What Writer's Do

Cover Art for LIGHTS, CAMERA, WORSHIP!

Front cover design for LIGHTS, CAMERA, WORSHIP! (Second Edition), due out March 15, 2014.

Now working on the back cover and spine.

Tell me what you think.

Schedule Set for Portland Home & Garden Show

I'm scheduled to appear in the NIWA Booth at the Portland Home & Garden Show on the following dates at the times specified. My books will be available at all times Thursday through Sunday.

• Thursday, February 20, 2-6 p.m.
• Friday, February 21, 2-6 p.m.
• Saturday, February 22, 4-8 p.m.

Come on out and sample my RAGIN' CAJUN and CARIBBEAN JERK RUB seasonings, buy my new cookbook or one my other books, or one of the other NIWA author's books (or several) and have them signed.

Northwest Indepedant Writer's Association Symposium

If you are planning on coming to NIWA's Symposium on Independent Publishing, registration rates go up on Monday, Jan 25th, so get those registrations in ASAP! You can find all the information about Symposium here: http://www.niwawriters.com/2014-symposium.html   We have experts coming in from all over the Pacific Northwest. If you are looking to give your career a boost, or even just looking to get started, this will be the perfect place to start. I've pasted the program below, so you can take a peek.  Program for the 2014 NIWA Symposium Saturday, February 1st8:00 – 9:30 a.m.ary 1st writing          The Mark of the Indie: Head Hopping - Cleaning up Your POV publishing    Redefining Success: Introduction to Indie Publishing marketing     Indie Marketing 101: Establishing Your Branding, Message, and Audience 9:45 – 11:15 a.m. writing          Being Your Own Fact Checker: Tips and Methodologies for Research publishing    Writer, Editor, Proofreader, Designer: The Indie Writer's Guide to Wearing All Hats marketing     A Strong Foundation for Your Career: Building a Powerful Marketing Platform   11:30 – 12:30 p.m. writing          Writing Coach: Techniques for Stronger Prose publishing    Channel Surfing: Indie Distribution Platforms Analyzed marketing     Author as Entrepreneur: Writing a Powerful Marketing Plan 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Keynote Luncheon RUMORS OF OUR DEATH HAVE BEEN GREATLY  EXAGGERATED (The State of Our Industry) Mark Leslie Lefebvre  Writer, Bookseller, and Director of Self-Publishing & Author Relations for Kobo.com 1:45 – 2:45 p.m. writing          80,000 Words: Wrapping Your Head Around the Modern Novel publishing    Price Wars: The Great Debate marketing     Advanced Techniques: Viral Marketing   3:00 – 4:00 p.m. writing          Writing to Teach: Making Your Nonfiction Approachable publishing    Book as Product: Designing with Your Customer in  Mind marketing     Welcome to the Circus: Hand Sales and Book  Signings 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Awards Banquet  followed by Committees After-Party The stars of independent publishing shine tonight! The following awards will be presented: The Mike Chinakos Award for contributions to the industry, The Adam Copeland Award for contributions to the association, The NSQ Award of Excellence, and the NIWA Bookseller of the Year Award.  Your new Association Board of Directors will also be introduced. Following the Banquet, the new committee chairs will be hosting tables to gather your input and enthusiasm for this year’s projects. Be there to be heard! Sunday, February 2nd 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.                                  writing            Judge and Jury: How to Listen to Critiques without Writing by Democracy publishing     Basics of Book Design: Principles of Interior and Cover Design marketing     The Power of the Many: Your NIWA Membership as a Marketing Tool   9:45 – 11:15 a.m. writing          The Keeperless Gate: How Do You Know When Your Manuscript is Ready? publishing    Ebook Formatting: The Crash-Course marketing     Guerilla Marketing: Low Budget Strategies 11:30 – 12:30 p.m. writing            Point of Professional Pride: Preparing for the NSQ Review publishing    Writer as Publisher: Keeping Records, Licensing Issues, Copyrighting, and Other Ways to Keep Out of Trouble with the Law  marketing     Your Home on the Internet: Best Design Practices for Your Author Website 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Networking Luncheon By now your brain is bubbling over with brilliant ideas to bump your career to the next level. Take the time to run through your thought experiment with a fellow attendee. Get some feedback and walk away with a plan of action! 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. NIWA Author Showcase Reader, meet author. Author, meet reader! Attendees with NSQ-approved books are invited to set up shop (for additional $20 table fee) for a book-signing extravaganza and charitable funding-raising event benefiting local literacy. This year's beneficiaries are The Right Brain Foundation and The Library Foundation of Hillsboro. 4:00 – 4:30 p.m. NIWA Author Showcase Raffle Drawings Baskets donated by each author in the NIWA Author Showcase will be raffled off to a load of lucky winners, so be sure to stuff those ticket cups! Proceeds go to benefit The Right Brain Initiative and The Library Foundation of Hillsboro. Read more here! Speakers You Might Meet Our speakers include successful authors and publishing professionals from all over the Pacific Northwest. To learn more about them and the classes they'll be teaching, please check our speakers page.

NIWA has been awarded a Community Cultural Participation Grant by the CCWC funded by the Oregon Cultural Trust intended to support our efforts of promoting local arts and literacy at the 2014 Northwest Independent Writers Association Symposium on Indie Publishing.   NIWA serves writers looking to achieve professional standards in independent writing, publishing, and marketing. Whether you are strictly indie, traditionally published, or developing a hybrid of the two, discover how membership in NIWA can boost your career! Copyright © 2013 NIWA

Five Ideas to Help You Tell Your Story

You Have a Story to Tell by Chuck Neighbors

If you are a speaker, teacher or pastor, you probably have books on your shelf that are full of illustrations and anecdotes to help you in communicating your message. Using some of those stories can come in handy, no question, but you have a more valuable resource available to you, a resource that could be a much more effective tool than the oft-repeated stories in those books. That resource is YOU.

For the whole story click here.

Advance Praise for the Second Edition of LIGHTS, CAMERA, WORSHIP!

Mock-up of potential cover art. Sample only; subject to change.

"Greg's book, "Lights Camera Worship" has been a valuable resource for the classes I have taught. We have used this book for Worship Technology, as well as a course entitled "Praise Band". The book gives specific instructions on worship technology while staying broad enough on these subjects to leave room the flexibilities that are unique to each situation. My students have often commented on how much they liked this text.

"In working with Greg on staff, I found him to be practical, realistic and reliable. His ability to make amazing things happen on a limited budget never ceased to amaze me. I believe you will find this book very useful to your ministry. Greg brings a background of hands-on experience in this field. In addition, he is one of the most creative people I know. Greg has lectured in classes and as a seminar leader he is well-prepared and engaging. He strives to stay abreast of the current trends and technologies. That is why he has created this new version of a great resource.

"This book should be a valuable source of help in a field that is constantly changing. I would highly recommend this book as a resource for those who work with technology at churches as well as worship leaders, pastors and board members."

~Lynn Higgins is currently a Worship Pastor and the former chair of the music department at Mid-America Christian University.

Which Photograph Would Be Most Compelling?

Which of these photographs might be the most compelling for the cover of the Second Edition of my upcoming book LIGHTS, CAMERA, WORSHIP? 

Keep in mind that the thinnest of the three (left) would be the front cover alone and that the wider one (below) would spread to the back cover.

Designs are mock-ups only and text may differ. Cover ideas are subject to change.

Origin of English Grammar

So true

Books and Beards

Here's a Tool Every Writer (or creative) Can Use

Procrastination? Writer's Block? For years professionals have tried to manage their time, but what they really needed to manage was their mental energy.

Bestselling author Donald Miller went through a three-year slump in which he couldn’t create anything new. After studying dozens of books about the creative process, meaningful work, procrastination and willpower, he created a one-page sheet that would completely revolutionize his daily workflow.

Here's link to the tools he created to help.

Cooking Up Some Book Sales at H&G Show

Big Papa Zee cookin' up his tasty jambalaya.

I got an order today from a local small business for five copies of my new cookbook!*

Plus I'll be selling all my books at the rapidly upcoming Portland Home and Garden Show, but especially will showcase the cookbook.

I also want to offer my seasonings [Big Papa Zee's Ragin' Cajun and Caribbean Jerk] at the show and so I am experimenting with the best means to offer samples (low cost, low prep, minimal handling, etc.). Ideas?

I'm thinking of using baby salad shrimp or chicken dredged in the Ragin' Cajun and pineapple tidbits sprinkled with the Caribbean Jerk. I can buy both meats precooked and packaged so that they require no refrigeration.

*They've been offering and selling my YA fiction.

Would You Like a Book to Go with Your Bulbs?

It's almost that time of the year again. The Portland Spring Home and Garden show is just around the corner and once again NIWA will have a Book Booth. I'll have my books stocked for sale with the many other fine Indie authors. I'll also be available for meet n' greets as well as signings per schedule (TBA). Plan now to come on out and enjoy the event. I think I'll showcase the cookbook!