From a Whisper to a Shout

Omega Writers annual conference is fast approaching, and I want to encourage you to consider coming along. Being together with other writers is a huge encouragement in itself. Writers are a unique breed, having a creative personality, and always on the lookout for ways to make their communication more effective.

You MUST come if it is possible. We will have work-shopping streams for all forms of writing:

Fiction; non-fiction; young adult writing; children’s books; screenwriting and even a stream that will discuss marketing yourself and your work. 

We will have publishers and editors available for appointment, and for pitching by appointment.

Alex Marestaing is back by popular demand, as our keynote speaker. Travelling from the USA, Alex gave an inspiring presentation last year, and we will feature him on more occasions this time around.

Please visit the website and have a look at the program. I hope you will join us. You will find details on the website on how to book your place. There are various options including several billeting options for those on a tighter budget.

This year, the conference is being held in the beautiful city of Adelaide (and I might be a bit biased, as that is my home state). We will be situated at The Monastery Conference centre at the base of the Adelaide Hills. Once again, visit the website for all details.

Here is an excerpt from a recent radio interview I did with Adelaide’s Life 1079 radio station.

On another note, we will be holding our Omega Writers’ Annual General Meeting on Friday evening of conference and as always, I strongly encourage you to consider becoming a financial member, if you are not already. Why? There is the ‘what’s in it for me?’ angle to consider, and you will find the benefits of membership listed on our website. But I would like you also to consider, ‘how can my being a member help others?’ angle. 

Omega Writers is a network and support group who functions mostly with volunteer administration and facilitation. We hope to improve opportunities to connect writers with other writers, and also to connect them with ways and means to grow and move forward towards publishing. Having members who support us through financial membership, and even better, support us through volunteer activity, helps Omega Writers to achieve some of these aims. The more people on board, the further we will be able to go. If you’d like to consider becoming a financial member, please do so through our website. If you’d then like to attend our AGM, you will be notified of the time and agenda before the meeting. If you have bright ideas you think would aid in our growth, the best way to bring those ideas forward is to become an active member. 

I hope to meet up with you at conference.

Many Blessings

Meredith Resce

*This post has been cross-posted on the Christian Writers Downunder blog

President of Omega Writers Australasia

www.omegawriters.org

Author 

www.meredithresce.com

That tricky balancing act

I believe all of us as writers can learn something from those highwire acrobats we see at the circus. If these performers lean too far one way, they will fall. And if they lean too far the other, the same thing will happen. Instead, they must stay perfectly balanced on that highwire, carefully edging their way along until they reach the other side.

How does all this apply to authors in particular? Since I started writing around thirteen years ago, I have found I often need to practise the fine art of balancing boldness and self-confidence with a good, strong dose of humility. As writers, we might consider ourselves to be amazing—but we might not be. Potential publishers might line up for our manuscripts—but they might not either. In fact, they might never even want to look at those words we have slaved over for hours, days, months, even years—particularly as first-time authors.

On one occasion not so long ago, I found myself chatting to a lady I had never met who proceeded to talk about herself at some length. Her story was interesting but, after a while, I somehow began to feel almost irrelevant or invisible. Finally, in response to a comment she made, I told her I am a writer—and it was at that point that her manner towards me suddenly changed.

‘Oh ... who’s your publisher?’ she asked eagerly.

I barely had time to answer before she rushed on.

‘I’ve written a book too. It’s taken me a couple of years, but it’s ready to be published now,’ she told me. ‘I know the exact publisher I’d like—and the exact literary agent I want too.’

At that point, I held my breath a little. Yes, it was good she had a clear goal in mind for her book—and that she was familiar enough with the publishing world to know whom to contact. But it worried me that she seemed to think the road ahead would be so easy and straightforward for her. And it also disturbed me that she seemed unwilling to listen to anything much I might say. So I simply stayed silent and let her talk.

Yes, we need to believe in ourselves and our writing—otherwise we would not stick at it. Yes, we need to be bold at times, as we approach potential publishers or agents and look for ways to promote our books after they are published. But we also need to balance this with an equal amount of humility. We all have more to learn, whatever stage we are at in our writing journeys. None of us knows it all. And that is why, this very weekend, many Christian Aussie and New Zealand authors are coming together at the Omega Writers’ Conference in Sydney—to listen, to learn, to teach others and also to encourage and support one another.

I’m still working on perfecting my literary highwire act of balancing boldness with humility. And as I do, I’m trying to apply the following:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 4:3

How about you? Have you too found this aspect of the writing and publishing journey a challenge?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and two non-fiction works, ‘Soul Friend’ and ‘Becoming Me’. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and four grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.

So different!

Twice recently, I have been reminded in no uncertain terms about how different we all are as authors. In earlier years, this would have caused me to feel so inferior. Was I on the right track? Surely those other authors had found a better way of going about things? Now, however, I realise it’s okay and, in fact, quite natural that we should be such a diverse bunch!

A few weeks ago, I saw this diversity clearly displayed when I visited the NSW Writers’ Centre for their 25^th birthday celebrations. I had been selected as one of five winners of a writing competition and was there to collect my prize. We had been required to write about an experience of being at the Centre—an easy topic for me because, at once, a conversation I had years ago with a young writer during an emerging writers’ festival there came to mind. Here is a portion of what I wrote:

 ‘So ... have you enjoyed the sessions so far?’

‘Oh, yes!’ I lie. ‘How about you?’

‘Not really. They were mostly geared towards finding a publisher.’

‘That’s a shame ... are you already published then?’

At this point, he looks at me full on, horrified. What sort of blunder have I made? Was my question plain offensive to him? Perhaps he is some famous author I should have recognised.

‘No way!’ he blurts out at last. ‘Do you really want to be published?’

I am stunned. Of course I do!  Why would I not? Why go to all that trouble of spending months, even years, writing something others will never read? Yet this young man seems deeply disturbed by the whole idea.

As I chatted with a young woman at the birthday celebrations and told her what I had written, however, I heard a vastly different response.

‘I was at a writers’ festival like that too and, at one session, this publisher told us that, out of the fifty of us there, only one would find a publisher. Straight up, I decided, ‘That person is going to be me!!’

Her confidence and joyful expectancy was so refreshing to hear that I laughed out loud.

My second experience of such diversity occurred at the recent Omega Writers’ Conference. Three other authors and I had finished taking our turns on a panel and it was time for questions. Someone asked about book promotion and a spirited discussion ensued.

‘I remember how freeing it was to discover not every author has to blog,’ one panel member declared, ‘because I hate blogging! I keep thinking I could be writing more books, rather than wasting time adding to the mountain of words already out there in blogs everywhere!’

A few moments later, I had to add my bit.

‘Er ... um ... I really love blogging! I write a personal blog each week and link it to Facebook. I find it a great way to connect with people.’

In the end, we all laughed.

Yes, we are diverse bunch—and that’s wonderful! Let’s not be put off by others or jealous of them. Let’s celebrate our differences. Let’s learn from one another but also be true to ourselves and to God. God has gifted each one of us differently and we can each impact our readers in a way no one else can. 

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and four grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.