2012 Christian Writing Contest

NEXT WORKSHOP: February 13th – March 12th. Scroll down to bottom to read some of the feedback we’ve received!

Enrollment deadline: Feb. 17th, 2012.

Cost for the intensive four week course: $49.95.

Participants will receive a FREE copy of the ACM 2011 Short Story Winner’s Anthology!

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Scroll down for details about our workshop. Submit this form to register for the workshop and then be sure to submit your payment on the page you are forwarded to. (Just need to pay? Click here)

Cost for the intensive four week course: $49.95.

Workshop is held online through the Athanatos Online Apologetics Academy.

To further ACM’s mission to encourage and support Christian authors in their quest to promote Christianity through the written word, contest judge Debbie Thompson leads quarterly online writing workshops with Christian authors in mind.

Debbie Thompson is a book reviewer for Northwestern Publishing House and Christian Book Club leader. A graduate with a BA from Concordia College, Ann Arbor she is the mother of two home school graduates. She is a judge for ACM’s writing contest and a volunteer staffer and a Writing and Homeschool Coach. Email her: debbie@athanatosministries.org

Other workshops Debbie has led in the past: Writing/Logic connection, The Reader’s Journal Approach to Writing and Thinking, Writing with Young Children

Topics to be covered in this workshop:

• Implicit and Explicit Christian themes
• Characteristics of the Short Story
• Good Beginnings
• Good Endings
• The plot
• Editing and review
• Discussion of this year’s winners
• Building your ability to write
• Analysis of ACM Christian Writing Contest’s winners.

ACM reserves the right to cancel an event if it deems necessary (ie, a minimum participation threshold is not reached) and will refund the workshop fee if this happens. To date, however, this has not happened.

To register for a workshop, please begin by using the form above. You will be forwarded to the payment page. Then, a few days before the course begins you will receive further instruction on how to attend the course.

Recommendations from past students:

I have only good things to say about this course. I have been inspired, energized and taught by all the exercises and interactions. It was a GREAT value for the money! I’m thrilled to pieces that I signed up. The fee made it accessible to me. I’m not sure I would have signed up if it had been more expensive, which is often a problem for many people. But I got so much more than my money’s worth! I’m not exaggerating in the least when I say that this course has changed my life for the better!

At first, when I read the outline for the class, I wasn’t sure why each of the lessons had been selected. But as I did the lessons, their importance became obvious to me. I also appreciated the book recommendations and the poetry and quotes that Debbie worked into the lessons. The course was fluid enough and the instructor kind and learned enough, that the course was tailored to the students’ needs as she got to know us.

I generally spent the better part of one day a week doing the lessons. I’m not sure if that’s because I relished them so much, I’m just particularly slow, or if there really was that much material involved. But I certainly didn’t object to the time commitment. I can see how someone working a fulltime job outside the home might have difficulty with that amount of material though.

I’m going to miss participating in this course very much. I hope that we can stay in touch. It will mean a great deal to me!

Lynn B., Escondido,CA

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I signed up for an online writing workshop, and wasn’t sure if I was going to get the back-and-forth that comes naturally in the classroom setting. This workshop by far surpassed every expectation I had! I enjoyed getting to know the instructor and participants while in the chat room, and the topics covered seemed to be just what I needed at any given time.

I was a little overwhelmed at first with all the assignments, but later realized this was the kind of experience that could be taken at whatever pace was chosen by the participant. Juggling a full-time job along with participating in the workshop proved to be entirely doable, and I never felt like I was failing to get things done, even when I didn’t finish an assignment before the due date.

It was great having someone look at something I had written, and give an honest opinion of both the writing style, as well as thee theology behind it. If I had the opportunity to take this class again, I would definitely take it!

Andy B., Hutchinson, KS

The Athanatos short story writing workshop clarified my beliefs about Christian fiction. First, we Christians have something important to say to a confused and wandering culture. Second, fiction provides a medium that can get the message past the defenses of the resisting heart. Third, the body of Christ should give serious attention to the craft of fiction in order to do a more effective job. The workshop provided inspiring examples, good instruction and supportive discussion. The proof of the pudding: I’ve written two short stories since I participated earlier this year.

David S., Deep Gap, NC.

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