A Worship of Writers by Fiona Lloyd

(Worship: collective noun for a group of writers)


Here's a teaser for you: what's the connection between loincloths and lemon drizzle cake? Answer: they both featured at the ACW Writers' Day, held last weekend in Leeds. Forty-five writers gathered together at Lister Hill Baptist Church in Horsforth for a day of teaching, networking and fun. It was the first time a national ACW day had been held so far north (we think), and it proved to be very popular.

Our main speakers were Fiona Veitch Smith and Corin Child. Fiona gave a talk on adapting our stories for the screen, and gave helpful advice on the differences between written and visual media. It was this session which featured the loincloth - or rather, the instruction to get rid of it. Before you start blushing, I should point out that Fiona was encouraging us to dispense with clichéd descriptions in our writing...such as always depicting Tarzan in a loincloth.

After a tea break, Corin led a helpful and thought-provoking session on "Writing Aloud". As Christian writers we need to strike a careful balance between remaining humble and looking for opportunities to market our work, and Corin reminded us of the importance of building relationships so that we can share our writing more effectively. The afternoon was given over to optional seminars, run concurrently by Corin and Fiona. Then it was time for another tea break, followed by a talk from Steve and Mandy Briars on getting our books into bookshops. (Steve and Mandy publish Together Magazine, which aims to build connections between writers, editors and publishers.)


I've been to three writers' days now, and I'm amazed how much I've learned. Even when the theme of the day is not an area of writing I can identify with, I've still been able to add new skills or ideas to

my "writers' toolbox". But these events aren't just about the teaching, even though it's always been excellent. Writing can be a lonely business at times, whether we do it full-time, or juggle it with other work commitments. The opportunity to meet and make connections with other writers is invaluable. Spending a day with people who have a passion to make their writing the best it can be - and will encourage me to do likewise - always gives me a huge boost. In addition, there's always a bookstall and (most importantly) a plentiful supply of coffee and cake...

Fiona Lloyd works part-time as a music teacher, and serves on the worship-leading team at her local church. She enjoys writing short stories, and is working on her first novel. Fiona self-published a violin tutor book in 2013, and blogs at www.fjlloyd.wordpress.com. She is married with three children. Fiona is ACW's membership secretary.