Clarion Write-A-Thon
Jun. 24th, 2010 05:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
julieandrewsI'm participating in the Clarion Write-a-Thon. The first time Clarion UCSD has joined in. So, first, some background.
What is Clarion?
Clarion is a six-week intensive writing workshop for science fiction and fantasy writers. Each week is taught by a different, stellar instructor. Most of the workshop is focussed on writing and critiquing each other's work. Short stories for the most part. Sometimes an instructor will have a formal or informal lecture, or discussion. And guest speakers may make an appearance.
There are three Clarions -- Clarion (East, The Original) which is held at the University of California - San Diego; Clarion West which is no longer really West of East, but it's in Seattle; and Clarion South which is in um.. okay, Australia somewhere!
Why is Clarion Awesome?
I attended Clarion the first year it was at UCSD, 2007. Our instructors were Gregory Frost, Karen Joy Fowler, Jeff (and Ann unofficially) VanderMeer, Cory Doctorow, and Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman. My classmates were awesome, and you may have seen some of their names in print!
Why Does Clarion Need Money?
There's the costs from the university -- dorm use, food, etc, etc. There's a coordinator who needs to be paid. And instructors to be flown in. And just, in general, running something like this isn't cheap.
Clarion does charge tuition and room and board, but not nearly as much as other six-week programs run at universities. Just try to take one summer class and see what you get charged!
As it happens, though, the people who attend Clarion tend to be in transition stages in their life. Who can afford to take 6 weeks away from home? People who are still in college, who have just left college, who are changing careers, who are moving across country. In short, generally people who don't have a whole lot of money to spare.
That's why it's important that Clarion be able to keep what it charges students as low as reasonably possible. And that's why scholarships are really, really, really important.
I wouldn't have been able to attend Clarion, as I was unemployed at the time, without the help of a scholarship and without the help of my parents. Some money given to Clarion goes to fund scholarships. You can even sponsor a scholarship yourself if you want.
Clarion needs money to continue to exist, first of all, and to continue to be affordable to any student with the desire and the ability to attend. Whether a student goes on to become a known writer in the field, or contributes in other ways (editing, publishing, agenting, academicking), Clarion is an experience that's worth it. And that's worth supporting.
What's the Clarion Write-A-Thon?
For six weeks, I and others will be writing our little hearts out. Sharing in spirit with the current class of Clarion UCSD, 2010. We'll be doing it to raise money for Clarion, for its future, and its future students.
How do I sponsor you?
You can pledge (by telling me about it) a certain amount per word, or per story, or per day I write. And then you can donate the money to Clarion at the end of the six weeks.
Or, you can trust I'm going to write and just donate whatever sum you like right now. Or at any point during the six weeks.
The page to do that on is right here.
My stated goal is $1000 and I would really like to hit that target.
What's in it for me?
Okay, okay, you're not that selfish, right? But for every $300 sponsored, I will post a short story, online, for free. I will even make downloadable PDF and EPUB versions.
So if I hit my $1000 target, that's 3 awesome stories of mine you'll get to read for free! And you'll make me very, very happy.
And you'll be helping a future student find his, her, or hir way to Clarion. Adding another voice to the science fiction and fantasy genre.
Anything Else I Should Know?
Yes! If you'd like to sponsor some of the other cool people who are doing the Write-a-Thon, go right ahead! I don't mind (much).
Here's the list of participants.
If you'd like to donate to more than one person, say, me and all of my classmates, then you can click the red Donate Now button. That form will let you specify who and how much. You'll only have to fill out one form that way, and your card will get charged once. (I presume.)
Anything Else?
No, not really. Watch this space for updates on my progress.
And thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
What is Clarion?
Clarion is a six-week intensive writing workshop for science fiction and fantasy writers. Each week is taught by a different, stellar instructor. Most of the workshop is focussed on writing and critiquing each other's work. Short stories for the most part. Sometimes an instructor will have a formal or informal lecture, or discussion. And guest speakers may make an appearance.
There are three Clarions -- Clarion (East, The Original) which is held at the University of California - San Diego; Clarion West which is no longer really West of East, but it's in Seattle; and Clarion South which is in um.. okay, Australia somewhere!
Why is Clarion Awesome?
I attended Clarion the first year it was at UCSD, 2007. Our instructors were Gregory Frost, Karen Joy Fowler, Jeff (and Ann unofficially) VanderMeer, Cory Doctorow, and Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman. My classmates were awesome, and you may have seen some of their names in print!
Why Does Clarion Need Money?
There's the costs from the university -- dorm use, food, etc, etc. There's a coordinator who needs to be paid. And instructors to be flown in. And just, in general, running something like this isn't cheap.
Clarion does charge tuition and room and board, but not nearly as much as other six-week programs run at universities. Just try to take one summer class and see what you get charged!
As it happens, though, the people who attend Clarion tend to be in transition stages in their life. Who can afford to take 6 weeks away from home? People who are still in college, who have just left college, who are changing careers, who are moving across country. In short, generally people who don't have a whole lot of money to spare.
That's why it's important that Clarion be able to keep what it charges students as low as reasonably possible. And that's why scholarships are really, really, really important.
I wouldn't have been able to attend Clarion, as I was unemployed at the time, without the help of a scholarship and without the help of my parents. Some money given to Clarion goes to fund scholarships. You can even sponsor a scholarship yourself if you want.
Clarion needs money to continue to exist, first of all, and to continue to be affordable to any student with the desire and the ability to attend. Whether a student goes on to become a known writer in the field, or contributes in other ways (editing, publishing, agenting, academicking), Clarion is an experience that's worth it. And that's worth supporting.
What's the Clarion Write-A-Thon?
For six weeks, I and others will be writing our little hearts out. Sharing in spirit with the current class of Clarion UCSD, 2010. We'll be doing it to raise money for Clarion, for its future, and its future students.
How do I sponsor you?
You can pledge (by telling me about it) a certain amount per word, or per story, or per day I write. And then you can donate the money to Clarion at the end of the six weeks.
Or, you can trust I'm going to write and just donate whatever sum you like right now. Or at any point during the six weeks.
The page to do that on is right here.
My stated goal is $1000 and I would really like to hit that target.
What's in it for me?
Okay, okay, you're not that selfish, right? But for every $300 sponsored, I will post a short story, online, for free. I will even make downloadable PDF and EPUB versions.
So if I hit my $1000 target, that's 3 awesome stories of mine you'll get to read for free! And you'll make me very, very happy.
And you'll be helping a future student find his, her, or hir way to Clarion. Adding another voice to the science fiction and fantasy genre.
Anything Else I Should Know?
Yes! If you'd like to sponsor some of the other cool people who are doing the Write-a-Thon, go right ahead! I don't mind (much).
Here's the list of participants.
If you'd like to donate to more than one person, say, me and all of my classmates, then you can click the red Donate Now button. That form will let you specify who and how much. You'll only have to fill out one form that way, and your card will get charged once. (I presume.)
Anything Else?
No, not really. Watch this space for updates on my progress.
And thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-25 01:47 am (UTC)Surely nine other people can do the same, or 18 do $50 each, or 36 do $25 each? (My math gets foggy above 36, so I will leave it at that.)
Cheers,
JeffV
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-25 01:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-26 06:48 pm (UTC)Misa x
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-27 01:08 pm (UTC)