2023 Schedule
The 2023 schedule is now ready for you to begin planning. It is accessible on this page or you may download a pdf with the button below. As always, you will receive the most up-to-date information if you subscribe to our newsletter.
Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023
A Pre-conference Intensive will be held from 1:00-5:00 p.m., taught by JP Robinson and Gregg Bridgeman. Click the date above for more information. Registration opens at 7:00 pm, and a Meet & Greet event is scheduled at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 13, 2023
Our day begins at 7:00 a.m. registration and a welcome class for Newbies at 7:30. Workshops and keynote addresses are scheduled for a full day of training ending at 8:00 p.m. An optional night owl session starts at 8:00.
Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023
Our day begins at 8:30 a.m. After two more workshop sessions and a bonus class, our final keynote address is at 2:30 p.m. The conference finishes at 3:15 p.m. Travel home full of information and encouragement.
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Time
Class
Instructor
Room
1:00-5:00 pm
Pre-Conference Intensive: Counter the Culture: Christians Can Conquer Controversial Content
Gregg Bridgeman & JP Robinson
Auditorium
7:00 pm
Registration: Pick up your welcome packet, grab a nametag, and meet new people
Bridge
7:00 pm
Prayer Room open
233
7:30 pm
Appetizers and Meet & Greet with the Faculty
227
9:00 pm
Closing
Friday, October 13, 2023
Time / Track
Class
Instructor
Room
7:00 am
Registration / Prayer Room open
Bridge/223
7:30 am
Early Bird Session – So, You’re a Newbie: A Primer for First-time Attendees
Rhonda Dragomir
202
8:30 am
Welcome / Introductions / Worship
Auditorium
9:00 am
Keynote #1 – Restoring Our Hope in Christ
DiAnn Mills
Auditorium
9:45-10:15 am
Faculty Panel #1
Crystal Caudill, Rhonda Dragomir, Lin Johnson, DiAnn Mills, JP Robinson, Diane Stark
Auditorium
10:15-10:45 am
Faculty Panel #2
Michelle Adserias, Twila Belk, Jean Hall, Karynthia Phillips, Tina Yeager, Peggy Sue Wells, Terry Whalin
Auditorium
10:45 am
Break / Networking
227
10:45 am
Faculty Appointments Begin
229-230
11:00 am
Workshop #1
Business/Marketing
Newsletters, Newsletters: Learn All About Them!
Twila Belk
210
Fiction/Craft
Story Essentials: Pivotal Plots, Creative Characters, Sensational Settings, and Dynamic Dialogue
Peggy Sue Wells
214
Writing/Craft
Write Race with Grace
JP Robinson
215
Non-Fiction
What Editors Look for in a Non-Fiction Article
Michelle Adserias
202
12:00 pm
Lunch
227
Time / Track
Class
Instructor
Room
1:00 pm
Workshop #2
Business
Ten Publishing Myths
Terry Whalin
210
Fiction
The Art of Emotion
DiAnn Mills
214
General
Rewrite Your Past to Give Hope
Karynthia Phillips
215
Teen Track
Worldbuilding
Crystal Caudill
202
2:00 pm
Break / Networking
227
2:30 pm
Workshop #3
Business
Is Ghostwriting for You?
Twila Belk
210
Fiction
Well Said Dialogue
Peggy Sue Wells
214
General/Craft
Pedicure for Pages: First Page Polishes and Secret Self-Editing Tips
Tina Yeager
215
Non-Fiction
Writing First Person Stories
Diane Stark
202
3:30 pm
Break / Networking
227
3:45 pm
Keynote #2 – Restoring Our Purpose as Christian Writers
DiAnn Mills
Auditorium
4:15 pm
Announcements
Auditorium
4:45 pm
Workshop #4
Business
Negotiating Book Contracts
Lin Johnson
210
Writing Craft
Editors Read Book Proposals Not Manuscripts
Terry Whalin
214
Teen Track
Write History
JP Robinson
215
Writing Craft
How’s My Writing? Critique Session
Crystal Caudill
202
5:45 pm
Break / Networking / Faculty Appointments End
227/229-30
6:00 pm
Dinner & Games
227
7:00 pm
Open Mic – Speak Your Writing Journey
227
8:00-9:00 pm
Night Owl Session #1 – Writing with the Chunky Method
Allie Pleiter
210
8:00-9:00 pm
Night Owl Session #2 – Writing Deadly Force with Deadly Accuracy
Gary Hetzel
214
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Time / Track
Class
Instructor
Room
7:00 – 8:30 am
Registration / Prayer Room open
Bridge/223
8:30 am
Announcements / Worship
Auditorium
9:00 am
Faculty Appointments Begin
229-230
9:00 am
Workshop #5
Business
Stuff the Sausage: Seven Things to Do While You Wait for a Contract
Rhonda Dragomir
210
Marketing
Relax and Shine for Media Interviews and Speaking Events
Tina Yeager
214
General/Craft
Unleash the Writer Within
Twila Belk
215
Business
How to Interact with a Publisher or Editor
Michelle Adserias
202
10:00 am
Break/Networking
227
10:00 am
Faculty Appointments Continue
229-230
10:30-11:30 am
Bonus Sessions
General/Craft
Writing for Compilations and More
Karynthia Phillips
210
Business/Marketing
Creating Effective Memes
Rhonda Dragomir
214
Fiction
The Art of Plotting – Part 1
DiAnn Mills
215
General/Craft
Courtroom Procedures
MaryEllen Bates
202
12:00 pm
Lunch
227
Time / Track
Class
Instructor
Room
1:00 pm
Workshop #6
Non-Fiction/Craft
Interviewing Like a Pro
Lin Johnson
210
Business/Marketing
Go Viral: Marketing on the Social Network
Terry Whalin
214
Fiction
The Art of Plotting – Part 2
DiAnn Mills
215
Non-Fiction
Writing for Guideposts Magazine
Diane Stark
202
2:15 pm
Break/Gather for Keynote
Auditorium
2:30 pm
Faculty Appointments End
2:30 pm
Keynote #3 – Restoring Mercy and Truth to the World
DiAnn Mills
Auditorium
3:15 pm
Evaluations / Dismissal / Final Announcements
Auditorium
3:30 pm
Brief Faculty Meeting
234
Conference Reminders
- ECTC is a handicap accessible facility. Elizabethtown ordinances prohibit smoking in public facilities. Outdoor smoking must be at least ten feet from any entrance. Food and drinks must remain in the Dining Hall. Bottled water may be carried to classrooms.
- Prayer room is open in Room 233. Room 234 is for the use of Faculty only.
- Rooms 227/228 and rooms 231/232 will be combined to form a large dining/entertainment area. The snack/networking area is immediately outside of this combined room.