January 2008 Meeting

Happy New Year, everyone! Hopefully you all had wonderful holidays and you’re now ready to set some writing goals for 2008 and get the year started!

This year, we will continue with our monthly meetings on the second Saturday of each month (unless otherwise announced). For MTCW members, we will also be running our monthly writing marathon the last weekend (fourth or fifth) of each month (conducted through our e-mail list). This year, membership in MTCW brings more benefits, including a month-long writing marathon—our own mini-NaNoWriMo—in March, as well as additional meetings for brainstorming and creativity exercises.

Our first meeting of 2008 will be:
Saturday, January 12, 2008
10:00 a.m. - noon
Atlanta Bread Co.
1720 West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee

Discussion Topic: Goal Setting, Accountability, and Beating Writer’s Block

Come prepared to share your writing/writing-career goals for 2008, as well as your ideas for how we can keep each other accountable. We’ll then discuss ways in which we can overcome writer’s block and the lack of creativity we’re sometimes struck with.

For more information about MTCW or the upcoming meeting, please post a comment and one of our moderators will be in touch with you shortly. Membership in MTCW is contingent upon attendance at at least two monthly meetings or the personal referral of a current, active MTCW member.

November Meeting

Saturday, November 10, 2007
10:00 a.m. - noon
Atlanta Bread Co.
1720 West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee

Note: There is a 1 p.m. home football game at Vanderbilt that day. Please be aware and plan accordingly for traffic concerns (though hopefully it won’t be too bad at 10 a.m.).

Discussion Topic: Plotting, Conflict, and Subplots

We will continue the discussion of plot, including the areas of conflict and subplot.

For more information about MTCW or the upcoming meeting, please post a comment and one of our moderators will be in touch with you shortly.

October Meeting

Saturday, October 13, 2007

10:00 a.m. - noon

Atlanta Bread Co.
1720 West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee

Note: There is a home game for Vanderbilt that day. Please be aware it might be an 11 a.m. game—plan accordingly for traffic concerns.

Discussion Topic: TBD

Kaye Dacus will be attending the 2007 ACFW National Conference. The topic of discussion will be based on one of the workshops she is attending, as decided by the MTCW membership.

For more information about MTCW or the upcoming meeting, please post a comment and one of our moderators will be in touch with you shortly.

September Meeting

Saturday, September 8, 2007

10:00 a.m. - noon

Atlanta Bread Co.
1720 West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee

Discussion Topic: Proposals, One-Sheets, and Pitching

Something that is very important for authors to know how to do is to be able to prepare a written proposal, a fantastic one-sheet, and a verbal pitch so that we can present ourselves and our writing in a professional manner at conferences or editor/agent queries.

If you have ever prepared a proposal or a one-sheet, or if you have ever done a face-to-face pitch with an editor or agent, please come prepared to share!

For more information about MTCW or the upcoming meeting, please post a comment and one of our moderators will be in touch with you shortly.

August Meeting

Saturday, August 11, 2007

10:00 a.m. - noon

Atlanta Bread Co.
1720 West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee

Discussion Topic: Endings
Having trouble coming up with the perfect ending to your book? Come with questions, examples of what you think are great endings, and your thoughts on what you’d like to do but just can’t seem to accomplish.

For a fun “identify the last line” quiz, click here.

For more information about MTCW or the August meeting, please post a comment and one of our moderators will be in touch with you shortly.

MTCWers Caught on Film!

Last week, the Christian Fantasy Fiction Tour came to Middle Tennessee—and they brought a videographer with them. Here’s the record of their sojourn in Middle Tennessee . . . watch for a glimpse of junior-member Austin Deel as well as comments from members Ruth Anderson and J. M. Hochstetler. (Thanks for plugging MTCW, Joan!)

July Meeting

Saturday, July 14, 2007

10:00 a.m. - noon

Atlanta Bread Co.
1720 West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee

Discussion Topic: Characters
Please bring something with you that is representative of one of your characters for Show & Tell. This can be a picture/image, a prop, lyrics to their favorite song, or whatever you use to make you think of that character.

For more information about MTCW or the July meeting, please post a comment and one of our moderators will be in touch with you shortly.

Fantastic 4 Fantasy Fiction Tour Comes to Middle Tennessee

Four of the top Christian Speculative Literature authors are coming to Middle Tennessee in the Fantastic 4 Fantasy Fiction Tour. The authors are:

Bryan Davis (Dragons in our Midst and Oracles of Fire series)

Wayne Thomas Batson (Door Within Trilogy)

Christopher Hopper (White Lion Chronicles)

Sharon Hinck (Sword of Lyric series)

The tour has two stops in Middle Tennessee. Let’s support these wonderful authors and this burgeoning genre in Christian literature. 

Wednesday July 11th
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Heart & Hearth Home Education Support Group
First United Methodist Church
105 Church Street
Manchester, TN 37355
Contact: Linda Reed (tnhomeschooler[at]yahoo[dot]com)
931-596-3171

Wednesday July 11th
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Borders
2501 West End Ave.
Nashville, TN 37203
615-327-9656

For more information about the tour, be sure to see this Publisher’s Weekly article and the tour blog.

Kathy Harris–Contest Finalist, New and Upcoming Publications

MTCW member Kathy Harris has a lot to celebrate these days.

On May 22, 2007, Harris learned she is a finalist in the 2007 ACFW Genesis contest in the contemporary fiction category. As one of the top five scoring manuscripts in the category, her entry now moves on to the second round of judging, where it will be judged by Janet Grant, Books and Such Literary Agency, and Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary—two of the top agents in the CBA publishing industry. Winners will be announced at the 2007 ACFW National Conference in Dallas on Saturday, September 22, 2007.

Harris has also recently been published in short nonfiction.

Her anecdotal short story “Walk on Water” was included in Thomas Nelson’s June 5th release, All My Bad Habits I Learned from Grandpa by Laurel Brunvoll.

She will also have a devotional, “All You Really Need,” featured in the  October 2007 Tyndale House release, The One Year Life Verse Devotional by Jay Payleitner

Kathy Harris is a Christian book agent and writer, and a Country music entertainment manager.

Ruth Anderson Joins The Bridge as Books & Literature Editor

 

WorldofCM.com Announces Re-Launch and Name Change
Site Enters New Phase with New Writers and Coverage as The Bridge
 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Chris D. Unthank, editor and owner of WorldofCM.com, is proud to announce the re-launching and name change for the popular site.  Effective immediately, WorldofCM.com will now be called The Bridge ( http://www.thebridgelive.net) in order to effectively reflect the site’s new content and focus.

In addition to focusing on contemporary Christian music, The Bridge will now feature an all encompassing look at Christianity and the arts – showcasing even more topics such as movies, television, books & literature, pop culture, Christians in mainstream culture, and much more.

“I’ve been at this for a very long time,” mentioned Chris Unthank.  “I started this site over 10 years ago on a little Geocities site and eventually developed it into what it is today.  As I got older, my ideas about how Christians were to engage culture also changed, and the site needed to reflect that.”

In addition to a re-launch and name change, the site is also welcoming three new writers in addition to Unthank and current staff-writer Leah Lowrance.

Ruth Anderson will be joining the site as the Books & Literature Editor.  She will be contributing all content regarding Christian fiction, Christian literature, and additional writing from Christians, in addition to author interviews for the site.  Ruth is a member of the Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, and she is currently working on her first novel.

Jeff Relyea is joining the staff as the Hard Music & Hip Hop Editor.  Jeff will be focusing on all reviews that fall under the hard music and hip hop umbrella.  He has extensive knowledge in both areas of music and adds a unique voice to the site.

Greg Webb will be joining the site as the Mass Media Editor.  Greg will be focusing his attention on all areas of pop culture, movies, and television.  Greg is no stranger to the Christian music industry through his many years with CMCentral.com and About Christian Music.

Leah Lowrance will continue to write the monthly devotional and do additional reviewing and interviewing for the site.  She is the Christianity & Culture Editor.

“Words can not express how grateful I am to have these people in my life,” mentioned Chris.  “Ruth, Jeff, Greg, and Leah all bring extensive knowledge to this site, and I’m excited for our future together.”

The new site went live today and features writing from all five staff members.  If you have any questions regarding the new site or would like to find out information on how to be featured on The Bridge – email chris@thebridgelive.net.

More information can be found at http://www.thebridgelive.net. 

###

About Southern Spin Entertainment
Southern Spin Entertainment is one of four divisions of the conglomerate SSE Group.  Southern Spin Entertainment focuses on publicity and marketing for Southern and Country Gospel artists.  The company currently represents over 40 artists in all genres of Gospel music. For more information on Southern Spin Entertainment, go to http://www.southernspin.com .

SSE Group’s four divisions include Southern Spin Entertainment, SSE Design Group, Southern Spin Artist Direction, and Southern Spin Radio.  SSE Group currently owns and operates Glorious Creations, TheBridgeLive.net, SGBlogNews.com , GospelMusings.com, and WorldofCM.com.For more information on SSE Group, go to http://www.ssegrouponline.com .