Welcome to our new site!
2009 Clarion West Workshop
The 2009 Clarion West Writers Workshop will be held June 21 through July 31, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. This intensive 6-week workshop will help prepare you for a professional career as a writer of speculative fiction.
Short fiction is the workshop's focus, with emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, and horror. You should come prepared to write several new stories during the course of the workshop, to experiment and take artistic risks, and to give and receive constructive criticism.
Each week the workshop is taught by a different instructor, each a highly regarded author or editor offering their unique perspective on the field. Class size is limited to 18 students. Instructors work closely with students, critiquing stories, leading class discussions on technique and other professional concerns, and holding individual or small group conferences. Drawing on Seattle's vibrant SF community, the workshop also presents informal sessions with acclaimed area authors.
You will come away from the workshop with essential tools for improving your writing: good writing habits, the ability to analyze and critique others' stories and to evaluate critiques of your own work, and a set of friendships and professional contacts that can last a lifetime.
Deadlines and Discount
Applications for the 2009 workshop must be received (not postmarked) no later than March 1, 2009. If you send them by email, the deadline is March 1 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
March 2 is too late.
Applications received by February 1, 2009 will receive a $100 tuition reduction. Apply as early as possible. Students may be accepted before the deadline.
Cost
Total cost to attend the workshop is $3200. This includes tuition, room, and partial board: all students stay in the workshop residence, and breakfast and most weekday meals are included. Wireless Internet access is free.
Scholarships
All students are eligible for scholarships. You can request a scholarship form via email, phone call, or letter, or print one out here. Include it with your workshop application package or send it separately; you'll find details in the Application sections. If you send the scholarship form separately, make sure it reaches us before the application deadline.
How to Make the Final Cut
Only 18 students will be selected. To improve your chance of being accepted into the workshop, send us your best work, whether it is published or not. We don't care if it's realistic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, or horror; what we're looking for is writing that is powerful and original. It doesn't have to be perfect, but we want participants who have already worked through beginners' issues.
Click Here to Apply Now
About Clarion West
Since 1984, Clarion West has presented the workshop annually in Seattle, Washington. Widely known as a training ground for the field's finest writers, its graduates include Kathleen Ann Goonan, Justina Robson, Andy Duncan, and Sheree R. Thomas.
Clarion West gratefully acknowledges its supporters:
* Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc.’s Susan C. Petrey Fund
* The Society for the Furtherance & Study of Fantasy & Science Fiction (SF3)
Clarion West is a non-profit organization committed to equal opportunity. Minority and special needs students are encouraged to apply.
