7Th Week Fall 2010 Issue

Home , Ellen Datlow, Graham Joyce, Margo Lanagan, Michael Bishop (author), Richard Matheson

The Seventh Week clarion west writers workshop · fall 2010

INTERVIEW: native English speaker would say, “I’m standing at the waterfall, looking Minister Faust: out at the mountains.” Why choose a bizarre, distancing, formal phrase when Writing is not a a down-to-earth one is so convenient and immediate? I recommend to all performance art young writers, whether it’s dialogue or narration, to write like people actually By Nisi Shawl ’92 speak. And if you have a character who Minister Faust is the nom de guerre of speaks in a truly formal fashion, even in Malcolm Azania, an acclaimed African- narration, then draw attention to that, Canadian activist and radio personality, since such behavior points to a strange and the author of Coyote Kings of the personality or frame of mind. Space-Age Bachelor Pad and From the Notebooks of Dr. Brain. Both novels In a recent interview you named a were Philip K. Dick Award nominees; wide-ranging list of authors who’ve the second received the Carl Brandon influenced you: Philip K. Dick, Society’s Parallax Award. Faust is currently Frank Herbert, and Daniel Keyes, working on The Alchemists of Kush, in the SF genre; Alan Moore, Kevin “the story of two Sudanese boys orphaned O’Neill, and Frank Miller in comics; helpful lessons I’ve learned from doing by war and forced to wander through Ralph Ellison, John Gardner, Richard so much performance (which also violence, fear, and deprivation, until Wright, John Steinbeck, and J.D. includes giving scores of speeches and they encounter mystic mentors who try to Salinger in mainstream fiction; having taught public school for ten transform them into leaders. One of those Seamus Heaney, the Last Poets, boys lives today in inner-city Edmonton. years) is how to be clear and concise. When we write, it’s easy to get carried Claude McKay, and Linton Kwesi The other lived 7,000 years ago: Horus, Johnson in poetry. Gender Police son of Osiris.” away, to fall in love with our own endless descriptions of whatever we Person wants to know if any women Minister Faust will teach the fourth authors interest you. week of the Clarion West Writers personally think is amazing: sunsets, The absence of women on my list Workshop’s 2011 session. He was flowers, action, aliens, guns, food, sex, points to a major flaw in my early interviewed by Nisi Shawl ’92. shoes…. But when you read your work aloud and discover you’ve spent five reading history, when a writer was You’re a radio announcer and a minutes on something, no matter how much more likely to influence my spoken word artist, the former pretty the words are you have to realize own approach. But I’d definitely say member of a hip hop group, and an you’ve gone long. I’m profoundly impressed by Nalo acclaimed participant in live poetry Another major benefit of that much Hopkinson (Brown Girl in the Ring), readings. How does performance experience speaking and performing Eden Robinson (Traplines), Hiromi influence your written work? is that I aim for naturalistic phrasing. Goto (The Kappa Child), Danzy Senna I can’t stress enough how important I get irked by passages such as, “I (Caucasia), Laura Esquivel (Like Water it is for writers to read their own work stand at the waterfall. I gaze out at for Chocolate), and Jan Wong (Red aloud to themselves. One of the most the mountains,” since in real life, a China Blues).

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 1 As a writer you set yourself daily goals You’ve described yourself as “Kenyan- Clarion West students on how to of hundreds, sometimes thousands of Canadian left-wing writer.” Can approach the week they’ll be spending words. Do you revise as you go? readers perceive your politics through with you next summer? When I’m working on a novel your work? Do you think your writing Be open. Together we’ll try to help manuscript, I try to write a minimum can achieve political gains? everyone improve their weakest skills of four pages a day (2,000 words). If readers don’t perceive my politics, and investigate their own deepest fears, Revising can be a helpful way to get the they aren’t paying much attention. That pains, hopes, and joys, which I believe momentum to do the day’s work, but said, some people think they know are the sources of our greatest writing. for me, revising at that stage is mostly my convictions and proceed to make a proofreading with minor additions and variety of claims about them. They’re If you could go back in time and tell subtractions. Some people are quite frequently speaking more about their your younger self anything, what comfortable killing whole sections of own fears and prejudices than anything would it be? a manuscript in progress, but I grieve having to do with me. 1. Buy Google stock. losses on that scale. As far as political gains, I think that 2. Bad things will go away. Good To avoid having to delete large barring a few people—such as Ralph things will get better. sections, I do extensive planning for Nader, whose books have brought major 3. Spend more time with friends every novel manuscript. My notes for improvements to the lives of hundreds and family. my unpublished megabooks sometimes of millions of his fellow citizens—the total a few hundred pages. They’re at best most writers can hope for is to least 100 pages for my latest manuscript, make a lot of people feel less alone The Alchemists of Kush, which when (because someone, somewhere has published will be about 350 pages long. shared their experiences and published Not everyone likes extensive planning, them), and to inspire a few ambitious and Stephen King says it’s for hacks. people to turn fictional versions of Writing is not a performance art, aspects of a better life into reality. though—it’s a results-oriented art. The only people who truly care how you You mentioned in an interview a few wrote your book are certain types of years back that Canadian SF writer fans, and writers seeking to learn from Robert Sawyer predicted the death of your methods. All television writers and SF publishing within our lifetimes. most film writers do extensive planning; Do you believe that will happen? Do a story might be up to half the length of you see SF as a ghetto to escape from? the finished script. I think SF publishing for adults is in a tough spot right now based on What’s good about writing for games? what various people tell me. The best What’s not so great about it? hope for SF adult publishing is SF YA The most satisfying part of writing for publishing, which apparently outsells video games is seeing artists and level adult SF by a ratio of two-to-one. The designers turn my ideas into visuals. more young people we can bring into For ten years (ages 10 - 20), I aimed at SF, the more will become adults who being a comic book artist and writer, so continue to read in the genre. And seeing people put in hours and years to many of them will become literature bring my ideas to simulated 3D life is teachers and professors who will assign deeply rewarding. SF novels. The part that’s not so great is, SF isn’t a “bad neighborhood” from ironically, also the most valuable: having which to escape; some of the finest my work constantly subjected to many, novels in English are SF: Jonathan many people’s changes. It’s hard to Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, really the take because it means that whatever earliest Star Trek, exploring strange new I love can be (and most of the time worlds and seeking out new lifeforms is) killed almost immediately. That’s and new civilizations, complete with beneficial because I’ve learned a great political commentary; George Orwell’s deal about what “average folks” either 1984; Philip K. Dick’s VALIS. Our are entertained by or think they’ll be biggest barrier is the prejudice of people entertained by. So lessons from writing who think they’re too good for SF. for video games will be useful in some of the YA series I’m planning right now. Do you have any advice for 2011

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 2 From the Chair

The Power of Imagination by Kelley Eskridge

As I write this, Halloween approaches. and the possibility of transformation slate of upcoming instructors: Paul I’m looking forward to neighborhood it offers—would not be possible. Your Park, Nancy Kress, Margo Lanagan, kids showing up at my door in donations helped us meet our $25,000 Minister Faust, L. Timmel Duchamp, costumes, transformed for a night into challenge grant from Amazon.com, and and Charles Stross. We’ll begin superheroes and monsters, pirates and your continued support will make the accepting applications on January 1, fairies. I’m thinking about the power of workshop possible for a crop of new 2011. If you’re an emerging writer imagination. students in 2011. Thank you all for of speculative fiction, please imagine Imagination is the engine that drives helping us turn imagination into reality yourself at Clarion West and send us writers and readers. Every daydream for students every year. Speculative your application. Because imagination is and every private fantasy, every moment fiction is better because you do. Because powerful. It transforms us. spent in the head of a character or the of you, stories will be written years from world of a story, is a creative act that now that will change a mind or change connects us to ourselves and each other. a life. This past summer, eighteen students One of the most exciting ways that fueled by their own vision of writing our community comes together to and themselves as writers came together support CW is in the Write-a-thon that with six instructors and the Clarion runs in concert with the workshop. West staff and community in Seattle. Writers signed up, set goals, gathered They worked, laughed, cried, risked, support, cheered each other on in and grew. They connected with each our website forum, and wrote novels, other, and with themselves. It was, as it stories, flash fiction, and poetry. More always is, miraculous. than 200 people supported these All of us at CW are enormously proud writers with donations to CW. Alumni of our 2010 alumni, an astonishingly organized readings. Family and friends talented, diverse, and passionate group cooked meals and did laundry so people of writers. We are deeply grateful to our could write. Bloggers spread the word. instructors for their energy and wisdom. It was a joyful thing. I’m constantly thankful for Leslie Although the workshop is over for Howle and Neile Graham, our caring the year, we’re busy behind the scenes and supportive workshop leaders whose continuing the business of CW. I’m hard work makes it possible for so much delighted to announce that Davis Fox learning to happen. has joined us as our Interim Executive And all of us are indebted to everyone Director. Davis brings a warm presence who volunteered time, gave money, and boatloads of nonprofit expertise hosted parties, attended readings, that will ensure we continue using offered transportation or supplies or your gifts of time and money wisely a warm conversation to encourage a and efficiently. We’re hard at work student. Without you, this workshop— preparing for 2011. We have a fabulous 

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 3 Celebrating Old and New

Traditions constructive discussion. At the end of Another landmark seems quite that exhilarating first week, many of appropriate to the new decade: for the By Leslie Howle ’84 us attended the Locus Awards and the first time in over twenty years, we did Science Fiction Hall of Fame Awards not rely on Kinko’s to copy and deliver at the Science Fiction Museum, a CW manuscripts this summer. Instead, a tradition. This amazing day introduced large portion of the class opted to share students personally to some of the and critique their stories electronically current greats in the SF field and and we used an in-house printer for the inspired them with the memory of hard copies we needed. Since this saved Hall of Fame inductees Roger Zelazny, time and money, we are fine-tuning the Richard Matheson, and Octavia E. process for next year and looking to buy Butler, who was also a frequent CW a workhorse printer. Does anyone have instructor. suggestions for a quality, affordable laser The brilliant, insightful Maureen printer/copier? McHugh returned in the second week Once again we had a very talented for her second round of teaching at group of students who worked hard, CW. Nnedi Okorafor brought a unique wrote well, and created a culture Our twenty-seventh workshop was the perspective, thoughtful critiques, and entirely unique to their group. At least perfect culmination of the first decade succinct advice in week three. Next, four of this summer’s students have of Clarion West in the new millenium, Graham Joyce delivered a series of already sold stories, and this trend is with superb instructors, excellent small but powerful lectures on narrative sure to continue. Many thanks to the students, and big stories. structure and astute critiques, followed wonderful students, instructors, and We welcomed Michael Bishop, by great critiques, lectures, and career supporters who helped make Clarion Maureen McHugh, Graham Joyce, and advice from Ellen Datlow in the West 2010 memorable, successful, and Ellen Datlow back to Seattle, while fifth week. Ian McDonald closed the one of our best. Ian McDonald and Nnedi Okorafor, workshop by covering stories, novels, a Clarion graduate herself, were new and screenplays; he also taught puppetry We would like to congratulate Leslie for to CW. These six instructors are not using a giant black crow and performed winning the 2010 Last Drink Bird Head only the crème de la crème of the a hilarious secret ritual, complete with Award for Tireless Energy, in recognition field, but also topnotch teachers who ceremonial candles and improvised of her work with Clarion West and made powerful contributions to the chants. Richard Hugo House. The second annual workshop. Our 2010 class consisted Thanks to the Amazon.com grant award, which was presented at Capclave of eighteen writers aged 21 to 63, and our usual careful stewardship, we in Washington D.C. on October 23, including one from Australia and were able to celebrate 2010 with two 2010, is named for the charity anthology three from the Puget Sound area. The UK instructors in one summer: Graham Last Drink Bird Head, edited by Ann diverse mix of students and instructors Joyce came from Leicester, England and and Jeff VanderMeer, who also selected the prepared a rich soil for growing fertile Ian McDonald from Belfast, Northern award winners. imaginations, which resulted in a very Ireland. This has never happened before, productive summer. one of several exciting firsts for CW. Michael Bishop kicked off the In an even more unusual first, during workshop with a week of short, themed the workshop five students got tattoos assignments which were read aloud for incorporating the CW logo and/or blind critique and followed by intense, initials to memorialize their experience.

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 4 students to attend who might otherwise Dikeman, Leah Cutter, Louise Marley, not be able to afford it. In addition, Lucas Johnson, Lynette Aspey, we’re making a long-term investment in Marguerite Croft, Mark Bukovec, CW by working with professionals who Marsha Sisolak, Martha Miller, Michael can help us expand our fundraising and Ehart, Michael Scott Bricker, Michael solidify our administrative systems. The Swanwick, Mike Underwood, Nancy healthier the organization, the better Jane Moore, Neile Graham, Nisi Shawl, the workshop experience we can offer to Pamela Rentz, Phoebe Harris, Rachel students. Swirsky, Rajan Khanna, Randy We’re deeply grateful to the Henderson, Raymund Eich, Robin anonymous benefactor whose Walton, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Sarah suggestion to Amazon.com led to Bewley, Sarah Brandel, Sonya Lyris, the first challenge grant in 2009. In Stephanie Burgis,Tinatsu Wallace, Vicki tough economic times, this money has Saunders, Vonda N. McIntyre, and enabled us to continue to offer students Vylar Kaftan. one of the finest writing programs in The auction at Potlatch the world. Thanks to all of you whose contributions have enabled us to meet I look forward to seeing many of you Developing the Amazon.com challenges and secure at Potlatch 20 in Sunnyvale, California, this funding. March 2-6. Potlatch is again hosting the The Write-a-thon annual Clarion West Benefit Auction, a News gala evening event that, in keeping with The 2010 Write-a-thon raised just over the potlatch theme, redistributes articles By Karen G. Anderson $10,000 in contributions—40 percent of great value among the community— of the money required to meet the with CW benefitting from all sales. If Making Money: A Grant, a Write-a- Amazon.com challenge. This year we you have a unique or distinctive item thon, and an Auction had 79 writers and 219 sponsors. A new to donate, something you think might and popular feature of the Write-a-thon bring out high bidders, please get in You may recognize some of our favorite this year was Michael Swanwick’s offer touch with Dawn Plaskon at auction@ themes from last fall in this report: a to “Tuckerize” people in his fiction; 42 potlatch-sf.org. generous Amazon.com challenge grant, people donated to have him write stories a successful Write-a-thon, and plans that included their names. for another spring auction. In short, it’s Thanks to these 2010 Write-a-thon good news all around. participants: Ada Milenkovic Brown, The Amazon.com matching grant Adrian Khactu, Al Robertson, An Owomoyela, Andrea Hairston, Andy For the second time, Amazon.com Duncan, Annie Tupek, April Lott, challenged us to raise $25,000 to secure Arinn Dembo, Beka Cavanaugh, Brenta matching funds from them. Thanks to a Blevins, Caren Corley, Caren Gussoff, wide range of donations, including Carol Ryles, Cat Rambo, Christopher $10,000 from the summer Write-a- Reynaga, D. Lynn Smith, Daniel thon, we met that challenge well in Marcus, Deb Taber, Doug Sharp, E.C. advance of the October 31 deadline. Myers, Eden Robins, Eileen Gunn, How are we putting the Elizabeth McDowell, Emily C. Skaftun, Amazon.com gift to use? First, by Erin Cashier, Ethan Jones, Glenn expanding financial assistance to Hackney, Gord Sellar, Greer Woodward, students (always a priority for us). This Heather Lindsley, Janet Freeman, Jeff year we were able to offer more financial Spock, Jessica J. Lee, Jocelyn Paige assistance than ever before, and we’re Kelly, Julie McGalliard, Justina Robson, setting a stretch goal for financial aid in Karen G. Anderson, Kate Schaefer, 2011. If you’ve contributed to Clarion Kelley Eskridge, Ken Crawford, Kij West, you’re making it possible for Johnson, Kris Millering, Kristine 

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 5 Time and Money meet authors of outstanding speculative experience with high quality fiction. students and the best instructors. By Susan Gossman Since you’re reading this article for If our workshop were lousy, then an update on Clarion West’s finances, donations would evaporate. rather than a book review, here is my latest news. This year the board decided to invest Despite enduring the worst recession some of our grant money in the in seventy years, CW continues to be addition of three excellent professionals financially stable. Some of the reasons to assist the board with management for our stability: and fundraising tasks. With the departure of Kate Schaefer • We manage every dollar in the as Development Director, we want CW budget like it was our own. to make sure our fundraising efforts We have an obligation to our continue to be successful. In addition, donors to make sure their money several years ago Deborah Fisher, the is spent in a careful, responsible former board chair, discovered that As I write this article, I am bleary eyed way. the board and volunteers contributed from staying up late last night to finish • Thanks to our donors and the a total of 1,692 hours of their time to Ian McDonald’s The Dervish House. hard work of everyone involved CW. Placing this much dependence on This is an exciting, beautifully written with fundraising, the Write-a- volunteers can result in board member novel set in 2027 Istanbul. Last summer, thon, Amazon.com’s matching burnout, which this investment will while Ian McDonald was in Seattle grant, and our Annual Appeal help prevent. teaching the workshop, we had a brief provide about half of the total I invite you to contribute your time conversation about two of my favorite cost of running the workshop, and/or money to Clarion West. Your subjects: economics and science fiction. readings, and newsletter. participation is critical to our future. One of the things I enjoy about serving • Finally, our entire focus is to as a board member is having a chance to produce a fabulous workshop Clarion West Class of 2010 Week Four, Instructor Graham Joyce

Back Row L to R: Tod McCoy, K.C. Ball, Michael Alexander, Andrew Romine, Jack Graham, (Luke the dog) Erik Owomoyela

Middle Row L to R: Tracie Welser, Stephanie L. Scudder, Cassandra Clarke, Abbey Chung, Lauren Dixon, Stephanie Denise Brown, Adam Brymora

Front Row L to R: Jude-Marie Green, John Nakamura Remy, Graham Joyce (Instructor) Frank Ard, Nicholas Pidgeon, Sandra M. Odell

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 6 We’re continuing our series of articles on careers The Forgotten Realms. The game won’t unsurprisingly, is going to be working for fiction writers with Diana Sherman’s be released until late 2011 and it isn’t, on making the story clearer. description of an average workday at a video quite, going to be an MMO. Instead, The art lead pulls up some slides game development studio. - Editor it’s going to be a cooperative RPG (Role and we end the meeting looking at the Playing Game)—which is new for us. new faces and concept art for the final dungeon. We “ooh” and “ahh” (really, Let’s get the day started the faces look much better). Then it’s off to our cubes to get to work. I get to work, usually late, with my hair A Day in the I pull up the latest version of the game sopping wet and my stomach empty. and log in. When I reach the character But then, so does half of everyone else selection screen, I discover that “female” Life of a Video at the company—except for the wet is grayed out—Art has yanked females hair. Most of the people here are guys altogether until they’re finished with the and most of them have short hair which overhaul. So I name my burly fighter Game Writer, dries a lot faster, so it’s not obvious guy Natasha, and move on. when one of them just rolled out of bed I run through the zone, comparing art ne fifteen minutes ago. the playtest feedback to what I’m seeing. P O No one minds this. We’re a game As I go, I’m “aggroed” by a big group studio, and these are developer hours. of undead (the term comes from the By Diana Sherman ’02 Just like our audience, we stay up late same root as aggression). While Natasha into the night shooting zombies, saving gets the stuffing kicked out of him, I princesses, or building civilizations. This pull up the developer menu and grant is why no one schedules meetings before him invincibility and, while we’re at it, 10:30 a.m. the power to kill things with his mind. The all-team meeting for Neverwinter Well, not exactly that, but I do have the is at 11, leaving just enough time for ability to click on an enemy and have it breakfast before we all pile into the just collapse. nearest conference room. There’s barely I go through the zone and I see why standing room for the whole team; there people were confused. Remember that are about thirty-five of us in the room. whole “not quite an MMO” thing? The executive producer starts off the Since we’re still dealing with a persistent meeting by going over the notes from world of the sort commonly used the latest playtest: “We have a lot of in MMOs, our NPCs (Non-Player great new content. Combat is flowing Characters, which are controlled by more smoothly, and the dialogue is the game) always have to be in the way better. Everyone agreed on that.” same area. While you may have already I exchange a look with one of the level saved Johann the Wolfboy from sure I’m going to take you to work with me. designers; we worked our butts off on death at the hands of the Accountants’ You’ve probably heard of or played an that dialogue, so that’s a relief. Guild, your buddy who logged in forty MMO (Massively Multi-player Online “But everyone was confused about the minutes later hasn’t yet. But he has to game): possibly World of Warcraft, Star story.” Uh-oh. be in the same world you’re in, as do a Wars the Old Republic, or City of Heroes. Then the producer takes over. He bunch of other people you don’t even That last one was made by the video tosses up a Powerpoint with all of our know, so when you come back an hour game company where I work, Cryptic tasks for this milestone broken down by later, Johann the Wolfboy is surrounded Studios. team. Character Art is working on faces, by accountants again and you, as the Our players log in from all over the which explains why, when I tried to log player, are wondering why he didn’t world, at all hours of the day, and they in my fighter-elf chick the other day, high tail it out of there while the getting play together. A huge part of the appeal her entire face was a blob of navy blue. was good. is that they can interact with potentially Environment is working on sky files Also, our NPCs are all saying the hundreds of other players while they for the city so it no longer feels like it’s same things. Five different guys tell you go on adventures, slay dragons, and floating in the vacuum of space (which the history of the Accountants’ Guild, save the world. This presents different is cool, but not appropriate so much but they’re all a bit vague about it. challenges than a single or two-player for D&D). Powers will be working on This is the other challenge of persistent game would; I’ll go into that more later. rewards tables, which determine what worlds: there’s no way for us designers I’m the writer on Neverwinter, which kind of reward the player gets when to predict what the player will do first. comes out of one of the most popular they complete specific tasks. There’s a I can’t know if you’re going to talk Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) settings, lot of math involved in this. Content, to Johann at the corner of First and

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 7 Candycane Lane, or if you’re going to accounting, but one lone rebel stole the We’ll find out what Diana had for lunch and come in the Western Gate where you’ll secret and passed it on to someone else learn more about the rest of her day when meet Mary the Flower-seller who needs before dying tragically of a hangnail, her article concludes in the Spring 2011 help finding peonies, or if you’re going well… I’m not necessarily going to newsletter. to sneak in through the secret passage want to tell you about the Accountants’ We'd like to feature more articles on from the Puppy Smugglers’ den. I can’t Guild’s plans, not immediately. I “nontraditional” writing careers and give away too much, for fear of ruining do want you to know that they’re opportunities for speculative fiction writers, the story; I can’t count on it being the bad guys and they’re terrorizing such as games, blog posts, reviews, audio linear. poor innocent people like Johann the dramas, screenplays, media tie-ins, etc. If There are certain stories where that’s Wolfboy. And I won’t reveal at the you have experience in such a venue and are fine. If aliens are attacking the city from outset who that lone rebel was. I want interested in contributing a future article above and you need to save people from you to figure these things out. Being about it to The Seventh Week, please contact the editor at [email protected]. a burning building, linearity doesn’t able to use linear story telling would matter quite so much. It’s fine if all the make it a lot easier. people you pull from the building are This is, of course, a simplification. saying “I don’t know what happened! At which point, a chat window Clarion Suddenly everything was on fire!” suddenly pops up on my screen. It’s the On the other hand, if the story is French guy from Localization reminding West Writers that the Accountants’ Guild is trying me about lunch and our twice-weekly Workshop to find the lost code to the sacred vault walk. Which is a good thing, because we to control all the magic in the world probably need a break. Board of Directors and force everyone to learn forensic Kelley Eskridge | Chair Kij Johnson | Vice Chair Susan Gossman | Treasurer Karen G. Anderson | Grants Coordinator Phoebe Harris Nisi Shawl Davis B. Fox | Interim Executive Director | ex officio  Leslie Howle | ex officio Neile Graham | ex officio

Workshop Petrey Scholarship Award Administrators Debbie Cross and Paul Wrigley with 2010's recipient Leslie Howle | Workshop Director Cassandra Clarke and Petrey Fellow Instructor Ian MacDonald. Neile Graham | Workshop Administrator Suzanne Tompkins | Office Manager

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 8 due out in November. At the moment, a trade paperback. Earlier titles which CW People I’m hard at work on a novel based on may ring a bell with some of you are Ice the Warehouse 13 TV show, while my Ghoul Daze and Deadolescence: Shirley agent tries hawking my first original Jackson’s “The Lottery” meets Prom Students, Instructors, novel. Here's hoping it finds a good Night slasher flicks. Amazon has sample home soon! pages. Enjoy! &Volunteers Check In – Greg Cox – Robert Devereaux

[Editor’s note: For this issue, alumni were Occasionally I come across snippets 1992 invited to share the tools that aid their writing. out there in the ethersphere which ask, If you have a suggestion for a future newsletter more or less, what the hell happened I’m now Reviews Editor for The topic, please send it to eugene_myers@ to Bruce Fergusson who wrote those Cascadia Subduction Zone, a literary clarionwest.org.] fantasy novels and will he ever write quarterly from Aqueduct Press. Our another one? inaugural issue appears in January 2011, Students It’s tempting to pin my disappearance with a poem from Ursula K. Le Guin. on the Federal Witness Protection Each issue’s going to be printed first, 1972 Program (for the crimes of dabbling then appear online a few months later. in another genre and excessive use of Cool people writing about cool books. Brian Herbert and I have a book, flashbacks) but the truth is this: I took I sold that Michael Jackson-inspired Stormworld, coming out in early some time off as a single father to raise story “Pataki” to Strange Horizons. The November. Also, Eraserhead Press will two sons who are now out of the nest, Sandy Denny novelette, “Something be publishing a collection of my work in college and law school. But I’m back More” (which I’ve also described as “a titled Mr. Magic Realism, (thank you!) now in the Six Kingdoms, setting of my sort of complement to Kindred”), will to be released at BizarroCon (early first two published novels, The Shadow be available at WisCon 35, where I am November). I, along with my partner, of His Wings and The Mace of Souls, both going to be the Guest of Honor! Holy Roberta Gregory, gave a presentation bought and edited in the days of yore by Mother of All Living Beings! Me, as a with my work Mountains of the Night David Hartwell. GOH at the convention I care most and hers, Follow Your Art: Roberta’s The new book, Pass on the Cup of about in the entire world! WisCon 35 is Comic Trips, at the Elliott Bay Book Dreams, picks up where Mace left off, May 26 through May 30, 2011. Please Company in late August. and will be finished by the first of the come. Please. After some unexpected delays, the year, to be followed by Kraken’s Claw As for the question in question, second book in my Spiritual Trilogy, and more Six Kingdoms novels, as yet increasingly I find that a high-speed Magic of Wild Places, is hopefully untitled, after that. internet connection helps me write. coming out in mid-December. The Also next year I aim to have a new This is an issue on retreats at Centrum, anthology Like Water for Quarks is website up and running and get my where I must walk ten minutes—ten alive and well with projected release at non-fantasy stuff out there, one way or minutes! —from my apartment to a NorWescon. Other news: still having the other: The Piper’s Sons (published place where I can look up how many health issues related to lead poisoning by Dutton years ago amidst an agent tons of coal a two-funneled steamship and detoxing, but generally better, controversy—always wear your seatbelt, used per day on transatlantic voyages especially since mid-August, in spite Clarionites); and the as-yet-unpublished in 1895. My wip, a steampunk novel of setbacks here and there. Nice to be novels, Run of Stones and Two Graves for set in the Belgian Congo, requires lots getting a life again! Michael Furey. of research, and my writing process – Bruce Taylor It’s great to see that some CW necessitates getting one bit fairly close buddies, Patrick Swenson and Greg to right before I move on to the next. 1984 Cox, are still going strong. But where Also, I save each day’s work by emailing are my Julia’s breakfast confederates, it to myself. I’m disciplined enough not On the main topic, I’m still pretty low- Scott Stolnack and Richard Clement? to waste my online minutes reading tech. I do all my plotting on index cards – Bruce Fergusson The Onion’s site, so yeah, I wants my and yellow legal pads, and I’m probably intertubes. one of the last writers around who is still 1990 – Nisi Shawl submitting his novels in WordPerfect, although I really do intend to switch to I’m pleased to announce that my novel 1996 Word one of these days... Slaughterhouse High: A Tale of Love and On the writing front, I have a new Sacrifice, which was too mixed-genre for My second space history book, When story in The Green Hornet Chronicles, Dell Abyss and too nontraditional for Biospheres Collide, is being published which just came out this week, and my Leisure Books, has been published by this fall by NASA History Division. next CSI mystery, Shock Treatment, is the spirited folks at Eraserhead Press as It is about searching for life without

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 9 infecting the planet being explored. personal ideal! Our little boy is about – Michael Meltzer 2000 two years old now, talking more and 1999 more and already obsessed with books. My story “Suicide Club” recently By far my biggest writing news is Earlier this year, my first novel, appeared in Sybil’s Garage No. 7; that the first book in my middle grade Mindscape, won the Carl Brandon this publication has changed over to Parallax Award for 2006. (It took them an anthology format so it’s available a while to get that out.) from Amazon and other bookstores in I published two essays: “Stories addition to the publisher. It’s a very Are More Important than Facts: short story, but perhaps a little less than Imagination as Resistance in Guillermo subtle in showing my political colors. del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth” in Narrative In non-writing news, my husband, Power: Encounters, Celebrations, Struggles Paul Abell, became an American edited by L. Timmel Duchamp, and citizen (he’s British and Canadian) in “Romance of the Robot: From R.U.R & November 2009, and a few months ago Metropolis to WALL-E” in The WisCon was hired on as a civil servant at NASA Chronicles: Volume 4 edited by Sylvia Johnson. This past summer he was part Kelso. of the ground recovery team in Australia An excerpt from my novel-in- for the Japanese Hayabusa asteroid progress, Will Do Magic For Small sample-return capsule, which was very

Regency fantasy trilogy—A Most Improper Magick—was published in the UK this summer! It’s also going to be published in the US in April 2011 under the title Kat, Incorrigible. I’m learning all about Publication Craziness (and have finally forced myself to stop looking at Amazon rankings!), but it’s also been incredibly fun. If anyone’s curious about it, I’ve posted the first three chapters on my website. (www.stephanieburgis.com) As far as a writer’s toolkit, the one website I found invaluable when I was agent-hunting was www.agentquery.com Change, appeared in 80! Memories exciting. Really, really helpful! & Reflections on Ursula K. Le Guin, I still work full-time as a community – Stephanie Burgis edited by Karen Joy Fowler and Debbie college librarian, and this fall taught a Notkin. My new novel, Redwood and one-credit library research course for 2004 Wildfire, is coming out in February the first time. I’m also taking graduate 2011 and I will be traveling all over literature and writing courses from Shannon and I bought a house, so the country doing a musical reading/ Western New Mexico University, an we’ve been absolutely and completely performance with Pan Morigan. affordable distance program that I’ve swamped. But lots of great things I will be the guest scholar at ICFA found highly enjoyable. happening for me. I’m progressing well – Amy Sisson on my novel, which I plan to complete in March 2011 and receive the IAFA by December 7. In 2010, I’ve published Distinguished Scholarship Award, 2011. 2001 fiction in Lightspeed, Black Static, and Here is a picture of me and Ama Beneath Ceaseless Skies, among other Patterson (also CW ’99) at a play in Patrick Samphire (’01) and I are living places. And we love the new house and New York. in Wales now, in a town with a ruined can’t wait to settle in! – Andrea Hairston castle and several coffeeshops—my – Vylar Kaftan

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 10 2005 themes in it. Meanwhile, I have been 3. Ask yourself, how long might turning some of the material I worked these tasks take, or how much The story I was writing when I got on at Clarion West ’06 into a novel. time can I devote to it? Leslie’s call inviting me to CW, “My – Jim Trombetta 4. Draw a rectangle on a sticky note Father’s Eyes”, recently appeared in next to a task you think will take Sybil’s Garage No. 7. Though I wrote 2009 less than twenty-five minutes. it just before the workshop, the lessons Draw more rectangles for longer I learned there and in my subsequent My story “Last of the Monsters” tasks, and think of each rectangle writing group, Altered Fluid, helped appeared in Strange Horizons (called a “Pom”) as a block of improve it. Another story, “All the (strangehorizons.com) on October 11. twenty-five minutes. Lonely People”, should be published in – Emily C. Skaftun 5. 5. Pick a task and set the timer an upcoming issue of Shimmer. 2010 (you guessed it) for twenty-five I recently launched two new websites. minutes. If at any time during I redesigned my professional author Jude-Marie Green (’10) has joined me the Pom you become distracted, site into a WordPress blog at ecmyers. as coeditor of 10Flash magazine, now in by a ringing phone, a sudden net, and a friend and I have created its second year of publication. 10Flash craving for ice cream, a really cool The Viewscreen at www.theviewscreen. is a quarterly online magazine dedicated YouTube video, resist! Just jot the com, where we have archived our “Star to genre flash fiction—science fiction, distraction on the sticky note and Trek Re-Watch” reviews from Tor. fantasy, horror, suspense, crime capers come back to it during a break, com and continued our analysis with and slipstream. Each issue offers up or assign the distraction its own the disappointing third season. We may ten flash fiction stories written around a Pom. expand it to cover other television shows common theme. The stories are written 6. 6. When the timer goes off, cross and news, so please check it out and let by established and emerging authors in off the Pom and take a five- us know what you think! the flash fiction market and they are free minute break. Work continues on my young adult to interpret the theme in any manner— 7. Repeat. novels. I recently finished a (very) rough and in any of the genres—they choose. 8. After four breaks, take a thirty- draft of a contemporary book tentatively – K.C. Ball minute break. titled Untwinned, and am about to begin the fourth draft of my alternate I’m hard at work on a novel based I was motivated to accomplish quite history, Who We Used to Be. on a workshopped short story, and a bit of writing, particularly drafting, I’m planning to relocate to my micro-submission “Parsimonious using this system. Surprisingly, my Philadelphia from New York City soon Owl” will appear in Ann and Jeff family respected the timer more to join my girlfriend, who just started at VanderMeer’s upcoming The Thackery consistently than my repeated requests Temple University School of Medicine, T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities. to be left in peace. so if any Clarionites live in the area and I also revamped my website at www. – Tracie Welser would like to get together, or have any thisisnotanowl.com and you can follow job leads for a gently-used digital media me on Twitter @traciewelser. Instructors coordinator or technical writer, please A little something for the writer’s drop me a line at [email protected] or toolkit: Procrastination and distraction Work is appearing this fall in four connect with me on LinkedIn at www. are my worst enemies when it comes to anthologies: What to Read in the Rain linkedin.com/in/ecmyers. writing, and I’ve discovered a simple, from 826 Seattle, an as-yet-untitled Day – Eugene Myers helpful method for beating them back. of the Dead anthology from Electrik It’s called the Pomodoro Technique. Milk Bath Press, Night Lights from 2006 Yes, I know “pomodoro” means Humanities Washington, and the “tomato,” but this has almost nothing Norton Anthology of Latino Literature. My book The Horror! The Horror!, an to do with time management. The I haven’t actually laid eyes on any of anthology of banned horror comics technique is available in a free download these, mind you, but they are supposed from the early 50s with commentary by (just Google it). While the method is to be out there somewhere. I also me, will be released (or will have been presented in a somewhat complex way, participated online and in person in released by the time this newsletter I’ve boiled it down to this: “The Novel Live!” with other members comes out) on or about November 1 of Seattle 7, a writers group. There from Harry Abrams publishers. So far 1. Buy a kitchen timer (it can look may be some remnants left at www. people who have looked at it seem to be like a tomato or not). thenovellive.org. This will result in the enjoying it. Publishers Weekly listed it 2. Make a list of prioritized writing publication of a serial novel next spring. as a potential holiday gift graphic novel tasks you’d like to accomplish All for literacy programs. and Geoff Boucher of the L.A. Times (for instance, outlining, ideation, Last week I took the train to Albany, will be doing three blogs on different drafting, revising, editing). Oregon, where the director of Calyx

THE SEVENTH WEEK |FALL 2010 | PAGE 11 Books picked me up and whisked me Finally, some madness possessed me published by Tor in September. off to decorate an altar for Frida Kahlo. to enroll in an MFA program at the – Ellen Datlow, ’91, ’96, ’01, ’06 Thursday was the Calyx Glitterati, an University of New Orleans. This is mostly online, with two forays to San Send in your updates for the Alumni News Miguel de Allende, Mexico, stopping to section of the Clarion West website! Recent see relatives along the way. Since they publications, upcoming readings, interviews- are moving the program to Edinburgh, -if you have writing-related news, we want Scotland, I will try to graduate before to hear about it. E-mail your latest news to then, this spring. [email protected]. Please use the subject “Alumni News,” and be sure to include I teach fiction at the Northwest the year you attended CW. institute of Literary Arts on Whidbey Island, and I will teach at the Mendocino Writers Conference this summer. – Kathleen Alcalá, student ’86, instructor ’02 annual fundraiser, and I read four short I won my fifth Hugo Award for editing, pieces as part of the event. Attached is a and Haunted Legends, a new anthology photo of me a la Frida. coedited with Nick Mamatas, was

Potlatch 20 potlatch n. (1) A ceremonial feast among certain Native American peoples of the northwest Paci c coast ... at which the host distributes gifts requiring reciprocation [Chinook & Nootka: patshatl, to make a potlatch gift]. (2) A gathering where readers and writers of speculative ction meet on common ground March 4 - 6, 2011 Sunnyvale, California (San Francisco/SanJose Bay Area) www.potlatch-sf.org

Potlatch is an all-volunteer, non-pro t, literary convention that oers panel discussions, a writers' workshop and a dealers’ room. Our single-track program encourages participation and discussions about reading and writing science ction and fantasy. Saturday evening features an auction bene ting the Clarion West Scholarship fund.

Potlatch 20 will be held at the Domain Hotel in Sunnyvale, California, with an excellent variety of restaurants in walking distance, and a great room rate of $89. e membership rate is currently $55 through November. You can register via Paypal on the website or by mail. Book of Honor: Earth Abides by George R. Stewart At Potlatch, it's our tradition to choose a book to honor and discuss. is year we've chosen Earth Abides, one of the rst near-future post-holocaust science ction novels. Once upon a time, writers from outside the science ction community made great contributions to the eld. Two of the best such works appeared in 1949. Everyone knows Orwell's 1984, but few today have read -- though many have heard of -- Earth Abides. Yet it's an equally notable story that has never lost its punch. Stewart was an English professor at U.C. Berkeley, and also the author of Storm and Names on the Land. ese are all books about how people, geography, and technology relate to each other -- in short, on human ecology. Potlatch will feature discussions of this book and much more. We invite you to join us.  Please check if you are interested in: Potlatch 20 Membership Registration Form  Volunteering  Participating in the program  Dealers’ room  Writers’ workshop First Name We will not share you personal information with any organization other than Clarion West/Potlatch. Last Name

Badge Name Item Price Qty Amount

Address Membership $55*

Youth (ages 7-17) $25

City, State, Zip Child (6 and under) Free

E-mail Total $ Send to: Potlatch 20, c/o Lyn Paleo *Until 11/30. Afterwards, check at potlatch-sf.org P.O. Box 3400, Berkeley, CA 94703 Make checks payable to: Potlatch 20/Clarion West  Check here if you do not want your name listed on our website and in our program book.