Are you a member of NCWA? Do you have a word of encouragement from God’s word? Has God lavished His care upon you, and you wish to raise your voice in thanksgiving? If so, please consider signing up to give one of our monthly devotions.

Use your creativity with words and stories to encourage us. Five minutes is a short amount of time, but still long enough to share a powerful message. Here are a few tips:

• Choose a single verse or short passage.
• Identify one or two points you want to make.
• Keep it simple. Five minutes is not enough time for complexity or topics and stories that require long explanations or set up.
• Practicing and timing your devotion will help you refine your message and stay within the time limit.

If you wish to participate, please contact our Devotion Coordinator. We look forward to what you share.

Bonus tip: Consider writing up your devotion and submitting it to our newsletter.

Are you a seasoned writer who is a member of NCWA with experience and knowledge in a skill area or tool of the writing craft? You might consider volunteering to do one of our 10-minute Writer’s Coach segments. It provides presentation/teaching experience for you and our members benefit from the things you learned on your writing journey.

Here are a few tips:

• Choose a single concept, skill or tool.
• Plan & Rehearse – If you know you tend to run over shorten the time you allow yourself when practicing. Prepare a one sentence summary you can use if you realize you need to cut it short.
• Suggestions to help focus the presentation
• • Pick something that helped you refine and improve your writing.
  • Introduce us to a tool, software, event and how it to helped you.
  • Include an exercise to practice or understand the skill.
  • Remember the purpose is help equip those listening.

If you wish to participate, please contact our Writers Coach Coordinator.

Bonus tip: Consider writing up your writing coach tips and submitting it to our newsletter.

Do you have any publishing news to share with us at a monthly meeting?

What kind of news qualifies?

• Getting a book published (self or traditionally).
• Publishing an article in a magazine or online publication.
• Winning or becoming a finalist in a contest.
• Receiving a rejection letter—Hey, it means you’re submitting and in the game.

How does it work?

• Double check—this is for members only.
• You can sign up on the Celebrations & Redirection by sending an email to our Vice President no later than the day before the meeting or sign up in person at the meeting.
• If you are present during the meeting our Vice President will call on you to come forward to share your news. If you are remote, you will unmute your microphone when called on and share.
• Because of our time constraints, it is especially important that you limit your sharing to 30 SECONDS. You might want to practice to get a feel for how long you have.
• If you share remotely, you will mute your microphone when finished.

We want to hear your news! By sharing your news, we can give glory to God with you and are encouraged in our own journeys.

Sharing highlights from our writing journeys at NCWA is all about recognizing God’s faithfulness to us and encouraging others to keep moving forward on their writing journeys. It is your story and your five minutes. Be creative in how you get it across within the time given.

Here are a few tips:

• Strip it down. There is not enough time for long explanations or set up. Well-chosen essentials communicate powerfully.
• Plan and rehearse. If you know you tend to run over shorten the time you allow yourself when practicing. Prepare a one sentence summary you can use if you realize you need to cut it short.
• Focus your presentation. Here are some suggestions that might help.
• In a simple statement answer the question “Why do you write?"
• What was one thing that helped you persevere when discouraged?
• What was the most significant turning point?
• State the success, what was published.
• Remember the purpose is to be an encouraging example to those listening.

If you wish to participate, please contact our Author Support Coordinators. We look forward to hearing about your journey.

Bonus tip: Consider writing up your Writers High Five and submitting it to our newsletter.

Do you have a newly published book? We want to celebrate with you and help you promote your book to our members.

Qualifications for a book launch:

• NCWA member for six months.
• Book content agrees with NCWA’s Statement of Faith.
• If selling the book at the in-person meeting, the author must be registered as a business with the Department of State Licensing.

Responsibilities:

• NCWA provides a table for display purposes.
• Author provides everything for the display and sale of their books.
• Author is responsible for paying their own sales tax.
• Author provides bio, book blurb, photograph, and book cover graphic to the Author Support Coordinators for use on Facebook and in NCWA emails.
• Provide a free book for the book giveaway.

If you wish to participate, please contact our Author Support Coordinators.