Mark Friel has been accepted to the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults. "Before I started my first writing workshop at the Attic," he says, "I had one simple goal: survive. I had never taken a writing course before and was certain that, not only was I the worst writer who ever spilled ink on the page, but everyone at the table would realize it instantly and cull me from the herd. I was wrong. I found myself surrounded by a group of supportive writers led by a patient, encouraging instructor. My first workshop with Emily Whitman-involving mostly in-class exercises-was so inspiring that I enrolled in two more with her: back-to-back workshops focusing on works-in-progress. The give-and-take sessions of reading and feedback were invaluable in helping me better understand why a particular scene was or wasn't working and how it could be improved, and teaching me tools for breaking impasse.  It was hard work, but totally worth it."

And another Emily Whitman student, Sandy Grubb, has won a contest at Rate Your Story for her story "30-Minute Superhero".