Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat, Inc.
Success Stories
Spotlight on Kent Raddatz, attendee 2015, 2017
I don’t remember how I first heard about Novel in Progress Bookcamp, but it was early on in my journey to become an author. When I read about how the week was structured, I instantly wanted to be part of it.
I was a newbie, so I was eager to learn from people who had both experience and know-how. Looking back, I definitely didn’t know how much I didn’t know, which means I needed to go to Bookcamp!
One of the first things I learned was to stop saying “I want to be a writer” and instead claim that I was already a writer. After all, I was writing every day, I just hadn’t been published. That was just the start of all the information and insight I would receive throughout the week.
Every day, there were exercises to open our minds and encourage our creativity. We learned by doing. While these activities were fun and challenging, they showed me, more than anything, that I could improve my writing skills if I put in the work.
There was valuable time with skilled authors and editors who taught us everything from choosing the correct point of view to giving up habits which get in the way to the value of being in a writer’s group. Each of us also got to spend time with one of these leaders who mentored us by looking over samples of our work.
There was time with agents as well. They looked at our first few pages and told us what works and what doesn’t work from an agent’s point of view.
Then, there was uninterrupted time to write, something we don’t always get at home. And, of course, there were the connections we made with other writers at the end of each day – laughing and relaxing.
Through it all, we were able to ask questions and get answers to specific issues we had. The teachers and leaders encouraged us with their words and informed us through their experiences.
That first Bookcamp exposed me to the wider world of writing. Since then, my writing has become more focused. I’m willing to put words and ideas down on a page and then do whatever editing is necessary. Because of Bookcamp, I feel more confident about saying I am a writer and I’ve learned to trust the work I do.
This became especially important when I searched for an agent for my first book. I spent hundreds of hours sending out book samples only to be rejected. But I had learned this doesn’t mean my writing is bad. It just means that what I’ve written doesn’t match up with a particular agent’s needs or wants.
Eventually, I chose to publish through Amazon’s Book Marketing program, which has been a positive experience.
My first book was well received. And having it published accomplished a goal I had set for myself. My second book has just recently come out through the same platform. Currently I am working on a sequel to my first book.
I know I would still be stumbling along without the guidance and positive energy I received from my time at Novel In Progress Bookcamp.
If you are considering attending Bookcamp this year, take the leap and sign up. Bookcamp will help you move forward in your writing. It’s a positive experience you won’t want to miss!
About Kent Raddatz
Kent Raddatz is a writer and author of the novel, The Boy Who Dreamed. It’s the story of twelve year old Jacob Tannin whose dreams transport him to another world. Yet the most important thing to know about Jacob is that he’s being bullied.
Professionally trained as a Pastor, Kent worked with many children who were bullied in a variety of ways. Some were physically attacked while others were verbally abused. All were forced to put up with angry people. He listened to their stories and encouraged them to accept and love who they are.
He is well suited to write about this subject because, in his own words, “at times I was bullied; while at other times I did the bullying [I was too small to use anything except my words].”
A member of SCBWI and the Wisconsin Writer’s Association, he attended the 2015 and 2017 Novel In Progress Book Camp where he was awarded the Fox Ridge Scholarship.
His interest in writing children’s books covers a wide range of topics and ages. For example, he recently published Uncover Superhero: The Story of a Boy and a Rare Disease, Collin’s Story,” the true story of Collin Cushman, a boy who was heroic in the way he lived with Krabbe Leukodystrophy. This will be especially meaningful to parents of children with rare diseases.
At the same time he is putting the finishing touches on a book intended to make younger children and their parents giggle. It’s titled, DID I? A Book of Extremely Bad Ideas for Incredibly Naughty Children.
The Boy Who Dreamed
fantasy, anti-bullying
May, 2020
Ebook – $2.99
Paperback – $7.99
197 pp
ISBN: 979-8638-8225-07
Buy on Amazon
Twelve-year-old Jacob Tannin is being bullied by Willard and doesn’t know what to do about it. He pretends to be invisible in the hopes that Willard will pick on someone else. It doesn’t work. And sometimes, while he’s being picked on, something sarcastic pops out of his mouth—which never goes over well. But Jacob’s also a dreamer. And when his dreams take him to another world called Chimeran, things begin to change. In Chimeran, he’s attacked by Haggeldies, a new set of bullies. But he also makes friends who try to teach him how to stand up for himself. As he goes back and forth between these two worlds, he’s forced to see others in a new way. And he’s encouraged to believe in the power that comes from what he thinks about himself. Will Jacob ever stop being afraid? What will give him the courage to speak up for himself? And how will he learn what he’s worth when bullies in both worlds say he’s nothing?
Uncover Superhero: The Story of a Boy and a Rare Disease
Nonfiction
Children’s illness
April 27, 2021
103 pp
Paperback $20.15
This is the story of Collin Jon Cushman, a young boy who changes the world through his battle with a rare disease. He brings people together. He teaches them how to be strong. He encourages those who struggle. And he reveals the secret to experiencing joy, unconditional love, thankfulness and hope in each day. If your child has a rare disease, Collin’s story can help you navigate the complications and challenges that lie ahead. It will provide answers to questions such as: How do I do this? What should I know? How can I keep my sanity? What can I do to make the greatest difference for my child? Collin’s story and the Cushman family’s experience will give you confidence that you can make it through any difficulty that comes your way. And if you struggle with your faith because of any hardship, Collin’s story will inspire you….not by lecturing you to ignore whatever feelings of anger or abandonment you might have, but by showing you it’s possible to come back from those dark places. Collin is a boy who can lead each of us to find the hero that resides in all of us.
