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 #1Restoring 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 #2Restoring 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 #3Restoring 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.