"Writing for Him" by Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress

In Spring of 1994, I attended a writing workshop at Lee University in Cleveland, TN. After being encouraged by the instructor, Cliff Schimmels, to pursue writing for publication, I told God, "I will give this one year of my very best effort. If it's what you have for me, I hope to know it by then." I then became a student of the writing and publication process. Six months later, after lots of rejections, I sold one small piece to ParentLife magazine for $20 --- and (instead of framing it) took my family to Captain D's to celebrate!

Fifteen years, hundreds of published articles, two books, seven book compilations, and many writers conferences later, I still get lots of rejections---and I still attend writers conferences. I can't afford not to.

But, the truth is, you don't ever need to attend a writers conference unless:

• You plan to actively pursue publication of your work,
• You seek to develop your skills and your knowledge level in pursuit of excellence as a Christian writer,
• You need to take home practical tips to better service editors,
• You hope to increase your marketing skills and become aware of additional publications that need your work,
• You want to be encouraged and energized through mingling with fellow writers at all levels of "success,"
• You need additional ideas for articles or books,
• You choose to be challenged to go deeper, trust God, and chase the dream He's given you,
• You seek specific direction for a specific project,
• You understand in today's climate, conferences are crucial for networking, and advancing in the writer's world.

Pray through the doubts and the roadblocks, let God make provision for you and come with expectancy. Come see me in Kentucky!

Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress
www.writingforhim.com

At our June conference, Lettie will be teaching a two-part workshop for beginners and a workshop entitled "When Your Writing Leads to Speaking." See the details on the KCWC site. She will also be available for private appointments. Register early! It's your best chance to get the private appointment you want.

2008 Faculty Buzz

We've got a great faculty lined up for 2008! Because of limited space in our print brochure, we weren't able to tell you everything we wanted to tell about faculty members, so we'll be posting additional details on the blog over the next couple of weeks.

We've already posted details about our featured speaker, Karen Moore Artl, and musician, Lynne Drysdale Patterson. Today, we feature Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress (http://www.writingforhim.com/). She will be teaching workshop sessions entitled "Selling What You Write Again and Again" and "When Your Writing Leads to Speaking." Details on all workshops is found at http://www.kychristianwriters.com/BrochureSchedule.dsp.

About Lettie:

She has contributed to seven books, in addition to authoring a book called Lessons, Laughter, and Tough Love for our local school system. She has also written for numerous Christian periodicals, including HomeLife, ParentLife, Living with Teenagers, Journey, Discipleship Journal, Mature Living, and Christian Parenting Today. Several of her published articles have won awards at the Lifeway Writers Workshops and the Southern Christian Writers Conference.

Lettie also speaks primarily to women, on topics such as discipleship, spiritual growth, prayer, and family living. In 1995 She completed the Christian Leaders and Speakers Seminar (C.L.A.S.S.) developed by Florence Littauer. She has taught classes for beginning writers at Lifeway Christian Resources, Chattanooga Bible Institute, and Cleveland (TN) State College, as well as leading workshops at the Southern Christian Writers Conference.

She is the mother of four sons, ages 15 to 30. Her only daughter, Shela, died in July, 1993, at age 19 following a lifelong battle against a muscle disease. Tom Kirkpatrick, her husband of 29 years, died of cancer November l, 2000. In August, 2003 she remarried a widower, Phillip Burress.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, she has been employed in the past as a counselor with the Department of Human Services. She also served as Director of the Non-credit division of Continuing Education at Cleveland State College.

If you haven't registered for 2008 yet, there's still time to get the 10% discount by registering and paying by April 30th. See registration page at http://www.kychristianwriters.com/RegistrationInformation.dsp.