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 and teaching are too hard of work to do without feeling I’m making some kind of impact on my audience: 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.
Readers and participants will learn valuable skills for changing lives such as:
• How to effectively get people’s attention
• How to use humor and stories to persuasively make your point
• How to write and speak to cause people to change their hearts and minds
• How to motivate without manipulating
• How to create effective marketing for your Christian organization
This book and seminar is helpful for:
• Writers
• Speakers
• Teachers
• Pastors
• Missionaries
• Staff of parachurch organizations
The book
Writing to Change Lives covers the following topics:
Introduction:
Part One: Changing Lives with Intelligence
1. Knowing Your Goal
2. Knowing Your Audience
3. Knowing the Techniques of Good Organization
4. Knowing the Techniques of Good Writing and Speaking
5. Knowing the Techniques of Effective Persuasion
6. Knowing the Traps of Ineffective Persuasion
Part Two: Changing Lives with Intensity
7. Using Psychological Appeals
8. Using Humor as a Life-Changing Tool
9. Using Stories, Illustrations, Testimonies
Part Three: Changing Lives with Integrity
10. Demonstrating Moral Integrity and Pure Motives
11. Demonstrating Pure Motivation vs. Manipulation
Part Four: Changing Lives Through . . .
12. Changing Lives Through . . . Speaking
13. Changing Lives Through . . . Writing
14. Changing Lives Through . . . Deliberating
Afterword
The seminar
The one-day seminar covers the content of the book with the following schedule:
Communicate with Intelligence
9:00-10:00: Knowing your goal, your audience
10:15-11:15: Knowing techniques of good organization
11:30-12:30: Knowing techniques of effective (and ineffective) persuasion
Communicate with Intensity
1:30-2:30: Using psychological appeals
2:45-3:45: Using humor, stories, testimonies
Communicate with Integrity
4:00-5:00 Having moral integrity, pure motives
Here’s how you can become involved (and make money for your organization).
• Sponsor a seminar through your church, college, or organization
• After covering travel cost and honorarium, you receive half the proceeds. (I’m suggesting you charge participants $99 for the six-hour seminar, $89 for groups. You can start making a profit with as few as ten participants.)
Email jim @ jameswatkins.com to sponsor the seminar and share in the income.
Click for list of venues where I’m speaking.