Wiscon Day 4 - Report 9

Sunday!

I got up a bit later on Sunday. Might've even slept longer if it wasn't for housekeeping. So I didn't go to the first set of panels, even though the LGBT one sounded a bit interesting. And Cliche or Trope could've been good too. I like the title of 'Phillip Pullman vs. C. S. Lewis: Smackdown!', but I haven't read any Pullman yet.

The panel in the next timeslot I wanted to go to was actually up on the party floor, so I stopped by the consuite. Very convenient. And score! Donuts!

( Transgender Folks Discuss Transgender Books )

Then I hit the consuite for another donut. Well, I was passing it and everything on the way to the elevators! This was lunch break, so I hit the dealer's room. I'd been in there before mostly scoping it out. There was some plus-sized clothes, but they looked mostly like dresses. There was some jewelry. There may have been something else that didn't catch my eye. Mostly, there was books. One table had used books for cheap. I spent some time scanning them. Nothing jumped out at me and said 'Pack me in your luggage!' Though at any typical used book sale or even a used bookstore, I probably would've picked up a few.

Aqueduct Press was there and I had intended to ask what was up with the next Tiptree anthology, but then I didn't. Not that I couldn't have asked plenty of other people throughout Wiscon! I just didn't really think to do it enough or at the right times.

I bought stuff at the Small Beer Press table. The latest Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, chiefly because Caleb has a story in it. Yay, Caleb! I also signed up for a subscription because they were offering a Wiscon special. They had Magic for Beginners there in hardcover for 10$. Doh! I'd just bought it for more at the bookstore down the street. Note to self: Always hit the dealer's room first! I also picked up a couple books. Talked a bit more to Kelly Link as well, and met Gavin Grant. Since it was their table and everything, duh. :)

At another booth, and possibly on an earlier day, I bought Writing the Other by Nisi Shawl, which I kept hearing about and hearing about. So it saved me buying it online and paying shipping. Yay!

Then I visited the art show. I never, ever remember to hit the art show early on. You need to do this, or things start disappearing as they get sold off! Lots of cool stuff in there, but I don't remember any of the artists. I couldn't find business cards on any of the stuff I liked. And I'm not so into art (and am so broke) that I was going to go around taking notes. Sorry, artists! Bought a Tshirt though.

In the next post... Sunday afternoon! In which I attended two more panels and our reading. Eep.

Advice to Clarion Attendees

This is aimed at Clarion Diego, but most of it is probably relevant to Clarion West and Clarion South and possibly other intensive writing workshops as well.

Before Clarion

* Tell your friends and family you'll be incommunicado. I found that some of them didn't really get it even after I tried to impress it upon them. This means telephone, Email, online chat, Skype, popping out to a restaurant if you're local. If you desperately want time to spend with friends or family during Clarion, you're going to have to plan it in advance, and be willing to give up something for it. One suggestion is to give everyone the address to a blog (it doesn't have to be your main blog) and promise to post updates now and then. Even if it's just 'Alive. Writing. See you in August.' Then you just have to post one thing for everyone to feel they've had some contact with you. And they can leave as many comments as they want.

* Pack less than you think you need, especially if you're flying. San Diego has stores. The CVS is pretty convenient. If you find you need snacks, drinks, toiletries, beach supplies, you can get them there. I actually bought the notebook and pens I used at Clarion right there at the CVS. Do you want to lug three or four pairs of shoes back home with you, or would you rather pack one or no pair of shoes and a whole lot of signed books? You're going to be going home with books, and you'll also probably want to go home with copies of people's comments on your stories. All that stuff starts to get heavy. And with airlines charging for all checked bags.. ugh. Though keep in mind you can mail a box of things home if you find you've acquired too much.

( Click here for more Before Clarion advice! )

At Clarion

* Unless you're really sick, attend every workshop session. Try not to be late, but if you are late, it's better than never. I would advocate going even if you haven't read the stories to be discussed that day. You'll probably still learn a thing or two. And maybe admitting you haven't read the stories will guilt you into not making it a habit. And I really mean this bullet point. Don't choose to skip the session so you can write. Don't skip it so you can sleep. Be there. Tell yourself you can go back to writing or sleeping in a few hours.

* Spend quality time with your classmates and instructors. By 'quality time', I mean time where you can talk. Going out to the movies was fun, but don't make it a habit, as it's 2 hours when you're not writing, reading, sleeping, or talking. Quality time can be one-on-one, a small subgroup, or the entire group. As long as you're talking. And it can be about anything. It's as much about bonding as it is about learning. These are your colleagues and potential friends. Do it at a restaurant, do it on the beach, do it in a dorm room, wherever.

* Try to write a story a week. Don't kill yourself though. Every other week can still work pretty well. Do get one out early, one out in the middle, and one out near the end though. You'll get the perspective of different instructors and your classmates will have a chance to tell you when you're repeating yourself, or when you've grown. I finished 3 stories for critique plus one other for a special project. I had been aiming for 6 and I still would've liked to have done 6. I just don't know if I could have.

( Click here for more At Clarion advice! )

As you may have discerned, Clarion is all about priorities and balance. You can't attend everything and read everything and write six stories and hang out on the beach and eat and sleep and in general, not die.

What I'm saying is that everything I've listed above is important. Do your best to incorporate everything in there, but how much and when is down to the individual. Don't be afraid to readjust throughout. Don't settle into a habit that's not working for you.

Here's some bonus items.

* Take notes. You may decide you don't have the time and energy for long blog posts, but you'll probably want notes of some sort. I never regretted taking notes. Just wish I'd taken more! Take notes at discussions, at workshop sessions, at meetings with the instructors, in a free moment when you want to write down everything you've done or seen or heard or thought about...

* Take pictures. This Clarion will only happen once.

If you've got questions, feel free to drop a comment. I know some of my classmates read this lj from time to time as well, so probably a few of us will chime in with an answer.

Post-Advice to Clarion Attendees

More advice!

After Clarion

* Now that you have time, make more notes. Write them up as personal journal entries, just jot things down, or fill your blog with report after report, or some combination of all of the above. Do it while things are still fresh in your mind.

* Keep in touch with your instructors, and especially with your classmates. Now you have time to talk about all the stuff you didn't have time to talk about before!

I might have had more advice here, but it hasn't even been a full year for us, so we're still learning this After Clarion bit. :)