Realm Makers 2015, Part 1
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The Early Bird Sessions
The Conference kicked off with an Early Bird session on Thursday. Jeff Gerke taught on The Irresistible Novel and a panel of writers conducted a critique clinic.
Jeff Gerke teaching the Early Bird class, The Irresistible Novel
Early Bird critique panel
Authors Mike Duran and Tosca Lee at Realm Makers 2015
Realm Makers officially begins
The full conference opened Friday with Robert Liparulo’s keynote address, an editor and agent panel, intensive workshops, and single session workshops.
Keynote address given by Robert Liparulo
L. B. Graham
Tweets from Realm Makers: Day 1
LB Graham just did an AWESOME summary of the danger of over-promoting naturalism in desperation to avoid magic. Laura V Baugh @Laura_VAB
Do Christian writers set up false barriers with their fiction? Can we enlarge our market? #realmmakers2015 #DavidFarland. Jason Joyner @JasonCJoyner
Loved the session “Landmines in Book Contracts”! @stevelaubeagent #RealmMakers2015. Janeen Ippolito @TheQuietPen
Jill Williamson teaching on High Concept
Speculative writers have a unique opportunity to share the gospel. #RealmMakers2015. Celesta Thiessen @CelestaThiessen
“Satan masquerades as an angel of light—he’d probably show up in a bonnet rather than fangs.” @cerebralgrump #RealmMakers2015. H. A. Titus @HATitusWriting
Writing conferences: the place you go to realize you need to rewrite everything. But strangely also be inspired…. #RealmMakers2015. Jesse Koepke @jessekoepke
Jedi and faeries at the buffet. #RealmMakers2015
You want a Yoda editor who will steer you away from the Dark Side to become a Jedi Master of #writing. #RealmMakers2015
Editors and Agents Panel
Author Donita Paul and daughter Evangelina Denmark taught on Worldbuilding
Costumes and the awards dinner
Following the teaching time, the conferees took a break to prepare for the evening’s main event, the costume and awards dinner. The most prominent awards are the Parable Award for best novel cover, the Escape Award for best contest short story, and the Clive Staples Award for the best novel published in 2014.
And the winners:
*The readers choice short story contest Escape Award winner, Pam Halter.
*The Parable Award for Excellence in Cover Design winner, The Ghost Box, designer Kirk DouPonce.
*The Clive Staples Award winner, The Warden & The Wolf King by Andrew Peterson.
I’ve only been home for one day from Realm Makers 2015, but I’m already anticipating next year. This is a wonderful conference for Christian Spec authors. Becky Minor has created a conference that is professional, engaging, and loads of fun! I enjoyed the Worldbuilding continuing sessions so much, and Kirk DouPonce’s workshop on book covers showed us a process of publishing we usually don’t see. The faculty was eager to help and answer questions. I learned, made new friends, was encouraged, and at 56, learned how to play Zombie Apocalypse Nerf Wars! 😀 And pretty much everyone got their picture taken at the mysterious stone grotto.
My advice for everyone is to start saving NOW so you don’t miss Realm Makers next year!
Pam, great to hear — well, somewhat great to hear, because I had to miss the conference again for the second time in a row. My wife and I are already planning for next year and Lord willing, this time we may both be able to make it!
Oops – meant to click on the subscribe to the comments button – doing that now. 🙂
The option has been restored — though apparently it has been interfering with our usual site email subscription. (Sometimes getting all of these website apps to work together is like the old riddle about the farmer who has a wolf and a goat and a head of cabbage to get across the river, but he can only leave two alone at one time on either side and the boat only carries two at once, and so on and so forth …)
On my agenda for next year too, God willing!
Sounds too fun. My facebook feed has been full of pictures. I’m glad everyone had a great time. (Even if I am a bit jealous! lol)
So which of the short stories did Pam Halter write? I’ve been curious who won but since the author’s names weren’t listed by the story titles…
Can someone link to the social media feeds, please?
Here’s yesterday’s news post along with the Twitter feed.
And here is the Realm Makers Facebook page.
Thanks. Somehow I missed the news post.
This was just a tremendous conference, full of all kinds of energy. I’ve never been to one like it. So, hope you don’t miss it next year!
PS, the photo of Donita K. Paul includes her daughter Evangeline Denmark and her son, whose name I never did catch.