The Creative Writer's Toolbelt

10/01/2024

Come into the Light! The British Christian Writers' Conference 2024
Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Friday 20th and Saturday 21st September 2024

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/storycraftpress/1090933

The British Christian Writers Conference returns to Ridley Hall on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st September.

We are delighted to offer you the opportunity to join us at the British Christian Writers' Conference. Refine your calling, receive prayer ministry, learn how to market your work in ways that suit you, and develop your writing skills, all in the beautiful setting of Ridley Hall in Cambridge, with the company of friends, fellow writers, and experts in their field.

As with last year, on 2024 the event will comprise:

A guided retreat on the afternoon of Friday 20th September
A day conference on Saturday 21st September
Ticket prices:

Guided retreat on the afternoon of Friday 20th September, including lunch, refreshments, and dinner: £70
A day conference on Saturday 21st September, including refreshments and lunch: £70
Joint ticket for the Friday retreat and Saturday conference: £130

Writers Guided Retreat, Friday 20th September.

On Friday 20th September we are offering a half-day retreat for a small group of writers at Ridley Hall. Our guide (to be confirmed) will lead us as we come together to explore our calling, share experiences together, and renew our vision and calling to write.

The retreat will start with lunch at 1 pm, refreshments will be provided in the afternoon and dinner in the evening, all provided within the ticket price.

Day Conference, Saturday 21st September

Our traditional day conference will feature a range of speakers who will be talking about the craft, the process of publication, and providing insights on marketing for writers of all personality types and at all stages in their journey.

Our speakers

We're delighted to have Nicki Copeland as our keynote speaker this year. Nicki is a freelance editor, proofreader, speaker and writer. As part of her freelance work she manages the day-to-day running of Instant Apostle, a small Christian publishing house. She is the author of Losing the Fig Leaf (2015) and Less than Ordinary? (2013). Currently, she is studying part-time for an MA in Kingdom Theology. Nicki is married to Pete and has three grown-up children. In her free time, she enjoys singing in a choir, reading, spending time with family and friends, and eating chocolate, although not usually all at the same time.

You'll get the chance to talk to Nicki about her work at Instant Apostle, the publication process, and the kind of work that Instant Apostle is currently looking for.

Also joining us is Deborah Jenkins. Deborah is an author and part-time teacher. She has written textbooks and educational articles but her real passion is for fiction. Her debut novel Braver (2022, Fairlight Books) was shortlisted for The Writers' Guild Best First Novel Award and the Society of Authors ADCI Literary Prize.

Winter Lights, a collection of short stories, came out in November 2023. Her short fiction has also appeared in magazines and anthologies and she has published a novella, The Evenness of Things. Deborah has a passion for writing fiction for the general market with redemptive themes. The everyday experiences of life, loss and the power of human connection are central to her books along with the idea that we need to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Deborah lives in Sussex with a Baptist minister. She enjoys gardening, walking and good coffee. Deborah will be talking to us from her own experience of writing from the margins.

Once again we are also delighted to welcome Lauren Crook and her team from Kingdom Living Ministries (KLM) who will be providing one-to-one prayer ministry for those who want it.

As an attendee, you will have an opportunity to sign up for a one-to-one prayer ministry time within the price of the ticket with the team from KLM, subject to availability; there will be refreshments during the day, including lunch, and the chance to bring your books to sell in our bookshop, and see what your fellow writers are doing

Consultations With Jason Smith, website and social media marketing expert, on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st September. These half-hour, private consultations will offer you the chance to talk to Jason about your specific situation and requirements for website, social media, and marketing. You'll be able to provide Jason with information ahead of the consultation on what you want to discuss and the areas where you need his advice. The price of these individual thirty minute consultations is £10.

The British Christian Writers' Conference Ridley Hall, Cambridge  Friday 20th and Saturday 21st September 2024 The British Chri...

11/06/2023

Calling all UK-based Christian Writers...
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/storycraftpress/832724
The British Christian Writer's Conference is returning to Ridley Hall, Cambridge on Saturday 2nd September. Inspiration, networking, prayer ministry, and insights for Christian writers at all levels and working in all genres and styles. Featuring
Jason Smith on social media for authors
Maressa Mortimer on publishing physical and e-books for indie writers
Ruth Leigh on how to set up an engaging and attractive bookstall
Jude Simpson on poetry and performance
Joanna Watsonon writing the encounter with God
and many more.
All in the wonderful setting of a Cambridge college.
Refreshments are provided throughout the day.
Bring your books to sell on our bookstall.
£65 for the day.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/storycraftpress/832724

19/03/2023

The wonderful Jude Simpson will be speaking at the British Christian Writer's Conference on Saturday 2nd September at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. Jude is one of our team of eight speakers on the day, and she will be talking about performance, poetry, and presenting your work. Tickets for the event are available at:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/storycraftpress/832724

02/07/2022

Episode 178: My guest for this episode is the non-fiction and science fiction writer Jessie Kwak.

In this episode, we talk about the different writing processes that people use, how to choose the right one, and why some writers have found the pandemic such a difficult time.

We discuss the importance of finding a writing process that brings us joy, how essential it is for us to know ourselves as writers, and when and how to hire the right professionals to help you with your writing.

I had a great time talking to Jessie I hope you find the conversation useful to listen to, here it is. https://the-creative-writers-toolbelt.castos.com/podcasts/13273/episodes/episode-178-trust-the-process-that-gives-you-joy-with-jessie-kwak

My guest for this episode is the non-fiction and science fiction writer Jessie Kwak.  In this episode, we talk about the different writing processes that people use, how to choose the right one, and why some writers have found the pandemic such a difficult time. We discuss the importance of fin...

02/07/2022

Ep 177 Nick Narbutovskih grew up knowing that he wanted to be a pilot in the military, now Assistant Operations Officer Narbutovskih with Air Force Special Operations Command, and he now trains others who are going to be pilots in the US Air Force.

On the day of our conversation, Nick was supposed to be able to talk to me from the comfort of his own home but the military being what it is he was required at the base that day so we conducted the conversation with Nick stepping out for a few minutes to his car, so I’m afraid the sound quality is a little off what I would normally hope to bring you.

But this is a fascinating conversation, with some great insights for writers into the minds and characters of those in the military, there are some real gems here for anyone who wants to know how a military context would actually work, and how groups of soldiers, sailors, and airforce personnel think and behave with each other, both outside of and in combat situations. https://the-creative-writers-toolbelt.castos.com/podcasts/13273/episodes/episode-177-the-mind-of-the-warrior-a-conversation-with-nick-narbutovskih-of-the-us-air-force-special-operations-command

Nick Narbutovskih grew up knowing that he wanted to be a pilot in the military, now Assistant Operations Officer Narbutovskih with Air Force Special Operations Command, and he now trains others who are going to be pilots in the US Air Force. On the day of our conversation, Nick was supposed to be ab...

14/05/2022

CWT 176 Making peace with the internet. Practical advice for your digital presence, with Jason Smith of Social Shapes
https://tinyurl.com/ynsctyay

In this episode, my guest is the Digital Marketing expert Jason Smith. In this conversation, we talk about the essentials of setting up a web and managing social media accounts for your brand as a writer. We talk about the best platform to use to design a first website, the importance of design aesthetics, and what the author needs to use their website for. We also talk about social media, how to make it not scary, what the functions of social media engagement are, how to choose the right platforms, and what kind of content to put on it.

This was a fascinating conversation, full of the kind of smart insights you need to get to grips with a website and social media as an author, I hope you enjoy it, here it is.

If you are listening to this before September 2022 and you are a Christian author please join us for the British Christian Writers Conference, where you can hear Jason speaking and talk to him about your digital needs. We will be at Ridley Hall in Cambridge on Saturday 3rd September, join us for marketing tips, craft insights, and encouragement for you and your writing, just search for The British Christian Writing Conference online or go to: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/storycraftpress/636912

In this episode, my guest is the Digital Marketing expert Jason Smith. In this conversation, we talk about the essentials of setting up a web and managing social media accounts for your brand as a writer. We talk about the best platform to use to design a first website, the importance of design aest...

22/04/2022

CWT 175. A guest at the reader's table. With Tony Collins.

https://the-creative-writers-toolbelt.castos.com/episodes/175-a-guest-at-the-readers-table-with-veteran-publisher-and-literary-agent-tony-collins

My guest for this episode is someone who has spent nearly 50 years in publishing. Tony Collins has worked for a number of publishing houses, owned three magazines, published an astonishing 1,400 books, and is now a literary agent. In this conversation, we talk about the lessons he’s learned in his career. We talk about the most common error that writers make when with their work, how the author must remember they are a guest at the reader's table, and there are many other things for readers to do. We talk about the essential power of narrative, why we can’t write in the way Dickens did, the place for anecdote in non-fiction, finding the right publisher, engaging well with them, and why it's essential for your book to get the title and your hook right.

25/03/2022

Calling all Christian writers in the UK!
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/storycraftpress/636912
Come and join us at The British Christian Writer's Conference for insights, tips, and personal prayer to encourage you in your calling as an author.
Join us in the beautiful surroundings of Ridley Hall Cambridge on Saturday 3rd September.
Craft insights and marketing tips for your writing with Tony Collins Ruth Leigh Writes and Jason Smith of Social Shapes
Prayer and encouragement for you from the team from Kingdom Living Ministries
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/storycraftpress/636912

11/03/2022

CWT Ep 172. "Immersed in the sensorium" how we can enjoy, and learn from poetry, with Aaron Poochigian.
I have always believed that there are important lessons for prose writers to learn from poetry, and I also think we can always gain something from the joy and discipline of listening to good poetry. To test and prove this belief, in this episode, I am talking to the teacher, poet, and translator Aaron Poochigian.

Aaron has a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in Poetry from Columbia University.

In this episode, we talk about the rise of the prose form over poetry, why anyone might write poetry, why poetry is like music and should be heard as music, how we can push out into the world with our work. We talk about good and bad ambiguity, what novelists can learn from poetry, including the use of rhythm, compression or the economy of language, and using the full range of senses in description and setting.

This is an episode of those who love poetry or at least see its potential to teach us something for our craft, I hope you enjoy it, here it is.
https://the-creative-writers-toolbelt.castos.com/episodes/172-immersed-in-the-sensorium-how-we-can-enjoy-and-learn-from-poetry-with-aaron-poochigian

11/03/2022

CWT Ep 171. The layers of character, with H.Claire Taylor.
Welcome to episode 171 of the Creative Writers Toolbelt.

My guest today is the author, writing consultant, and presenter H. Claire Taylor Claire will be known to many of you as one-half of the team at the Sell More Books Show Podcast with her co-presenter, Bryan Cohen.

In this episode we talk about what narrative cohesion is and why it matters, the way in which characters operate on a physical, emotional, and philosophical level, and how to use, (and how not to use) tropes, this was a really fun conversation I enjoyed talking to Claire, I hope you enjoy listening to it, here it is.

https://the-creative-writers-toolbelt.castos.com/episodes/171-the-layers-of-character-with-h-claire-taylor

Welcome to episode 171 of the Creative Writers Toolbelt. My guest today is the author, writing consultant, and presenter Claire Taylor. Claire will be known to many of you as one-half of the team at the Sell More Books Show with her co-presenter, Bryan Cohen. In this episode we talk about what narra...

31/01/2022

Storytelling for writers and leaders. Ep 170 with Donna Lichaw. Writer's should be the heros of their own story and then create more heroes in their own work. In this episode, Donna talks to us about how classic story structure is still a powerful tool for understanding how humans communicate with each other and have done since the dawn of civilisation; we discuss how this concept applies to the art of showing and telling, and how the most important story for us to work out as writers is our own story, the most important story for each of us is the one in which we are the hero, and if we can understand that story, we can better unlock the power of all the other stories we want to tell. https://the-creative-writers-toolbelt.castos.com/episodes/episode-170-be-the-hero-of-your-own-story-with-donna-lichaw

31/01/2022

Episode 169 of the Creative Writer’s Toolbelt asks a deceptively simple question: what does a really good story look like? And I am going to try to answer this question by first exploring what I mean by the word “story” and then looking at what the content of a good story should be, and what structures we could use to present that story in the best possible way.https://the-creative-writers-toolbelt.castos.com/episodes/episode-169-creating-stories-that-work-content-and-structure

23/12/2021

Welcome to Ep 168 of The Creative Writer’s Toolbelt podcast. My guest for this episode is Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur Dave is an author, entrepreneur, and a purveyor of really useful tools for indie writers.

For many years he has been creating free courses and articles as well as applications that help writers to publish and promote their work, applications like publisher rocket and the newly arrived Atticus, which combines editing, sharing, and formatting functionality.

I have been using Dave’s publishing tools for a number of years and I was particularly interested in finding out how Atticus might work and how it can help authors, and while we did talk about this Dave also had some wisdom for the attitude, disciplines, and focus that we need to succeed as writers, here’s our conversation.
https://the-creative-writers-toolbelt.castos.com/episodes/168-passion-focus-and-discipline-with-dave-chesson

16/12/2021

Ep 167 - Building your authority as a writer, with Bryan Collins.

Welcome to episode 167 of the Creative Writer’s Toolbelt podcast. My guest for this episode is the writer, journalist, and blogger Bryan Collins. Bryan has written for Forbes, the Huffington Post, and Fast Company. He has published 16 books on creativity, non-fiction, and being a productive writer. Bryan loves stories and is especially interested in how the power of story can be applied to non-fiction.

In this episode, we talk about how telling a story is much more powerful than talking about features when it comes to persuading people to buy a product or a concept, we also talk about how you can build your authority as a writer, and the power of owning your own work and your own space online.

We also talk about some of the tools that we writers can use to improve their productivity and help us present our work to the world.

Bryan and I had a good chat that helped me to think about how and where I can use stories in my work, and what tools and services I can use to help me do this, I hope it’s useful for you, here it is.

https://the-creative-writers-toolbelt.castos.com/episodes/167-building-your-authority-as-a-writer-with-bryan-collins

Welcome to episode 167 of the Creative Writer’s Toolbelt podcast. My guest for this episode is the writer, journalist and blogger Bryan Collins. Bryan has writer for Forbes, the Huffington Post,...