Well - I just hit "send". Here's the final essay I came up with .... I was limited to 500 words and I hit it right on the dot. Last year the deadline was also on October 1st and they announced the winners to the list on October 11th. I'm hoping I'll hear good news before then (I understand they did contact the winners before the announcement).
And yes Greta - it is the same Mount Hermon area you're thinking of. Here's a link to the information about the writer's conference:
http://www.mounthermon.org/writers/index.php
Debbie Macomber is one of the two highlight speakers. Jerry Jenkins (the Left Behind series) is the other one.
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I believe the Mount Hermon Conference is perfect for me at this time in my writing. Last fall I participated in *NaNoWriMo and completed a 55,000 word manuscript during November. I have continued working on this novel and the outlines for six sequels. Participating in *NaNoWriMo gave me the courage to tackle a novel Iâd considered for yearsâ¦a mystery shopper who falls in love with someone she shops. While God helped me write that story, He enlarged my dream.
But my dream is no longer limited to this one book. It is now a series. I want to write fiction that entertains readers but also challenges them to think about life and how they could live it. I want to give readers courage to make changes in their life. I want to empower them accept their dreams (as I have) and step out in faith to make a new life for themselves. I also want to help them deal with their flaws and their pain and work through those things to become better people. I want to show them all this by helping them connect with characters who are as real and as flawed as they are. But my tools for this are the people in my novels and I know I need help with them.
My characters are real to me. In
Portrait of Love, I understand Kateâs struggle to let go of her guilt over not being there when her grandmother was ill. She has never redecorated the house and believes she is honoring her grandmotherâs memory by living in a mausoleum. My heart goes out to Stan as he struggles to manage a store when he really wants to paint. He falsely believes he must work in a âtraditionalâ career in order to be successful. The only problem is, his idea of success comes from his dead father, who he will never be able to please. Kateâs career as a mystery shopper can help her encourage Stan see that ânontraditionalâ careers can be ok. In spite of Stanâs ties to the past, he challenges Kate to see sheâs living a life that isnât true to herself.
Unfortunately, my characters are real only to me. I need help bringing them to life for my readers. If I donât do this, my readers will not be enlightened and they might not even be entertained. This is my biggest obstacle in the series so far.
Lauraine Snellingâs workshop series on âGreat Characters! The Foundation to Good Fictionâ will bring my characters to life. The description says that you put what you learn to use immediately. I need that help with both
Portrait of Love and the rest of the series. In fact, I can even apply these tips to the two rabbits and puppy that provide comic relief.
(Peg's note here - you have no idea how hard it was to NOT use at least 100 or so of my 500 words to talk about Miss Bea and Tiny and even Belle, the puppy. Oooh - I wanted so much to launch into bunny talk here - but I was good and resisted...I didn't even have enough words to say one rabbit was about 15 pounds! I thought that would have their interest...).
If I am selected, I will make the most of every opportunity at this conference, including the afternoon and night owl sessions and the manuscript critiques.
*NaNoWriMo â National Novel Writing Month â
www.nanowrimo.org
ray:...
