Comments on: Clarion West Day 2 & 3

By: Oz Whiston

Oz Whiston — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:26:03 +0000

Hope all went well in session with JK, a truly nice person, through and through. Good instructor/professor too. Feel free to email me.

By: Jordan Lapp

Jordan Lapp — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:49:21 +0000

Gay,

The sci-fi community is definitely very strong. Remember, these are the people who grew up on pulp magazines back in the day, and that was a pretty tight group, so that tradition exists today.

I think the Iowa Writers Workshop is a strong, non-speculative workshop to aspire for. As I understand it, quite a number of Pulitzer winners have emerged from there.

Of course, I’d love to see you write speculative as well!

By: gay degani

gay degani — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:53:33 +0000

Love this title: “The Chemicals Between Us”. So happy you are writing about the work shop. With you and KC making me so jealous, I think maybe I want to consider SCI-FI as an option since the mentoring out there seems fabulous.

By: Oz Whiston

Oz Whiston — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:38:24 +0000

Ask John about slipstream and stories that skate the edge of science fiction…what makes it science fiction to him? What makes someone science fictional in their writing vs. something else, such as literary or fantastical? He’s had a lot of students over the years, not only in genre.

By: Oz Whiston

Oz Whiston — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:35:08 +0000

Ask John about “triangulation” in a story if he hasn’t talked about it in class. It’s his rule for when interest and tension flag in a story, that you have achieved a balance whether you want to or not and how to throw it off center again, re-introduce the tension.

By: jordan

jordan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:35:11 +0000

Great to meet you too, Caren! I’m looking forward to Friday as well, but in my current condition I might be a little zombified.

If I start to groan and shuffle, offer me some raw meat or poke me with a stick or something, k?

By: Caren

Caren — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:25:41 +0000

You were an excellent seatmate at JK, laughing at my jokes and everything.
Good to meet you, dude. See you Friday.