Week Six in Review
The workshop had a bit of a shake-up this week. Due to the CrowdStrike airline disruptions, our Week Six Instructor, Carmen Maria Machado, was unable to join us in person. The class adjusted to a hybrid format easily, which involved an all-seeing and all-hearing owl. Very on-brand. While we missed Carmen’s presence on-site, she was still able to participate in workshop and give a virtual reading and conversation with Seattle-based writer Amber Flame.
Carmen Maria Machado in Conversation with Amber Flame during Tuesday’s Reading.
As a veteran of both the Clarion workshop and an MFA program, Carmen encouraged the students to bring their wildest experimentations to their final week, a challenge the cohort was well prepared to meet. Carmen emphasized that they should write what speaks to them rather than what sells. She described the publication of her debut short story collection, a harrowing journey that included lots of rejections and luck, but ultimately allowed her to publish weird and wonderful work, first through Graywolf Press and more recently with larger publishing houses. She offered tips for assembling a “muscular” short story collection, from developing a logline and including stories with shared concerns to organizing it around a hook, a hinge, and a killer ending. In discussions about revision, she recommended identifying the feedback and readers that resonate with an author’s vision, and effectively using the structure of paratext to enhance a story. Finally, she shared her secrets for great titles. The first two secrets: pay attention and take notes!
As the workshop wound down, Carmen’s thoughts on life after Clarion were both uplifting and wistful. Leaving such an intense experience opens up the opportunity for everyone to re-envision what they want their writing life to look like. Her advice: write what you love. Lean into the unknown. Read widely and promiscuously. Play.
This wonderful advice was mirrored by our Flash Fiction Mastermind, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu (CW ’22), over in the Flash Fiction Groups. Yvette wrapped up the weekly lectures with encouragement and strategies when encountering writer’s block, with generative exercises inspired by visual art and poetry.
This week in the Write-a-thon, in addition to the many Discord writing sessions, we had a Re-Watch Party for Izzy Wasserstein’s class on Harnessing the Power of Lists in Short Story Writing and heard from Marie Brennan for her class, Wordcount Bootcamp.
To all of you, thank you so much for joining us in the Write-a-thon, supporting the workshop, and celebrating the Class of 2024!
In case you missed the 2025 Instructor Announcement and Workshop Update, you can find it here.
Wondering about the details of the virtual workshop and what’s happening with workshop housing? Unfortunately, we are still behind our fundraising goals this year in support of holding the workshop in-person. Please read our workshop housing statement, and continue to help support Clarion West’s search for a new home.
Finally, it’s not too late to donate to the Write-a-thon! If you haven’t done so already, please consider supporting the Write-a-thon today!