Clarion Workshop
Encyclopedia
Clarion is a six-week workshop for new and aspiring science fiction
and fantasy
writers. Originally an outgrowth of Knight and Wilhelm's Milford Writers' Conference
, held at their home in Milford, Pennsylvania
, USA, it was founded in 1968 by Robin Scott Wilson
at Clarion State College
in Pennsylvania
. Damon Knight
and Kate Wilhelm
were among the first teachers at the workshop. In 1972 the workshop moved to Michigan State University
. In 2006, the Clarion Writers Workshop moved from Michigan State University to the University of California at San Diego, ironically putting it as far west as the Clarion West Writers Workshop
.
Clarion is a residential workshop, limited to a small group of students. It is aimed at writers who already have some experience, though publication is not required. It is primarily focused on short story writing. However, there are discussions about novel-writing as most of the instructors are successful novelists.
The program is immersive and intense. Mornings are in the classroom, devoted to critiques and a few writing exercises. The rest of the day is for writing, reading and critiquing stories. Often, instructors meet again after dinner for free-wheeling discussions on writing, writing techniques, or industry gossip.
Each of the six weeks is taught by a different professional writer or editor, except for the two final weeks, which are usually team-taught by two instructors.
Separately, each student has an individual review session with every instructor, who has read several of the student's stories. This enables the instructor to offer a critique not just of individual stories, but also of the student writer's style and approach.
The organizers or instructors often bring in other authors, agents, and people from the industry to talk to the students. Usually, each instructor will do a reading of their work at the Mysterious Galaxy
, a specialist speculative fiction bookstore that partners with Clarion. Students are encouraged to attend.
Classes are not usually held on weekends, but other activities - including social ones - may be scheduled. Water-wars are also a tradition at Clarion San Diego, and many instructors organize and participate in them.
Clarion moved - effective 2007 - to the University of California, San Diego. The Clarion Foundation is responsible for the move.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
writers. Originally an outgrowth of Knight and Wilhelm's Milford Writers' Conference
Milford Writer's Workshop
The Milford Writer's Workshop or more properly Milford Writers' Conference is an influential science fiction writer's event founded by Damon Knight among others in the mid-1950s in Milford, Pennsylvania...
, held at their home in Milford, Pennsylvania
Milford, Pennsylvania
Milford is a borough in Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat. Its population was 1,021 at the 2010 census. It was founded in 1796 by Judge John Biddis, one of the state's first four circuit judges, who named the settlement after his ancestral home in Wales.Milford has a...
, USA, it was founded in 1968 by Robin Scott Wilson
Robin Wilson (author)
Robin Scott Wilson is an American science fiction author and editor, and former President of California State University, Chico....
at Clarion State College
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Clarion University of Pennsylvania, located on a campus in Clarion, Pennsylvania, is one of fourteen universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education ....
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Damon Knight
Damon Knight
Damon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
and Kate Wilhelm
Kate Wilhelm
Kate Wilhelm is an American writer whose works include science fiction, mystery, and fantasy.- Career :Wilhelm was born in Toledo, Ohio....
were among the first teachers at the workshop. In 1972 the workshop moved to Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. In 2006, the Clarion Writers Workshop moved from Michigan State University to the University of California at San Diego, ironically putting it as far west as the Clarion West Writers Workshop
Clarion West Writers Workshop
Clarion West Writers Workshop is an intensive six-week program for writers preparing for professional careers in science fiction and fantasy. It runs yearly late June through the end of July. The workshop is limited to 18 students per year. Each of the six weeks is instructed by a different...
.
Clarion is a residential workshop, limited to a small group of students. It is aimed at writers who already have some experience, though publication is not required. It is primarily focused on short story writing. However, there are discussions about novel-writing as most of the instructors are successful novelists.
The Clarion Method
Students write and submit short stories, which are circulated to the entire group. The next morning, the group and the instructor discuss every story in turn. This intense focus on each story is to enable a writer to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their stories, and in critiquing the stories of other writers, to learn more about writing.The program is immersive and intense. Mornings are in the classroom, devoted to critiques and a few writing exercises. The rest of the day is for writing, reading and critiquing stories. Often, instructors meet again after dinner for free-wheeling discussions on writing, writing techniques, or industry gossip.
Each of the six weeks is taught by a different professional writer or editor, except for the two final weeks, which are usually team-taught by two instructors.
Separately, each student has an individual review session with every instructor, who has read several of the student's stories. This enables the instructor to offer a critique not just of individual stories, but also of the student writer's style and approach.
The organizers or instructors often bring in other authors, agents, and people from the industry to talk to the students. Usually, each instructor will do a reading of their work at the Mysterious Galaxy
Mysterious Galaxy
Mysterious Galaxy is an independent bookstore located in San Diego, California. It was founded in 1993 and caters mostly to fans of genre fiction such as mystery, fantasy, science fiction, and horror...
, a specialist speculative fiction bookstore that partners with Clarion. Students are encouraged to attend.
Classes are not usually held on weekends, but other activities - including social ones - may be scheduled. Water-wars are also a tradition at Clarion San Diego, and many instructors organize and participate in them.
Clarion at San Diego
Other Clarion Workshops
- Clarion West Writers WorkshopClarion West Writers WorkshopClarion West Writers Workshop is an intensive six-week program for writers preparing for professional careers in science fiction and fantasy. It runs yearly late June through the end of July. The workshop is limited to 18 students per year. Each of the six weeks is instructed by a different...
is held annually in Seattle, WA It was founded in 1971.
- Clarion South Writers WorkshopClarion South Writers WorkshopClarion South Writers Workshop is a six-week workshop for new and aspiring science fiction and fantasy writers, held in Brisbane Australia, and is the only Australian "Clarion" workshop. Unlike the US-based Clarion and Clarion West, which are annual events, it currently runs every two years...
is held in BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
Australia. It was founded in 2004. It currently runs biennially. In 2009, Clarion South lost its venue. Although the workshop was held that year, the organizers have had difficulty finding a new home for the workshop. In March 2011, they announced that future Clarion South workshops were "on hold indefinitely."
Notable Clarion instructors
- Algis BudrysAlgis BudrysAlgis Budrys was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names "Frank Mason", "Alger Rome", "John A. Sentry", "William Scarff", and "Paul Janvier."-Biography:...
- Octavia Butler
- Samuel R. DelanySamuel R. DelanySamuel Ray Delany, Jr., also known as "Chip" is an American author, professor and literary critic. His work includes a number of novels, many in the science fiction genre, as well as memoir, criticism, and essays on sexuality and society.His science fiction novels include Babel-17, The Einstein...
- Harlan EllisonHarlan EllisonHarlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
- Neil GaimanNeil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
- George R. R. MartinGeorge R. R. MartinGeorge Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
- Damon KnightDamon KnightDamon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
- Kelly LinkKelly LinkKelly Link is an American editor and author of short stories. While some of her fiction falls more clearly within genre categories, many of her stories might be described as slipstream or magic realism: a combination of science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and realism...
- Theodore SturgeonTheodore SturgeonTheodore Sturgeon was an American science fiction author.His most famous novel is More Than Human .-Biography:...
- Howard WaldropHoward WaldropHoward Waldrop is a science fiction author who works primarily in short fiction.Waldrop's stories combine elements such as alternate history, American popular culture, the American South, old movies , classical mythology, and rock 'n' roll music. His style is sometimes obscure or elliptical...
Notable Clarion graduates
- Ted ChiangTed ChiangTed Chiang is an American speculative fiction writer. His Chinese name is Chiang Feng-nan.He was born in Port Jefferson, New York and graduated from Brown University with a Computer Science degree. He currently works as a technical writer in the software industry and resides in Bellevue, near...
(Clarion 1989) - Cory DoctorowCory DoctorowCory Efram Doctorow is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licences for his books...
(Clarion 1992) - Nalo HopkinsonNalo HopkinsonNalo Hopkinson is a Jamaican science fiction and fantasy writer and editor who lives in Canada. Her novels and short stories such as those in her collection Skin Folk often draw on Caribbean history and language, and its traditions of oral and written storytelling.Hopkinson has...
(Clarion 1995) - James Patrick KellyJames Patrick KellyJames Patrick Kelly is an American science fiction author who began publishing in the 1970s and remains to this day an important figure in the science fiction field....
(Clarion 1974 and 1976) - Geoffrey A. LandisGeoffrey A. LandisGeoffrey A. Landis is an American scientist, working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on planetary exploration, interstellar propulsion, solar power and photovoltaics...
(Clarion 1985) - Kim Stanley RobinsonKim Stanley RobinsonKim Stanley Robinson is an American science fiction writer known for his award-winning Mars trilogy. His work delves into ecological and sociological themes regularly, and many of his novels appear to be the direct result of his own scientific fascinations, such as the fifteen years of research...
(Clarion 1975) - Lucius ShepardLucius ShepardLucius Shepard is an American writer. Classified as a science fiction and fantasy writer, he often leans into other genres, such as magical realism. His work is infused with a political and historical sensibility and an awareness of literary antecedents...
(Clarion 1980) - Bruce SterlingBruce SterlingMichael Bruce Sterling is an American science fiction author, best known for his novels and his work on the Mirrorshades anthology, which helped define the cyberpunk genre.-Writings:...
(Clarion 1974) - Jeff VandermeerJeff VanderMeerJeffrey Scott VanderMeer is an American writer, editor and publisher.He is best known for his contributions to the New Weird and his stories about the city of Ambergris, in books like City of Saints and Madmen.-Biography:...
(Clarion 1992) - Leslie WhatLeslie WhatLeslie What is a writer of fantasy and literary fiction and nonfiction. She grew up in Southern California and attended Santa Ana College, and earned a certificate in Vocational Nursing...
(Clarion 1976)
See also
- List of Clarion Writers Workshop Alumni
- List of Clarion Writers Workshop Instructors
- Clarion West Writers WorkshopClarion West Writers WorkshopClarion West Writers Workshop is an intensive six-week program for writers preparing for professional careers in science fiction and fantasy. It runs yearly late June through the end of July. The workshop is limited to 18 students per year. Each of the six weeks is instructed by a different...
- Clarion South Writers WorkshopClarion South Writers WorkshopClarion South Writers Workshop is a six-week workshop for new and aspiring science fiction and fantasy writers, held in Brisbane Australia, and is the only Australian "Clarion" workshop. Unlike the US-based Clarion and Clarion West, which are annual events, it currently runs every two years...
External links
- Clarion official website
- Clarion West official website
- Clarion South official website
- The Clarion Foundation nonprofit formed to promote and sustain the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop
- Links to blogs and articles by Clarion students and instructors writing about the Clarion experience