Recently in Whispering Pines Category

Our wonderful 2009 NE SCBWI Whispering Pines Retreat being held March 27-29 this year, has a limited number of openings for Saturday-only attendees.

If you've always wanted to experience the magic of this very special retreat but couldn't commit either the time or the money, this is a perfect opportunity to enjoy the incredible surroundings, delicious food and presentations by our mentors, award-winning author, Ellen Wittlinger and Scholastic Press senior editor, Jennifer Rees. Afterwards, visit with other professionals over a relaxing lunch that boasts an outstanding menu. Although one-on-one critiques are not included, genre-based peer group critiques take place all afternoon.

Openings will fill quickly, so please contact Lynda Mullaly Hunt today at glkkhunt@aol.com or go to http://lyndamullalyhunt.com/index_files/Page554.htm

Whispering Pines, being held March 27-29, 2009, is a writers' retreat for the serious writer. This retreat, limited to 24 full time participants, is an opportunity to work intimately with professionals in an idyllic setting.

Weekend registration includes accommodations and meals. You will have the opportunity to work with others who are committed to quality children's literature in small groups and will also benefit from a thirty minute one-on-one critique with your mentor. You will also enjoy all of our mentors’ presentations (Saturday and Sunday) and intimate after dinner Q&A sessions, including a “first pages activity.” The setting allows for quiet meditation, networking, or attention to your individual project—you design your own retreat!

Saturday only participants will enjoy presentations from author, Ellen Wittlinger and senior editor, Jennifer Rees. Afterwards, visit with other professionals over a relaxing lunch that boasts an outstanding menu. Although one-on-one critiques are not included, genre-based peer group critiques take place all afternoon.

Sunday only participants will enjoy presentations from our author/illustrator, Maryann Cocca-Leffler, and editor, Sarah Shumway. Enjoy the company and professionalism of other participants over a delicious lunch.

The 2008 Whispering Pines Writers’ Retreat, A Working Weekend for the Serious Writer, took place February 29-March 2, 2008.

The retreat, limited to 20 full time participants, was an opportunity to work intimately with professionals in an idyllic setting. Participants had the opportunity to work with others who are committed to quality children’s literature in small groups and also benefited from a thirty minute one-on-one critique with an assigned mentor. The setting allowed for quiet meditation, networking, and attention to participants' individual projects in a "design your own retreat" format.

Participants enjoyed presentations from award-winning author Mark Peter Hughes, Charlesbridge Publishing editor Emily Mitchell, illustrator Ilene Richard, and Candlewick Press associate editor Kaylan Adair. Thanks to everyone involved for another successful event!

For everyone who couldn't attend our 2007 Whispering Pines Retreat, Jan Kozlowski has compiled a list of writing books that the group put together.

• READING LIKE A WRITER-Francine Prose
  
• ON WRITING-Stephen King
  
• STEERING THE CRAFT-Ursula LeGuin
  
• WRITE YOUR STORY-Marion Dane Bauer
  
• NO MORE REJECTIONS: 50 SECRETS TO WRITING THAT SELLS-Alice Orr
  
• A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN-Virginia Wolfe
  
• MAKING A LITERARY LIFE-Carolyn See
  
• THE WRITER'S JOURNEY: MYTHIC STRUCTURE FOR WRITERS-Christopher Vogler
  
• THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES-Joseph Campbell
  
• BIRD BY BIRD-Anne Lamott
  
• ARTIST'S WAY-Julia Cameron
  
• WALKING IN THE WORLD-Julia Cameron
  
• WRITING MAGIC: CREATING STORIES THAT FLY (2007)-Gail Carson Levine
  
• WRITING FICTION: A GUIDE TO THE NARRATIVE CRAFT-Janet Burroway and Elizabeth Stuckey French
  
• WRITING DOWN THE BONES-Natalie Goldberg
  
• WILD MINDS-Natalie Goldberg
  
• TAKE JOY-Jane Yolen
  
• WRITE FIRST-Donald Murray
  
• BREATHING IN, BREATHING OUT- Ralph Fletcher
  
• STARTING FROM SCRATCH: A DIFFERENT KIND OF WRITER'S MIND-Rita Mae Brown
  
• ZEN AND THE ART OF WRITING-Ray Bradbury