Christians Writers Urged to Persevere for the Story

Written by Andrea Higgins

RIDGECREST, N.C.—Wildlife is abundant in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Yvonne Lehman gave the subject a literary twist at the sixth annual Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference May 21-25.

Donning a bright green leotard and tortoise costume, Lehman, the conference director, circled around a stage on a scooter as her son, Pastor David Lehman, read the Tortoise and the Hare from a rocking chair.

"A lot of beginning writers are apprehensive," Lehman smiled with a wink and an impish kick of her green-clad leg. "We're all just your common, every day average person …"

The beautiful backdrop of God's country has inspired aspiring Christian writers for generations, and Lehman is doing her part to spread the word.

Lehman, a petite powerhouse with snowy hair and a disarmingly soft Southern accent, is an author of 42 books with a long-held passion for helping fellow Christian writers. She headed a different Blue Ridge area conference for 17 years until 1993.

The 2006 conference was the largest yet for the literary retreat held at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center, drawing 410 participants from 39 states and countries including England and Germany.

Perseverance was Lehman's follow-up theme to last year's noisy entrance on a Harley Davidson, and the previous year when she rode into the hall on a camel to spark the creativity and encourage writers to break out of their comfort zones to tell stories of Jesus.

Perseverance with a Purpose
Slow and steady may win the race, but time is of the essence for Christian writers to tell the absolute truth to an increasingly postmodern world, said novelist Ann Tatlock. Her conference series on postmodern trends and the emerging church had to be moved to a larger room to accommodate the interest in the extensive research she has done.

New Age and pagan influences, and labyrinths — which originated as a pagan tradition — are seeping into the church and being billed as Christian practices, she said, and writers can help people understand the serious concerns about those practices.

The advantage for the Christian writer is that people in a post-modern mindset have a hunger to build relationships through stories — even if they consider the author irrelevant. The stories can open the reader's mind at least to the possibility that God exists.

Author Allison Bottke, a self-described former New Age poster child, humorously tells listeners that "I was so opened-minded my brain slipped out."

The road from a tragic childhood, followed by poor choices and hardships, to successful Christian author is the reason for her persona as the "God Allows U-Turns Poster Girl."

She has seen the impact of real stories through the God Allows U-Turns series, now up to 21 books published by Bethany House, featuring real-life stories of God's healing power.

Truth through Relevant Stories
To remain relevant, don't avoid real and pressing societal issues like abortion, homosexuality, divorce, and drugs, advised award-winning Christian romance writer Gail Gaymer Martin.

But do avoid sounding preachy, stressed Ginger Kolbaba, managing editor of Marriage Partnership magazine. Kolbaba told writers to prayerfully search for original approaches to important subjects, and offered practical advice on how to get published.

"The problem with some writing isn't that it's bad writing. It's just boring," Kolbaba smiled.

Master storyteller and author Steven James kept audiences and classes well entertained with his stage presence, puppetry, and energy — all to convey the importance of the craft.

"When God chose to reveal Himself, He did it through stories," James said.

"There are some things we cannot tell. Some things have to be contained in a story. That's why Jesus came as a storyteller," he said, recounting fairy tales that are really the story of redemption to demonstrate the importance of appealing to the imagination and not just intellect.

The conference featured numerous mentoring clinics that ran the gamut from children's literature to fiction after age 50.

Thelma Kephart, 84, of Charlotte, N.C., didn't realize she wanted to write until well after her husband of 40 years, John, died in 1994. She volunteered, and then worked, part time for SIM Missions, (formerly Sudan Interior Missions and now Serving In Missions), and wrote for the Charlotte World for six years.

She started going to at least one writer's conference a year about five years ago. She looked to pursue her strong interests in missions and writing.

"You learn something new every time," Kephart said. "I don't know of any place else where you can get it in such a well-organized format."

Participants met formally and informally with established authors, editors, and agents for advice, critiques, and insider tips in the burgeoning field of Christian writing.

"The networking is the top thing," said author Linda Gilden. "It's invaluable. In the secular world, it's very competitive, and this is a business. But people here recognize that God has a place for all of us."

Gilden echoed the conference theme of why Christian writers must persevere — even if it seems at a tortoise pace — because it is the most important race being run:

"We are missionaries in print."

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