{"id":1286,"date":"2014-06-27T09:59:52","date_gmt":"2014-06-27T14:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jenniferfitz\/?p=1286"},"modified":"2015-06-19T18:53:31","modified_gmt":"2015-06-19T23:53:31","slug":"should-you-be-writing-right-now-and-what-about-the-kids-and-what-about-a-conference-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jenniferfitz\/2014\/06\/should-you-be-writing-right-now-and-what-about-the-kids-and-what-about-a-conference-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Be Writing Right Now? And What About the Kids? And What About a Conference This Summer?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Kathy Schiffer reminds you that if, \u201cI\u2019d like to be a writer someday\u201d applies to you, consider attending the Catholic Writers Conference this summer<\/a>. \u00a0It\u2019s in metro-Chicago this year, and the location varies from year to year, so if you\u2019re in the upper-midwest or central Canada come July 30-August 1, this is your year.<\/p>\n

Promises to be an excellent event. \u00a0From the press release<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Speakers at this year\u2019s conference include authors Lisa Hendey (BOOK OF SAINTS FOR CATHOLIC MOMS), award-winning science fiction\/fantasy author Gene Wolfe (THE NEW BOOK OF THE SUN), Inspirational Speaker Lizzie Velasquez, Gary Zimak (FROM FEAR TO FAITH), Claudia Volkman (Editor, Servant Books), Donna-Marie Cooper O\u2019Boyle (EWTN, CATHOLIC PRAYER BOOK FOR MOTHERS), Ellen Gable Hrkach (STEALING JENNY), blogger Rebecca Hamilton (PUBLIC CATHOLIC-PATHEOS) and many others.<\/p>\n

The conference will give authors an opportunity to meet personally with publishing professionals and pitch their writing projects. Some participating publishers are Ignatius Press, Ave Maria Press, and Servant Books. In addition, attendees have the opportunity to sign up for fiction critique workshop with award-wining short fiction writer Arthur Powers, a non-fiction critique group with Nancy Cook Ward and attend a writing workshop with novelist John Desjarlais. Information for these events can be found on the conference website.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Go here for more info<\/a>, and here to register<\/a>. \u00a0Reminder that if you already have a ticket to the Catholic Marketing Network trade show<\/a>\u00a0(exhibitor or attendee), you get to participate in the Catholic Writers Conference as part of the package. \u00a0And vice-versa \u2013 a CWC ticket gets you into all the free trade show events, and you can choose to purchase tickets to the various dinners and breakfasts and so forth as well.<\/p>\n

\"Catholic<\/a><\/p>\n

Should Every Catholic Disciple Have a Blog?<\/h2>\n

We cover blogging every year at CWC, and each year we get a little more advanced. \u00a0In early-years, the question was, \u201cWhat is a blog, anyway?\u201d \u00a0No more. \u00a0Here\u2019s a piece from Canadian Catholic on Five Reasons Every Disciple Needs a Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t actually think that every faithful Christian needs to blog. \u00a0But if you enjoy writing, blogging is a great way to practice writing for an audience. \u00a0If you start small, it\u2019s a zero-cost way to get going as a writer, and you can upgrade later if it gets serious.<\/p>\n

Given the tremendous popularity of certain mega-bloggers and news sites, you might be wondering whether it\u2019s worth your time to keep blogging (which you love, I presume) if you have only a small audience. \u00a0Let me encourage you: Small blogs do the most work for discipleship<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Sure, you only have five readers and two regular commenters. \u00a0So what? \u00a0You wanted to write what you were writing anyway, and now you can personally connect with those handful of souls who are looking for exactly what wisdom God has given you.<\/p>\n

You think that\u2019s small? \u00a0Our Lord didn\u2019t think it was small. \u00a0He would have as soon died for just one of your readers as for the entire world.<\/p>\n

So if you love your work as a blogger, don\u2019t lose heart because you don\u2019t have thousands of shares. \u00a0Be grateful for the chance to reach exactly the people who needed to hear what you had to say.<\/p>\n

How Do I Get My Child Into Writing?<\/h2>\n

A friend recently shared this piece from the Atlantic on the importance of unstructured play to your child\u2019s intellectual development<\/a>. \u00a0I think this is one of the values of stay-at-home parenting: When you have a large group of children in a classroom or after-school program, they need structure to prevent\u00a0Lord of the Flies<\/em> from breaking out. \u00a0That\u2019s just how it is. \u00a0When kids have trusted adults available but not running the show, it provides the combination of emotional support and connection kids need, but also the freedom to play around with the world that they need, too.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not opposed to all structured, classroom-based learning, and I\u2019ve got the book to prove it. \u00a0Nor do I have any illusions that every child can have the option of many long days devoted to unstructured, parent-at-home play time. \u00a0But your child is home\u00a0some of the time.<\/em> So do what you can to make a good chunk of that time boring. \u00a0And then leave things around (good toys, recycling<\/del> art supplies, balls, sticks, dirt, cookbooks) that your child can use.<\/p>\n

Top Secret Parenting Thing: You have to unplug the computer, the TV, the iMachine, all that stuff, if you want to make this time happen.<\/p>\n

If you want to know whether your child has a future as a writer, see what happens if you give the kid a spiral notebook with his name on it, a pile of decent pens, and a whole lot of privacy.<\/p>\n

Is there a Writers Conference for Kids?<\/h2>\n

Providing support for Catholic educators is one of the longterm goals of the Catholic Writers Guild. \u00a0To that end, if you aren\u2019t upper Midwest but you are Southeast, and you have a child you want to teach writing to, consider attending the Midlands Homeschool Conference<\/a>. \u00a0Even if you aren\u2019t a homeschooler. \u00a0It\u2019s July 24-26th, and in addition to the many other topics being covered, there\u2019s a huge writing track<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Catholic Writers Guild will have a few southeastern authors attending (to wit: Michelle Buckman<\/a>, Deanna Klingel<\/a>, Fr. Jeffry Kirby<\/a>, and Christian LeBlanc<\/a>), all of whom are fabulous with kids. \u00a0We\u2019ll have giveaways from a few supporters who will be with us in spirit, including the likes of Elizabeth Scalia<\/a> and Tuscany Press<\/a>. \u00a0Also, you should go just so you can heckle Chris Tollefsen<\/a>. \u00a0Kidding, kidding. \u00a0You should go so you can bring him gifts of beer.<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll be fun. \u00a0It\u2019s not expensive. \u00a0If you\u2019re in the region and looking for Kids-Conference-South, that\u2019s your one.<\/p>\n

\"Midlands<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kathy Schiffer reminds you that if, \u201cI\u2019d like to be a writer someday\u201d applies to you, consider attending the Catholic Writers Conference this summer. \u00a0It\u2019s in metro-Chicago this year, and the location varies from year to year, so if you\u2019re in the upper-midwest or central Canada come July 30-August 1, this is your year. Promises […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1209,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[115,216,248],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-its-all-catholic","category-writing-stuff"],"yoast_head":"\nShould You Be Writing Right Now? And What About the Kids? 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