| Friday, September 10, 2021 | ||
| 9:30 am | Opening of the 2021 ACFW Conference Official opening of the conference given by CEO, Colleen Coble | |
| 10:00 am - 11:00 am | WS 1: Sitting at the Feet of Jesus “Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to all He said.” Luke 10:39 NLV As a storyteller, Liz Curtis Higgs knows the very best stories have already been told. The New Testament accounts of Mary and Martha offer valuable insights about how we write, why we write, and what the Lord might be teaching us in the process. | |
| 10:00 am - 11:00 am | WS 2: Plot? Pants? Blueprint. How to write deep characters and compelling plot lines without endless Tired of endless planning or chasing down rabbit trails with massive rewrites? The Novel Blueprint covers all the major points you need, juggling the big, medium, and small pictures in your writing with a method you can use over and over again. Presented by Jennifer Crosswhite. | |
| 11:30 am - 12:30 pm | WS 3: How To Break Into Love Inspired—or better yet, walk through the door :) Best-selling, award-winning author Lenora Worth will tell you what writing for Love Inspired is all about and what you can do to get your manuscript read by a Love Inspired editor. Based on her twenty-five years of experience with Harlequin and LI, and with tips from editors and other LI authors, Lenora will give you the information you need and advice on what works. | |
| 11:30 am - 12:30 pm | WS 4: Five Marketing Mindset Shifts: How to Break Out and Find New Readers Audience: Intermediate to advanced writers (published, multi-published, or pitching to agents and editors) The reason authors often feel intimidated by marketing is because they know less about the art of marketing than they do the craft of writing, but the skills they need to succeed overlap. Bethany House fiction publicist and historical fiction author Amy Lynn Green Lokkesmoe will walk authors through five practical areas where they need to put on their “marketing hats” to reach new readers. She will provide specific examples of authors who have applied these tips to use their time more effectively, network with others, and grow their audience. | |
| 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm | WS 5: TRACK DOWN THE WEASEL WORDS! (Self-editing) Imagine your manuscript as a garden . . . filled with weasels (critters who spoil your lovely plants). Angela Hunt will give you several tools and principles to fine-tune your writing so you can eradicate the “weasels” that weaken your writing. No matter how experienced you are, you can learn new ways to make your writing stronger. | |
| 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm | WS 6: Top Social Media Best Practices and New Platforms High-level overview for authors on social media best practices in 2021 (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest) and quick overview of new social platforms (TikTok, Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, Caffeine, etc.) Presented by Kerri Potts from Harper Collins Christian Publishing. | |
| 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | WS 7: Dissecting the Dual-Time into Four Corners Jamie Jo Wright will take you through how to weave plot and story through time, balance pacing and character “screen time”, and thread a theme that crosses stories. Discuss the Four Corners of Dual-Time and how these pillars become the foundation for stories across time. | |
| 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | WS 8: Brainstorming Your Character’s Journey This workshop will explore how a character's backstory makes the character who they are when they walk on the page, complete with wounds, fears, and lies that must be overcome by the end of the story. Participants will walk away with a better idea of how to create characters readers can relate to. Presented by Patricia Bradley | |
| Saturday, September 11, 2021 | ||
| 10:00 am - 11:00 am | WS 9: Layers: The Secret That Takes Your Book to the Bestseller List Most authors don’t fully understand layers in a novel. Layers add the texture and character development that lift your novel out of the slush pile and onto the bestseller list. USAToday bestselling author Colleen Coble teaches you her “rule of three” to help you figure out the layers in your idea. | |
| 10:00 am - 11:00 am | WS 10: Filling the Well: A Writer’s Devotional Life A Christian writer has the added benefit of being connected to the Source of all creativity. Chris will talk about how a daily time with God and the interior work He does can leak authentically onto the page. Presented by Chris Fabry | |
| 11:30 pm - 12:30 pm | WS 11: Proposals 101 Proposals can be an unnerving step in the path to publication. What should be included? Can it be too long? Too short? How do I know what the agent or publisher expects? Cara Putman, author of 34 books with her next proposal circulating, will remove some of the mystery and give you concrete tips you can use to craft a proposal that has people asking for more. Presented by Cara Putman | |
| 11:30 am - 12:30 pm | WS 12: Marketing for Indies Learn the marketing approaches successful indie and hybrid authors use to sell books, both during a new release and over the long term. The course will cover: • Prerequisites to effective marketing • Utilizing pre-orders • Considerations when pricing • Email Lists: Approaches to grow a list of eager readers • The Data: What matters, how to track & analyze, and when to make changes • Advertising • Analyzing ROI • Price pulsing • Free Days • Regular book releases • Box sets - Strategies around single author and multi-author sets • Other low-hanging fruit: audiobooks, paperbacks, etc. We’ll also discuss the “write the next book” philosophy to marketing, and how combining this approach with early marketing efforts builds raving fans, eager for your next title! Presented by Misty Beller | |
| 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm | WS 13: The Art of Writing Together : Co-Authoring - How does that work? This workshop will guide you through the process that has worked for authors Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse whose books have graced multiple best-seller lists and have won several awards. Learn the basics for a smooth experience, as well as the benefits and tricks that can make a co-authored book a best-seller and favorite among readers. | |
| 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm | WS 14: New School Marketing for Old School Authors Gone are the days when publishing a book in an underserved genre was enough to make sales. Writing a book is less than half the battle these days, and authors who want to pay bills with royalties must stay up-to-date with how, where, and why readers buy books. This workshop will give an overview of the strategies successful authors are currently using to find readers and sell books. Presented by Michelle Stimpson | |
| 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | WS 15: Deep POV: Increasing the Intimacy Between Your Characters and Your Readers Breathe life into your narrative by learning to write with deep point of view. Learn techniques that will absorb you reader so completely, they will no longer simply consume the details of your story but will experience it right alongside your characters. Presented by Karen Witemeyer. | |
| 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | WS 16: Be All You Can Be: When your God-Given calling will not let you quit. A motivational talk geared toward the writers who believe they are called to write fiction. This presentation will help the author utilize scripture, values, and understanding their personality preferences so they can walk in their superpower and fulfill their writing commitments. Presented by Joy Massenburge | |
| 4:30 pm until... | ACFW Awards Gala | |
Participation of an individual presenter, agent, editor, or publisher in the ACFW conference does not constitute endorsement by ACFW. Conference attendees are advised to use due diligence and take personal responsibility when choosing industry professionals with whom to schedule appointments or enter into agreement.