Past Season 2012-13

Shine Your Light: Spotlighting Your Message In this presentation, Kathy addresses the age-old dilemma of self-promotion for Christians. You’ll learn the biblical view of promotion and your call to spread the word through God’s marketing plan. Find new ways to get the word out about your writing. We’ll discuss how to target industry professionals like editors and agents, as well as media, reviewers, consumers, and online contacts. Learn to shine your light through brand development, Internet presence and social networking.

Kathy Carlton Willis (www.kathycarltonwillis.com) enjoys fiddling with words as: writer, publicist, and writer's coach at KCW Communications. Kathy has been in the Christian literary industry since 2001, and is affiliated with Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, CLASSEMINARS, and others. She’s published in multiple books, magazines and online publications. Clients receive customized publicity and marketing services, and remark that Kathy’s brainstorms are more like tsunamis. She gets jazzed inspiring others to have their own “aha” light bulb moments. Kathy shines, whether she's shining the light on God's writers and speakers, or reflecting God's light during her speaking opportunities. She serves alongside her pastor-husband in local church ministry.

Author and historian Tina Susedik will present An Unexpected Journey: From Teacher to Writer. For someone who hated history in high school and college, it is surprising that today Tina Susedik has written six history books, including two military. She will discuss her journey writing children's books, local history and military books and fiction. Tina will also talk about the joy as well as trials and tribulations of researching and writing history books.

Tina Susedik (http://www.tinasusedik.com) has been a writer for many years--mainly in fiction. In 1997 she was approached to research and write a township history. A labor of love began. With Ruff Stuff in its Second Edition, Tina has just completed her 7th history book. She has several more lined up for the future. Tina believes that while world and national history is important, it is local history that makes life interesting.

Sports writer Jack Bushnell presents "Why Baseball Matters." Jack will read from some of his published baseball work, talking about the game of baseball as a metaphor for life, opening discussion, and/or inviting questions. He will touch on what baseball brings alive for us and explore how it weaves its way in and out of our lives.

Jack Bushnell has taught at UW-Eau Claire since 1995, and he has regularly taught courses in science and nature writing, grant writing, British romanticism (generally at the graduate level), baseball writing, and composition. Because he is an award-winning children’s author, he also teaches the senior workshop in writing for children. Jack’s publishing interests are as varied as his teaching interests, ranging from scholarly articles on science or literature, to fiction, to mem

oir, to personal essays on nature and on baseball. He has four books for children, two from Morrow/HarperCollins, one from the Chippewa Valley Museum Press (in Wisconsin), and a new one forthcoming from Tanglewood Books. Circus of the Wolves (1994) won awards from the International Reading Association, Friends of American Writers, and Council for Wisconsin Writers. Sky Dancer (1996) was named a Best Book of the Year by the Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College. And Farm Crossing: The Amazing Adventures of Addie and Zachary (2004) won the Young Adult Children’s Book Award runner-up from the Council for Wisconsin Writers. His fourth book, Night of the White Deer,is due out in 2012.

CHRISTMAS TALENT SHOW Join us for an evening of food, fun and fellowship as we celebrate Christmas with a talent show presented by guild members. Books written by members will be available; the perfect Christmas shopping opportunity. Plus plenty of inspiration to make it a special part of your Christmas holiday.

Mary Pierce presents "More Life in Your Time." Feeling overwhelmed by life's demands? Wishing you had more time? Start the new year with a new attitude. Join Mary Pierce for this fun and practical session that will help you find, not more time in your life, but more life in your time. You'll discover that there is always enough time--honest!--to accomplish everything God asks you to do!

Mary Pierce is an author, speaker and humorist, bringing laughter and encouragement to readers and audiences since 1996. Recently completing graduate school in a most non-traditional fashion, she's discovered that, while there will never be enough time and energy to do everything, it's never too late to start becoming who you were meant to be.

Mini Conference

The February meeting will be a mini conference. When WWCWG hosts a mini conference, we present several short, practical sessions in place of a normal keynote speaker. Need some inspiration? Experiencing winter doldrums? At a standstill on your current work in progress?

The mini conference will feature 15-minute segments on practical topics such as formatting documents for publication, technical writing, journaling and more. Presenters will be from the leadership team of WWCWG. Come prepared with your writing questions for any time we have left for Q and A.

Nancy Cook presents "The Clock is Ticking...Make Your Point." Nancy is a marketing expert with a career in writing :30 and :60 commercials. She's learned to edit, edit, edit...and still be engaging. This can be very tricky sometimes, but not impossible. While her experience is in TV and radio, the concept can be used with any type of writing.

Nancy Cook (http://www.cookcreativecopy.com) of Cook Creative Copywriting earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Norwegian from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Nancy spent 13 years in the Creative Department at WEAU-TV in Eau Claire, WI -- including 8 as Creative Director -- and now spends her days, nights, and weekends chained to her computer at Cook Creative. So far during her career, Nancy has collected 20 Addys and 11 Wisconsin Broadcasters Awards. In her leisure time, Nancy is a golfer (with quite a few trophies on the mantle)...and she performs in the pit orchestra for various community theater musicals.

Nathan Anderson on writing for children with "How to Write Stories that Pull Kids in and Won't Let Them Go. Why is it that some stories kids won’t put down, but other stories kids put down after the first few pages? Learn the right ingredients and how to use them to write a story that grips the hearts of children (and most often their parents.)

Nathan Anderson (http://www.bighungryplanet.com) is a writer, speaker, teacher and musician. He graduated from Bethel Seminary with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies, and spent ten years pastoring in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He has been working on a young adult/tween fantasy novel series called Jak and the Scarlet Thread that will take readers through the entire Bible. The first book is done, and is available for purchase on his website.

Cynthia Ruchti presents "Make the Most of It." Life. That's the answer to "Where do you get your ideas?" How does a writer capitalize on the "life" that happens and redeem it to clearly communicate insights and hope through our novels, short stories, poetry, devotions, articles...? Whether laughable and seemingly mundane or challenging and downright traumatic, the path we walk is lined with opportunities to bless and encourage others. You'll leave this session with tools for effectiveness and a list of fresh projects harvested from your own life experiences.

Cynthia Ruchti served as president of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) for the 2009-2010 term and now serves as ACFW’s Professional Relations Liaison. Cynthia is the author or co-author of five books currently on the bookstore shelves, with a sixth releasing this summer, two more in 2014, and another currently scheduled for 2015. When the Morning Glory Blooms is her latest release, a novel from Abingdon Press fiction that has garnered the highest rating--4.5 stars--from RT Reviews and a Top Pick honor. You can learn more about Cynthia and her books and speaking for women's events and writers' workshops at www.cynthiaruchti.com.