Writing to Change Lives: James Watkins

WRITING TO CHANGE LIVES:
BIBLICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES

The Book

The Seminar

The Reviews

The Author:
James Watkins

You can change lives!

Most writing books and seminars for Christians are very good at teaching the techniques of good writing and marketing, but I’m not aware of any that specifically deal with how to write to change lives. To me, writing is too hard of work to do without feeling I’m making some kind of impact on my readers: helping them laugh their way through a tough time, providing practical ways to live out their faith, or coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Writing is one of the best ways to change lives, so this book and seminar is helpful for:
      • Writers
      • Speakers
      • Teachers
      • Pastors
      • Missionaries
      • Staff of parachurch organizations
      • Anyone who wants to change lives

Readers and seminar participants will learn valuable skills such as:
      • How to effectively get people's attention
      • How to write and speak to cause people to change their minds
      • How to motivate without manipulating
      • How to create effective marketing for your Christian organization

The book

Writing to Change Lives covers the following topics:

Introduction:

Part One: Writing with Intelligence
      1. Knowing your goal
      2. Knowing your audience
      3. Knowing the techniques of good organization
      4. Knowing the techniques of good writing
      5. Knowing the techniques of effective persuasion
      6. Knowing the traps of ineffective persuasion

Part Two: Writing with Intensity
      7. Using psychological appeals
      8. Using humor as a persuasive tool
      9. Using stories, illustrations, testimonies

Part Three: Writing with Integrity
      10. Having moral integrity and pure motives
      11. Having pure motivation vs. manipulation

Part Four: Marketing your message
      12. Publishing in traditional markets
      13. Publishing in non-traditional markets

Book is scheduled for release in spring 2007. To download a review copy, email Writing to Change Lives.

The seminar

The one-day seminar covers the content of the book with the following schedule:

Writing with Intelligence
      9:00-10:00: Knowing your goal, your audience
      10:15-11:15: Knowing techniques of good organization, writing
      11:30-12:30: Knowing techniques of effective (and ineffective) persuasion

Writing with Intensity
      1:30-2:30: Using psychological appeals
      2:35-3:45: Using humor, stories, testimonies

Writing with Integrity
      4:00-5:00 Having moral integrity, pure motives

Seminars are now being scheduled. Email Writing to Change Lives to learn how your church or organization can sponsor the seminar and share in the income.

The reviews

“If you want to change lives, this book will show you how to do just that. I have read Jim’s books and articles. Whereas he is a very entertaining speaker and writer who can leave an audience howling with laughter, he never fails to make a serious point about ethics, personal discipline, religious conduct, or service to Christ whenever and wherever Jim communicates. Thus, this book is a text that comes from Jim's heart.”
      Dr. Dennis E. Hensley
      Professor of English
      Director of the Professional Writing Major at Taylor University Fort Wayne

“I laughed, I gulped, and I learned as I read Jim’s book. As a writer and teacher of writing, Jim knows what he is talking about. Best of all, he knows how to put the teaching at a level that we can easily grasp and apply. Want to write? Want to enjoy learning how to write? Here’s the book that will help you.”
      Roger Palms
      Writer, teacher, speaker
      Former editor of Decision Magazine

“Writing to Change Lives is an essential tool for crossover communicators who want to reach beyond the pews with their Christian message. The author's advice is logical, original and is delivered with typical Watkins wit: funny, wise, and authentic. It's a rare book that entertains even as it teaches. This one does both.”
      Holly Miller
      Senior Editor, The Saturday Evening Post

“This book is a must-have for every writer and speaker.”
      Reg A. Forder
      Director of American Christian Writers, ACW Press

Intensely practical . . . hilarious . . . one of the best.
      Dr. Keith Drury
      Indiana Wesleyan University

Informed, approachable and humorous. . . .
      Gayle Roper
      Former director of Sandy Cove Writers Conference

A high level of content [with] contemporary method.       Richard Wynn
      Former president of Youth for Christ

The author

Jim has traveled all over North America and in several countries overseas teaching writing.

He has sold over two thousand articles, devotionals, editorials, hard-news stories, poems, reviews, scripts, short stories and song lyrics, as well as over one hundred color and black/white photos. His work has appeared in Campus Life, The Christian Communicator, The Christian Reader, Christianity Today, Decision, The Door, Focus on the Family, Leadership, Moody, Rev., Today's Christian Woman and War Cry as well as more than fifty independent and denominational religious publications, plus secular periodicals such as TIME. He also has a weekly humor column in three (so far) newspapers as well as a regular column in Rev. magazine.

He's written eleven books including . . .
      • Characters (comedy/dramas from Lillenas, 1993)
      • Death & Beyond (Tyndale House, 1993) which received an award of merit in
        Campus Life's "Book of the Year" contest
      • Devotional Pursuits: Trivia and Truth (Beacon Hill, 1986)
      • Keeping Pace (Wesley Press, 1986)
      • The Persuasive Person (Wesley Press, 1987)
      • Sex is Not a Four-letter Word (Tyndale House Publishers, 1991)
      • Should a Christian Wear Purple Sweat Socks? (Wesley Press, 1987)
      • The Teen Sex Survival Manual (Bridge, 1987).
      • The Why Files (Concordia, 2000); a three-book series based on over 2,500
        young people's questions about sex, death, and the supernatural. "Christian
        Retailers Choice" award for best series

And he's contributed to thirteen books including . . .
      • 30 Days to a More Incredible Marriage (Tyndale House, 1998)
      • 100 Plus Motivational Moments for Writers and Speakers (Joy Publishing, 1991)
      • A Complete Guide to Writing for Publication (ACW Press, 1999)
      • Connections (Moody Press, 1992)
      • Family Traditions that Last a Lifetime (Tyndale House, 1993)
      • FeatureWriting.net (EpisteLogic, 2005)
      • Heartbeat (Tyndale House, 1988)
      • Mother's & Father's Day Program Builder No. 10 (Lillenas, 2005)
      • The Pastors' Study Bible (Group/Zondervan, 2000)
      • Perfect Love (Wesley Press, 1987)
      • Stories for a Grad's Heart (Multnomah Publishers, 2001)
      • What Does She Want From Me Anyway? (Harper/Collins/Zondervan, 1997)
      • Writers on Writing: Top Christian Authors Share Their Secrets for Getting
        Published (Wesleayn Publishing House, 2005)

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