Catholic Writers Guild Conference Live!

[John Desjarlais]

The Catholic Writers' Guild, in conjunction with the Catholic
Marketing Network, will host its first-ever Catholic Writers' Conference
LIVE! at the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, Somerset, NJ, from
Aug 5-7, 2009.

The conference will host publishers, editors and authors from all aspects of
the Catholic writing world, including magazines, devotionals, novels and
educational materials. The panel discussions, presentations and workshops
will cover all aspects of writing, including generating query letters,
crafting a good story, worldbuilding, marketing finished works and more. In
addition, editors from several Catholic publishers will be on-hand to share
their wisdom and hear authors propose their works.

The Catholic Marketing Network's International Trade Show will serve as the
exhibition floor for the convention, giving writers a chance to browse the
booths, investigate other publishing companies, and meet with the published
authors at book signings hosted by the Catholic Writers' Guild. The CWG also
has its own booth, where it will feature books by its members.

Presenters for the conference include: author/Sophia Press submissions
editor Regina Doman (Angel in the Waters); Pauline Books and Media Editor
Sister Maria Grace, CEO of Ignatius Press Mark Brumley (How Not to Share
Your Faith), Susan Brinkmann editor of Canticle Magazine, Lisa Wheeler,
Executive Vice President of the Maximus Group (PR and marketing firm for The
Passion of the Christ), author/Ascension Press publisher Matt Pinto (Do Adam
and Eve Have Belly Buttons?), mystery author John Desjarlais (Bleeder) and
award-winning short story author Arthur Powers among others.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for both writers and publishers to
connect," said Catholic Writer's Guild President Karina Fabian. "The CMN has been especially generous in offering to share its facilities and programs with us, which really enhances the quality of the conference for attendee and presenter."

Conference Coordinator and CWG Vice President Ann Lewis adds, "There will be
a lot of good information, encouragement and learning opportunities for
Catholic authors at our live conference. Our goal is to help good Catholic
writers to get published. The world needs their words."

The Catholic Writers' Guild has hosted two highly successful on-line
conferences.

To register or for more information, go to
www.catholicwritersconference.com. Registration is $80 until June 1st, $99
until July 31st and $110 at the door.

[Miriam Pia]

Does a regular audience novel with a priest as one of the main characters have any relevance for the Catholic Church as a whole?

In An Adventure in Indianapolis


Father Zacharia O'Malley is quite an unusual priest. He is so young others find it funny- he's 30. He has an astounding gift from God - when he prayers intensively over Holy Water, God enables that water to heal wounds on contact. He has a passion for law enforcement - he is constantly on a drive to make special religious services devoted to the especial spiritual challenges faced by those working in law enforcement. Not only that, but one of his best friends is the Head Sheriff in Indianapolis.

Because of this friendship, Father O'Malley joins a most peculiar team to help thwart a plot by local drug dealing villains in Indy...While the Sheriff can't go himself, he's delighted to know that his Father O'Malley is on the case...

What d'you think?

[John Desjarlais]

Sounds like fun. There are many clerical sleuths - GK Chesterton's Father Brown, Andrew Greeley's Blackie Ryan, Sister Fidelma and so on. People of the cloth make good detective protagonists because they are intellectually sharp, insightful about human behavior, concerned about social justice and often have the mobility and financial wherewithal to be mobile and solve crimes (in fiction, anyway). They value life and know a lot about death. The funny thing about this whole area is that there is not really a "Catholic" market for fiction in the same way there is for evangelicals who shop in Christian bookstores such as Family Christian Stores, Lemstone/Parable, Berean Stores and the like. Catholics go to the same chain stores and web sites everyone else does. There is, however, a groundswell of interest among devout and well-educated Catholic writers (not just writers who happen to be Catholic) to recover a rich heritage of literary art (think Flannery O'Connor, Evelyn Waugh, Belloc, Chesterton - heck, even Graham Greene, Morris West) and even express it in "genre" fiction (like crime fiction) in a stylish way that reflects a Catholic worldview but isn't preachy in any way. So a "Catholic" story would not be simply one populated by clerics and religious with rosaries and statuary for props, but a story fully informed by the Catholic understanding of the dignity of the human person, the meaning of suffering, the necessary union of personal and social righteousness - and the fact of human frailty, failure, and fallenness. This is something I'll be talking about at the conference in my fiction sessions.

I think it's interesting to see PD James explore such themes in her work lately. That's the kind of thing I'm thinking about.

[Miriam Pia]

Thanks John,

One reason I was wondering is because I'm not even a Catholic myself, but for some reason this one character is...maybe it shows how much I have been "brainwashed" by American culture to have this attitude towards Catholic clerics.

In An Adventure in Indianapolis, Father O'Malley doesn't solve the crime all by himself - far from it....but he gives his buddy the Sheriff another way of "being there" as the mystery is solved, and he does do his part on the team. In fact, part of his role is to be stark contrast to the one woman on the team. The great news is that she's there and working for the protagonists, the bad news is that is an anti-hero type of figure. She's a $200,000/year burglar...but her persona and methods are nothing like Cat Woman of cartoon & comic book fame. She isn't always not-nice, but its so true that she isn't very nice that Father O'Malley has to make especial efforts to ask God to control her evil - at least for the purposes of their joint mission. Just as Father O'Malley especially guards law enforcement agents, the woman actually has herself a cop on the take and makes efficient use of abusing the emotional vulnerability of a divorced, broken hearted policeman....This is exactly the kind of thing Father Zach is so concerned about and wants to run special Catholic services to prevent from happening....needless to say, the woman gives Father Zach the creeps in certain ways...

What do you make of that?

Thank you for this discussion.

[John Desjarlais]

My best advice is that you befriend your local parish priest and get to know him as a person and get referrals to other priests who might be the same age as your character - not so you base your character on these fellows, but so you get a feeling for these guys as real people and not as supernatural figures. Most of them are quite approachable and would be glad to chat wth you. The original Men in Black - ha! Anyway- Then you'll start to become familiar with Catholic liturgy and see (I think) that the idea of having special Catholic "services" to affect earthly events/persons isn't Catholic at all. Be very careful not to follow or foster stereotypes about Catholics. Lord knows Dan Brown and many others have done enough damage. Be completely authentic about all this. Don't guess and don't believe stuff you see in TV shows and such. Do your homework, be realistic, and be respectful (mainly by getting everything right).

BTW, the Catholic Church is highly skeptical of alleged miracles and extremely suspicious about supernatural claims. They have a rigorous system of investigation for such matters (I have such a diocesan investigator in my mystery due in August, BLEEDER) and dismiss the vast majority of such claims as misplaced fervor, emotional delusion or superstition.

[Miriam Pia]

Dear John,

I am not the kind of author to do that kind of extensive research just to create a character.
While I like that the Catholic Church is not foolhardy about investigating possible miracles - I think it is equally important to recognize real ones as it is to differentiate those from fakes. The era of scientific knowledge does not change this, it only offers greater means to clarify.
-You must understand that Zach O'Malley's Holy Water really does heal on contact because God said its ok, and Zach is able to get his ego out of the way enough for God to make Holy Water pure enough to cure on contact.

I'm not sure what else to say...let's exchange book info...An Adventure in Indianapolis is only out in 'e' format, which for a professional is pretty lame, but for the amateur crowd is approaching the minor leagues at least...I have earned 5 figures writing on contracts now...so, while still a little pansy waisted newbie by professional standards I'm becoming an experienced professional in fact...

I mentioned you at another location but did not give your surname...Do you mind if I do that?

If you type in Uranian Fiction do you get my websites where this novel with Zach O'Malley in it is marketed?

Thanks for the attention, fellow professional author...

Miriam Pia

[John Desjarlais]

Yes, they do give official recognition of the miraculous after a diligent investigation. This is how saints are declared to be saints, and Marian apparitions are approved (or not).

OK, Miriam, I'll look you up. You'll see my stuff at www.johndesjarlais.com

Grace and peace,
John