by Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Ed.D. @khutch0767 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3 NIV). As 2019 ended, I knew 2020 would be an important year in my heart. I imagined breakthroughs in writing, networking to new heights, and accomplishing incredible goals I’d set for…

This year, 2023, we had an unpreceded number of entrants for the industry-wide Selah Awards, sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for the express purpose of creating scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to deserving writers who, otherwise, would not be able to attend this great conference. It…

by Eva Marie Everson  Sometime in 2017—I’m almost sure it was, I attended the Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat, held in a lovely, wooded area outside of Andalusia, AL. I had my own room there. In all honesty, it was anything to write home about, but it was quiet and…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills A metaphor is a word or phrase that compares something tangible with something intangible that has a psychological meaning. In fiction, the writer crafts a metaphor according to a character’s personality and life experiences. This eliminates clichés that are dull and boring and instead introduces something…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson The other day I was talking to a friend of mine and this person confided that she was afraid she didn’t have what it takes to be a writer. “I’m just not good enough to get a book published, and I don’t know if I ever will be.”…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted As a conference director, I receive a lot of requests to serve as faculty at our conference. Selecting teachers is always a tough job, one I dread passionately. Throughout the year, I meet hundreds of writers who have fabulous “presence” but don’t have an excellent command…