ACFW-DFW

Give Your Imagination Wings

The ACFW DFW chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers

Invites you to the

3rd Annual Spring Conference

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Arlington Community Church 1715 W Randol Mill Rd.

9:00a – 2:45p

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

(info below)

Keep up with further info: https://www.facebook.com/DFWReadyWriters/

Keynote Speaker

Robin Patchen – Writer of Romantic Suspense with Soul and Spirit

Two Presentations

Small Edits, Big Impact: Learn how to use rhetorical devices and other simple tricks to improve the emotional impact of your prose. Each device will have examples from speeches, literature, and movies to illustrate how they can be used in all kinds of writing. 

Writing the Emotional Roller Coaster: Explore the three ways to add emotion to your manuscript, when it is appropriate to use each, and discover how to use the emotional wheel to bring more depth to your manuscripts to pull your readers onto an emotional roller coaster that will leave them breathless. 

Aside from her family and her Savior, Robin Patchen has two loves—writing and traveling. If she could combine them, she’d spend a lot of time sitting in front of her laptop at sidewalk cafes, ski lodges, and beachside burger joints. She’d visit every place in the entire world—twice, if possible—and craft stories and tell people about her Savior. Alas, time is too short and money is too scarce for Patchen to traipse all over the globe, even if her husband and kids wanted to go with her. So she stays in Oklahoma, shares the Good News when she can, and writes to illustrate the unending grace of God through the power and magic of story.

Patchen has been writing all her life but didn’t start down the fiction trail until nine years ago. Since then, she’s written thirteen books and co-authored one. Her books include the Hidden Truth series “Convenient Lies,” “Twisted Lies,” “Generous Lies,” and “Innocent Lies;” the Amanda series, including “Chasing Amanda,” and “Finding Amanda;” as well as A Package Deal, Faith House, and collaboration on the nonfiction, The Twelve Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing.

Patchen and her husband, Eddie, have been married for 24 years and are the proud parents of three children—teens through young adult. Although from New Hampshire and having lived for years in the OKC area, she and her family are in the midst of a work transfer to North Carolina. To find out more about our talented keynote speaker visit: https://robinpatchen.com/ or https://robinpatchen.com/.

J.A. Marx – Embattled Spirit Author

Twisting Your Plot - Wow! I did not expect that to happen.” Yes, even you can surprise the socks off your readers. J.A. Marx teaches one simple technique that will set authors on the road to mastering the plot twist. Learn to add everything from unexpected turns to radically messing with your reader’s mind. After this 30-minute lesson, you will no longer hear any reader say, “Well, that was predictable.” Audience participation required. Bring your imagination, a pen and paper, or your laptop.

A multi-published hybrid author and freelance editor, J.A. Marx writes psychological suspense/adventure with threads of romance and supernatural undertones. She is a graduate of The Christian Writers Guild's elite Craftsman course, under mentors Jerry Jenkins and DiAnn Mills. One of her favorite activities is a weekly critique group where she has the honor of helping other writers hone their craft.

Marx’s fiction bookshelf includes: co-written Christmas novellas: The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt and A Ruby Christmas. Mirror, Mirror (e-book only), and The Destiny Series: “Destiny Defied,” “Destiny Delivered,” and “Destiny Defended.” Her nonfiction publications include CBN devotionals, various articles, and The Embattled Spirit weekly blog. 

Growing up in Colorado, Marx spent much of her childhood climbing trees and rocks and riding horses. She graduated from Colorado State University with a BA in Arts & Humanities and a double minor in French and Music. Having lived in Tennessee and Ohio, she presently calls Texas her home, near her children and grandchildren. She has been involved in many types of ministries but above all, Marx’s desire is to see people set free to live and to love. To discover more about J.A. Marx, visit her at:  http://jamarx.net/  and https://www.facebook.com/embattledspirit.

Harry Hall – Author and Professional Speaker

Make your Book Launch an Event - A book launch is an opportunity for you, the author, to showcase your writing skills and to join friends and family in reveling in your achievement. But too often, book launches pass with little fanfare, and what should be a celebration often falls flat. In this session, you will learn techniques that will turn your launch into an event. Takeaways include strategies on marketing and promoting your launch, ingredients for maximizing the moment, and follow-ups that will create long-lasting memories. 

In 2002, after 15 years of freelance writing, Harry Hall decided to write a book about the history of American women distance runners. After six months of research, he just knew he was missing the bigger story. He found the missing adventure in John Cumming’s, Runners and Walkers, a 19th Century Sports Chronicle, in a briefly mentioned statement of the late 19th century professional women endurance walkers; a  group of talented young women who dazzled America with their on and off track exploits from 1876-1881. The miles of travel and hours of research, along with a gifted scrapbook from Charlotte and Gerry Curtis—sisters and the great-granddaughters of May Marshall, the most prolific pedestrienne--would become Hall’s book, The Pedestriennes: America’s Forgotten Superstars, and an eventual screenplay.

His other book, "Help! Everyone is Staring at Me, is based on his experiences as a radio talk show host, speaker, and teacher of public speaking at the University of Dallas and SMU. Hall is a charter inductee into the Mayborn Author’s Guild, the first of several writing awards. He is an active member of Toastmasters International, the Dallas Press Club, DFW Writers Workshop and the National Speaker’s Association. He also frequently judges speech contests for home-schooled students.

A former track coach, Hall still follows the sport and loves talking distance running and baseball history. He and his wife Susie live in Grand Prairie where he loves spending time with his 20-year-old son, Zane, and Zane’s best friend, Scamp (Pooch) Hall. For more information visit Hall at: http://harryhallspeaks.com/  and https://www.facebook.com/harry.hall.92

PLEASE NOTE TIME DIFFERENCE FOR THIS EVENT (from normal monthly schedule)

            Doors open 9:00a for registration, coffee and light morning refreshments.

Final remarks and closing 2:45p.

Reservations are REQUIRED for this event by Friday, April 6, 2018.

TO REGISTER: email - DFWReadyWriters.Events@gmail.com

Subject line: April – WINGS Conference

Body of text: Name(s) and best phone number(s)

A confirmation email will be sent with further info.

ACFW DFW members - $25

Non-ACFW DFW members - $30

High School and College students (WITH school ID) - $15

Lunch is included in the conference fee.

Reserve your spot today!

See you there!