Media

Media

Media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Susy Flory

(510)-828-5360

[email protected]

West Coast Christian Writers Conference Appoints New Conference Director

 San Francisco, CA (June 7, 2021)—West Coast Christian Writers (WCCW), a legacy conference of nearly 30 years (formerly known as Christian Writers Seminar), is pleased to announce that author, speaker, and literary agent Sharon Norris Elliott has been appointed conference co-director, beginning in 2022.

Sharon will be co-directing with Sarah Sundin. The directorship was previously held by Susy Flory, who will continue serving as executive director of West Coast Coast Christian Writers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.

“Live significantly!” That’s the inspiring message of Sharon Norris Elliott: author, speaker, Bible teacher, editor, consultant, and literary agent. She writes challenging yet encouraging books in several genres including women’s non-fiction, parenting, devotional, and children’s literature. Her 12th and most recently published title is A Woman God Can Bless (2020, Harambee Press).

God’s goodness has brought Sharon from Compton, CA, to standing before great audiences. She’s a cum laude graduate of Biola University, holder of an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree, member of ACE, AWSA, and SCBWI. She is also a religious broadcaster on HSBN.tv, CWWN.tv, Spotify, and other social media outlets. She is Founder and CEO of Life That Matters Ministries;  AuthorizeMe® Consulting, Coaching, & Editing Firm, and Literary Agency LLC; and Milk & Honey Life Retreats. She and her husband James live in Southern California and enjoy their church, their children, and their grandchildren. www.LifeThatMatters.net.

Sharon has a strong calling to serve at Christian Writers conferences: “My foray into the world of Christian writing began with Christian writers’ conferences. The first one I attended was the Biola Christian Writers’ Conference way back in 1991. At that conference, in addition to discovering I was a writer, I landed my first gig as a magazine editor, and promised the Lord that if he allowed me to be a part of this business, I would give back to upcoming writers all that was so richly planted into me. From there, I became a regular fixture on the Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference faculty (20 years), where I also started the first teen track to be held at any writers’ conference in the nation, and I also served as a teaching team member with C.L.A.S.S. for many years. At the Sandy Cove Christian Writers’ Conference in Northeast, MD, I served on faculty, then as co-director for many years, then as director. Yes, I’m a Christian writers’ conference junkie and have gotten my “fixes” serving on other distinguished faculties around the country such as those assembled for the Seattle Pacific CWC, Philadelphia CWC, Florida CWC, Southern California CWC, and most recently, WCCW, to name a few. I absolutely love teaching one-hour workshops and continuing tracks (especially the beginner’s track), and I’m honored with every opportunity I’m given to deliver keynote addresses.”

Q&A with Sharon

Why WCCW? I am most attached to WCCW because of friendship. I have known folks on the WCCW leadership team for many years and we share a love and respect for other writers and for the writing we are privileged to do. WCCW is a warm, safe place–a community of people who “get” each other. And we love to have fun! It’s refreshing to spend time with folks who only take life seriously when it’s absolutely necessary.

What do you love most about working with Christian writers? I love working with Christian writers because we’re all on the same team. If we can help each other be the best we can be at what we do, we’re all a part of advancing the agenda of the kingdom of God–that agenda being to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What do Christian writers need to work on or pay attention to at this time in history? Unity. Again, we must remember: we’re all on the same team, Team Jesus. We must stop seeing each other under any other sign than the sign of the Cross. This will take some work because some of us don’t even realize we are carrying other “signs” like those of racism, sexism, age-ism, privilege, etc. Once we expose, identify, and own the issues that separate us, we can unify under the one banner that matters, the Cross of Christ, and get the work of Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 done.

About WCCW

West Coast Christian Writers (WCCW) is a strong community of writers with writing events known for excellence, high value, expert speakers and teachers, along with hands-on help and innovation at an affordable price. WCCW events take place in the San Francisco Bay Area, and our upcoming three-day conference is February, 2022 (hopefully in person!)

WCCW features keynote general sessions, a variety of workshops for new to advanced writers, a writing contest called the Goldie Awards, and coaching and critique appointments. Since the beginning, WCCW has cultivated a friendly, low-key feel together with high-level speakers and teachers. The conference organizers are friends and when you attend, you become a friend, too.

Our keynote speakers from past years include Robin Jones Gunn, Kathi Lipp, Tosca Lee, Michele Cushatt, Wendy Lawton, Bill Giovannetti, Kay Marshall Strom, Lee Roddy, Tosca Lee, Ethel Herr, Cecil Murphey, James Scott Bell, and Francine Rivers.

History

WCCW, formerly the Christian Writers Seminar, was founded by Pastor Jon Drury, who directed the seminar as a ministry of Redwood Chapel in Castro Valley, CA. The first Christian Writers Seminar was in 1993 with Ethel Herr as the keynote speaker. WCCW became a 501c3 nonprofit organization in January of 2020.

For more information, visit us at www.westcoastchristianwriters.com.