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by Trent Walters
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The Family of Summer SF Workshops
So, no, these workshops aren't conducted online. I'll try to cover that
another time. Instead, let's touch on each in the not-who's-best order of
age (Prices are maximum. Each workshop has generous donors who help defray
costs for students):
Clarion: The Granddaddy of 'em All
Like Clarion West, it certainly has prestige and a couple of other things
going for it. Nebula-winner Howard Waldrop will kick things off. He's as
kooky as his fiction. He has an essay online about submitting to Clarion
that all prospects should read. Campbell-winner Nalo
Hopkinson is new on the scene, but she's already teaching at Seton Hill and
at Clarion West. Her fiction has a melodic dark Caribbean ring. Richard
Paul Russo won the Philip K Dick award, nay not once but twice, with
multiple other nominations. The subtle and sweet Kelly Link will no doubt
be a huge draw for the literary writers (I know at least one writer wanting
to attend solely for her). Scott Edelman, former editor of the much
lamented SF Age, will be the editor who overlaps Link and the two-week
anchor team to follow: Maureen McHugh (China Mountain Zhang being one of
the best "fix-ups" in the history of the genre) and
James Patrick Kelly ("Mr.
Boy" is an excellent starting point), both superior writers and, I'm told,
teachers with much of value to share.
What does this workshop have over the others? The overlap of different
opinions between authors and editor in those last weeks. Everybody's
feeling pretty frazzled by the end, and it's nice to have the double-up anchor team
for two entire weeks: otherwise, the last fellow may feel like they're
getting the dregs of what might have been good wine if they'd arrived at the
party soon enough. Compared to Clarion West -- and I've not seen this mentioned
elsewhere -- East emphasizes critique over production; West vice versa
(again, mostly a six of one/half dozen of the other issue unless you really need to instill
the critiquing mind-frame or to learn how to get your production up).
James Gunn's Writers Workshop and SF Institute: Papa's Sagacity
Nebula-finalist James Gunn is as sage as they come and provides a less
production-oriented pressure to focus more on the critical side. Depending
on which circles you move in, this workshop has its own prestige set. Gunn
is a straight-shooter, like Nancy Kress, with just as valuable advice. His
critical entourage includes Analog-imaginaire-wonder-boy Christopher
McKitterick (now if only his novels ever get circulated by his agent, the
fans will flock to the stores) and Sturgeon/Crawford-winning Kij Johnson
whose second novel, if it's anywhere as
stunning as her first, should win a large
and literate fandom. Three professional writers for the price of one (this
workshop probably has the highest professional-to-student ratio).
Wait! That's not all. If you act now, you'll also receive critiques from
Frederik Pohl (only fools would claim not to have read his Apollo-,
Campbell-, Hugo-, Locus-, Nebula-winning Gateway), critic Betty Hull, and
possibly an editor from Pocket Books, Stan Schmidt from Analog, this year's
Sturgeon or Campbell winners. (Sturgeon-winner David Marusek ran out of red
ink on my story, went hoarse from screaming, and his poor fists went numb
from bludgeoning my face in utter rage at a misplaced modifier. Just
kidding. Marusek is a great guy. He wouldn't have run out of red ink for
the world)
After the Campbell conference which includes the aforementioned and that
year's winning authors, plus an amazing pair of Ginsu knives, is the SF
Institute which I hope to sit in on part this year. James Gunn has
penned the essential anthology series on the history of science fiction,
The Road to Science Fiction, and he dissects the why and wherefores in
this two-week follow-up. The two-week Institute is unrelated to the
two-week writer's workshop apart from it being taught by the same evil
mastermind.
Clarion West: Brother Moon
Nebula-winner Nancy Kress kicks off the class again as she did ours. She is
the Nuts-n-Bolts story artist and a
class-act and the perfect starting point to get your act together. Kathleen
Ann Goonan has rewritten the face of the Mid-South with her nano-techno-jazz.
Arthur C. Clarke-winner China Miéville will probably be the literary draw
here. (Although why not the others as well, who knows? Writers are a queer
lot: see below. If you haven't heard of him, many defense lawyers would
like to meet you for the trials of their serial killer clients.) World
Fantasy/Nebula winner Elizabeth Hand will be a sight for sore eyes. Editors
are a weird lot (because they have to deal with writers?) and the
perspective of one puts a whole new spin on things. Patrick Nielsen Hayden
has many broad insights on publishing that writers ordinarily miss:
trees-for-the-forest problem. Hayden has
an unusually upbeat perspective on
the industry that most
publishers lack. Samuel Delany is the kind of writer who can make
straight -- or rather, he's one of the genres damned best. Rumor has it he's
tough as nails, but apparently not quite as tough as Ellison is rumored to be.
The advantage is definitely climate with a spectacular view. It drizzled
for two weeks but the rest were gorgeous. Oh, and the used bookstores with
every book I'd never known I'd wanted! Every weekend sports parties of
rubbing elbows with other famous fellows like Greg Bear and Vonda McIntyre
and Octavia Butler and....
Odyssey: Lil' Sister Wolfe
The newest welcome addition, which I have yet to attend, (surprise,
surprise) may deserve more credit, being now its eighth year. How can you
say no to a whole week of Gene Wolfe? (I for one wish I weren't in debt until
death do us part.) What makes this workshop unique is the same editor,
Jeanne Cavelos, formerly a senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell and winner
of the World Fantasy Award, presides for six weeks, giving personal
assignments. Five fresh faces poke their heads in for twenty-four hours
(give or take a few minutes): Roland J. Green, Campbell/Lambda winner
Melissa Scott, Nebula-winner Bruce Holland Rogers, agent Lori Perkins,
fantastic fantasist John Crowley.
Still can't decide? Probably a key point not commonly remarked upon is the
housing set-up. Anything that forces you to be more of a community is a
plus. Yes, occasionally, the caged rat syndrome rears its ugly head to
demand a human sacrifice. But this can be prevented by talking. Did you
hear that? Talking. In case I didn't make that clear, go talk out your
problems BEFORE class. Don't carry them around with you like a backpack of
hardened cement.
But a close-knit community is an undeniably major benefit lost on those who
chose to drive in or are separated by smaller spaces. Everyone who does it
regrets it. Impromptu writers' discussions pop up constantly at the oddest
hours. If you want to hash out your idea, knock on the door next to you or
walk down to the lounge an chat with those recuperating from writing or
editing manuscript masterpieces. Clustering dorm rooms in one area is
something that, if Gunn hasn't laid down the law to the residence halls yet,
he or Chris or Kij should do -- even if it means males or females have to walk
up a flight of stairs to another set of community showers. Community over
amenity. What do you think you're here for anyway, soldier? Hit those
manuscripts. Hop to!
I haven't been to Odyssey but I would wager that some sense of community is
lost in living in townhouses, as more pleasant a lifestyle as that may
sound. That just means a little more effort at creating community: I say,
demand students double-up (the townhouses apparently have room for four) and
meet at a favorite place of congregation.
Go meet your teachers. Eat lunch with them in the cafeteria (or in the case
of Clarion West, walk with them to and from class and out to lunch). Take
them out to dinner. Get them trashed at the local pub. Kiss their arses.
Lavish them with gifts and your gift of wit. Force them to enjoy your
company at gunpoint if you have to.
All but Gunn's has individual meetings to go over your manuscripts. This
can be helpful, especially if your emotions have been riding high on that
first draft, being so close to it. (Though, usually, the manuscript in Gunn's
workshop has had some distance from the author before they attempt to revise
one in the final week.) The sessions can also provide a larger overview of
your work as each new writer comes in with a different take on your
blessings and errors with the foreknowledge of your earlier first drafts.
Too often your fellow day-to-day critics are running on fumes and as
close to your work as you to recognize patterns.
The heat (we're talking the physical) at Clarion East is tremendous. You
can squeak by on two cold showers a day. Hopefully, everyone has money
enough for an A/C next year. You don't want to suffer for your art and your
overheated bodies. The heat is a minor problem in Seattle on the west side
of the dorms, but you also get to see how high you can spit cherry pits on
the building next door. Gunn's workshop must have had A/C. I don't remember it
being a problem. The best Fourth of July was at Gunn's when we sneaked up
on the roof to watch fireworks going off all around town. Sure the dorm
supervisors were upset, but then they were on the roof next door.
The rooms at Clarion West are the largest (though the Odyssey townhouse is, no doubt,
far more spacious), followed by Gunn's, then Clarion. But Clarion's rooms
use space quite smartly with lots of neat little cubbyholes and beds that
slide underneath the cupboards. All workshops provide linen service so
that's one hassle to forget. But this is all the piddly stuff. Community
is your number one concern. Build it yourself if you have to. Knock on
your neighbor's door. Annoy them with questions. Don't allow Jeanne, or
Chris or Kij or Jim or whomever to sneak off without setting up a time for
chow.
Journal-writing while at the workshop? Do it for youself, if you're doing it.
Use it to clarify your thoughts on the themes that concern you while writing
your stories and to remember the lessons you were too dense to learn while
you were living through them. Otherwise, don't do waste your time.
You will work your ass off but, despite the occasional misery, have the time
of your life. Because of the intensity and close-knit community, nothing
like these workshops exist outside the genre. And no, probably not even in
graduate programs. When the rest of the writing world gets wind of this
little set-up, the workshopping world will transform overnight.
In some ways, the best part of the workshop is after the workshop has
finished. You now are not alone. Writing does not have to be a lonely
night vigil standing at a typewriter with a hat of lit candles dancing on
your head: every class sets up an email exchange, sharing joys of
acceptances and commiserating rejections. You know whom to trust with
manuscripts, what to look for in a critique, slapping your head when combing
the old critiques on the eureka that your critics weren't all full of it
after all.
Weigh your time and money, but all workshops have funding for the needy.
Weigh what you need against what's offered, but all workshops offer
something worth listening to. Physical location should probably be last on
your list of considerations. Number one should be how much time you have,
and the writers/editor whom you admire. With whom are you familiar or would
like to be familiar? "Can they teach?" is almost invariably, yes, but each
will have something entirely different to offer. Keep your mind open to all
they have to say and the experience will reward.
Trent Walters' work has appeared or will appear in The Distillery, Fantastical Visions, Full Unit Hookup, Futures, Glyph, Harpweaver, Nebo, The Pittsburgh Quarterly, Speculon, Spires, Vacancy, The Zone and blah blah blah. He has interviewed for SFsite.com, Speculon and the Nebraska Center for Writers. More of his reviews can be found here. When he's not studying medicine, he can be seen coaching Notre Dame (formerly with the Minnesota Vikings as an assistant coach), or writing masterpieces of journalistic advertising, or making guest appearances in a novel by E. Lynn Harris. All other rumored Web appearances are lies. |
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