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Writing Workshop |
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Science Fiction Writers Workshop Andy Duncan joins Workshop
team for
2012
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Starting in 2011, author and CSSF Director Christopher McKitterick leads the first week, and this year guest author Andy Duncan leads the second week. During the last day or two of the second week, we also expect to have both our Campbell Award and Sturgeon Award-winning authors plus Kij Johnson and other Campbell Conference-attending authors and editors on hand talking about the biz of writing. Andy Duncan's story "The Pottawatomie Giant" won the World Fantasy Award in 2001, as did his collection Beluthahatchie and Other Stories in the same year. His novella "The Chief Designer" won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award in 2002. Duncan has been nominated six times for the Nebula Award, twice for the Stoker, three times for the World Fantasy Award, twice for the Shirley Jackson Award, and twice for the Hugo Award. His short-story collection, The Pottawatomie Giant & Other Stories, is currently available from PS Publishing. Recent books include Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic, an anthology co-edited with F. Brett Cox; The Night Cache, a stand-alone novella; and Alabama Curiosities, an offbeat travel guide. Duncan attended Clarion West in 1994 and studied creative writing at North Carolina State University under John Kessel (another Gunn student). He taught Clarion in 2004 and Clarion West in 2005, was a full-time journalist for 12 years, and taught college for 17 years. He is Assistant Professor of English at Frostburg State University in the western Maryland mountains, and an instructor in the Honors College of the University of Alabama. He regularly blogs at Beluthahatchie. What's Andy's writing like? My favorite description, by Craig Jacobsen in the SFRA Review: If Harper Lee and Gene Wolfe had a love child, Andy Duncan is it. Click here to visit Duncan's complete bibliography, and here to see his Wikipedia page.
The Workshop is intended for writers who have just begun to publish or who need that final bit of insight or skill to become a published writer. We work with all brands of speculative fiction, including horror, fantasy, magical realism, slipstream, speculative philosophy, hard SF, and so on. SFWA Science Fiction Grand Master James Gunn established the Workshop in 1985 and led it on his own until 1996, when author and CSSF Director Christopher McKitterick began co-teaching; Kij Johnson also co-taught from 1996-2002, before branching off her own SF&F Novel Writing Workshop, offered during the same two-week period. Gunn stepped back his participation in 2010, but plans to drop in from time to time to meet the workshoppers and offer words of writing wisdom, and he usually joins us for lunch in the (very good) adjoining dorm cafeteria. We'll likely enjoy other special-guest authors and editors, as well. Simultaneous scheduling and adjacent meeting spaces provide valuable opportunities to intermingle with the other group and discuss writing from different perspectives outside regular meeting times.
The Campbell Conference following the workshop plans to bring the winners of the Campbell and Sturgeon Awards to the campus as special guests, and several more SF-writers and editors are also scheduled to attend, talk, and sign books during the special Campbell Conference this year. We always ask our special guests to come and talk to us on Friday afternoon about "The Secrets of Successful Science Fiction" - always a great experience! Housing information is available below. Participants will have time for writing, for recreation, for socializing, and for individual conferences. 2012 Writers Workshop Offered June 24 - July 6For 2012, the Writer's Workshop meets from June 24 - July 6, and the Campbell Conference, July 5–8. We will have an informal get-together with the Science Fiction & Fantasy Novel Writers Workshop attendees on Sunday evening, at 6:00pm in our dorm lobby space where we'll be meeting, to get acquainted and plan for the coming weeks.
Graduate academic credit is now offered through English 757 - talk to your advisor about pursuing this option; if you are not a KU student but wish to take the Workshop for graduate credit, contact English Graduate Secretary Lydia Ash right away: lash@ku.edu. Most attendees arrive at the dorm Sunday daytime and stay through the entire Campbell Conference, so plan to arrive on June 24 and remain through July 8. If you wish to arrive early to settle in, please let us know so we can arrange that with the Housing department.
Preferred length is the short story (2,500 - 10,000 words), though writers frequently turn in short-shorts (shorter than 1,000 words) or longer works; if you write novelettes or novellas (longer than 10,000 words), please limit your submissions to less than 30,000 words total. If you are writing a novel, consider the novel-writing workshop held in conjunction with this short-form workshop, because it's challenging to give useful feedback on just a few chapters. Everyone comments on every story, each story is analyzed for publishability, and writers are encouraged to submit their work for publication. We also work on exercises, analyze successful fiction, and more.
Chris McKitterick leads the Workshop, James Gunn drops in from time to time, and our guest authors and editors (including the Sturgeon and Campbell award winners, regional authors, and often more) attending the Campbell Conference participate for the last day or two of the second week, as well. Kij Johnson is present during the full two weeks for personal consultation and other activities; Kij teaches a novel-writing workshop that runs simultaneously with the regular Writers Workshop. Feel free to apply for the novel-writing workshop at the same time, but expect to do a lot more work! Our notable visiting authors, editors, and other guests of the Campbell Conference usually stay in the dorm with the attendees, so you will have special access to these luminaries. Applicants will be notified about acceptance starting in March, so contact us as soon as you can! Enrollment for KU graduate credit begins in April, but contact us early if you plan to enroll for credit so we can reserve you a spot. We continue accepting applications until the Workshop fills or until June 1, whichever comes first. Note: The 2012 Workshop still has a few available slots, so apply now! The Workshop offers a three-hour session of manuscript critiquing, discussion, and other exercises each afternoon, starting at 1:00pm and running until 4:00pm or a little later if needed. The rest of the day is free for writing, study, consultation, and recreation. We usually have lunch together, and most nights we go out together for dinner on the town. Attendees write or revise one manuscript over the weekend and usually work on an exercise or two. Participants often exchange more manuscripts during or after the Workshop, so be prepared to share more if you find interested readers!
Does the Workshop help students get published? Well, Check out this page to see a partial list (desperately in need of updating - new interactive alumni tool coming soon) of CSSF Workshop alumni publications and awards. Most former attendees have gone on to publish in both the short and long forms.
Housing for the Writers WorkshopOur dorm housing for out-of-town attendees is likely the 3rd floor of Templin Hall, a renovated residence located at the top of the hill. Most rooms in these dorms have a private bathroom as well as a sink and counter space for a microwave or other small kitchen equipment, and the Center supplies a small refrigerator or two for the common area in the lounge. The Workshops meet in a lounge area on our dorm floor. Dormitory rooms are available - probably at the following rates (we'll have final prices in early June):
If you wish to stay in a dorm, you must make dorm reservations by June 1. Please pay for your room in advance and make this check payable to CSSF (you may combine checks for CSSF)once you hear from Lydia Ash about this year's final rate. Use this form to reserve a dorm room. Contact Lydia Ash lash@ku.edu for any logistical help you might need in getting settled for your stay. More logistical information is available on the CSSF LiveJournal. See this map of the University of Kansas to find your way to the dorm: http://www.ku.edu/~parking/ParkingMap.pdf Check out VisitLawrence.com for local hotel information. Meals are available in a variety of places, including the Kansas Union and a myriad of local restaurants. Check out Lawrence.com for a list of just a few of the local eating establishments.
CostsTuition for the Workshop is $500, exclusive of meals and housing, payable to the Center for the Study of Science Fiction (CSSF is fine) upon acceptance. If you wish to take the Workshop for graduate credit (English 757), enroll as usual through KU (we also request $100 to help bring in our guest instructor, payable to CSSF). Dorm and meal costs rise the longer you stay, of course, so plan appropriately. Meals vary in cost depending on where you eat. A limited number of reduced-cost scholarships are available for those in financial need. To be considered for the reduced rate, please request it and explain your need when contacting us. Typical reductions are $100 for promising candidates in need (total cost $400 for non-KU students; KU students may apply to have the guest-instructor fee waived). Our mail address:
How to ApplyEnrollment is limited to approximately 8-12 enrollees, so if you wish to attend, be sure to enroll early! Positions are still available but go quickly. To reserve a spot for this year's Writers Workshop:
Contact Lydia Ash lash@ku.edu for any logistical help you might need in getting settled for your stay. More logistical information is available on the CSSF LiveJournal. Transportation from Airport to LawrenceThe shuttles most people use to get to and from the Kansas City International (MCI) airport to Lawrence are:
MapsHere's a cropped map of the University of Kansas (click the image to see it
in full-screen size): Here's a map showing where KU is located in Eastern Kansas: University of Kansas map (in .pdf format): Kansas Union map (in .pdf format): Lawrence map (a bus-route map, but very useful, in .pdf format): Google Maps (just input where you wish to go and it will provide the maps). Lawrence in the SummerFor anyone who hasn't visited, Lawrence is wonderful, a lively small city in the Kaw River valley, filled with art, events, and activities. The location of the University of Kansas, Lawrence is situated about 40 miles from Kansas City and 20 miles from Topeka. Summers can be hot, but classrooms and housing are air-conditioned. Among its many amenities, the University of Kansas has a large science-fiction collection and good reference collections; museums of natural history and art; and sports, theater, and lots more. Lawrence has many excellent restaurants and shopping and recreational opportunities. Kansas City is less than an hour away. Nighttime opportunities include movies, dinner, live concerts, star-gazing sessions, and of course talk about writing and more.
The nearest major airport is Kansas City International (MCI), about 55 miles from
Lawrence. Transportation to Lawrence from Kansas City International can be
arranged through one of several airport shuttle services. By car, Lawrence is at
the intersection of U.S. 59 and Contact us for any logistical help you
might need in getting settled for your stay: | ||||
updated 4/8/2012
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