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April 4th, 2008

April 4th, 2008

10:11 am [Link]

Clarion Fallout First off, thanks to everyone who offered me congratulations the other day. I'm obviously thrilled, and yet pants-fillingly scared at the same time, for a multitude of reasons. But every opportunity comes sheathed in a glorious wrapper of utter terror.... Or at least it does for me. People asked, "You'll blog everything you know, right?" and the answer is, sadly, "Probably not." I'm told that Clarion is incredibly work-intensive - not only will I have to write a story a week and revise it, but I'll have to read eighteen other stories and critique them. I'll be obliged to be up at 7:30 every morning to go to class, and then I'll have to do the usual maintenance work on SCG. And then, of course, I assume there will be "getting to know ya" talks from my classmates, and schmooping with my wife back home, whom I will miss terribly, along with a couple of close friends I'll also probably be panging for. My blogging is something I do in my off time. (Like today. I have two large essays I want to write, one on coincidence and the other on Bear Stearns, but I a) overslept thanks to a cold and b) have a boatload of work to do for SCG today. All work and no play makes Jack a dull blog.) I'd love to share in live-time, but I think I shan't have time to live. Plus, blogging about people as I get to know them is always weird, so I think any fanboy squeeing about any author is going to be downplayed if I think they have a shot at reading it and then asking me, "So you really think my breath smells like angels?" No worries, I will tell you the important lessons and the experience..... But I'll probably be too busy learning them to chronicle them as they happen. (Though I am sorely tempted to offer a special service charge to open up my mad Clarion liveblogging skillz - "Pay me money to offset my tuition and I'll give you access to a friends-only blog that gives you the seminar as I see it, live! It's as close to Clarion as you'll experience without six weeks' off!" - but not only would that be vaguely sleazy, but I might die of exhaustion trying to do it. Could use the cash, though.) The universe, however, wants me to join Facebook. My friend Eric Meyer did it last week, and it turns out the Clarion 2008-ers now have their own Facebook place where they frolic and dance among themselves. If I don't want to be left out of the summer camp cliques that are already doubtlessly forming, I must hop on-board. Also, in case you're curious, the other LJ persons I know who are Clarion folk are glorioushubris and kehrli. Dunno how much they'll be blogging, either, but if you're rabid to know about the process you can but try. Also, when they publish their glorious novels I'm sure it'll be announced there, so you might wanna friend 'em now and save the time. (EDIT: And kehrli has her own webcomic, Moralicide. I really have no idea how they'll be able to tell the difference between the one LJ-bloggin' webcomic writer and the other one. I think it's odd that out of 200 applicants, at least fully one-ninth of the Clarion population will now consist of LJ-totin' comickers.) (33 shouts of denial | tell me I'm full of it)