Success Stories from a Writer's Conference

Mount Hermon is nestled amongst California's giant redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is six miles from the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and every year around five hundred men and women, including authors, speakers, agents, editors and publishers, gather there for an intense five-day writers conference.

For the last thirty nine years Mount Hermon's Christian Writers Conference has provided the opportunity for writers to test their skills under the guidance of professionals. March 14 - 18 in 2008, Jerry B. Jenkins, author of books such as the "Left Behind" series, will be one of the keynote speakers.

Jenkins, who is president of the Christian Writers Guild, has always believed that a writer is constantly perfecting his or her craft and therefore writers' conferences are a necessity. The conference at Mount Hermon is a complete experience for every writer whether they are a beginner or a professional.

Author Marilyn J. Woody said, "I find the conference invaluable to my writing life. When aspiring writers ask me for advice about how to advance as writers and hopefully get published, among other things I recommend attending Mt. Hermon. I met Cathy Davis who later became my editor for books published by David C. Cook (who also published Arleta Richardson's "Grandma's Attic" series). To be able to take classes, share meals, and have appointments with publishers and editors from 20-30 publishing houses during the 5-day conference, opens rich opportunities for aspiring writers.

What's more, each morning guests are greeted by the director of the conference, Dave Talbot, for a gourmet breakfast and writing updates. He's quite the entertainer. Authors and publishers like those of Focus on the Family, with whom you are invited to speak and dine with, are strategically placed at separate tables. Writers are advised to have their book proposals down to a couple of sentences because these publishers will ask about your latest writing project. Everyone who sits at their table will have the chance to do so.

The first time I attended Mount Hermon I was able to take a few of the workshops plus what is known as a morning track. The morning track is your major class for the conference. You'll have a chance to get to know your teacher and perhaps make a lifetime mentor and friend. After your morning track you are then able to take as many workshops that would be both interesting as well as beneficial to further your writing career.

Yes indeed, besides the eleven different major morning tracks (which include a children's track if you would like to write for children, a fiction mentoring track which offers individual help and a career track for seasoned writers) there are over seventy workshops for you to choose from in the afternoons.

A friend from my writer's group, Sandee Schoger Foster, says it's like a literary shot in the arm. Sandee, happy to say, is one of the many success stories of the Mount Hermon conferees.

"I've loved every moment of the six times I've been there,"she says. "Everyone is talking about what I love and am passionate about ... writing. Seasoned writers, editors and publishers share their innermost nuggets of the trade, which are greedily written down.

Robin Crouch, formerly of Zonderkidz and now a freelance editor, pointed Sandee to the Thomas Nelson people who eventually published her book, "Daddy, Will You Dance with Me? "There have been a lot of people who have helped in my literary journey that I met at Mount Hermon," she told me.

Another esteemed member of our writer's group, Sharon Norris Elliott, had this to say: "My experiences at Mount Hermon have been life-changing. The many things I've learned about writing there, I have put into practice. I learned the storyboarding method for organizing my books, expanded on that knowledge through other classes, and have since developed my own business (AuthorizeMe) teaching people how to get their book ideas out of their heads, down onto paper, and into a professional book proposal format. I learned how to write devotions and have since published many, even writing 1/3 of a compilation book (Bible Seeds). I also made contacts which launched me into the world of teaching at writers' conferences and now I speak annually at several of the largest, most respected Christian writers' conferences in the nation."

Sharon attributes a little bit of her success at least to director Dave Talbott. Dave was the one who gave her the opportunity to have 15-minute appointments with conferees as she searched for articles for the magazine she was representing. Then he invited Sharon to teach on the faculty.

Steve Laube, an agent, also scored a few points with Sharon when he would never let her be satisfied with a mediocre manuscript. "He told me the truth about not capturing my voice on paper," she said. It hurt my feelings, but I went back and fixed it and now I have several books published."

This brings me to a very important point. A writer should come to this conference, and any other for that matter, with the intent of learning and polishing their own skills. Making connections with people in the industry is a definite plus. Nonetheless, your attitude should be one of willing to learn and be open to hear criticism of your work. It is hard but necessary. These are the people you will be submitting your work to so listen to their advice. And it's worth repeating that every writer should have their book proposal or article ideas ready to present to editors and representatives of publishing houses.

Furthermore, one should learn how to advertise oneself. Do not be afraid to sell yourself to these people. They are prepared for the hard sell, so to speak, as they also have come to Mount Hermon with a purpose: To discover new talent and acquire new manuscripts.

I have been to this conference twice now, and will probably attend in 2008, and I must say that my writing abilities have increased a hundred fold. At the most recent conference I had the privilege to sit down at lunch with Susan King, one of the editors at "The Upper Room" magazine, with whom I shared my personal story. She showed me how to crunch 1000 words into 250 and turn it into a devotional. It was published soon after the conference when I was able to email her the finished product.

In conclusion, the money spent for this conference, which includes room and board, is well worth it. Your dining experience is nothing less than what a five-star resort can offer. The conference (which includes a Palm Sunday service) ends each evening with a dynamic speaker and anointed time of worship. You will meet people who without a doubt will influence your writing as well as your life. This is a must conference for every writer.