Linda Zajac

What an overstuffed week it has been:  appointments, lectures, a webinar, a trip to Boston and the NESCBWI conference.  Early morning departures followed late night arrivals.  One evening, I drove an hour to see a lecture and view a short film, but it was well worth it.  It gave me a shot of excitement about things to come (I hope!).  The next day I was out the door at 5AM, headed to Boston. 

The full-day nonfiction academy at the conference was excellent.  The faculty (Tanya Stone, Susan Campbell Bartoletti and Elizabeth Partridge) was top notch and helpful offering activities to help our writing stay focused, captivating and plot driven.  The special interest group (SIG) session I attended was run by Loree Griffin Burns who was eager to answer our writing/publishing questions.  Both the academy and the SIG offered a rare opportunity to pick an author's brain.  I am so looking forward to returning to my conference critiqued manuscript and spending next week revising it.

As a handler, I introduced the speaker in one workshop.  Thanks to Toastmasters, I wasn't nervous at all.  In fact, when I found out I would be using the microphone, that actually pleased me immensely.  As I look back, I simply can not believe that in one workshop, I (Miss Offkey) sang solo in a circle of participants.  Unreal. 

Top photo:  Jane Yolen during the last minutes of the conference
Middle photo:  The uber busy registration table
Bottom photo: The poster contest and ballot box