Creating Memorable Characters with Kate Breslin

by Past Events

Join ACFW DFW online Saturday, March 12, 2022 from 10:30 – 12:00, to hear Kate Breslin discuss Creating Memorable Characters. Learn how to develop complex, engaging characters in your work of fiction or memoir that will help your readers invest in your characters’ journey, and keep them turning the pages.

Kate Breslin will present
Creating Memorable Characters

REGISTRATION

Registration is required. Click the button below to be taken directly to TicketLeap for registration.

Creating Memorable Characters with Kate Breslin

Note: We are not able to send the online link and invites to anyone not registered through TicketLeap.

Please answer several questions that appear when you register (only an admin can see the answers).

Questions? email acfwdfw@gmail.com. A board member will contact you by Friday prior to the event with instructions for Saturday.

Please be aware, the invitation and link are for our members and friends of our group. We request you not share the link with others.

ABOUT OUR PRESENTER

Former bookseller-turned-author Kate Breslin enjoys life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and family. A writer of travel articles and award-winning poetry, Breslin received Christian Retailing’s 2015 Best Award for First Time Author and her novel, For Such A Time, won the 2015 Carol award for Debut Novel. Breslin’s fifth novel, As Dawn Breaks, released in November 2021.

When she’s not writing inspirational fiction, Breslin enjoys reading or taking long walks in Washington’s beautiful woodlands. She also likes traveling to new places, both within the U.S. and abroad, having toured Greece, Rome, Barcelona, and much of Western Europe. New destinations make for fresh story ideas. For more information, visit her at www.katebreslin.com.

(Breslin’s other social media contact points are listed at the bottom of this article.)

ACFW DFW MEETING and MEMBERSHIP Info

Guests to ACFW-DFW regular monthly meetings may attend for free for the first two visits. After that, per ACFW national guidelines, guests must become national and local members for continued participation.

If you’re a national ACFW member and a member of your local ACFW that is not ACFW-DFW, you can also become an affiliate of ACFW-DFW (Affiliate Membership = $5 per year). Affiliate membership allows you to attend the full year of our monthly meetings. All affiliate and local ACFW-DFW participants pay a $3 attendance fee per meeting. If you do not have a local chapter, you are welcome to join ACFW-DFW as a full-fledged member. Plans are in the works for hybrid meetings (a mix between online and in-person) once we start meeting back face-to-face.

Contact acfwdfw@gmail.com for further info. Yearly local dues and monthly meeting fees can be paid at https://acfwdfw-109619.square.site/. (For meeting fees, click on “more/monthly meeting”).

For further information about this and other ACFW DFW events, visit our other social media sites: ACFW DFW Facebook, ACFW DFW Twitter, and ACFW DFW Instagram.

KATE BRESLIN’S Contact info:

Newsletter sign up:  https://katebreslin.com/newsletter/     

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateBreslinAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kate_Breslin

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/katelbreslin/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkatebreslin

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-breslin

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7115378.Kate_Breslin

Linked In:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-breslin-87531b61

Using the Enneagram to Develop Compelling Characters with Ashley Rescot

by Past Events

Join ACFW DFW online on Saturday, February 12,  from 10:30 am-noon for our monthly meeting as Ashley Rescot presents, “Using the Enneagram to Develop Compelling Characters.” We begin our meeting with thirty minutes of business discussions, prayers, and praises, followed by our speaker’s presentation. 

Ashley Rescot discusses the Enneagram, a personality typing system used by counselors, companies, and churches. It is also a powerful tool in the hands of a writer. With its in-depth analysis of each personality’s strengths and weakness, authors can develop well-rounded, relatable characters. Like their real-life counterparts, these fictional characters must confront their basic fears and overcome “fatal flaws” in order to grow and become the best versions of themselves. Authors can also use the Enneagram to advertise their characters to potential readers via sketches, video clips, and even merchandise to help their audience better connect with these fictional friends.

Registration is required for this event through TicketLeap: Register HERE

Rescot’s background could rival that of any character build. At the tender age of two, she began violin under her mother’s tutelage. Family performances with her mom, four sisters, aunts, cousins, and grandmother comprise her fondest childhood memories.

In her senior year in high school, Rescot served as concertmaster of her youth symphony in Kansas and won the youth talent concerto competition to solo with the orchestra. Afterward, she moved to Texas for college where she received a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and minors in French and English.

In addition to violin, Rescot developed a passion for French, especially French music. She spent a year abroad in Paris, France as a Fulbright scholar where she taught English and collaborated with local musicians. The experience opened her eyes to another culture which influenced her perspective as a creative artist and educator.

She returned to the Midwest to teach collegiate French language courses and earn a Master of Arts in French literature. After graduation, she moved to the greater Chicago area where she taught French at a regional university and grew her private violin studio. She was a participant on a reading committee and voted in the Prix Roblès, an award for first-time French novelists. Rescot enjoyed attending the award ceremony in Blois, France in 2013 where she met the winning author who had written a music novel set in Europe during World War II.

Today, Rescot loves to work with her students, perform with family and friends, and write about all things music and French. She especially enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. She is a member of her family group Uptown Violins, the Blackwater String Ensemble, the SSA music teachers’ society, the ACFW writers’ association, and is an active musician at her church. As a veteran performer and pedagogue, she strives to pass on her love of music and language to the next generation.

You can find out more about Rescot by visiting her social media sites: Website_Rescot Creative, FB_Ashley Rescot, or Instagram_Ashley Rescot.

Note: We are not able to send the online link and invites for the meeting to anyone not registered through TicketLeap.

Please answer several questions that appear when you register (only an admin can see the answers).

Questions? email acfwdfw@gmail.com. A board member will contact you by Friday prior to the event with instructions for Saturday. Please be aware, the invitation and link are for our members and friends of our group. We request you not share the link with others.

Guests may attend for free for the first two visits. After that, per ACFW national guidelines, guests must become national and local members for continued participation. If you’re a national ACFW member and a member of a local ACFW that is not ACFW-DFW, you must also be an affiliate of ACFW-DFW ($5 per year). All affiliate and local ACFW-DFW attendees must also pay a $3 meeting fee per meeting. Contact acfwdfw@gmail.com for further info. Yearly local dues and monthly meeting fees can be paid at https://acfwdfw-109619.square.site/. (For meeting fees, click on “more/monthly meeting”).

For further information about this and other ACFW DFW events, visit our other social media sites: ACFW DFW Facebook, ACFW DFW Twitter, and ACFW DFW Instagram.

Waiting on God and Jacob’s Ladder with Marie Sontag

by Past Events

Join ACFW DFW Saturday, January 8, 2022, as Marie Sontag discusses, “Waiting on God and Jacob’s Ladder.”

This motivational talk will examine ways we wait on God as we chase our God-given dreams through the seasons of our lives.

Sontag’s writing passion is “Bringing the Past to Life—One Adventure at a Time.” She writes middle grade and young adult historical fiction.

Having taught middle school for over thirteen years, she holds a BA in social science, an MA in instructional design, and a PhD in instructional design for online learning.

Her latest novel, Yosemite Trail Discovered, the second in her Whitcomb Series, will join six others when it comes out February 2022. Sontag makes author appearances at schools, helping history come alive with her talks and books. Additionally, she is the current Secretary and former Vice President of ACFW DFW.

You can find out more about her by visiting www.mariesontag.com, or by clicking on one of her two links on the Members’ Links page.

Marie Sontag kicks off the year with an inspirational discussion entitled, "Waiting on God and Jacob's Ladder."

Registration for this event is required through TicketLeap. To register, click button below:

Ticket Leap Registration for Marie Sontag - January 2022

Note: We are not able to send the online link and invites to anyone not registered through TicketLeap.

Please answer several questions that appear when you register (only an admin can see the answers).

Questions? email acfwdfw@gmail.com. A board member will contact you by Friday prior to the event with instructions for Saturday. Please be aware, the invitation and link are for our members and friends of our group. We request you not share the link with others.

Guests may attend for free for the first two visits. After that, per ACFW national guidelines, guests must become national and local members for continued participation. If you’re a national ACFW member and a member of a local ACFW that is not ACFW-DFW, you must also be an affiliate of ACFW-DFW ($5 per year). All affiliate and local ACFW-DFW attendees must also pay a $3 meeting fee per meeting. Contact acfwdfw@gmail.com for further info. Yearly local dues and monthly meeting fees can be paid at https://acfwdfw-109619.square.site/. (For meeting fees, click on “more/monthly meeting”).

For further information about this and other ACFW DFW events, visit our other social media sites: ACFW DFW Facebook, ACFW DFW Twitter, and ACFW DFW Instagram.

Book Launch Tips & Tricks with Josh Fortney and ACFW DFW

by Past Events

Join ACFW-DFW on Saturday, December 11, 2021, online from 10:30a-12p CST to hear Josh Fortney as he presents, “Book Launch Tips and Tricks.”

According to Fortney, “writing a book is a monumental accomplishment, but it’s really only half of the journey. The gestation process of bringing your work to the marketplace is completed through getting readers. The ongoing work of getting readers is amplified through a solid launching process.”

Fortney shares insights and best practices he’s learned through 10 years of experience on launch teams for Carey Nieuwhof, Bob Goff, Jon Acuff, Jefferson Bethke, and many more. Attendees will receive bite-sized and tangible next steps to get our books into readers’ hands.

Join ACFW DFW on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021 to hear Josh Fortney

Fortney has been married to the beautiful Melissa for over 10 years and they share in the joy of getting to raise their two #Fortniños, EllaGrace and Axel. They love family dance parties and ice cream. After a stint at Pine Cove and 10 years as a Pastor, Josh currently serves as a Regional Director for Skylark. He gets to blend his passion for serving God‘s church and love of camping ministries.

Registration is required for this event through TicketLeap – click this button to be directed there.

Book Launch Tips & Tricks with Josh Fortney

An online link will be emailed prior to all the fun! Wear your most festive Christmas sweater as we will be having fellowship time before the meeting as well.

This event is a gift to our members and guests for the holiday season. Please note: Guests may attend these meetings for free for the first two visits. After that, per ACFW National guidelines, guests must become national and local members for continued participation. Contact acfwdfw@gmail.com for further info. (An affiliate membership of $5 per year is available to members of other ACFW groups). Meeting fee: $3 for ACFW DFW or affiliate members, paid to acfwdfw square.site/. (Click on “more/monthly meeting”).

For further information about this and other ACFW DFW events, visit our other social media sites: ACFW DFW Facebook, ACFW DFW Twitter, and ACFW DFW Instagram.

Write Men Right with JP Robinson and ACFW DFW

by Past Events

ACFW DFW welcomes JP Robinson on Saturday, November 13, 2021, 10:30a-12p CST (online) to hear his presentation, “Write Men Right.

Robinson, an award-winning author of historical/political suspense, will discuss how to create balanced male characters that appeal to both male and female readers.

In addition to his work as an author, Robinson is also a full-time minister and the president of Lancaster Christian Writers Association.

With a tagline of “Unforgettable drama, Undeniable Truth, ” Robinson’s high-adrenaline novels often mesh real-world marriage and parenting scenarios with vivid fiction. His books have been praised by industry leaders such as Publishers Weekly. Robinson often speaks to writers and church groups within the United States and internationally.

He has been happily married for over fifteen years to his high school sweetheart with whom he runs Fearless Marriage, an international marriage ministry.

Two of Robinson’s latest novels include In the Dead of the Night and In the Midst of the Flames. You can find him online at: FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE |LinkedIn

Registration is required through TicketLeap.

Click Here for TicketLeap Registration

Guests may attend these meetings for free for the first two visits. After that, per ACFW National guidelines, guests must become national and local members for continued participation. Contact acfwdfw@gmail.com for further info. (An affiliate membership of $5 per year is available to members of other ACFW groups). Meeting fee: $3 for ACFW DFW or affiliate members, paid to acfwdfw square.site/. (Click on “more/monthly meeting”).

For further information about this and other ACFW DFW events, visit our other social media sites: ACFW DFW Facebook, ACFW DFW Twitter, and ACFW DFW Instagram.

Writing With Diversity with Toni Shiloh and ACFW DFW

by Past Events

*Note: due to an unfortunate circumstance, Toni Shiloh’s presentation information did not originally make it to our website in time. ACFW DFW would like to thank Toni for her time and informative discussion.

ACFW-DFW was pleased to host multi-published author, Toni Shiloh, Saturday, October 9, 10:30 AM – noon, CST discussing “Writing With Diversity.” 
 
Our writing should reflect the diversity around us. In this session, attendees discussed why representation matters and the transformative power of reading diverse fiction. Her presentation touched on how to write characters of differing ethnic backgrounds and how to celebrate our characters’ uniqueness without falling into stereotypes. 
 
As is current practice for our online meetings, registration was through Ticketleap. 
 
For more information about Shiloh, visit @tonishilohwrite, Instagram.com/tonishiloh/ or at Toni Shiloh’s website. 

Guests may attend these meetings for free for the first two visits. After that, per ACFW National guidelines, guests must become national and local members for continued participation. Contact acfwdfw@gmail.com for further info. (An affiliate membership of $5 per year is available to members of other ACFW groups). Meeting fee: $3 for ACFW DFW or affiliate members, paid to acfwdfw square.site/. (Click on “more/monthly meeting”).

For further information about this and other ACFW DFW events, visit our other social media sites: ACFW DFW Facebook, ACFW DFW Twitter, and ACFW DFW Instagram.

Fiction Trends with Carolyn Curtis and ACFW DFW

by Past Events

Fiction Trends with Carolyn Curtis and ACFW DFW

Join ACFW-DFW Ready Writers on Saturday, September 18, 2021, 10:30 am – noon, to hear Carolyn Curtis discuss n “Current Fiction Trends.” Registration is required for the online event with the link below: 

Fiction Trends with Carolyn Curtis

Curtis has worked as a Christy Award judge for many years. This, in addition to many other writing contests has provided her with unique insights into current fiction trends.

Curtis holds numerous places in the writing community in addition to judging. She is the author or collaborator of seven books with her most recent being, Women and C.S. Lewis: What his Life and Literature Reveal for Today’s Culture, published 2015 by Lion Hudson. She is a veteran journalist with awards from The Wall Street Journal, the Evangelical Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists, and others. She has reported from daily newsrooms and from Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

She has been published in On Mission, Christianity Today, Facts & Trends, By Faith, Sports Illustrated, The Saturday Evening Post, and numerous other publications. Her professional life has also included work in communications management for Fortune 50 companies and at domestic corporate headquarters for two major church denominations.

Curtis’s love for the craft has included teaching journalism at a college and speaking at numerous conferences.

She holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Arts degree in communication from Stephen F. Austin State University. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

Questions? Email acfwdfw@gmail.com. A board member will contact you by email prior to the event with instructions for Saturday, September 18. (Note: this event is being held during a different time than our usual monthly meetings, which are generally the second Saturday of each month.) Please be aware, the invitation and link are for our members and friends of our group. We request that you not share the link with others.

Guests may attend these meeting for free for the first two visits. After that, per ACFW National guidelines, guests must become national and local members for continued participation. Contact acfwdfw@gmail.com for further info. (An affiliate membership of $5 per year is available to members of other ACFW groups). Meeting fee: $3 for ACFW DFW or affiliate members, paid to acfwdfw square.site/. (Click on “more/monthly meeting”).

For further information about this and other ACFW DFW events, visit our other social media sites: ACFW DFW Facebook, ACFW DFW Twitter, and ACFW DFW Instagram.

Your Writing Voice with Chris Bohon and ACFW DFW

by Past Events
Chris Bohan, Associate Pastor with Pathway Church, to speak at ACFW DFW monthly meeting

Join ACFW-DFW Ready Writers on August 14, 2021, 10:30am – 12:00pm, to hear Chris Bohon, associate pastor at Pathway Church, when he presents, “Your Writing Voice.” Registration is required. Save your spot by registering through Ticketleap for this Zoom meeting. Click the button below:

ACFW DFW with Chris Bohon, “Your Writing Voice”

Chris Bohon describes his talk as “The beauty of scripture is, it provides us with many voices, many points of view to understand how God has related to us and continues to relate to us over generations. The uniqueness in how God creates each of us tenors how we read, how we hear, how we interpret, and how we write. This workshop will be a dive into some different points of view looking at the scripture passage of Luke 15 (the parable of the father and the two sons).”

Bohon has worked at Pathway since 2003 where he started as the guitar player in the contemporary worship band. He was promoted to the position of Director of Fine Arts Academy, then Director of Music, then director of Music and Worship. In 2019, he was ordained and assumed the position of Associate Pastor. Bohon is currently writing his first book, a study of ten different teachings of Jesus.

Fun facts about him: He is an extremely talented guitar player. As a side gig, he offered guitar lessons. He plays in The Dolan Band, and they have recently opened for Wiz Khalifa. Chris also opened for .38 Special and Diamond Rio. He is married to Kristen, and they have two children.

Questions? email acfwdfw@gmail.com. A board member will contact you by Friday prior to the event with instructions for Saturday, August 14. Please be aware, the invitation and link are for our members and friends of our group. We request that you not share the link with others.

Guests may attend these meeting for free for the first two visits. After that, per ACFW National guidelines, guests must become national and local members for continued participation. Contact acfwdfw@gmail.com for further info. (An affiliate membership of $5 per year is available to members of other ACFW groups). Meeting fee: $3 for ACFW DFW or affiliate members, paid to https://acfwdfw-109619.square.site/. (Click on “more/monthly meeting”).

For further information about this and other ACFW DFW events, visit our other social media sites: https://www.facebook.com/DFWReadyWriters, https://twitter.com/acfwdfw, and https://www.instagram.com/acfwdfw/

February 2021 – Instagram & Twitter for Authors

by Past Events

Join ACFW DFW on Saturday, February 13, 2021, from 10:30a-12:00p, for “Instagram & Twitter for Authors” with Lori Z. Scott and Paula Peckham.

The first half of the presentation will explore the use of Instagram for authors, showing ways to use the app to promote author platforms. Presenters will include a description of Instagram and walk through the steps to create an account. Learn how to add followers, use hashtags, and engage author audiences.

The second half of the workshop will explore Twitter as the presenters Introduce the app for new users and explain vocabulary. The presentation will Include tips on how to use Twitter for author promotion, and how to keep author engagement in front of our readers. 

Presenters: Elementary school teacher Lori Z. Scott usually writes fiction because, like an atom, she makes up everything. Her downtime is filled with two quirky habits: chronic doodling and inventing lames jokes. Neither one impresses her principal (or friends/parents/casual strangers), but they do help inspire her writing. Somehow, her odd musings led her to accidentally write a ten-title bestselling chapter book series and on purpose write over 150 short stories, articles, essays, poems, and devotions. In addition, Lori contributed to over a dozen books, mostly so she would have an excuse to give people for not folding her laundry. (Hey! Busy writing here!) She has served as a speaker or workshop leader at several conferences and has visited local elementary schools to share her writing journey. Most days, she’s fully immersed in teaching, but nights find her behind the keyboard. Since Batman didn’t want a sidekick, she teamed up with super-agent Cyle Young at the C.Y.L.E. Literary Agency. 

Paula Peckham is a retired high school math teacher. She splits her time between her beloved Texas and Rio Bravo, Mexico, where she serves in a ministry through her church. She lives in Burleson, a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas. A 5th-generation Texan, she imbues her stories with Texas pride. She has a poem published in the inaugural edition of Awake our Hearts, an online magazine. Women of Spirit, a Christian magazine, also published an article she wrote. She was a  semi-finalist in the 2020 ACFW Genesis contest. She is a member of American Christian Fiction  Writers http://www.acfw.com/ and the local chapter, ACFW DFW, where she serves as treasurer.  

 
Registration is required to receive the Zoom link:

ACFW DFW Feb. '21 - Twitter & Instagram for Authors

For more information about this and other ACFW DFW programs, follow along at:

  • https://www.facebook.com/DFWReadyWriters
  • https://www.instagram.com/acfwdfw/
  • https://twitter.com/acfwdfw