My notes from the Chapel Hill Retreat: Friday Night

On Friday Night we arrived at the Aquaduct Conference Center in Chapel Hill, NC. Eager to learn, share and network. I learned so much, in fact, that I can not post it all in one blog. it will take a series of blogs to share the highlights from my notes.

While we waited for everyone to arrive we gathered on the back porch to enjoy snacks, beverages, good company and a gorgeous view.

I must mention how impressed I am at how friendly and welcoming this group was. There didn't seem to be any cliques or pecking order. I had a good time meeting up with old friends as well as making new ones.

After dinner we met in a circle (as pictured) and shared our favorite read of 2007. If anyone is looking for an inspired reading list, here's what I jotted down, as well as notes from our e-mail list, from our circle time. I hope I didn't copy anything wrong.

Title Author Reading like a Writer Katherine Prose Girl Genus Millicent Min Charlie Bone & Children of the Red King Jenny Nimno The Invention of Hugo Cabret Brian Selznick Bad Kitty Nick Bruel Marley & Me John Grogan The Giver Lois Lowery Skellig David Almond Dovey Coe Francis O'Roark Dowell The Interupption of Everything Terry McMillian Doctor DeSoto William Steig Wizard of Earthsea ursula K. LeGuin Truth about Forever Sarah Dessen The Book Thief Markus Zusak Writing for the Soul Jerry B. Jenkins Elsewhere Gabrielle Zevin The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous Suzanne Crowley Twilight Stephanie Meyers My Side of the Mountain Jean Craighead George The Higher Power of Lucky Susan Paton The Disreputable History of Frankie Landeau-Banks E. Lockhart Star Girl Jerry Spinelli A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini Bartimus Trilogy Jonathan Stroud Skin Deep E.M. Crane Hell Week Rosemary Clemet Moore The Penderwicks Jeanne Birdsall Northlander Meg Burden Beauty and the Beast Robin McKinley

After our sharing time, Editor at Greenwillow, Martha Mihalik gave an insightful and informative session on "What is Voice and Why to Editors Go Ga-Ga Over it?" My notes on her insights will be shared in my next blog. Please excuse the super huge space between the list and this last paragraph. I've tried to go back and fix it, but it won't let me. !@#$#@!@#! urghh!

You can also check out other bloggers who have info and pictures from this retreat as well.
Janelle
and
Maggie