Writing So Heaven Will Be Different

by Joyce K. Ellis, Tammie Edington Shaw (Compiler)

"Write so heaven will be different," author Lee Roddy encouraged Christian writers at a conference years ago. Those words have given direction to Lin Johnson in her decades-long writing career, and they shape the program each year for the Write-to-Publish Conference on the Wheaton College Campus outside Chicago, Illinois. Writing So Heaven Will Be Different has compiled articles by others who have also made that their goal. Whether you're an experienced Christian writer or on your way to becoming one, you'll get caught up in the encouraging success stories in this book as alumni and faculty of the Write-to-Publish Conference pass along skill-building writing tips and practical encouragement for building a writing career and ministry "so heaven will be different." With this book, its editors and contributors celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Write-to-Publish Conference and pour out their most profound love and gratitude to Lin for her faithfulness in directing this stellar conference. Joyce K. Ellis (www.joycekellis.com), an assistant director for the Write-to-Publish Conference and a former magazine editor, has published hundreds of magazine articles and more than a dozen books, including The 500 Hats of a Modern-Day Woman. She has served on the editorial staff of two magazines and now also mentors students of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild correspondence course, teaches at writers conferences, and speaks for women's groups and retreats across the country. Mother of three and grandmother of three, she lives with her husband in Minnesota. Tammie Edington Shaw, who serves on the staff of the Write-to-Publish Conference, has been an editor for a weekly newspaper, a production coordinator for a magazine and a product coordinator for David C. Cook. Her work has appeared in Today's Christian, Live, Standard, Evangel, Christian Communicator, Family Focus, and Pathways to God. She lives with her husband in Illinois.

136 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2008

About the author

Joyce K. (Krohne) Ellis, popped onto this world's scene in St. Louis, Missouri, born into a family with a strong faith and--obviously--a great sense of humor. "I loved the laughter at home and at extended-family gatherings," she says, "where uncles tried to outdo each other with the funniest jokes and puns." So it's no wonder that faith and humor permeate much of what she has written in more than five decades of writing articles and books, including The 500 Hats of a Modern-Day Woman. And it's that quirky sense of humor that makes what she teaches in her writing classes and seminars stick with the attendees, they tell her. One conferee recently told Joyce, "Only you could write a grammar book that's a great 'beach read.'" This woman was referring to Joyce's book Write with Excellence 201: a lighthearted guide to the serious matter of writing well for Christian authors, editors, and students.

In 1968 Joyce's family moved to the "tundra of Minnesota," whereupon her St. Louis relatives quipped that "the only reason there are any people in Minnesota is that people move there, their brains freeze, and they don't have the sense to move back." She married Steve Ellis, a civil engineer ("at least most of the time he's civil," she says), in 1969. They have three grown children, seven extraordinary grandchildren, and one adorable great-grandson. Currently living in suburban Minneapolis, they love sitting by a lake, river, or ocean--reading.

Joyce K. Ellis has published hundreds of magazine articles and short stories and 18 books. Her writing has garnered numerous awards, including the ECPA Gold Medallion Award for The One-Minute Bible for Kids. And her picture book, The Fabulous World That God Made was chosen by Focus on the Family as one of their Top Ten Family-Friendly Picture Books. She loves travel, needlework, and making short-term mission trips whenever she has the opportunity.

Reviews

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the short stories in this book. I am inspired to keep writing. I am also drawn to the possibility of attending this conference one day. I hope the conference continues until I can make that happen!