The 2017 Southern Christian Writers Conference is in the history books.
But we have pictures to help us remember the awesome time we had.
Check some of them out:
The conference was a wonderful success, and we can’t thank all of the speakers and attendees enough for making it a weekend to remember.
And what can a lawyer teach aspiring writers?
Other than the fact that John Grisham turned into a killer novelist, and Atticus Finch is one of the best fictional characters of all time…actually, quite a lot!
Sheree Martin is a writer and a lawyer, with lots of advice for writers on what they should know about legal advice; she’s also a communications strategist and an aspiring novelist (so, she’s got that in common with a lot of us!).
She will also be speaking June 2-3 at the Southern Christian Writers Conference in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, so I felt like we needed to have an advance, online meet-and-greet with Sheree to get an idea of what we can expect from her.
Question: You are a lawyer AND a writer. Tell me about how that combination works.
I suspect anyone who is a lawyer will say that 80% of what lawyers do is write. Maybe an overstatement in terms of time, but there’s no question that words (and punctuation) are the currency of law, so lawyers must be able to write with precision.
I’ve always been focused on the broader realm of communication, even as a child. I’ve been writing in some form or fashion from the beginning. Journalism was part of the mix from as early as age 8, based on various writings saved from my childhood. On one of those early occasions, I interviewed my extended family and wrote my first “book”– a compilation of those interviews “published” in a three-ring folder with metal tabs that fold over to hold the pages in place.
When I was in the 8th grade, I decided I would become a lawyer. My heroes were the Founding Fathers, especially Benjamin Franklin (a journalist), so it’s natural that I would end up doing both. I was a staff reporter for my hometown newspaper the summer before law school and ended up freelance writing while working on my Ph.D. in Mass Communication. I worked for a number of years as a college professor but found that I was a bit too entrepreneurial for higher education. I’m fond of change and innovation and not-so-fond of committee meetings.
What legal issues do writers most need to know about?
For freelance writers: The difference between a “work for hire” and retaining ownership of copyright that can be licensed or sold to a publisher or other third party.
Using photos and illustrations of others without specific permission.
The FTC endorsement rules are vital for anyone who blogs commercially (or aspires to).
Writers, bloggers and freelance journalists who work in the realm of politics and topics of social discourse should learn everything they can about the rights of journalists (especially independent journalists) in their particular state.
Why do writers need to understand their rights?
The value of the free exchange of ideas and information goes to heart of how and why the U.S. exists as a country and why the Bill of Rights explicitly mentions the freedom of speech and press.
Every sentence the writer writes is an exercise of these freedoms, regardless of the content or message.
This is true whether the writer is proclaiming his or her spiritual faith, political viewpoint, or personal philosophy on the value of professional sports, fast food or Snapchat, or writing factual stories about a current or historical event of great (or even no) significance.
If writers do not know their rights, they can be intimidated and fail to speak out on an issue. If we don’t have competing ideas in the marketplace, we end up with an echo chamber and that serves no one.
Also, from a very practical standpoint, if writers know their rights, they feel empowered to negotiate for appropriate compensation for their work. Good writing, good reporting, is hard work. Writers deserve to be paid for their efforts.
What will your sessions at the SCWC encompass?
We’ll cover the standard copyright-related issues: What is protected by copyright, when does copyright protection “arise” and whether registration is required or recommended. We’ll take a quick look at “fair use” and how that relates to the right to quote from the work of others.
Related to fair use, we’ll also spend some time looking at whether bloggers can use photos they find “on the web” in their blog and whether attribution protects the blogger from copyright infringement.
We’ll also talk about the implications of “work for hire” in the freelance writing context.
I often get questions from writers who want to write about real life experiences involving other people, so we’ll go through a few examples relating to the right of privacy and something called public disclosure of private facts.
Defamation/libel can be an issue when writing “real life” stories, though probably less so than most writers expect. Truth is a defense to libel, of course. I don’t plan to spend much time on libel, unless those attending the session want to get into that.
We’ll also take a look at legal issues that come up in blogging, such as the FTC’s endorsement rules that require disclosure when a blogger receives some type of compensation or benefit for promoting products, services, brands.
What advice would you go back and give to yourself as a writer maybe 10 or 20 years ago?
I started my first “blog” in 1999 before it was called a blog. That morphed into a blog that I could have monetized in 2001-02-03 but I didn’t go that route, even though I was also freelancing in the online space in those days. I saw my “passion” writing as a fun side project. I wish I’d seen the passion project as a business then, in the way I do today.
But the great news is that, at least right now, the sky is the limit for what independent mediapreneurs can achieve through online media and self-publishing opportunities (if we don’t lose the free and open internet this year).
I don’t downplay the value of traditional publishing, but the fastest way to get the attention of the traditional publishing world today is success as an indie writer with “one thousand true fans” and an online following.
What writing projects are you currently working on?
In 2013, I outlined the approximately 95 theses of a work that’s titled “The Happy Life Manifesto.” (See, e.g. Martin Luther). Since then, I’ve been slowly writing essays on each thesis and I hope to finish that up this summer for publication. Thesis #1: It starts with Love.
I’m also returning to resume work on novel I began writing in 1996, inspired by the Oklahoma City Bombing. I was about ½ – 2/3s through my first draft when I got cold feet back then. Current political events in the past year or so have inspired me to revisit the story and finish it.
As a lawyer/writer I have been working on an online course for writers that I’ve been putting together to offer as a standalone “product” to help writers with legal questions. It’s what you might call an in-depth, guided learning opportunity where I walk a writer through the various legal issues that might come up in various contexts. It resembles a practical adaptation of the media law course I used to teach as a college professor, but it’s aimed at writers and professional bloggers, not college students who need to take an academic course for graduation. It’s very “applied” for the real world of 2017.
Learn more:
Writers should read.
That’s one of the mantras I preach to aspiring writers.
Writers should breathe in and gulp down books of all kinds. Novels, poetry, nonfiction, graphic novels, how-to guides, memoirs…anything and everything should find as spot on our bookshelves.
Among the types of books writers should read is a subset that you might not often think about, but which is incredibly beneficial to wordsmiths.
Writers should read books on writing.
Because, we can ALWAYS learn more about the craft.
Here, then, are some of my favorite books on writing. There are so many more out there (just go look on Amazon; the book choices are truly endless), but these are some that have meant the most to me over the years.
What are your favorites?
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King
This one of the best (and perhaps my favorite) books on writing you’ll ever find (and I don’t even read King’s fiction; I’m a scaredy cat, after all). It gives tons of practical advice for the aspiring writer, but is told through the lens of King’s fascinating start, career and perspective.
Entertainment Weekly gave it this review: “Long live the King. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.”
The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
The classic handbook that covers everything from style and grammar and usage, Strunk and White’s book is one of the “bibles” every writer should have on his or her shelf.
The book’s new editions over the years have added new tips and guides, changing with the times and prescribing new advice for writers.
Time listed the book in 2011 as one of the 100 most influential books in American publishing, and poet Dorothy Parker once said: “If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second-greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first-greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.”
Eats Shoots and Leaves, by Lynne Truss
A more modern take on grammar and punctuation, this guide will have you laughing at the absurdities of the English language and make you want to be a much better practitioner in your writing.
Ever heard of the joke that tells the difference between “Let’s eat Grandma!” and “Let’s eat, Grandma!”? That’s exactly what you’re getting here…a fun guide to something that most people won’t consider “fun.”
Grammar is a necessary evil in a writer’s life; you might as well be good at it.
(As a side note, there is a wonderful picture book for children based on the book. It’s a great way to introduce grammar to the young ones.)
How to Write Bestselling Fiction, by Dean Koontz
Horror writer Koontz has sold more than 30 million copies of his own books, so I guess he should know something.
In this wonderfully-accessible and interesting guide, Koontz takes a practical, detailed approach to the art, craft, and business of novel writing. You’ll learn how to structure a story for greatest reader appeal, how to provide depth of characterization without slowing the pace, and how to recognize and use the sort of theme that is timely and appealing. Plus you’ll receive thorough instruction on other writing techniques as they apply to today’s novel, including background, viewpoint, scene setting, transitions, and dialogue. He also gives great insight into the business of writing (working with agents, publishers and so forth).
Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein
The subtitle says it all: “A master editor of some of the most successful writers of our century shares his craft techniques and strategies.”
Chapters include advice on everything from characterization to plotting to point of view to flashbacks to tension to literary values.
The book covers fiction and nonfiction, and discusses both the literary and practical aspects of writing and gettgn published.
It’s a world of information in one big book, and it’s excellent.
Writing down the Bones, by Natalie Goldsmith
This was one of the first books I read after I got my degree in journalism and decided I wanted to live a life of writing, and it breathed into me a world of possibility and excitement. It’s Zen-like approach helped me realize that writing was more than just writing (and getting published); it’s almost a spiritual pursuit.
One of my favorite aspects of the book is that it includes exercises to get in touch with the writer inside of you.
Goldberg’s writing is humorous, human and poignant, and is filled with stories and advice that made me believe that “I could do this”…that “I can be a writer.”
Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott
Lamott is one of my favorite writers; her essays speak with truth and authenticity, and her thoughts on faith are daring and on-the-mark.
Bird by Bird is her classic collection of writing about writing. Novelist Jerry Jenkins nails it on the head, I think, with this assessment: “It has you howling with laughter one minute and weeping the next as she recounts, with brutal honesty, the joys and travails of the writing life, single parenting, overcoming addiction, and coming to faith.”
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by Donald Miller
Miller is the author of Blue Like Jazz, which just happens to be one of my favorite books (if you haven’t read it…go, get it, NOW). and this memoir tells of the struggles he had after scoring success with it and other books–and finding his voice again. Subtitled, “What I learned by editing my life” (I sure do love that!), it recounts his views on storytelling and uses fascinating experiences and characters to tell his tale.
It also has some awesome quotes on writing, such as:
“Good stories don’t happen by accident, I learned. They are planned.”
“…people don’t live without a story, without a role to play.”
“The ambitions we have will become the stories we live.”
“We have to force ourselves to create these scenes. We have to get up off the couch and turn the television off, we have to blow up the inner-tubes and head to the river.
“A good storyteller doesn’t just tell a better story, though. He invites other people into the story with him, giving them a better story too.”
“…one person’s story has the power to affect a million others.”
“Fear isn’t only a guide to keep us safe; it’s also a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life.”
Need more books to read to add to your list? (Because, let’s face it, I left a lot of other people’s favorites out. One Writer’s Beginnings, by Eudora Welty? The Writing Life, by Annie Dillard? The Writer’s Way, by Julia Cameron? Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury?) I Googled “books on writing,” and here’s the big, long list I got back:
Happy reading…
and writing!!
Aspiring novelists dream of the moment.
A literary agent falls in love with their book idea, takes them on as a client, and then sells their book to a top publisher.
For those same aspiring novelists, though, the process through which this happens is a mystery.
In fact, the life and job of a literary agent is a bit of a mystery as well. (Writers just know they need them.)
To get some answers about literary agents, what they do, and what writers can do to avail themselves to a successful agent, I recently talked with Tessa Hall–and got some great answers.
Tessa is a junior literary agent with Hartline Agency (an agency that serves both the general and Christian market); the agency currently has over 200 author clients.
Tessa is also a novelist herself, so she understand the author side of the process. Her two novels are Unwritten Melody and Purple Moon (a 2014 Selah Award Finalist in Debut Novel and YA Fiction); and she is the founding editor of PursueMagazine.net.
She will be one of the speakers at the upcoming Southern Christian Writers Conference in Tuscaloosa on June 2-3, where she will present sessions on “How to Submit to an Agent.” (Learn more about the SCWC here.)
Here’s part of my conversation with Tessa:
Just what does a literary agent do?
As a Jr. Agent, I work directly with a handful of his clients, oversee the submission process to publishers, review submissions we receive, speed the communication process, and negotiate contracts. The responsibilities are pretty much the same as a senior agent; the main difference is that I work for and with a senior agent and his clients. (Tessa’s senior agent is Cyle Young.)
What misconceptions do writers have about agents?
One misconception I see often—and one that I, too, used to have about agents—is that agents should give their immediate and full attention to you, their client. While it’s true their first priority should be given to their clients, it’s impossible for them to devote 100% of their attention to each and every client 100% of the time. A literary agent is responsible for multiple tasks, and unread emails constantly beg for their attention in their inbox. While we do our best at giving each client the attention he/she deserves, the client also needs to have patience, respect the agent’s time, and have realistic expectations for the author/agent relationship.
What advice would you give to writers about working with agents?
other than respecting their agent’s time and having realistic expectations about the agent/author relationship, I’d recommend that writers work hard to build their career. Ultimately, when an agent submits your work to a publisher, they aren’t just trying to sell your book; they’re trying to sell you as an author. The publisher is going to take into consideration your online presence, established readership, credentials, and potential for developing future projects. Are you actively working to further your career, or are you remaining stagnant? For the most part, agents like to work with writers who have the promise of a long-term career.
What publishing trends do you see in your area right now?
In the YA market in general, there has been a lot of interest in fantasy, books that feature diversity, as well as speculative fiction—realistic fiction with a fantasy twist. In the CBA market, non-fiction titles are continuing to remain far more popular than fiction; in fact, a few CBA publishers have recently stopped publishing fiction altogether.
With the increasing crowded market, I’m finding it more and more vital for authors—especially fiction authors—to engage with their readers on social media if they hope to stand out and continue to sell books.
What will you be speaking about at the SCWC?
I’m going to give a presentation on how to sell your book to an agent—what to do and what not to do. In the workshop, I’ll discuss what the role of an author is, the various stages of submitting to an agent, the essential elements of a query letter, how to pitch to agents in person, etc. By the end of the workshop, writers will know secrets and tips that will increase their chances of catching the attention of a literary agent.
How did you become an agent in the first place?
As an author, I’ve attended several writing conferences over the years. It’s through the connections I’ve made at these conferences that led me to this position at an agency. Even though I love writing, I’ve always known that I’d like to someday become a literary agent and help other writers pursue their publication dreams. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
Tell me a little bit about your life outside of your work.
I live in The Upstate of South Carolina, where I spend far too much time in coffee shops or making lattes with my nine different coffee makers. =) Acting is another passion of mine. I grew up participating in theater productions and have recently worked on two Christian films, “Providence” (produced by Faith Flix Films) and “A Beautiful Life” (produced by A Grace Like Rain Entertainment).
When I’m not experimenting with new latte recipes, writing, acting, or working, I’m attempting to scratch books off of my never-ending “to read” list while cuddling with my teacup Shih-Tzu.
Learn more about Hartline Agency.
Check out her books on Amazon.
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As a sports writer during the day, I find myself writing a lot about games, and scores, and stats, and events, and coaches, and players.
Every one in a while, though, I get to delve a little deeper behind the scenes to write about things that are fun, or unique, or inspiring.
Here are a few of those recent stories:
Jesus Take the Wheel: Volunteers spread the Gospel at Talladega
Local college player vies for top hits in NCAA
Fun, new Airstream bar, restaurant coming downtown
Dancers and Drivers: Castroneves, Hinchliffe bring star power to Indy
How fast does new Baron Michael Kopech pitch? Get ready for some heat
What have you been writing lately?
I’d love to know!
Just yesterday I drove by the ballpark in my small community and saw that it had installed a brand new, blinky billboard. It lets passersby know of upcoming baseball games and other fun activities happening at the park.
And it also provided two admonitions to the drivers whizzing by.
And they were in capital letters, ending in exclamation points.
BUCKLE UP!
STAY HYDRATED!
They were very apropos messages.
Drivers driving by certainly need to buckle up. It’s the law, and if someone is kept safer (perhaps, alive) that’s a message that needs to be shared.
And since I live in Alabama, the second message was a good one as well. It’s just May, but has felt like in-the-middle-of-Summer lately.
The loud messages made me think:
We writers have something to say; it’s usually why we became writers in the first place; it’s why we put pen to paper, or fingers to computer…we want to get our message out into the world.
If you could pronounce your message on a big, blinky sign for all the passersby to see, what would that message be?
I asked this exact question on Facebook and got some good answers:
BE KIND
REMAIN CALM
CHECK YOUR SOURCES
EAT CAKE
DO SOMETHING
Wonderful ideas and messages, each of them. (I’m especially in favor of the eating of cake.)
It’s certainly something to think about.
What message is your writing going to tell?
What are you communicating with your words, sentences, stories?
What are you SAYING?
Joe McKeever will be a speaker at the upcoming Southern Christian Writers Conference on June 2-3 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and has a lot to say to people of faith and aspiring writers.
Check out his wonderful blog, see some of his illustrations from his regular column, and check out all of his books on Amazon.
Joe recently talked with me about faith, grief, drawing, writing and encouraging others.
Question: Tell me a little bit about your blog. How did it start? What is its ‘philosophy’?
I’ve been writing all my adult life. Did a cartoon article for SBC’s “Outreach” magazine in 1972 when I was 32. And as a pastor, I wrote for various things. One day in 1996, our minister of education installed a huge bulky computer in my office. “You’re going to be needing this,” he said. And he was right. The funny thing is I used to be a secretary, through college and for two years following. I type fast and loved to write, but as the pastor of some demanding churches in the 80s and 90s had quit typing anything. So, now, I would sit at the computer and type articles for our church website. And the creative juices began to flow again.
We sent out a weekly fax with my inspirational thoughts. And when I discovered sending out those articles over long distance was expensive, but email was cheap, we went to an email. And from there to blogging. And sometime around 2002, my son informed me, “I have reserved http://www.joemckeever.com for you. You’ll need it one day.” I hardly knew what that meant. But in 2004, I left the pastorate to become director of missions for the SBC churches of metro New Orleans, and since their website was non-functioning, I began using my own. In 2005, when Katrina flooded the city and devastated a lot of our churches, my website became a lifeline for displaced pastors and others. Editors began taking my blog and running it in print editions. (You can see everything I wrote during the Katrina episode Sept 1, 2005 and through the next two years, by scrolling down the page on my blog to the archives and finding those years/months. Everything is still there.) And since I was primarily writing for churches, church leaders, and particularly pastors, they became my primary audience.
Q: What other writing do you do, in addition to your blog?
In the decade of the 1990s, I kept a hand-written journal each night. Eventually, it filled over 50 hard-bound volumes. I wrote about pastor stuff–who came to see me, what the church staff was dealing with, whom I visited, what problems the deacons and I were wrestling with, and on Saturday evenings, I wrote out the sermons for the next day. And for several years, while I had a two minute live radio thing called “phone call from the pastor,” I’d write out the gist of that program. That’s why my postings on Facebook are often rich. I’m mining those journals. Oh, I also wrote about my grandchildren, you may have noticed.
The books I’m writing are offshoots of the blog. I did a book “Help! I’m a Deacon!” two years ago, and my bride of 3 months and I have one coming out next week called “Grief Recovery 101.” And at the moment, I have moved articles on prayer from the blog into a word document for the next book. It’s far more than enough for a book, so I’m editing it down to maybe one-half of the present content.
I write a column called “My Favorite Deacon” for the quarterly “Deacon Magazine,” published by Lifeway.
Q: How dd you get started illustrating, and how often do you do it these days?
I’ve drawn cartoons since I was a child. Did all the class posters in high school (Double Springs, AL) and college (Berry and Birmingham-Southern), and at church. During seminary (1960s) our weekly newspaper in the bayou country of Louisiana would run my devotional each week alongside my cartoon. That paper was actually giving me one-quarter of a page in every issue. The publicity from it did my little church on Alligator Bayou a world of good, and brought in visitors every Sunday. — I cannot even tell you how many books I’ve illustrated, but the number must be 20 or more.
And in the early 1980s, Baker Book House of Grand Rapids published “Instant Cartoons for Church Newsletters,” a series of 8 volumes eventually, containing religious cartoons from me and two other guys. Before they ended the series, we had sold 300,000 copies. The publisher I use these days is Parson’s Porch of Cleveland, TN. They have done two books of cartoons, named “101 Cartoons” and “101 More Cartoons” (catchy, huh?), as well as the deacon and grief books.The Baptist Press posts a cartoon of mine each weekday.
As a rule, I draw in cracks of times, those moments when a good idea hits or when I’m reading the paper (the paper newspaper!!) and something in the comics sparks an idea. Then, later, I’ll collect all these scraps and doodles and redraw them, then hand color them, and scan/email.
I also am a sketch artist. People want to call these caricatures, but they’re not. A caricature is an exaggeration, but few people want their nose to be the size of Montana. I’m trying to capture the essence of the person in a minute to two minutes. I’m often invited to draw for festivals and conventions and such. They pay well, although for charitable events and church things, I’m happy to donate my time. I do a lot of school programs.
Here is Joe illustrating and talking with attendees at the 2012 SCWC,
Q: You’re a former pastor. How does your faith affect your writing?
I am all about faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no part of me that isn’t. Even when I’m drawing cartoons or sketching people, I pray to do it well and for His glory. So, I pray for the website, for my writing, asking the Lord to lead me in what to write and how to do it. And then, if someone praises the results, nothing inside me swells with pride. I just thank them, and send up a silent thank-you to the Father.
Q: Tell me a little bit about your personal life, and what the future holds with writing.
In October 2016, I sold my house in metro New Orleans (where I’d lived since 1990) and moved to the Jackson, MS area. Bought a lovely garden home in a gated community. In January 2017, I married the widow of a seminary classmate. Gary Fagan and I had known one another since the 1960s, but we did not know the other’s families. So, Bertha and I met in February of 2016. We knew that same week the Lord had put us together.
She contributed a chapter to our ‘grief” book, telling what she went through in May 2014 when Gary had an aneurysm after preaching twice that day, and died 10 days later. She teaches English at a community college here, but had never done any writing until now.
Projects? I’m always sketching people for events. (Have four weddings in 3 states coming up in the next 6 weeks; I’ll sketch for the receptions.) I’m always drawing cartoons for Baptist Press. I write on the blog almost daily and post perhaps 5 articles per week. Online magazines for church leaders pick up some of the articles and send them to their mailing lists of many thousands.
That’s the fun thing about blogging. I have posted an article at 6 am (after working on it, off and on, for several days) and by 11 am, one of these magazines has picked it up and sent it out to 50,000 subscribers, and my mailbox is filling with notes from people all over the world.
I went to the Naples, Italy area for a weeklong retreat for pastors and spouses from all over Europe as a result of my blog. I’m 77 years old. I’m so grateful I lived long enough to hold a smart phone in my hand, and think of all the possibilities it contains.
Q: What will you talk about at the SCWC, and how do you hope to encourage aspiring writers?
I love to attend any event that sparks my creative energy, and want to accomplish that for those attending my conferences. The result should be people going out to do their own thing, express what’s going on in their lives, using the talents and gifts they have. I have no desire to just pass along information or teach someone how to do what I’m doing. How boring. Outside the window as I type, there are flowers everywhere, the result of a gracious Heavenly Father and an amazing wife who loves to make spaces glorious. Flowers come in so many different varieties and colors and forms. No two are alike. And that’s the goal of SCWC, I happen to know–to encourage God’s highest creations to bloom where they are planted, and to find brighter and more glorious ways and venues to shine forth.
My two conferences are WRITING INSPIRATIONAL AND EFFECTIVE BLOGS and WRITING ABOUT PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. Under the first one, we’ll talk about blogging. The second will deal with, among other things, my writing about my wife’s death in 2015 and then dealing with the grief that followed.
In either, or in both, I will encourage people to find their voice in writing (and the only way to do that is to write and write and write until they find the street on which they live and to travel it every day), to be themselves, but to be their best selves, and not to ape anyone else, no matter how much they admire someone. Learn from everyone; imitate no one.
(Meet Joe and the other speakers at the SCWC by attending this year’s worskshop. Visit the SCWC website for more information.)
