Reflecting on the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference

The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (BRMCWC) celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in May 2026.

It was fun to be there for the celebration. I think my first time attending this conference was in 2013, and this year marked my sixth trip,

Prior to packing for each trip, I always wonder why I am going and whether it is worth the financial investment. Ultimately, I conclude there is always something new I need to learn about the craft of writing, publishing, or marketing. But most of all, I long to receive a revival in my writer’s heart and to listen for God’s gentle nudge: “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21, ESV).

If you’re curious about the value of BRMCWC, here are a few of my reflections.

The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference has taught me to:

Be Brave and Take the First Step

Lots of people choose not to attend writing conferences because they’re afraid to go alone. It’s fun to travel with writing buddies, but there are many benefits to attending a conference alone. Several years ago, the Blue Ridge Conference published a blog post I wrote about that topic: “Bringing Security Blankets to Conferences — Tips for the Linus-Writers.”

If you’re willing to bravely engage in conversations with unfamiliar people, you may be surprised by the doors that begin to open.

The first year I attended the BRMCWC, I was in the middle of writing a VBS curriculum for a mission team. It was my first time creating curriculum, and to say I was stressed is putting it mildly. Someone asked me who else was on my writing team because they knew a woman who wrote VBS curriculum who worked alongside a large team of writers. That’s when my team of one began to panic!

But God graciously placed people in my path at the conference. One had experience in writing VBS curriculum. Another person who had served in the mission field! I made several wonderful friends that year who prayed for me and gave valuable feedback and encouragement.

One wisely pointed out to me that part of my stress stemmed from my mistakenly placing the burden of people’s salvation on myself and on my writing. I was worried that if I didn’t write everything perfectly, then it would be my fault if they didn’t come to know Jesus. My new friend gently reminded me that the saving part is totally up to Jesus. I was to do my best to point the way. He would be the One to reveal Himself, and only He could save lost souls.

That year at Blue Ridge, I witnessed several unexplainable moments that I can only attribute to God’s miraculous grace. I wish I could share that full story, but it warrants its own blog post.

There have been numerous times when I have felt inadequate in my writing skills. Sometimes feelings of inadequacy prevent people from ever attending a writing conference. It’s important to remember we all have something to learn, and we must begin somewhere! Why not at a writing conference?

Flexibility and teachability are key to a successful conference. But people must take that first step and go.

Cultivate Curiosity

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a writer?

Experienced professionals teach a wide array of workshops at Blue Ridge. They share their knowledge about writing picture books, educational books, novels, movies, and magazine content.

Not only are classes offered on how to write, but also on how to query, submit, publish, build your platform, market your books, and so much more. There are educational opportunities for those in the early stages of learning to write and for those who have already published books. Most presentations are from a Christian worldview. How cool is that?

Before attending each conference, I study the details online in depth and carefully select which classes to attend. Nonetheless, I ultimately end up attending at least one class that wasn’t on my radar before I arrived. I’ve garnered many gems from taking classes outside of my genre.

If you’re curious about learning different ways to tell your story, be adventurous!  Sometimes the best path is the one less traveled, or not previously considered.

Keep Pressing Forward

If someone had told me back in 2013 how challenging it would be to become a published writer, I may not have even started. In the past several years, I’ve had ample opportunities to learn how to take three steps forward and two steps back!

One year while at BRMCWC, a literary agent took me on and shopped the nonfiction children’s book I’d written for the general market to numerous publishers. I wrote the book primarily for museums because they have a strong need for books for their youngest visitors. They need books to use with children in their educational programs and in their bookstore for parents and grandparents to buy for children. Plus, I know many homeschool moms often teach the same history topic to children of multiple ages. They simply tailor the content for each child’s age.

Even though the publishers my agent approached commented positively about the book, they didn’t offer a contract. One stated their reason was that they wanted to sell to a larger market, not a niche market, such as to museums. So, after a year, my agent released my manuscript back to me, and I filed it away.

A couple of years passed before I returned to Blue Ridge. I had not planned to pitch any projects that year, but a conversation with a traditional publisher led to a request for a full proposal for the book manuscript I had filed away. A publishing contract followed with the publication of T is for Together: The American Spirit of WWII, set for the following year.

As often happens, the publication date was bumped out another year. My book manuscript sat with the publisher for two years. Then, they had financial issues and had to pull out of some of their contracts. Mine was one of them.

Once again, I mourned the manuscript’s second burial. Perhaps my years of WWII research, taking online classes, writing articles and curriculum, interviewing a WWII vet, and having him visit the WWII American Home Front class I was teaching to homeschool students were all reward enough.  

I moved on and focused on other writing projects.

Then This Happened

Then, two weeks before this year’s BRMCWC, I received notice that I’d been selected to serve on the Educator Advisory Council for The National World War II Museum’s Teaching and Learning Team. I’m so excited about this! And apparently, one literary agent and a publisher are as well. They asked me to resurrect that manuscript a third time and send them a full book proposal.

I’m happy to do that, but my excitement is somewhat tempered since I’ve been on this publishing roller coaster before. According to the writing professionals, the unexpected twists, turns, dips, and dives are normal, so hang on tight.

If you want to become a writer, you not only need to develop your writing skills, but you’ll also need a reservoir of patience and nerves of steel.

The BRMCWC directors encourage writers to press onward. In addition, they stress that those requests from agents and publishers are not issued out of politeness. There is a genuine interest in your work, so writers need to do the work and follow through.

Follow Through

Not only are we to follow through with requests for manuscripts, but we are also to implement what we learn in the classes. What’s the point of attending the conference if we don’t plan on applying the knowledge we gained?

This year, I took a class taught by David Bennett, the managing editor of Lifeway’s magazine HomeLife. Several ideas came to mind during the class, so I plan to flesh them out and work on an article to submit to him.

Jesse Florea, the Editor-in-Chief of all the Focus on the Family publications, taught several of my classes. Even though I’ve had two articles published in their Clubhouse Jr. magazine, he drew my attention to other publications and what they’re looking for. I love writing for the little ones, but I also enjoy writing encouraging words for their moms, so I’ll ponder and pray about what to write and submit to one of their adult magazines.

Another class I took addressed how to grow your audience. My blog audience has always just grown organically. I’m learning in these classes that steady organic growth is great, but my approach needs improving.

I was told I was being too shy about telling people I blog. There’s a vast world of blogs on the internet. How will people find my little corner? At Blue Ridge, they advised me to tell more of my friends and acquaintances that I blog and invite them to check out what’s offered on my website. And, if they like what they see, to kindly share it with others.

Just telling you that is out of my comfort zone! Fears of what people will think begin to surface. But I’m reminded that it’s not about me. The message and resources I want to share with people are more important than my personal discomfort and fears.

I want to save parents, grandparents, and caregivers valuable time by searching for quality content—“whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise” (Phil. 4:8, ESV). I share this through book reviews, interviews, and encouraging articles. Plus, I offer helpful resources and printables, and maybe my own books someday.

So, your prayers are appreciated as I attempt, in the least awkward way possible, to let more people know what I have to offer.

Lastly, at this year’s conference, a literary agent and I discussed a new writing project I had recently begun. I have pondered over this project for years. It’s so dear to my heart that the fear of failing to write it well caused me, once again, to stall at the starting gate. When I told her the working title and premise of the book, she requested to see the first three chapters.

I tend to work better with requests and deadlines, so perhaps this is the spark I need to work hard and finish this project—or at least the first three chapters to see if there’s an interest.

But you know what? It doesn’t matter if an agent or publisher is interested in this project. This is something God continually draws me to, so I need to be obedient and follow through. Who knows how God will use it? What if years from now, my unpublished work is read by a great-great-great-grandchild, and it helps them in some way? What a joy that would be!

If there’s a message pressing on your heart, write it down and trust God with its purpose.

What About You?

Are you thinking about becoming a published writer? It’s never too late! However, the writing journey can sometimes be overwhelming and even lonely.

The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference offers knowledge, camaraderie, and encouragement. Every conference I’ve attended has proven its worth.

Even if you don’t feel led to attend a writers’ conference, I believe we all have something of value to share with people through our written and spoken words. Whatever that is, be brave and take the first step towards sharing it. Nurture your sense of awe and wonder in a way that inspires others to do the same. Don’t give up! Follow through with whatever God is calling you to do.

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in national and worldwide publications, including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.