Writers and aspiring writers are invited and encouraged to attend the third-annual Olympic Peninsula Christian Writers’ Conference Nov. 2.
Sponsored by Dungeness Community Church, this year’s conference offers sessions on writing novels, blogs, memoirs, romance and children’s stories. Two sessions also invite writers to submit pages for editing, suggestions and critical recommendations. Other sessions cover book marketing and polishing the writing craft.
Conference Keynote Speaker, Melanie Dobson, will speak in two sessions in this year’s Olympic Peninsula Christian Writer’s Conference. The first will focus on “The Power of Story” to inspire authors to write their stories. The second session will delve into “Ten Steps to Create a Compelling Novel.”
Dobson is the award-winning author of 20 historical romance, suspense and time-slip novels. Four of her novels — “Chateau of Secrets,” “Catching the Wind”, “The Silent Order” and “Love Finds You in Homestead” — have received Carol Awards. “Catching The Wind” received the Inspirational Fiction Audie Award in 2018, and “The Black Cloister” was named the ForeWord Religious Fiction Book of the Year.
Other presenters include Crystal Linn (memoirs), Mindy Peltier (blogging) and Julie McDonald Zander (self-editing), Sandra Byrd (writing coach for fiction and non-fiction) and Kate Breslin (Christian romance).
Linn is a freelance writer, a multi-published author and award-winning poet. Her session will cover all aspects of writing a memoir and how it differs from writing an autobiography. She began tteaching crestive writing classes in 2001. Linn lives on the Olympic Peninsula where she enjoys reading mysteries, writing poetry, hiking and sailing with friends and family.
Peltier’s session will focus on the basics of successful blogging and its benefits. A former reporter/photographer, she began blogging when the last of six children was potty-trained. She has since published over 1000 blog posts. In 2013 she was featured on Freshly Pressed on WordPress, a Christian online and traditional publisher.
McDonald Zander plans her session to delve into the nuts and bolts of writing, examining word choice, writing style and proofreading. She worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for 20 years before launching her business writing histories for organizations, companies and institutions. She also contracts out for editing services.
Byrd will host two small-group sessions analyzing pre-submitted pages of either fiction or nonfiction in a roundtable fashion, whereby writers make editing changes in real time on their electronic devices. Author of more than 50 books, Byrd has won many awards and accolades. She is also in demand as a writing coach.
Breslin is an author of several inspirational novels, winning an award for her debut novel, “For Such A Time.” She has also won awards for poetry, and has published travel articles having traveled much of Western Europe. She will lead two sessions. The first will focus on marketing published works, and the second will concentrate on developing a “took kit” for writing romance.
The conference will begin with check-in at 8:30 a.m. and conclude by 4:30 p.m. at Dungeness Community Church, located at 45 Eberle Lane. A continental breakfast and light lunch will be provided. Gluten free and sugar free options are available.
Online registration costs $75 with an additional $15 for each of Byrd’s coaching sessions. Registration at the door is an additional $10.
Full details are available on the conference website, www.opcwc.com, or by calling conference chairperson Sandy Frykholm at 360-461-6897.
