Reminder: Get Your Viable Paradise Applications In
Posted on May 27, 2008 Posted by John Scalzi 12 Comments
We’re about four weeks out from the close of the admissions window for Viable Paradise, the one-week writing workshop (September 21 – 28) I’ll be teaching at this year. In addition to me, you’ll also be taught by current Hugo nominee Elizabeth Bear, Steven Gould (writer of Jumper, which was a hit film earlier this year), Hugo Award-winning editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden, and the equally excellent Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Laura Mixon, Jim Macdonald and Debra Doyle.
Basically, you’ll get your work read and evaluated by some of the smartest people in science fiction and fantasy (and me!). And as a bonus, it takes place on Martha’s Vineyard in September. There may be prettier places to spend a week talking about writing and science fiction/fantasy with some of the top pros in the business, but off the top of my head I can’t think of any.
That said, admissions is very competitive and time is ticking, and we like it when people send in stuff before the deadline. So if you want a shot at coming, you should get at it. Here’s what you need to know to apply. We’re going to have a lot of fun this year — it would be nice to see you there.
If you’re even halfway thinking about going to Viable Paradise, stop thinking and get that story submitted.
VP is worth every penny.
The best 1-week workshop – ever! It changed my life and gave direction to my writing …. and I didn’t even get to work with John Scalzi. Man, now I really want to go back! :-)
Cheers,
Erin Underwood VP X
I didn’t have the pleasure of being at VP with Mr. Scalzi or Ms. Bear, but other than that I can recommend VP as one of the single most useful experiences in my life that helped my writing. (I’ve sold both the piece I workshopped there as well as one of the pieces I wrote during that week as an exercise.)
Martha’s Vineyard in the fall is stunning, and Patrick, Teresa, Jim, Doyle, Steve, and Laura are all wonderful, wise, and extraordinarily helpful teachers.
I’m a workshop convert. I never thought workshops would be for me. I’d like to do VP, but I know that right now, my biggest problem is ass-in-chair. Workshops don’t solve that. Well, temporarily they do, because you can’t help but come home motivated and all gung-ho.
Wish I could go, I’m sure it is going to be fun and educational.
I’d love to go, but my writing workshop time for the year is taken up by a week at Gibraltar Point up in Toronto.
I recommend VP unequivocally. It’s amazing how much I learned about writing in just one week. VP is an intense experience, and absolutely worth the time and cost. (I haven’t yet sold the piece I workshopped there. However, I have gotten some very encouraging rejections since VP.)
Thanks for the reminder. I’m sending off my application tomorrow via Priority Mail.
Some of the smartest people in SF and Fantasy, *and* that Scalvi guy. What a deal!
I wonder what the writer of Jumper will have to say about Hollywood. That was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Almost completely incomprehensible.
Well, now I’m even more depressed. I wanted to go to that and hearing that Elizabeth Bear and you are going to be instructors makes the fact that I can’t afford it even more of a painful thing. *sigh* Oh well, I guess I should get used to it, being a college student at all. I wanted to go to Clarion too, but there’s no point applying if you can’t even pay for things like that.
One day. The folks who get in to VP are lucky indeed with you and Elizabeth Bear there (I’d say the same about the other authors, except I haven’t read their work…but I’ll take everyone’s word for it).
*sigh* Guess I’ll have to make due with the Writers of the Future workshop in August, with the added bonus that they pay for it, not me. (grin)
However, VP mentors and participants — have a ball!
Dr. Phil
Okay. Now I know my new project for Saturday, if I can get that antitrust audit stuff done in time. I don’t think THAT will get me in to VP.
My story needs one more scene! Or one less! I hate it so much by now I can’t tell any more.
Ditto to Erin.
VP XI
If you’re thinking about applying but looking for more information, my fellow VP XI grad Pam created a VP resource page that pulls together unofficial information and links to student blogs. Basically, she’s pulled together all the workshop reports and other nifty links it took me five weeks trawling Google to find… and some I never would have.
VP is good stuff. I’m a much better writer for having gone.