WELCOME! Capital Christian Writers is an organization of Christian professional and non-professional writers who meet in Northern Virginia for seminars and encouragement. Members hail from a wide band of the tri-state area, including Shenandoah Valley, Richmond, and Baltimore. Meetings are held the second Monday in Jan, Mar, May, July, Sep, and Nov.

Previous speakers include: Dr. Harry Kraus, surgeon/suspense author; Melanie Rigney, editor, Writer's Digest magazine, Os Guinness, author; David Aikman, journalist and author; Dick Schneider, Senior Staff Editor of Guideposts magazine; Roger Palms, former editor of Decision magazine; David Yount, syndicated columnist, and literary agent Tamela Hancock Murray of Hartline Literary Agency.

Monday, Sep 8

"Gear Your Writing Genre to Your Personality"
RAY LINDER, Author/Personality-Based Coach

Are you drawn to ideas or facts? Imaginative possibilities or real events? Inspire the heart or inform the mind? Discover your own writing personality and how stretching outside your comfort zone can make you a better writer.

Our Number One Goal: Every Member Published! We want you to earn those clips and win those awards! Along the way, we want to get to know you, and encourage you. Writing is a solitary pursuit without the fellowship of other Christians

Congratulations to MICHELLE BURCHETT, who wrote the winning anecdote for this quarter. Michelle responded to our prompt: Tell us how someone unintentionally inspired you in your writing.

With bath time over and prayer time yet to come, the children, whom I lovingly referred to as Pumpkin Pie, Apple Strudel and Strawberry Shortcake, prepared to be “eaten” by the Mommy Monster. Her insatiable fingertips devoured the delectable little treats through Monster Tickles. As the squeals subsided, Mommy Monster would start a story, leaving the ending unknown. The sweet little pastries became animated as each one added bits and pieces to the exciting ending(s). Pumpkin Pie usually offered a dramatic, larger than life rendition. His tales were sometimes harsh and hard to swallow. Apple Strudel was neither mushy nor hard . She struck that balance that quenches the thirst and leaves a delightful taste: crisp and refreshing—not too sweet, not too tart. Strawberry Shortcake was simply adorable: mushy, gushy, sweet-as-could-be. Their enjoyment of our bedtime reading and storytelling rituals inspired me to write Christian children’s stories that are both fun and meaningful.

CCW bi-monthly meetings are free to members. A $5 donation is suggested for nonmembers. NOTE: To participate in CCW’s different contests/programs, you must be a CCW member. Membership is $30, due each September. To receive a hard copy version of the quarterly newsletter, in addition to the electronic form, please include $10 extra. Membership fees are pro-rated throughout the year. $25 to join in Nov., $20 in Jan., $15 Mar., $10 May, $5 July.

• Monthly meetings the second Monday of Jan, Mar, May, July, Sep, and Nov.
• Quarterly newsletter
• Email bulletins: writer's opportunities & contests info
• Eligibility for CCW's writing competitions.
• E-mail bulletins: meeting reminders, writers' opportunities including national contest & conference info
• Directory of members
• Networking with published Christian writers and critiquing opportunities
• Inspiring speakers (tapes available)
• E-prayer requests

Please take a moment and visit our Events and Resources sections for useful links and opportunities for writers, which now includes our Best of the Web sites.