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Why Join a Christian Writers’ Group?

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There’s much to be said for fellowshipping with other like-minded people — especially when they are folks who feel called to share what God has done in their lives through the written word. Don’t let this valuable resource lay untapped. If there’s a Christian writers group in your area, it would be worth your time to get involved!

Join a Writers’ Group — They’re Valuable

In the Seattle area, the Northwest Christian Writers’ Association is a vibrant, eclectic group of writers, young and old, men and women, all united under the banner of Jesus Christ and the desire to communicate through the written word.

Athena Dean Holtz at Christian Writers Conference

For nearly a decade, I served on the board in almost every possible position… treasurer, vice-president, president, and program coordinator, just to name a few. To walk with others as they improve their craft and make their mark on the world is an amazing thing. I remember James L. Rubart attending the group when he was still dreaming of writing his first novel. Now he is a best-selling, Christy award winning novelist! Another example of this was meeting Ann Griffiths at the annual renewal. She came with a 3-ring binder of content and wondered how she would ever create a resource to help women become the mentors they needed to be… for other women and for their grandchildren. I ended up helping her (and her co-author Donna Inglis) turn that content into two books, and her Fingerprint Ministries has exploded since then.

While every group is different in how they approach meeting the needs of local Christian writers, this group meets the first Monday of every month from September through June. They mix networking, fellowship, and education on the craft of writing along with how to’s on promoting and marketing what the Lord has given you to write. Critique groups meet before and often times in between the monthly meetings, and two or three times a year there are special events.

Novelist Davis Bunns speaking to a Christian Writers Group

Just last month we had WriteTech 2015 where members learned everything from branding to social media, blogging to using Scrivener, cloud based tools to Goodreads. Everything BUT the craft of writing, which is always covered in depth at the annual NW Christian Writers’ Renewal.

Resources for Non-Local Authors

Now, I understand that you may not be in the Seattle area, so here’s a national group a good friend of mine started. They have local chapters all across the country: Word Weavers International.

On the other hand, some of you may be in an area where there is no group, and in that case, there are some wonderful online communities of writers where you can learn and grow. Here are a few of the best options online: Inspire Christian Writers, Faithwriters Critique Circle, and American Christian Fiction Writers.

If you have always dreamed of being a published author, writing a novel, a column for a newspaper, or blogging to share your life with the world, there’s so much to learn about the craft of writing. Don’t miss out!

Writing can be a lonely business, and the value of taking the time to meet others and learn from their experiences can’t be underestimated. Whether you are able to meet in person or online, it’s a great opportunity to take the next step in your writing journey!

Until next time,

Athena

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I've been around Christian publishing since 1987 when I helped our ministry self-publish an important resource for Vietnam veterans and their families. That book went on to be picked up by a royalty publisher and has since sold over 250,000 copies with a million in print.

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