Holy Moley!

We got visitors!

The list of Clarion participants went out today, so suddenly this blog is being hit. Therefore, in an effort to do a spot of spring cleaning I'm adding this post and re-arranging the furniture, so to speak. My Clarion acceptance came a while back, so it's been low on my radar for a few months, especially since my life in Budapest is most hectic nowadays---in anticipation for upping sticks and heading back to the UK for my standard two year stint.

However, now that Clarion is only two months away, and my classmates have finally been revealed, my thinking is straying back to a summer of writing in Michigan. My main feelings see-saw between excitement and trepidation. The excitement comes from beginning to really imagine this thing happening. Twenty-one other writers who I've glimpsed enough of to know that they're passionate, creative, interesting people, six great instructors, and 1008 hours living in the bosom of a writing fraternity. I know I'm going to love that experience. The trepidation comes from doing the course and learning I haven't got what it takes to be good. That'll be hard to swallow. I know a great deal of writing is about mastering technique. I'm not afraid of that. My brain is wired to learn. It's one of the things I do best. What I don't think a writer can learn is, for want of a better word, heart. Characters who feel, exalt, and suffer---that comes from the wellspring of your life.

As you can see, I have a penchant for the pseudo-philosophical which can be a real drag. One type of story I will try and write soon will be a comedy---just listened to Connie, Maybe by Paul E. Martens on Escape Pod and had a good chuckle.