It's been four days since the Awesome Austin Writers Workshop wrapped for the weekend and I'm still in awe. In awe of the company I shared for the past 72 hours, in awe of the amazing manuscripts I had the priviledge of reading and discussing, and absolutely in awe that Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith asked me co-page the event. Thank you guys! 

Well, there was plenty of work to be done, but the majority of it was effortless. Why you ask? Because when you're in the company of great minds you tend to float through your tasks and savor every moment and encounter. 

For 72 hours, Cynthia moderated twenty-five, 40-minute critique sessions with uncanny wit, humor, knowledge, and amazing super-human strength!  She guided the writers through constructive dialog regarding each piece of work; poetry, picture book, novel, and chapter book. Every writer came prepared to share and strengthen each manuscript to lead it to its eventual space on a book shelf.  Many should have already been on a librarian's shelf!

Donna Bratton and I felt honored to be able to help as "pages" at the workshop by preparing the breakfasts, snacks, timing sessions, and other tasks that kept everyone fueled and focused on what really mattered -- their manuscripts.

This event couldn't have been put together without the matriarch of our writing community Cynthia Leitich Smith and her ability to evoke participation from everyone!  Thanks to all her helpers, Greg Leitich Smith, Tim Crow, Meredith Davis, Julie Lake, Donna Bratton, Helen Hemphill and the many others I'm forgetting to mention, who pitched in when they saw there was a need!

This experience has given me many gifts - far too many to mention. Again, I'm in awe. In awe of the wonderful creative writing community I belong to!