Hey Folks,

Maria is in New York City this week and put Zac and I in charge of holding down the WD fort—oh yes, there's actually a WD fort, and it's made up of empty Mt. Dew cans, Gatorade bottles and various office supplies. But just because she's OOO (Out Of Office) doesn't mean you won't get any updates. And in typical Questions & Quandaries fashion, I'm going to update you in Q&A form:

Q: Why is your favorite forum barista in the Big Apple?

A: Each year, a WD editor takes our Annual Competition winner to NYC to meet with agents and editors. This year is a little extra exciting because Maria is escorting two writers—Eros-Alegra Clarke (2007 winner) and Mary Feuer (2006 winner)—around town. Both have very different backgrounds and stories, but both are excellent writers.

Q: When will Maria return?

A: She'll be back at the office on Thursday, but she's hoping to stop by her blog and provide daily updates from her trip. If she's unable to hop online before she returns, expect a full recap of her adventure on Friday.

Q: How will we survive without her?

A: Zac and I highly recommend building a fort.

Take care of yourself and your writing,
Brian