2017 Omega Writers Conference Highlights #omega17 | Narelle Atkins

Left to Right: Elaine Fraser, Andrea Grigg, Iola Goulton, Margie Lawson, Jeanette O'Hagan, Narelle Atkins, Nola Passmore.

By Narelle Atkins

Wow. The 2017 Omega Writers Conference in Sydney last weekend was fabulous. Awesome. Brilliant. Inspiring. Around one hundred writers enjoyed the relaxed rural conference setting on the outskirts of Sydney. I feel blessed to belong to Omega Writers and the wider Christian writing community that encourages and supports writers in our part of the world.

Many thanks to Raewyn Elsegood and her conference team who worked hard behind the scenes. Jenny Glazebrook's new initiative to place attendees in host groups provided another avenue to build relationships and ensure first time conference attendees were welcomed into the Omega writing community.

The amazing Margie Lawson was our keynote speaker. We love Margie and love her teaching gift. Thank you Margie for blessing us by attending our conference. 

Margie is pictured above with the six Margie Immersion Grads who were at conference. Elaine Fraser is a 3-time Immersion Grad: Melbourne in August 2015, Sydney in August 2016 and a solo Immersion with Margie in Colorado in May 2017. Andrea Grigg and Iola Goulton attended an August 2015 Melbourne Immersion with Elaine (hosted by 4-time Immersion Grad Dorothy Adamek). Jeanette O'Hagan and Nola Passmore attended a Brisbane Immersion in August 2016. I attended a Canberra Immersion in March 2017.

Margie included quotes in her teaching points from Elaine Fraser's book Amazing Grace and Andrea Grigg's book All is Bright. It was exciting to see their excellent writing featured on the big screen.

Multi-published author Alex Marestaing from Southern California was our keynote speaker at the CALEB Awards. Yes, we really did have an international author who has worked with Disney attend our Aussie conference and teach our Young Adult and Middle Grade writers!

I had the pleasure of introducing the delightful Patricia Weerakoon and her much anticipated workshop 'Sex without Sleaze'. An informative and challenging workshop for fiction writers on how to write about sexuality and related issues in both the Christian market and general market from a Christian perspective. 

Multi-published regency romance author Carolyn Miller presented a fun and engaging workshop for fiction writers. We celebrated with Carolyn as her third book, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, was released in the USA during the week prior to conference.  

Omega Writers President Meredith Resce and Margie Lawson presented the certificates to the CALEB Award finalists. We live streamed the CALEB Awards via my Facebook Profile to Australasian Christian Writers and Christian Writers Downunder Facebook Groups. The video footage is in two parts and can be viewed at the links below.

2017 CALEB Awards via Facebook Live - Part 1

2017 CALEB Awards via Facebook Live - Part 2

Facebook Live Part 2 video includes Alex Marestaing's inspiring keynote address.

Facebook Live Part 2 video also includes Rachel Sweasey and Rochelle Manners from Rhiza Press and author Catriona McKeown (2016 CALEB Unpublished winner) discussing the upcoming release of YA novel The Boy in the Hoodie.

CALEB Awards co-ordinator Judy Rogers presented the CALEB Prize to the overall winner, Cecily Paterson.

2017 CALEB ~ Published Fiction

Winner: 
Charlie Frank is A-OK - Cecily Anne Paterson (CALEB Prize Winner)

Finalists: 
Daystar: The Days are Numbered - Anne Hamilton 

Forgiving Sky - Jenny Glazebrook 

Amazing Grace - Elaine Fraser

2017 CALEB ~ Children’s Picture Books 

Winner: 

Small and Big - Karen Collum illustrated by Ben Wood (CALEB Prize Runner Up)

Finalists: 

The Mighty, Mighty King Christmas Book - Penny Morrison illustrated by Lisa Flanagan 

My Imagination - written and illustrated by Ellen Wildig

2017 CALEB ~ Published Non-Fiction 

Winner: 
Burn My Letters: Tyranny to Refuge - Ruth Bonetti
Finalists: 
Heaven Tempers the Wind - Hazel Barker 
Becoming Me - Jo-Anne Berthelsen

2017 CALEB ~ Unpublished Manuscript 

Winner: 
Siren’s Fight - Kristen Young 
Finalists:
In the Middle of the Whirlwind - Hannah Currie 
The Gryphon Key - Elizabeth Klein 
Holy War - Anthony Peterson

Karen Collum & Cecily Paterson

Many thanks to Margaret Holahan who took hundreds of photos for Omega Writers during the weekend and allowed me to access the Dropbox and share photos in my post. The photos that are date stamped are from the Omega photo collection. Enjoy browsing the conference photos and plan to attend the 2018 Conference in Adelaide. 

Raewyn Elsegood & Margie Lawson

Jo-Anne Berthelsen

Rowena Beresford

Rose Dee at the Registration Desk

Katrina Roe

James Cooper

Penny Morrison

Omega Writer's Conference: Packing Tips

By Iola Goulton

Eleven sleeps until conference! (Yes, I'm counting.)

Eleven sleeps means … packing.

I've done a lot of travelling over the years, both alone (for writer's conferences or business) or with my family. Here are my top tips for packing for conference:

1. Plan Ahead

You don't want to get to the airport and discover your passport has expired (yes, I've seen that) or that you got your flight time wrong and it’s leaving as you approach the check-in desk (guilty). Planning ahead can help avoid these little "issues". I use lists.

Travel List

All travel documents and sundries, including:

• Tickets (I always carry the paper printout even if it’s also on my phone)
• Passport (if required)
• Booking confirmations (e.g. transport, rental car, hotel/s, conference)
• Travel Insurance information

Note the flight time and the check-in time, and remember to factor in travel time to the airport (plus extra time for delays and parking).

Packing List

My basic packing list includes:

• Toilet bag
• A basic first aid/medicine kit (I never need it unless I forget it)
• Kindle and phone, and the respective chargers (wall and car adaptors)
• PC and charger
• Any non-clothing items I need to remember (like books!)

I try and focus on the things I either won't be able to buy at my destination, or things that will be overpriced. Forget shampoo? No problem. You’re going to a writer’s conference. First, no one will care if you don’t wash your hair. Second, there are dozens of other women around. Someone will be able to loan you some shampoo.

Forget your underwear? That could be a problem.

One thing to remember: Deodorant. Please.

One thing to leave at home: Perfume. The Omega Conference isn’t designated perfume-free, although many conferences are, for the benefit of people with allergies.

Travel Light

This is the advice "everyone" always gives, but they don't necessarily tell you how to achieve it (I have a couple of suggestions that work for me below). There are two reasons to pack light:

1. It's easier to carry (or drag)
2. It gives you room to buy books. Yes, there is a bookstall at the conference, and you will want to buy books.

A lot of travel advice says not to check luggage if you don't have to. This is an option if you can travel light, although it does depend on what the airlines will allow through security, and what had to go in checked luggage. There was a time when this seemed to change every week …

My top tips for travelling light are:

Save the sample sizes

You know how when you buy makeup or skincare there is sometimes a gift-with-purchase? I save those product samples and put them in my holiday toilet bag. Then I don't need to carry full-sized bottles. It also means my toilet bag is pretty much ready to go.

Watch the Shoes

Shoes are bulky. More to the point, they take a lot of space in your luggage. Sure, you can stuff things inside them, but it’s better to take fewer pairs. The conference is only two nights, so you probably need one or two pairs … and you’ll be wearing one of them as you travel.

When I go on holiday, I take as few pairs of shoes as possible, in the same colour, or coordinating colours.

Choose comfortable, flat shoes. There is squishy grass around, and you’ll be doing a lot of standing (and chatting), and a little walking (from the dorms to the classrooms and dining hall). You may also want a nicer pair to match your outfit if you plan to dress up for the CALEB Award dinner on Saturday night. Some do; some don’t.

If you’re flying, make sure your travel shoes are easy to slip on and off, in case security needs to put them through the scanner.

Plan Coordinating Outfits

This goes along with the shoes. I have two basic colour "themes" in my wardrobe: black and navy. When I go on holiday, I take one theme, and I make sure that I have at least two tops to go with every bottom (skirt or trousers), and at least two bottoms I can wear with every top. It adds variety, and helps me not get too bored with limited wardrobe choices on a long holiday.

But this is just a weekend, which is much easier. I’ll pack:

• Something comfortable to travel in. That’s usually jeans, because I tend to get cold on planes. But I’ll have something lighter to change when I arrive, if the weather is warm.
• Something smart but comfortable for Saturday (you want to make a good impression if you’re meeting with publishers or editors).
• Something nice for Saturday night (the CALEB Award ceremony). For me, that’s usually a skirt. I’ll probably wear the same skirt on Sunday, with a different top.
• Layers (because the weather forecast can be wrong).

I know some people who can wear the same pair of jeans all weekend. I am not that person: if I only had one pair of jeans, you can guarantee I’d spill coffee on them before I even arrived at the venue. I always take one extra top for the same reason. Otherwise, I’m doomed to spend the conference with an obvious stain in an inappropriate place (like my friend who sat on a pumpkin pie. Yes, it looked exactly like you think it looked).

What Else Do I Need?

• Cash, as you can only pay for editor appointments in cash. And there is a bookstall.
• Printouts of your synopsis and/or first three chapters if you’re planning to sign up for editor or publisher appointments.
• Notebook and pen, because you’ll want to take notes. Lots of notes. Although I have it on good authority there is a pen in the goody bag (yes, there is a goody bag).
• Highlighters (blue, yellow, green, pink, orange). Because I’m sure Margie will talk about highlighters. Also, I find it cements my learning if I review my notes on my way home and highlight the important stuff.

You can also bring business cards if you have them (don’t worry if you don’t, as most people don’t), and a laptop if you plan on doing any writing (as if you'll have time!).

Okay, those are my tips. What tips do you have to share? And do you have any exciting travel plans?

About Iola Goulton

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction. Visit my website at www.christianediting.co.nzto download a comprehensive list of publishers of Christian fiction. 

I also write contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist—find out more at www.iolagoulton.com.

You can also find me on:
Facebook (Author)
Facebook (Editing)
Instagram
Pinterest
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Top 10 Tips for First-Time Conference Attendees

By Iola Goulton

Do you live in Australia or New Zealand? Are you signed up to attend the Omega Writer’s Conference in Sydney from 27 to 29 October?

If you are, great! (If not, sign up now!)

Some of you might be nervous about attending. Don’t be—there will be writers of all levels and all genres at the conference. The two things we all have in common are that we all write (or want to), and we’re all Christian.


For those who are a little nervous, or who don’t know what to expect, here are my top ten tips based on what I've learned attending previous conferences:

1. Go for the whole weekend

It’s tempting for first-time attendees—especially those who live near the venue—to attend only for the Saturday. Yes, you’ll still learn a lot even if you only go for the day, but you won’t have the opportunity to get to know people as much as if you stayed for the whole weekend.

2. Most authors are introverts

Sure, some authors (and conference attendees) are extroverts. Most are not. We might not look like it at conference time, but we are. We have a fabulous extroverted time reconnecting with old friends and making new friends … then retreat into our introverted writing caves until Christmas (when our families demand we come out and pretend to be extroverts again).

3. Yes, we do know each other

When you arrive at conference, it can feel like everyone already knows everyone else. That’s partly true—but most of us only know each other from previous conferences, or from online writing groups such as the Australasian Christian Writers or Christian Writers Downunder Facebook groups.

If you’re going to conference for the first time, join one (or both) of these groups and start interacting with the regular commenters. Then, when you get to conference, people will know you. I’ve formed real friendships from my online connections.

4. Arriving at conference

If you’re flying in, plan to arrive an hour or so early and take the conference bus. You don’t want to be stressing because you’re rushing. We meet at a convenient coffee shop, so you have time to have a drink and a bite to eat.

It’s also a great opportunity to meet and get to know some of the other attendees before we arrive at the venue. (If you can’t find me at the appointed meeting place, I’ll be at Krispy Kreme getting my annual sugar fix).

5. You are a writer

One of the questions you will be asked is “what do you write?”. I remember Simon Kennedy asking me this at my first writer’s conference. My answer? I said I didn’t write—even though I was writing 150+ book reviews a year, plus dozens of blog posts on writing, editing, publishing, and marketing.

To anyone else, that looked like I was a writer. But it took me three or four years before I was able to admit to myself that yes, I was a writer, even though I wasn’t writing novels or screenplays or something “big”.

Believe in yourself. You are a writer. Don’t buy into the lie that what you’re writing (or want to write) isn’t “real” in comparison to what X or Y is writing.

6. Be prepared to learn

If you’re doing the fiction stream, Margie Lawson will give you writing tips that make you feel like you’re a complete beginner (but she’s a Southern lady, so she’ll do it with grace and style). This can feel overwhelming. Don’t worry—instead, count your blessings that you’re learning this before you’ve published six books you now realise you have to rewrite and republish.

I’ll be attending the fiction stream, but I’m sure the other teachers will have equally important insights to impart.

7. No one knows it all

We are all at conference to learn. No one knows everything there is to know about writing. The trick is to know what we know, to know what we don’t know, and to be teachable.

8. Don’t be intimidated

Really. Don’t. The only difference between you and the multi-published award-winning authors is BISFOK time. That’s Behind In Seat, Fingers On Keyboard. And your writing doesn’t have to be perfect—as an editor, I can assure you no one produces a perfect first draft.

9. Bring money

There is a conference bookstall, and you will want to buy books (especially when there is the opportunity to get author autographs as well!). To buy books, you need money. Don’t worry about your airline luggage allowance—you can arrange for your new purchases to be posted to you.

10. After-conference care

If you’re anything like me, you’ll eat too much, drink too much coffee, talk too much, and won’t get enough sleep (I blame those native Australian birds which sound like screaming). That’s all okay. Plan for it i.e. don’t schedule anything important for the next few days after conference. You’ll want some time to decompress, and to prayerfully consider how you’re going to apply what you’ve learned to your writing. And to your life.

If you’re a more experienced conference attendee, what are your tips for first-timers?

About Iola Goulton

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction. Visit my website at www.christianediting.co.nzto download a comprehensive list of publishers of Christian fiction. 

I also write contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist—find out more at www.iolagoulton.com.

You can also find me on:
Facebook (Author)
Facebook (Editing)
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter

Hurrah for Omega Writers

Hurrah for Omega Writers!

Does that sound a bit like Enid Blyton’s Famous Five? Perhaps, but ‘hurrah’ sounds like the best word to use on this occasion. 

Omega Writers as an organisation of Australasian Christian writers is steadily gaining momentum every year, and this year is no different. I need to catch you up on how things are progressing, and encourage you once again: if you are not yet a member, jump on board and invest in this venture whose purpose is to benefit you in as many ways as we can think of. Please click here to re-watch the You Tube video that will tell you why. (NB there has been a small increase in membership since this video was made).

OMEGA WRITERS CONFERENCE 2017

It’s happening! Our conference committee have been pulling together a brilliant program for writers, editors and publishers to be a part of, and it is my job to get you to go to the website and take a look. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. You will get great professional input, collegial encouragement, opportunity to connect with publishers and editors and fellowship that is on a level that relates to YOU – the writer. We can go to church all year and mix with other Christians, and this is lovely, but how often do you get to really connect with Christian writers – you know, those crazy people who think like you do, in terms of plot, character, narrative and story idea. It is something that will fuel you, and I can’t encourage you enough to hop online now and at least see if it is possible for you to attend.

EARLY BIRD RATE ENDS NEXT WEEK!! Now is not the time to procrastinate people!

Oh, and we have not one, but two international speakers lined up alongside some outstanding Australasian speakers and workshop facilitators. 

Click Here for more details about how to register

Click Here for more details about the speakers

Now, lastly, but most importantly, I need to tell you about this year’s new initiative. Some of our volunteer team have been contacting businesses and organisations to see if they would be willing to partner with us in the promotion of Christian writing in our region. I am pleased to say that we have eight partner sponsors so far, with the possibility of more. (If you have a small business and you’d like to sponsor, send me an email and I’ll send you the sponsorship proposal package to consider).

What I would love you to do is to click onto our website and check out our official sponsors.

We have a screen print and embroidery business – Cam Print – who has sponsored, so if you’re looking for t-shirts, ball caps, aprons or letter jackets with your logo, Cam Print will help you Australia wide.

We have video producer – Simon Malcolm Productions – on board as a partner sponsor, so if you’re looking for a video promotion, corporate training video or any audio video need, go to their website and check them out.

We have editorial, design and publishing-assist businesses who have sponsored, including Christian Editing Services, Book Whispers, Finesse Writing and Editing, Breath of Fresh Air Publishing and an American design company, Roseanna White Designs. Please, please, please check out their websites and see if they offer something that will suit your needs.

There are a couple of other minor sponsors as well who have decided to support Australasian Christian writing – Eastern College and Focus on the Family.

Please support us by supporting our partner sponsors.

Click here to check out all the web links.

There is much more happening with Omega Writers: The Caleb Prize awards evening looks like it is going to be a great night of celebration and entertainment.

I have also been liaising with one of our major booksellers to see if they would visit our conference and meet some of our more prominent published authors and publishers.

There have been some great chapter events held around the country, and it is great to see this groundswell of Christian writers who are forming friendships and networks. 

So in summary:

1. If you’re not yet a member, help us support you by supporting us with financial membership
2. If you haven’t registered for this year’s exciting international conference, now is the time!
3. Please support us by supporting our partner sponsors – check them out here.

Blessings to you all and can’t wait to catch up with you late October.

Meredith Resce

Omega Writers Australasia President

Author - www.meredithresce.com

Introducing the 2017 Omega Writers Conference

By Iola Goulton

Bookings for the 2017 Omega Christian Writer’s Conference are now open. The conference is being held from 27-29 October 2017. The venue is the same as last year, the Edmund Rice Conference Centre in Mulgoa, and there are many familiar faces on the organising committee. And there will be a lot of familiar faces from previous years.

There are some changes—excellent changes.

First, all attendees will be placed in host groups for the weekend—a small group that will meet together on the first day, led by an experienced conference-goer. This gives everyone an opportunity to meet new people, and gives first-time attendees someone to ask if they have questions. This isn’t a big conference compared to some, but it can still be a daunting experience if you’ve never attended a writing conference before.

My tip: if you’re flying into Sydney, take the conference bus. We all meet at a coffee shop to wait for the bus, which leaves at 1:30. It’s a low-key way to meet people before we actually arrive at the venue.

It also helps to remember that many writers are introverts, and our group is no exception. Many of the people you meet at the conference who act like extroverts will go home and spend the next year in their introverted writing cave. And dieting. Because they feed us well!

The Programme

This year, there are three streams on offer: fiction, children/young adult, and non-fiction:

Fiction

The fiction stream is headlined by the weekend’s keynote speaker, Margie Lawson. Margie is an international speaker and writing coach, and many members of Omega Writers, Australasian Christian Writers, and Christian Writers Downunder have benefited from her online courses (from Lawson Writer's Academy), or attended an in-person immersion (five days of brilliance).

While Margie specialises as a fiction coach, many of her key messages are equally important for non-fiction writers. For example, she’s a big fan of using cadence, power words, and rhetorical devices to add impact to our writing. Great preachers use many of these same devices.

Other speakers in the fiction stream include Dr Patricia Weerakoon, and Carolyn Miller. Patricia had been scheduled to speak last year but had to pull out at the last minute, so we’ve been waiting to hear her for a long time!

Children/Young Adult

Australia has a wealth of Christian talent writing for children, and four of these talents will present a combined workshop: Rochelle Manners, Rowena Beresford, Katrina Roe, and Jemima Trappel.

Attendees will also hear from Penny Morrison, and from American author Alex Marestaing, who will also be the guest speaker at the CALEB Award dinner on Saturday night.

Non Fiction

Non fiction authors will be treated to sessions from May Luan Kim, JoAnne Berthelsen, and James Cooper.

You can find out more about all these speakers at the Omega Writer’s website.

Publishers and Editors

Publishers Rochelle Manners (Rhiza Press/Wombat Books) and Deb Porter (Breath of Fresh Air Press) will be attending, and both are available for paid one-on-one appointments, bookable at the conference. Rochelle Manners also runs the conference bookstall, so bring your wallet—no EFTPOS is available, and you will want to buy books. Lots of books. (Rochelle can be persuaded to post them if your airline luggage limit is a problem.)

The conference also gives you the opportunity to meet one-on-one with freelance editors (including me). This is a great opportunity to get some feedback on your writing, and some direction for your next steps. Appointments can be booked at the conference, and are paid.

Are you convinced yet? Then it’s time to book! 

Bookings are open at the Omega Writers website. Note that there is a discount for members of Omega, so this is a great time to sign up if you’re not already a member.

Are you planning on attending the conference? Do you have any questions about conference?

June New Releases

The Captivating Lady Charlotte by Carolyn Miller (Kregel Publications, 27 June 2017) 

Her heart is her own―but her hand in marriage is another matter
Lady Charlotte Featherington is destined for great things on the marriage market. After all, as the beautiful daughter of a marquess, she should have her pick of the eligible nobility when she debuts. She, however, has love at the top of her list of marriageable attributes. And her romantic heart falls hard for one particularly dashing, attentive suitor. Sadly for Charlotte, her noble father intends her betrothed to be someone far more dull.
William Hartwell may be a duke, but he knows he was Charlotte's father's pick, not the young lady's own choice. And the captivating Lady Charlotte does not strike him as a woman who will be wooed by his wealth or title. While she has captured his heart, he has no idea how to win hers in return--and the betrayal and scandal his first wife put him through makes it difficult for him to believe that love can ever be trusted. His only hope is that Charlotte's sense of responsibility will win out over her romantic notions.
Can a widowed duke and a romantically inclined lady negotiate a future and discover love beyond duty? Will they be able to find healing and hope from the legacy of grace? Poignant and charming, this is another beautifully written, clean and wholesome Regency romance from Carolyn Miller.

Website

Then There Was You by Kara Isaac (Bellbird Press, 22 June 2017) 

Paige McAllister needs to do something drastic. Her boyfriend can’t even commit to living in the same country, her promised promotion is dead on arrival and the simultaneous loss of her brother and her dream of being a concert violinist has kept her playing life safe and predictable for six years. Things need to change. A moment of temporary insanity finds her leaving her life in Chicago to move to Sydney, Australia. There she finds herself, against many of her convictions, as a logistics planner for one of Australia’s biggest churches, and on a collision course with her boss’s son.

Josh Tyler fronts a top-selling worship band and is in demand all over the world. But, in the past, his failed romantic relationships almost destroyed both his reputation and his family. He's determined to never risk it happening again. The last thing he needs is some American girl tipping his ordered life upside down. Especially one who despises everything he’s ever worked for and manages to push every button he has.

When Josh and Paige are thrown together to organize his band’s next tour, the sparks fly. But can they find a way to bridge the differences that pull them apart? Or will they choose the safety and security of what they know over taking a chance on something that will require them to risk everything?

Amazon link