Join us for the 2020 Asheville Christian Writers Conference

February 21, 22, and 23, 2020

PLEASE NOTE, for this year only ...
Our venue has moved to the Ridgecrest Conference Center, only 9 miles from The Cove.

In December The Cove experienced a fire in their training center. They are in the midst of a massive clean up. (Please pray for The Cove team; their hearts hurt over this.) We were fortunate that Ridgecrest found space for our conference. Aside from a location change, everything remains as scheduled! If you wish housing at Ridgecrest, please contact Cindy via email at [email protected] She will check with Ridgecrest to see if housing is available. (Ridgecrest is as beautiful as The Cove.)

The Asheville Christian Writers Conference is not a level of writing – it’s a battle cry. God calls us to step up and answer with the best work possible using the talents He has given. We are called together to focus our hearts on the task Christ assigned us . . . to strengthen our ties with one another and hone our craft of writing so we might effectively spread the Word of God through fiction and non-fiction books, screenplays, scripts, articles, and blogs.

ACWC is not a level of writing – it’s a battle cry.

Join us for 2 1/2 days of intense work for as little as $292 (off-campus rate).

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Recent Posts

January 11, Update and Assignment 1

1/11/2020 8:13:00 PM BY Cindy Sproles

And how special are you, but to get not 1, not 2. . .but 3 emails from me in just a couple of days. WOOT! Woot! What can I say...it's crunch time.

If you have not joined our ACWC facebook page - please do. In fact, I'm trying my best to post a video there. From here forward, you'll find important updates as well as posts from InspireAFire.com, which is part of our ministry. ( https://www.facebook.com/Asheville-Christian-Writers-Conference-388703764478971/ ).
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Here is the first of updates for your information on the venue changes.
1) We are staying in Mountain Laurel West on the Ridgecrest Campus. That hotel is all the way to the top of the hill once you get on campus.
2) All of our rooms are on the west end of the hotel. So when you come into the front entrance, they will be to your right.
3) Our conference will take place on the lower level of Mountain Laurel, called C level or conference level.
4) We will meet for general sessions in the Jim Henry Auditorium. If you look to your right at the foot of the steps you will see our conferee registration table. It will be directly in front of the Jim Henry Auditorium.
5) We'll fill you in on other room numbers once we have our first general session.
6) Early bird classes begin at 1 p.m. in the Jim Henry Auditorium.
THIS IS IMPORTANT - You cannot get into your room until 4 p.m. (maybe 3 - Ridgecrest will let us know. They are turning over rooms from another conference so the rooms have to be cleaned.) Leave your luggage in the car and come on into the hotel, go down the stairs, and there we are. You can attend the early bird classes.
7) After early bird classes you will line up at our registration table, get your name badge, room key & number, and your conference materials. You will also sign the liability release. NOW YOU CAN GO TO YOUR ROOM.
8) This information will be transferred to the Conference Update page.

That's pretty easy. Please don't ask if you can get into your room early. Short of a few pre-made arrangements, you cannot get into your room until 4 p.m. If the rooms are ready - you will receive those keys and numbers as soon as possible.

The book store will open after supper (if we are able to get things set up, maybe earlier.) Plan to visit the bookstore.

*Appointments and mentoring will be handled by Terri Kelly and she'll fill you in on that at our first general session.
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Assignment 1 is up on the site blog. The link is as follows :
https://ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/acwcwritersblog/76-Appropriate-Emails--Toeholdtweetietoocom--Assignment-1?sel=1-

Seven weeks or so prior to the conference we begin additional learning blogs. Now this little assignment is optional. We try our best to give you some extra tidbits before hand to help you. They are nothing you need to turn in. These are for you to work on at home. This week we are talking about professional email addresses. Read and take heed. :)

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HOUSING LIST
I have never, in my 11 years of doing conferences done this, but I have no choice this go around with the venue change. I am posting a link to our housing list. Please glean down the list and be sure your name is on there and that I have you in the correct room or off campus status. ONLY CONTACT ME IF THIS IS WRONG OR YOU ARE NOT ON THE LIST. This is called due diligence. I do not want to miss someone and come up short. Also, I'm taking this list down after Monday. It is a private list and is not to be shared in any shape or form - Are we clear? Good. I would not do this but I can't afford to miss someone. You will contact me at [email protected]

Please contact me personally for the list. I will not post it on the webpage.
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There's still time to sign up for this conference. If you have someone who wants to attend, send them my way via email. I may still be able to secure an on campus room, but there is plenty of off-campus space. (Off campus books their own housing at an off-campus hotel or commuters) Contact me at [email protected]

If were going to be at the Cove this year, we would officially be sold out! I told you...we sell out. But at Ridgecrest, we have a little wiggle room so we can add a few more conferees. TWO ANSWERED PRAYERS.
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TO THE FACULTY - If you want to add books to the bookstore and you have not yet sent your consignment sheet to Bennie. Please do that like NOW. We do our bookstore inventory through our banking system. We need to add the inventory to our store so that we can accurately keep count of your books we sell. IF you need to ship books, please ship them to:
Asheville Christian Writers Conference
C/O Ridgecrest Conference Center
1 Ridgecrest Drive
Ridgecrest, NC 28770

Bennie's email is [email protected]. Contact her asap so she can get your consignment sheet and inventory entered and logged.

The Heart of a Writer
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. - Psalm 73:26 NIV

I love the hearts of my writer friends. It's not enough that we writers are "odd balls," but it's even better to know most of us have genuine, caring, squishy, lovable, hearts. To say our family has had a few bumps in the road over the last 4 months would be an understatement. What keeps me bouncing outta bed each morning are the wonderful texts and emails of encouragement. They come just at the right moment too.

We sat at Vanderbilt listening to the anesthesiologist tell us the Prince might need a pacemaker before his surgery, my own heart skipped a few beats. The doctor sent us down for pre-op bloodwork and then told us to come back and he'd have spoken to the cardiologist by then. I sat waiting on Tim to get his blood drawn and I prayed, "Okay God, we need this done today, not next week. Can you help us out so we don't make two more trips to Nashville?" When Tim was done we headed back to the anesthesiologist who then informed us, "Cardio says less than 1% have issues with this in surgery. No need for a pacemaker. We'll put a special heart monitor on him in surgery and just to be safe, we'll put him in the cardiac unit for a day or so to monitor him after surgery. But he doesn't anticipate any problems. Still, we'll err on the side of caution. Just to be safe."

Talk about a wahaaa-hoo! I gave them one. Right then, I told the doctor, "I prayed downstairs that God would clear a spot for this to be done today. Guess God did us one better. He doesn't want Tim to have a pacemaker. No need."

Three times during the day, Tim and I both got Psalm 73:26 in our email. God was reassuring us and marching ahead of us. If that wasn't enough, YOU began to message me. You were nudged by God before I'd even mentioned the issue on Facebook. Better yet, you listened.

This is what I love about being in the family of God...being a writer with the right heart. God has made us in His image and when we respond to those nudges He gives, His image shines bright in you. Writers are especially sensitive - it's the creative in us. That which God gave us, bubbles to the surface. All week, with the venue change, the trip to Vandy, and the details, the image of God has been shown over and over through you.

When you create from the heart of the Creator, you do amazing things. Your work will be amazing, IF you step to the side and let God do the work. Be the tool used by the creator not the creator trying to use the tool. Inside you is an amazing thing. Inside you is the heart of a writer.

Blessings to you all.
Cindy Sproles
Director, Asheville Christian Writers Conference

Appropriate Emails - [email protected] - Assignment 1

1/11/2020 7:47:00 PM BY Cindy Sproles

Appropriate email addresses are vital.

I got your attention, didn’t I? When you read that email address you had to say, “What on earth?”

Believe it or not, I say, “What on earth” all the time. You would be floored at the email addresses that hit my in-box. That’s why your first assignment is to learn about the ins and outs of a professional email.

I have stories . . . boy, do I have stories, about email addresses that well. . . are cute to the sender and perhaps their family, but actually make me send them directly to trash.

Why? It’s simple. Some bear a distinct resemblence to very inappropriate activities. Here’s an example (and I have permission to use this). [email protected]

Before you throw me under the bus for reprinting that email address give me an opportunity to explain why a professional email address is so important.

Here are two GREAT reasons why you need to rethink your email address:

Recognizable and quick – Editors, publishers, and agents get hundreds of emails a week. When there are emails with no name attached to them, it makes it very difficult to locate an individual. For example, had I realized this 15 years ago, I would have never used mountainbreezeministries as my lead. I would have used CSproles. It provides a searchable name. So often we remember a person’s name before we remember their ministry or work. When an editor would search for Cindy Sproles, they could not find me because my email address was mountianbreezeministries. Can you see the issue? You want an email address that offers you every opportunity to be located quickly. Opportunities can pass you by simply because you cannot be located.
Cute is not professional – What may seem fun and cute to you and your friends in a personal email address is not always professional. Just like the email I showed you earlier. It appeared somewhat questionable and inappropriate, and I nearly sent it to trash. The only reason it didn’t go straight to trash was the subject line: Devotion submission. Develop a professional email with your name, i.e. cindyksproles. Should you have a common name like Susan, John or Mike, add distinctive numbers or use the first initial of your first name, i.e. S.Johnson732. At least there is a first initial and the last name that is searchable in email.

I know you want to know the end of the story with the lollipop email address, so here goes. I did open the email and immediately sent the person a note. I nicely, and somewhat jokingly, told her I nearly trashed the email because of the email address. I explained the importance of an address that was not only recognizable, but professional. Hers was borderline pornagraphic. We had a good laugh as she explained her day job was owning a candy shop. To her, that email made perfect sense. It did make sense once she explained it, but she quickly saw how inappropriate it was especially when the remainder of the address was added (@hotmail.com). The next day she sent me a new email with her name on it.

Don’t take a chance with your important emails going straight into the spam or trash folder. Stop now and make yourself a professional email.

Your mission should you choose to accept it – If you do not have one, establish a professional email address. You can have more than one. Use your fun one for family and friends, but when you submit or work with your writing, always use your professional email. This mission is easy peasy. It requires a few minutes of your time. Once you have the new email, be sure you add it to your work in progress, proposals, and business cards. Start your writing career off on the right foot and begin with a professional email address.

**Photo used by permission www.morguefile.com & Prawny

January 8, UPDATE

1/8/2020 10:42:00 PM BY Cindy Sproles

SOOOOO, it's been a crazy week. Let me first say I am soooo, soooo sorry we can't have our conference as planned at the Cove. It's not like they said, "Oh let's have a fire and botch up the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Naw, not at all. BUT! God was ahead of us on this little hiccup and He'd already made arrangements and perfect space for us at Ridgecrest.

I don't know if you realize that since Lifeway closed their western US conference center (Glorietta), all that traffic came east. So Ridgecrest is generally packed to the brim with conferences. They had just the right number of rooms for us. So God was ahead of us on this.

I can't give you all the details right now, simply because my brain is shot. I've had very little sleep this past week just rerouting and redoing so much. I ask for your grace this week.

PLEASE NOTE! If you paid for a room on campus at the COVE, you have a room in Mountain Laurel west at Ridgecrest. If I have emailed you about changing to a room at Ridgecrest or just registering to stay with us on campus, I HAVE A ROOM FOR YOU IN MOUNTAIN LAUREL WEST. I realize I told a few of you that I would sent links for payment today. I'm sorry. That is just not happening. But I will get them to you over the weekend.

Tim and I travel to Vanderbilt tomorrow. He has 3 early morning appointments on Friday. The ostomy doctor, the anesthesiologist, and a cancer doctor all in preparation for his surgery on Feb 5. We will be traveling back on Friday evening. I do ask for your grace. I have things under control but there are fine details that I have to complete...things like, badges, room set up, ordering books, preparing for check-in. Making plane reservations for faculty, and well, a bunch of stuff. These things were already ready had our plans not changed. Change of venue is easy for you...you just show up, but for me, the work doubles as I rearrange, and redo things so that it all works at Ridgecrest for you.

Please be patient. I will send payment links to those I promised links to this weekend after we get back from Vanderbilt.

I am working with a planner at Ridgecrest to make everything flow perfectly for you. And hopefully I will have some information on how the ball will bounce in a new venue next week, along with your first additional blog training. I will be sending Eddie the new schedule. Times will vary due to meal time differences at Ridgecrest. So Eddie will update the schedule on the website very soon. I plan to send that to him tonight. So you can watch for the schedule times to change. Meals are an hour earlier at Ridgecrest. That affects the entire timing on the schedule for our classes.

I SAY AGAIN, GRACE PLEASE, my mind is on the hubs right now. And I will refocus on you Saturday. That's when I'll make you a list of changes and get links out, etc. All you have to remember, is to show up at RIDGECREST. The rest is on me and my staff. I'm contacting them one by one with new instructions and changes. THIS WILL BE PERFECT! God has already shown up once. He wants this conference to happen. SO YOU BETTER HAVE YOUR RUNNIN SHOES ON!

Remember, we still have slots for mentoring. Our mentors are Linda Gilden, Larry Leech, Les Stobbe, Eddie Jones, Yvonne Lehman, and Edie Melson. You can check the website for what they teach and mentor in. Let me just say...this is one hour of individual mentoring. Well worth the additional funds, but the slots fill up quickly. Also critiques. We have paid critiques where our staff will do a fast once over and give you some quick instruction in a 15 appointment. Mentoring is 1 full hour per person. Check the website for these services and consider taking advantage. Terri Kelly is managing these services and her email is on the site under critiques and mentoring.

Also, our bookstore will be open for you to peruse your way through. Plan on making a few purchases. Our faculty are top of the line writers. The best way to learn, is to read. So I encourage you to purchase their books and read. You will be surprised how it will help you develop your own voice.

DEVOTION CONTEST ENTRANTS
Please do me a favor. If you have entered our devotion contest, please RESEND me your entries. Send them to [email protected]. I am requesting these again to be sure I have not missed any. Please resend your submission for the DEVOTION CONTEST ONLY, to me. Click the email address above and you will open up to an email ready to send. This will help me immensely. I am trying to be due diligent since the venue change to be sure I don't miss anything. Your help is appreciated. BE SURE YOU PUT YOUR NAME ON YOUR SUBMISSION!

OUR CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IN MOUNTAIN LAUREL HOTEL at Ridgecrest. All of our classes and general sessions will be held in the conference level of Mountain Laurel. THIS IS SOOOOOOOOOOOO convenient. You don't have to walk all over the conference campus. I CALL THIS an answered prayer.

LIABILITY RELEASE
Every conferee will be asked to sign a liability release. This is a requirement of our event insurance. I will post this in the next couple of weeks so that you can read it in advance and you will not have any questions when our Conferee Care Coordinators ask you to put your John Henry on the line. Speaking of John Henry...we're meeting in the JIM HENRY auditorium - ar ar ar...a little humor there. A play on words...John...Jim... Oh well, it was supposed to be humor.

Unfortunately, the Christian world is full of sinners. None of us are perfect and there are those who call themselves Christian who fall to sin. In light of the last few years of sexual abuse, we want our conferees to know ACWC is a safe place. Our faculty has been briefed and you are being briefed. Should anyone step over the line and say or do anything that is not of the upmost integrity, we need to know about it immediately. NOT SIX MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD. LIKE RIGHT THAT MINUTE. We are a safe conference and your safety is vital to us. I expect anything suspicious or inappropriate to be reported to myself or Eddie Jones immediately so that we might handle the situation on the spot. Enough said. I have great faith that every conferee and faculty member will behave with high standards of integrity. I hate to even broach this subject but sexual abuse has even entered the Christian world. I hope to not have to mention this again.

Roll with the Punches
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. - Phil. 4:12 NIV

Sometimes life just gets crazy. Amen?

It's been crazy here this past week. Having an unexpected venue change one month from the conference gave me . . .well. . .a heart attack. In fact, I told some of my staff I was just going to purchase one of those portable defibrillators and pre-attach the sticky pads to my chest. Then when I felt another unexpected event causing me a heart attack, I'd just pre-zap myself. I was a girl scout after all. I remember the moto, be prepared.

For a few moments last Thursday, I felt my heart rate raise and my palms begin to sweat. The words, "CANCEL THE CONFERENCE" came across the phone. My immediate response was, absolutely not! If you all had to come to my house in Tennessee, we would have this conference. But God showed up. I think I told you, from the time I spoke to the Cove until the time I closed the deal at Ridgecrest was one hour and 30 minutes. One hour and thirty minutes. That is just unheard of.

It seems the last few months our life verse has become Philippians 4:12. Be content in every situation. I've grown a new respect for the Apostle Paul. The poor guy. Think about it. This was the man who willing killed Christians. He gets zapped by God, converted, and then his mission becomes marching into the face of those he spent time rounding up and killing. Awkward!

When he spoke the words, "Rejoice in the Lord and be content in every situation" one has to take time to look at the circumstances Paul faced. He was a man who made a full 180. His life changed from being a killer to being a gentle and humble man, so when he said, rejoice and be content - the man understood what he was talking about. Paul trusted that God had his back, even if the situation was difficult. Even when he knew his days were numbered, as he prepared the people for his death, Paul chose to be joyful. He chose to make the best of every sticky situation.

He really puts me to shame at times. When I think about a full conference venue change, or a husband with aggressive cancer, or what ever Satan can throw my way, I realize it's nothing against what Paul faced. Yet he was grateful, joyful, satisfied, content.

When you face the difficult times and you can't see your way clear to type one word on the page. . . remember Paul. Remember the difficulties he faced and that he truly found his peace in Christ.

There is nothing. . .absolutely nothing, you can cannot face with God in your corner. Remember that when things get tough. Remember that when you can't see your way clear to type even a few words on the page. There is nothing you can't overcome when Jesus Christ is in your corner.

So as the conference draws nearer, remember that. Don't let crappy things stand in your way. Rejoice. Be content in every situation. BE A PAUL.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for you at this conference. In the meantime, through all the finer details, the reroutes and reworks, I am content.

Get your runnin shoes on! We're gonna race for the finish line.

Cindy Sproles
Director, Asheville Christian Writers Conference

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