Catch the Live Show
Posted on October 16, 2007 Posted by John Scalzi 22 Comments
As it has been noted elsewhere, I’ll go ahead and note it here, too:
I have been invited to become an instructor for next year’s Viable Paradise writing workshop, and have accepted the invitation. For those of you who don’t know about VP, it’s a weeklong workshop specializing in science fiction and fantasy, which is shorter than the six weeks you need for Clarion but longer than a weekend workshop — as it says on the Web site, “It’s a commitment, but not one so large it’s overwhelming, nor so small it leaves you feeling dissatisfied.” Last year’s instructors were Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden, James D. MacDonald and Debra Doyle, Stephen Gould and Laura J. Mixon, and Elizabeth Bear and Cory Doctorow; my understanding is that I’ll be replacing Cory (who will be newly enbabied and short on time), thus maintaining the critical Campbell winner balance with eBear.
You ask: “Who are you and what have you done to the famously workshop-adverse John Scalzi?” I respond: It’s still me. However, my workshop aversion is a personal one, i.e., I probably wouldn’t have been a good workshop student (because I am an ego-filled twit, you see). Other folks would find the workshop setting more congenial to their process. Likewise, while I don’t suspect I’d personally make a good workshop student, I think I could be a good instructor. And I guess now we’ll find out. Fortunately, even if I turn out to be absolutely bollocks at it, the other instructors — with their chock-a-block awards and sales for editing and writing — will minimize the damage of my flailings. So that’s good, too. In any event I’m very much looking forward to it.
If you want to get in on this action, hold your horses: It’s too early to apply, and the application window is still a few months off. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when it’s active. But inasmuch as you’ll need to submit a story with your application (per the application requirements, which you should read if you are interested), now’s a good time to get started on that.
Sweet!
I got waitlisted for this year, which crushed me. Apparently, I was wicked close to getting in. Well, maybe this year will be the chance I get to continue my stalkification of Scalzicce (I’ll warm up with Boskone).
*cackles*
Have they told you yet that we’ll be sharing a condo?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
We are installing the brainwashing devices now.
Hmm. This would be a cool thing to get involved with if I too were not an ego-filled twit. Alas…
ebear:
“Have they told you yet that we’ll be sharing a condo?”
Hell, eBear, that was a selling point!
Well, that takes some of the sting out of not finishing the piece I started to submit with my application *this* year.
It’s that dang 8k word limit. Apparently I cannot write anything short.
Take out the gerunds.
Congratulations!
But… wait… enbabied? Does Cory have a Stealth Wife he’s never mentioned? Or does that word not mean what I think it means?
Cory has a Significant Other, Alice, who is enciente. I’ve seen it mentioned multiple places. Haven’t you noticed the increase in baby and child things showing up on BoingBoing? *grin*
Congratulations! Gah… I went two years ago, and narrowly missed Elizabeth Bear. And now I’ll miss Scalzi, too? This sucks for me! But is wonderful for you. I hope you have a terrific time.
Awsome!
If I was an aspiring writer I would check this out.
I am curious about what Scalzi’s course curriculum would entail..
It could be quite scary! ;)
Fabutronic, was hoping to get my application in this year. Now more Viable with more Scalzi! Excellent sellling points (you know, besides the wonderful instruction by those other people, Patrick and Teresa).
I was an ego filled sexy man who thought workshops weren’t for me, but I tried one anyway. Life changing moment for me.
It’s debatable whether I was a ‘good’ workshop attendee or not, since I sort of lead a sleep deprived participant revolt by the end of the week.
I’d say it cut 5-10 years of ego filled trial and error and 500K of 1 million bad words out of my learning cycle.
You’re mileage may vary.
Will you be teaching photoshop procrastination?
I was an ego filled genius(sorry can’t join you guys on the twit part) who thought workshops weren’t for me, but I decided to attend one where I thought hobbnobbing with the instructors would at least be interesting.
Turned out to be a life changing move.
Whether I was a ‘good’ student is still debatable considering I sort of lead a sleep deprived participant revolt by the end of the week.
I’d say that my workshop* experience cut 5-10 years of ego filled trial and error and 500K off of my required 1million bad words. Not bad for a week.
Will you be teaching photoshop procrastination?
*the workshop I attended is now semi-defunct, invite only
I’ve been reading “Reading Like A Writer” by Francine Prose. You might find it interesting.
I went to the Gibraltar Point Artists in Residence this summer–there’s a group of writers (all with SF roots although not all of our stories were science fiction.) Apparently Cory used to go to that back in the old days (which I was not there for). But I got to go this year for the first time and eet was awesome. It was awesome with awesome sauce on the side. :) It was less workshoppy than perhaps VP, but there was a lot of valuable advice and writing time there.
I really want to apply to VP, but all my vacation currently goes to the Gibraltar Point stuff.
Congratulations, on such a fantastic and well deserved opportunity/honor. You my fellow egocentric are HUGE inspiration for me. You have no clue.
Keep on keepin’ on.
Peace, Health & Prosperity.
adiaha
Scalzi fanatic :)
Will you be sharing the secret handshake?
Hmmmm.. Now that is weird… I’m sitting at two computers on seperate networks, one on a corporate network considered secure and one, ummm, not so secure.
Whenever I post from the corporate, I just assumed something was blocking the actual post from submitting(wouldn’t be surprised if they had those sort of policies), but I now am guessing that it is going into the moderation queue… Strange.
Patrick M:
Yeah, I just checked and you had two comments sitting in the spam queue. This makes me suspect there are some zombie spam machines on your secure network.
I just despammed your previous messages, incidentally.
Yeah now I look crazy with similar comments all over the place.. :)
Fortunately I am not in charge of securing the secure network, otherwise I would feel obligated to hunt down the zombie spam machines….
Scalzi said:
> Take out the gerunds.
Hmm, that smells like a pet peeve. Or are you owning up to a personal bad habit?
Actually, I can usually cut first drafts down by 10% merely by correcting every sentence I start with “So” or “And”.
Ah, darn! Well, I did get to read The Ghost Brigades at this year’s Viable Paradise, but I would have loved to have met you. I am glad that I got to interact with Cory though, so I guess it’s a trade-off.
Kudos to you! It was beautiful this year, and here’s hoping that it will be that nice next year.