Our goal is to equip and encourage you, no matter where you are on your writing journey.

Do you have a dream to write, but don’t know where to start?

Would you like to learn how to put your words on paper and reach other people?

Do you know something about writing for publication, but would like to improve your skills and sell more of your work?

Or perhaps you’re looking for a group of people who understand what it’s like to be a writer.

l

Write

Share

Equip

Encourage

Heart of America Christian Writers’ Network could be the organization for you!

HACWN is designed to help beginning, intermediate and advanced writers grow in their skills, networking, and professionalism.

We do that through monthly meetings with experienced editors and writers, various HACWN writing conferences and seminars, weekly critique groups in different areas of the city, e-mail communication, market leads, and more.

Flirting with Imagination

with RJ Thesman

Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m., CST

What does it mean if someone says, ‘You have such an active imagination?”
As writers, we use our imagination whether we’re working on the plotlines for a novel, creating dialogue in a memoir, or putting together our initial Table of Contents. So what are some of the ways we can build our imagination by jumpstarting creative techniques? How can we strengthen our imagination into a stronger force?
Join us on April 11th as RJ Thesman presents “Flirting with Imagination”—an interactive workshop using tools to boost imagination and foster creativity. Examples include: Successful Incubating, Freewriting, Questioning Conventional Wisdom, Using the Anastrophe, etc. Add new ideas to your craft that will delight your readers and possibly cause a magazine editor to say, “I want that manuscript.”
RJ Thesman is the author of 26 books and 800+ articles. Her work is included in 14 anthologies, including five Chicken Soup books. Thesman is a Certified Writing Coach who loves to help other writers birth their words. She is listed in the ‘Who’s Who of Professional Women’ and also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. Thesman is a Stephen minister, a biblical counselor, and an ordained deacon. She enjoys teaching workshops, speaking, gardening, and cooking—especially anything with blueberries.
While this is an in-person meeting, you can also Zoom in. For more information, contact us at HACWN@ earthlink.net or see www.HACWN.org
The meeting is $3 for members and $5 for non-members. It will be held at Colonial Presbyterian Church’s Quivira Campus:12501 W 137th St, Overland Park, KS 66221-4129
You can also zoom in–contact us for information at HACWN@earthlink.net
(If something happens technologically and you are not able to access the meeting, your dues will be returned. As always, if financial hardships keep you from paying membership or meeting dues, let us know. If you need to check your membership status, contact Zeta Davidson, or learn more about membership at www.HACWN.org).
Looking forward to learning with you!

Critique Groups:  April 4 & 18; May 2 & 16 – For more information, contact HACWN@earthlink.net

May HACWN Meeting: May 9

Recent Blog Publications From HACWN Pro Members

  • NEW Problems
    by SuZan Klassen on April 25, 2024 at 8:54 pm

    A large hospital near me built a new add-on to one of their buildings. Moving large equipment to the new facility went smoothly. However, since the doors won’t open for several more weeks they ordered a mobile unit so PET scans can continue. Only one problem with their plan—the mobile unit has been nothing but … More NEW Problems […]

  • God Moves Behind the Scenes
    by Sylvia Schroeder on April 24, 2024 at 10:25 am

    We all have them, markers of good and bad in our lives. April marks our spot. It’s another anniversary of when life altered through our daughter’s illness.  I often wish I could box up our difficult experience which happened many years ago, and put it on a shelf like those seasonal totes which I take […] The post God Moves Behind the Scenes appeared first on When the House is Quiet. […]

  • Episode 233-Forgiven
    by Teresa Shields Parker on April 24, 2024 at 4:52 am

    I sat on the back deck of the lodge at the north rim of the Grand Canyon while my family was hiking. I just wanted to sit there forever and take in the glory and the splendor of God’s majestic, vast creation. As a human many things look impossible, but with God everything is possible, especially forgiveness. The post Episode 233-Forgiven appeared first on Teresa Shields Parker. […]

  • Lost & Found
    by Sally Jadlow on April 23, 2024 at 1:00 pm

    Weekend before last I attended a picnic at church. I wore a black sweater. I didn’t realize it was gone until Tuesday. I hunted the house high and low, to no avail. I even asked my Bible study to pray I’d find it. In desperation, I went on a mental scavenger hunt. The last time I remembered having it was at the picnic. We’d had high winds from Sunday to Tuesday. I made a special trip to church to search.... Read More Read Mor […]

  • Beauty Explained
    by RJ Thesman on April 23, 2024 at 7:49 am

    The friend request from some guy I did not know made it through my Facebook filter. He only requested a reciprocal ‘friending,’ so I thought . . . Okay. I’ll confirm this person’s request. Maybe he wants to know about my newest book. Click. Accept. Then came his first post. “You are so-o-o-o beautiful.” GAG! … Beauty Explained Read More » […]

  • God’s Light Pierces the Darkest Grief
    by Sylvia Schroeder on April 17, 2024 at 10:25 am

    Our last few weeks have been ones of weeping with those who weep as we’ve watched dear friends mourn the loss of a beloved son. Yet, they have also been days of seeing glimpses of pure glory shining into the dark. It isn’t the first time God has displayed His light inside a penetrating darkness […] The post God’s Light Pierces the Darkest Grief appeared first on When the House is Quiet. […]

  • Episode 232-Am I Greedy?
    by Teresa Shields Parker on April 17, 2024 at 4:18 am

    Are you greedy? The definition of greed is “an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.” Did you get that? It’s not just an intense desire for money or position. It’s also a selfish desire for food! Listen to this episode to find out if you are and what to do about it. The post Episode 232-Am I Greedy? appeared first on Teresa Shields Parker. […]

  • A Different View
    by Sally Jadlow on April 16, 2024 at 3:19 pm

    While everyone looked at the eclipse last week, I chose a different view by looking at the ground in a parking lot. This view shows the eclipse through a tree. See the crescents?  What did you observe during that time? Now, we’ll have to wait until a total eclipse across the U.S till 2044. I don’t think I’ll make it that far! […]

  • The Search for God’s Longing
    by RJ Thesman on April 16, 2024 at 7:53 am

    Where shall I go, God? Where do you want me to live? How can I serve you best? What is your perfect plan for me? These types of questions often plague us because we focus so strongly on what we should do—how productive we should be—rather than what God truly desires for us. During my … The Search for God’s Longing Read More » […]

  • What in the World?
    by SuZan Klassen on April 10, 2024 at 6:26 pm

    “Look!” I pointed out the car window. A small herd of camels galloped across the hills. We were traveling east on Interstate 70 near Topeka, Kansas. What in the world were camels doing running wild in Kansas? I thought of that incident when I saw the cover of: Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appelt, … More What in the World? […]

  • Do People See Who You Really Are?
    by Sylvia Schroeder on April 10, 2024 at 10:25 am

    “Is that your son?” I asked pointing to the little guy who had just scored on my grandson’s soccer team.  Strangers to one another, we’d been standing side by side echoing with the same groans, cheers, and sideline advice. Although we didn’t know one another, it was obvious that we rooted for the same team. […] The post Do People See Who You Really Are? appeared first on When the House is Quiet. […]

  • Episode 231-Deception
    by Teresa Shields Parker on April 10, 2024 at 5:04 am

    One big deception the enemy threw to me was that I needed food to eat so I could eat all I wanted to. The devil is a deceiver who turns something, which looks good, into something which leads to death. So what can we do when we have bought into a lie that has become such a habit we think we can never get free? That’s what this episode is all about. The post Episode 231-Deception appeared first on Teresa Shields Parker. […]

  • A Look Back
    by Sally Jadlow on April 9, 2024 at 1:00 pm

    This past week as I sat to journal as I do every day, I recorded 4/4/24. That rang a bell in my memory. On 4/4/74 I set apart a day to pray about what I should do with about 250 poems I had written over the previous 15 months.  I heard nothing, so I decided to type each one on a paper, put them in a box, and send them to a local publishing house listed in the yellow pages.... Read More Read Mor […]

  • Action Steps from a Puzzle
    by RJ Thesman on April 9, 2024 at 8:22 am

    The puzzle I finished reflected the colors and designs of the Southwest. Turquoise moccasins. Native American pottery. A sunset of desert textures. Yet beyond the stress-relieving act of fitting those puzzle pieces together, God taught me precious lessons of faith. Think About the Big Picture. Once I found the borders of the puzzle, several other … Action Steps from a Puzzle Read More » […]

  • New Release: Her Heart’s Secret
    by janetsyasnitsick on April 7, 2024 at 1:43 am

    My new book is out, and this is the third in the Bonnets and Beaus series. Check it out! It’s in paperback, e-book and on audio. Grab your copy today of Her Heart’s Secret! I know it’s been a long … Continue reading &rarr […]

  • Nothing Can Eclipse God’s Glory
    by Sylvia Schroeder on April 3, 2024 at 10:25 am

    In August of  2017 an eclipse marked our path in Kansas City, Missouri, where we lived. I wrote about it on a blog then. Today, we live in Virginia, not smack in the center, but still near to the path of totality. April 8, 2024 highlights the same truth as the eclipse of six years […] The post Nothing Can Eclipse God’s Glory appeared first on When the House is Quiet. […]

  • Episode 230-Prayer Answers
    by Teresa Shields Parker on April 3, 2024 at 4:20 am

    For many years I was frustrated because I would pray and it felt like God wasn’t answering my prayers. I knew the Bible said He would, but I didn’t believe it because I wasn’t experiencing the answers I wanted, which was to have my mother healed of her bipolar disorder. They weren’t selfish prayers so why wasn’t He answering? This episode examines two huge instances of how God answered prayer but it wasn’t because of me. The post Episode 230-Prayer Answers appeared first on Teresa Shields Parker. […]

  • Funny Moments
    by Sally Jadlow on April 2, 2024 at 1:00 pm

    After the main meal is consumed and desserts are a mere memory, family gatherings take a funny turn. The kids drag out the junk from an old toy box upstairs and let ‘er rip. Beside the usual toys, there are old Halloween masks and ancient wigs in the treasure trove. The picture above is of one of the twenty-five guests who gathered for Easter this year pretending to be a feeding horse. later, various ones try on the old wigs... Read More Read Mor […]

  • Silent Saturday
    by RJ Thesman on April 2, 2024 at 7:11 am

    When we observe Holy Week, we often focus on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday. But a spiritually important topic emerges on what I call ‘Silent Saturday.’ Imagine those early Jesus followers in the first century. Their champion had been brutally murdered by the Roman empire at the instigation of the Jewish religious leaders. … Silent Saturday Read More » […]

  • Blessed Resurrection
    by SuZan Klassen on March 28, 2024 at 8:54 pm

    This week is Holy Week for many of the world’s Christians. From tonight’s Maunday Thursday, through Good Friday and on to the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection on Sunday, these are important days for the church. Some countries target Christians for intense persecution at this time. Please pray for the protection of Christians. Pray also that … More Blessed Resurrection […]