Conference Update by Janelle Mowery

I’ve been to four ACFW conferences since joining in 2002. Some have been good, others…well, not so much. Dallas proved to be a far different experience. I arrived on Wednesday, expecting very little beyond my appointments, though it was my hope that author Jane Orcutt, who’d agreed to do a paid critique with me, liked the chapter I’d sent. Little did I know how wonderful this would prove to be—to go with no expectations and let God do the work He...

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The Appointment

I went into my first conference without the benefit of a mentor. Choosing my editor/agent appointments was interesting, to say the least. At most, it was hit or miss. Thankfully, God was with me as, with fingers shaking, I made my selections.The next two years, being much more informed (grin), I researched each editor/agent carefully, perused and pored over each publisher’s guidelines, and with fingers shaking, I made my selections. Somehow, I still...

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The Conference

Every year, come September, I pack my bags and head to one of the best writer’s conferences in Christian fiction—the annual American Christian Fiction Writer’s Conference. I'm pictured above with two of my critique partners at last year's conference in Nashville. With so many conferences to choose from, why did I pick this one? It’s simple. The fellowship!God really knew...

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Hurry Up and Wait

The excitement. The euphoria.For months I planned, plotted, and prayed. Hands shaking, I packaged my proposal and dropped it in the mail—scant hours to spare before the deadline for submitting arrived. Breathless, I sat back to wait.Finally, it came. The request for a full manuscript. Heart pounding, I polished and shined my story, then packaged my novel and dropped it in the mail—scant hours to spare before the deadline arrived. Breathless, I sat...

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