WriteFest success!

A number of years back, Cynthia and I ran a couple of writing workshops out of our house we called WriteFests.  Basically, we anonymously brought in authors, did full manuscript critiques (also anonymously), and arranged writing exercises and activities around the manuscripts.  Cyn explains it here, and did running updates for the last one here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

A number of published novels came out of the workshops, with at least one more still forthcoming. 

Two of the biggest successes to come out of the workshop(s) were Kathi Appelt's THE UNDERNEATH, which won a Newbery Honor and was a National Book Award Finalist; and Libba Bray's GOING BOVINE, which won the Printz Award. 

This month, we've been celebrating another WriteFest success:

Congratulations to Franny Billingsley on being named a finalist for the 2011 National Book Award and receiving a Boston Globe/Horn Book honor this year for CHIME!