 2012.

Registration fees cover workshops and materials. Registration may be done online at www.etbu.edu/News/CWC or call 903-923-2083. A schedule for both days is also posted on the ETBU website.