Upcoming Omega Online Retreat 2025 by Carolyn Tonkin

 

The Buzz about Writing Groups

I was buzzing!

The year was 2014 and I’d just returned from my first writers conference full of ideas about writing, and publishing, and editing, and marketing, and creating a website, and learning how to pitch my project, and, and… to be honest, I was a tad overwhelmed. But I didn’t give up. My eyes had been opened, and I couldn’t close them. I took a deep breathe and begun my journey of learning.

I read books about the craft of writing, I joined groups of other Christian writers to ask questions and share my journey, I read outside my genre and I entered competitions that provided feedback.

Fast forward ten years later and as I’ve applied what I learnt I’ve seen a few of my stories published in anthologies, my first full-length fiction book was picked up by a small Australian Christian publisher, and I found myself volunteering to be on the organising committee of Omega Christian Writers. Why volunteer? Was I not busy enough? Didn’t I want to spend more time furthering my own writing?

Yes, but as followers of Jesus, we are wired for service, so I felt compelled to ‘give back’ to the groups that had helped develop me as a writer, and I would trust God for the rest … because one thing was clear — trusting Him to direct my paths has never failed me.

Not Just Face-to-Face

2020 saw Covid hit our shores, and the growth of many online platforms where people found they could meet and conduct all kinds of business. Many of us discovered Teams, FaceTime and Zoom, as a way of keeping in touch ‘face-to-face’ rather than using email or phone, and it was in the Zoom space that the Omega Christian Writers online retreat was birthed. It’s interesting to note that in 2025, more people than ever are using this cost-effective avenue to meet, listen and learn.

 

If you’ve never joined an online writing group, can I encourage you to consider it?

The Omega Christian Writers Online Retreat 2025

The Omega Christian Writers online retreat is a great way to start. 

The retreat, held bi-annually since 2021 is on 10-11 October this year. It opens on the Friday night and continues all day Saturday. 

The keynote speaker this year is Lori Roeleveld, an international award-winning author with degrees in Psychology and Biblical Studies. Lori is gifted in helping people face difficult challenges, locate the hidden gold buried in their lives, and then teach them how best to apply it. She will bring a session rooted in the book of Nehemiah that will appeal to both fiction and non-fiction writers, and which fits perfectly with this year’s theme: Transformation: Renewing our Minds, Sharpening our Skills, Writing with Purpose.

The retreat will host numerous sessions and workshops covering:

• Publishing models
• The pros and cons of AI
• A great session on advertising and marketing

plus 

• Opportunities to gather in your genre groups to workshop your craft, and
• The Caleb Award presentations, hosted by Dr Pete Court. 

Being online means you can choose to sit by yourself in the comfort of your own home or organise a small group to spend the time together. I’m doing a little bit of both! Either way, I guarantee you won’t regret investing your time into your writing, I believe you’ll leave inspired and with some new tools in your author toolbox.

You may even leave the retreat buzzing!

Registrations are Open!

Registrations are now open. You can find out more and register at the following link. If you are a financial member of Omega Writers, be sure to go into the members' area first for the discount code.

https://omegawriters.com.au/2025-online-retreat/

See you there!

Author Bio

Carolyn Tonkin is the current President of Omega Christian Writers.

She has been writing across a variety of genres since she was a teenager but found God spoke to her about the purpose of her writing after attending her first writer’s conference in 2014.

Carolyn is currently working on the second instalment of her trilogy in inspirational fiction. Her first novel, Nellie’s Child was published in 2021.

Author website: https://www.carolyntonkin.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolyntonkin.author/

Photo Sources

Featured photo from Omega conference 2024 by Nola Passmore; Author pic from Carolyn Tonkin; online graphic by ZedH on Pixabay.

Never underestimate ...

by Mazzy Adams

As part of my Creative Writing studies, I completed numerous ‘Quick Writing’ exercises based on various verbal prompts and images. Here’s one of those prompts and my response to it:

Every day of the week, between 7:00 am and 8:00 am, Vince and Jack arrived at the park bench with their newspapers.  Every day they grunted a greeting, sat, and read. Every day, between 8:00 am and 9:00 am, as one finished reading his newspaper, he would fold it, tuck it under his arm, stand, mumble a farewell and leave.

Sometimes Jack left first. Sometimes Vince left first.

Jack didn’t know Vince was an inventor whose ingenious creations languished for want of entrepreneurial investment. Vince didn’t know Jack was a lonely millionaire who intended to bequeath his millions to an animal shelter because he had no family and no friends.

Vince could have become like a brother to Jack. Jack could have enabled millions of people to benefit from Vince’s inventions.

Could have, should have, would have … didn’t.

All because of the one thing they did share … a failure to communicate.

Never underestimate the value of a good discussion.

I sat down intending to write this blog on a totally unrelated topic (to do with ‘the individuality of your voice’) when the memory of this particular writing exercise sat down beside me, tapped my heart, then rapped me over the head like a rolled up newspaper and suggested I use it instead.

So, I suspect that, for whatever reason, someone out there needs another kind of prompt: my gentle encouragement to connect.

Perhaps there is someone you’ve wanted to chat to for ages and, for whatever reason, you haven’t managed it yet. Why wait? Pick up the phone and call them. Better still, invite them to join you for coffee, or a walk in the park.

Perhaps you need encouragement to connect with like-minded people, or, say, to attend a writers’ conference. That can be a great place for good discussions. (It just so happens that the Omega Writers Conference is on in Sydney in October. Have you booked yet?)

Perhaps there is a letter you’ve been meaning to send. One that will break the ice so your writing/publishing/networking boat moves forward? Today might be the right day to put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard and make that connection. (Preaching to myself here!)

Perhaps you need encouragement to connect with someone who can help you in some other way. Honestly, I find it so difficult to ask for help. I’ve been more thoroughly inculcated with the message that it is ‘more blessed to give than to receive’ than the one that says ‘ask and you will receive’. Perhaps that underscored the problem I created for Jack and Vince in a moment of quick writing madness back in 2012.

Back then, I needed encouragement to find and join a writing critique group. Back then, someone I had never met in person invited me to come along and join in regular discussions about writing. And back then … I did it. I went to meet five strangers … and received five wonderful friends. (Thanks, Nola, for initiating that connection.) I’ll never underestimate the value of creative, fun-filled shenanigans again!

There is no doubt in my mind that discussing the pros and cons of my writing with other writers has helped me hone my craft. Doing the same for them has … helped me hone my craft! (‘More blessed to give than receive’ still rings true.) There is immense value in the mutual support offered by groups like Christian Writers Downunder. Being connected really does help.

  

I think I’ll finish this post with a ‘homework’ exercise our writing critique group tackled in April, 2014, one that I’d filed beside my story of Vince and Jack. Our prompt was, ‘What does your writing group mean to you?’ Perhaps you could share your response to that question as a comment below. Here’s what I wrote:

Quirky Quills is

larger than individual idiosyncrasies;

the sum of corporate wisdom;

the strength of forged metal alloys;

the flexibility of seasoned allies;

a cohesive, healing ecclesia;

a hug for brain and heart;

a canvas prepared for inspiration;

brushes dipped in holy ink;

a catalyst for action;

a treasure-trove of friendship;

a creative, vocal ensemble with

an infinite, lyrical repertoire;

and the heartbeat of my social redemption.

So ... why not try to make that new connection? (And if you happen to connect with a millionaire called Jack who has money to bequeath struggling authors, please, by all means, feel free to introduce us.)

Mazzy Adams is an Australian wife, mother, grandmother, creative and academic writing tutor and published author with a passion for words, pictures and the positive potential in people. 

Website: www.mazzyadams.com 

Email: maz@mazzyadams.com

The Value of Small Groups by Nola Passmore

We’ve had a few posts lately about the value of being involved in writing groups such as Christian Writers Downunder, Australasian Christian Writers, FaithWriters and Omega Writers.  These groups all provide encouragement, inspiration and tips for writers and those in related areas.  They’ve all developed great online communities and I’ve met a number of members through conferences and other writers’ events. 

However, social media can’t provide me with one thing I cherish—actual face-to-face interactions with others who share my interests and passions.  There’s something special about being able to sit across from someone in a café and discuss the manuscript that’s actually in front of you (along with the peppermint tea and gluten-free brownie).  That’s where small groups can be so beneficial.

I didn’t know I needed other writers around me for support until Adele Jones and I both turned up to a poetry reading in 2008.  We’d met some years before but neither of us knew the other was a writer.

‘Oh, we should have a coffee sometime to chat about writing?’

‘Great idea.  When are you free?’

That one-off coffee date turned into a regular writing chat.  We had a mutual friend Janelle who was also interested in writing so we invited her along.  Then I discovered that my friend Pamela had started to write, so she joined the group.  Before long Rachel, Cathie and Sandra were sharing the fun, and Quirky Quills was born.

So what does a typical meeting look like?  Well, I’m not sure there’s such a thing as a typical meeting. We’ve done spontaneous free-writing activities based on excursions or prompts, we’ve passed our writing around for critique, we’ve shared our goals and projects and prayed over them.  We’ve taken turns setting homework exercises that have sometimes had surprising results, like the time we had to write a 200-word story that included the word callipygian (i.e. having a well-shaped derriere).  And no, I didn’t think of that one!  I’ve also had a ‘nagging’ ministry in which I’ve encouraged everyone to submit work to various competitions, anthologies and magazines.

There have been some tangible outcomes in the form of publications, but there have also been the more intangible results—close friendships, the building of skills, learning from constructive feedback, the sparking of creative juices and the never-ending supply of delectable food.

More recently, Adele and I started up the Toowoomba chapter of Omega Writers where we’ve had the opportunity to run workshops for a wider audience.  It’s been exciting to see other Christian writers come together to encourage each other and learn from one another.  We’ve even had our first writer’s retreat.  And yes, there was more yummy food.  Mmm … I think there’s a theme here.

We can all beaver away in our own writing hutches, but with God and the support of others, there’s no limit to what we can achieve for the Kingdom.  Afterall, ‘as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another’ (Proverbs 27:17).

If you’re not a member of a face-to-face writing group, why not give it a try?  Perhaps something is already available in your area.  Your state writers’ centre may have a list of groups available or you could ask at your local library.  If there are no suitable groups nearby, you could start your own.  See if there are members of CWD, ACW, FaithWriters or Omega Writers in your area and invite people to meet up. 

The content of the meetings will vary depending on members’ interests.  Some groups may be in a position to invite guest speakers or attend writing events together.  Others may wish to have more of a critique group or support group.  Some may wish to start a group around a particular theme (e.g. children’s writing or memoir).  If you’re not sure what to cover in your meetings, you could even choose a good writing book and work through the chapters and exercises.  Self-editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King is one of my favourites, but there are tons more on the market depending on your needs. 

And remember that you don’t have to start big.  It can be as easy as saying to another writing friend, ‘Hey, how about we meet for a cuppa and talk about writing?’  You never know where that conversation will lead.

Have any of you discovered the value of face-to-face writing groups?  I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Nola Passmore is a freelance writer who has had more than 150 short pieces published, including devotionals, true stories, magazine articles, academic papers, poetry and short fiction.  She loves sharing what God has done in her life and encouraging others to do the same.  She and her husband Tim have their own freelance writing and editing business called The Write Flourish.  You can find her writing tips blog at their website:  http://www.thewriteflourish.com.au  

A few things I've learned from community...

I remember the first post I wrote for this blog. I was nervous (I think it may have been the first blog post I'd ever written) but I was also excited. This was something new on the Australian writing scene - a group of writers with a common goal and shared faith, writing together, striving together to build community. Until this blog (and it's accompanying Facebook group) appeared on the scene, writing faith inspired work felt incredibly lonely in Australia. There were writers, we knew each other existed somewhere, but struggling through the shelves of bookstores it was hard to locate books by artists from this side of the globe.

But once the online writing community started, it began to blossom. The situation for emerging and established faith writers is quite different now to what it was. Distance and isolation (be it due to location or situation) have been reduced and connections have been made possible. There are numerous online writers groups for people writing faith inspired work, each with it's unique angle and purpose, but all designed to support and encourage one another. There are also Yahoo groups, discussion groups and local voices growing in the blog-isphere.

The CALEB Conference emerged out of the Word Writers Fair - an event I've been privileged to attend twice, and will be attending again in the future. Online relationships were strengthened with discussions and workshops, and I believe the Australian faith inspired writing community is stronger now than it ever has been. The evidence is on in the book shelves of the Christian bookstores: Aussie books easier to find, more little Aussie symbols next to familiar books in catalogues, and authors standing by and supporting each other using the most powerful marketing strategy ever - WORD OF MOUTH.

For me, watching this growth of relationships and networking, both connected with this blog and the many, many sprawls beyond, it has been exceptionally encouraging. I feel less like a lonely little writer pushing against a tide of anonymity, more a part of a wider family. So as I write this post, the last CWD post from me for the time being, I want to say Thank You to the writers I've been privileged to meet and write with in this context. Here's some of what I've learned from you:

* Never give up. Even when it feels terribly hard and painfully lonely, there are other writers feeling exactly the same and when we push through, and keep going, it's worth it in the end.

* Aussie writers write good fiction! (Yep, I'll admit it, even I was dubious! But there are some local wordsmiths out there brave enough to tackle faith related themes and they are worth the search.)

* Networking pays off. It pays off in sales, but even more importantly in sharpening skills, promoting excellence and producing a more polished product.

* Stay true to your first love. Anyone reading back over the blog posts here will notice a common theme: writers striving against the pull of the world to write for the original Creator. It's not easy, it challenges the very motivations behind why we write, but many, many CWD posts echo the blessing received in this obedience.

* Stay connected. Whether it's here, or on other writing blogs, online groups, at writing conferences and get-togethers. It's fellowship; important, valuable and rich.

Penny Reeve is the author of more than 15 children's books including the 2013 CALEB Award Children's Category finalists More Than A Mouse and Wonderfully Madison. She recently returned from a two week trip to India with Stop the Traffik and is hoping to seek publication for her YA novel on the subject next year. For more information about Penny, or her books, visit  www.pennyreeve.com