28 Mar Story Threads: Christian Fiction Writers’ Workshop
This month Cup of Faith hosted our first ever fiction writing workshop! As a blog that aims to encourage inspired and excellent writing, this workshop aligned perfectly with our calling. When I first met Joan Campbell through a prayer meeting, I was delighted by her passion for the use of fiction in sharing Christian ideas. She has written six books, including a Christian fantasy series. As someone who loves reading novels, I often dream of learning to write fiction. If I wanted to expand my writing skills, there were surely more people in our Cup of Faith community who shared this desire.
Here are some of the reasons people signed up to join the workshop:
“I am hoping to use my testimonies to write a book, to encourage other women. I want people who have similar experiences or are experiencing fears to know the power of God in our lives. I just have no idea how to practically share my story.” Wow!
“[To gain] an increased ease and confidence in my writing, and to experience a nearness and revelation of Christ through writing.” How beautiful is this?
“To refresh my motivation to write.” That’s a biggie!
The workshop had been in the pipeline for over a year. After discussing the content, Joan and I settled on the theme of ‘weaving the threads of a story together’ and titled the workshop ‘Story Threads’. There are many elements of writing a story that, when combined, create a beautiful, rich tapestry. During this beginner level workshop we looked at plot, character and setting. Joan taught us about the element, then explained our writing exercise which we did immediately. Being in a room with others who were hungry to write, itching for that wave of inspiration, was like experiencing electricity in the air. I know I don’t give my creative mind nearly enough time to just play with ideas. When praying for the workshop, I earnestly asked the Holy Spirit that He would bring us fresh waves of inspiration – a prayer I saw answered. I was amazed at how easily my ideas rolled out of my mind and onto the page. In particular, I had fun with Joan’s ‘character voice’ exercise. I felt like I had ‘met’ someone in my imagination and that as I wrote I was getting to know her.
Joan summarised the feedback she got in a Facebook post: “…it appears the workshop imparted not only skills, but encouragement and confidence too. One of the attendees said that she had been creatively blocked for a few years and the workshop had sparked her creativity again. Another said she was surprised at how easily the writing ideas flowed on the day.”
I truly hope this workshop is just the first of many that we will run! If you’d like to be informed directly about future events, please leave a comment.
Do you enjoy reading Christian fiction? If so, who is your favourite Christian fiction author? Let us know in the comments below!
Kate is the current owner and editor of Cup of Faith. She is a blogger who loves Jesus, loves to read, and currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband.
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