Great writing advice from this year's Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy writing workshop

Sam J Miller sez, "I just graduated from the amazing Clarion Writer's Workshop, and transcribed over 300 great pieces of advice and guidance from my instructors and fellow students. I did it for the benefit of myself and my Clarion Comrades, but hoped other folks would find it helpful."

I'm a Clarion grad, teacher, and board member -- I'll be back teaching next summer, in fact, after a five-year fatherhood hiatus. This is a great collection of the kind of stuff you learn at the workshop.

“A common way to structure stories is: ESTABLISH NORM. UPSET NORM. COMPLICATE & ESCALATE. CLIMAX. RESOLUTION.”
“Whenever you think you’re going to create a really strong character by putting “I” at the beginning of every sentence, you’re digging yourself a hole. It’s actually harder to bring “I” to life.”
“When it’s broken, you don’t always have to fix the whole thing. You can fix half—you just have to know which half. And that’s not always easy.”
“The problem with people is they have beer and they want egg in it. Things are good and they’re unsatisfied.”
“Opening the vein is where the best writing comes from.”
“You have to write things you genuinely are not sure about.”
“Frequently, your back brain is wiser than your front brain.”
“You left yourself a lot of hints that I don’t think you even know about.”

(Thanks, Sam!)

Clarion 2012: Every Brilliant Piece of Writing Advice*

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: Business • creativity • publishing • science fiction • writing

More at Boing Boing

The technology that links taxonomy and Star Trek

Hackers prepare for first "national holiday" in their honor

Conan Librarian

The lost art of transcribing. Thanks indeed Sam.
http://evilbobdayjob.blogspot.com/ Deidzoeb

I got in one good punch before the rest of his thugs came down on me.

He pulled them off after a couple minutes. Acting like he was the stronger character. “First person’s dead. When are you going to get that through your skull, Marlowe?”

“You think you know me, but you don’t even realize you’re dealing with Jay McInerney.”
Josiah White

Good advice, but stuff like “Opening the vein is where the best writing comes from.” is pure schlock.
- http://twitter.com/sentencebender Sam J. Miller
  
  it’s true that some of it might be advice we’ve heard before, maybe once and maybe a million times, but the context of the workshop helps you hear things and evaluate their applicability in a whole new way.
show me

You had me at CLIMAX.
Susan Carley Oliver

Excellent notes – thanks for sharing them, Sam!
http://twitter.com/NatashaMcNeely Natasha McNeely

Those are some nice quotes and useful advice! A lot of people need to keep those pieces of advice in mind. At the same time, a lot of people know some of it, but not all of it. It’s nice to have multiple useful things clumped together like this!
http://web.ncf.ca/shawnhcorey/ Shawn H Corey

“You guys want the real secret to being a great writer? Apply ass to chair.”

I call this butt glue: stick your ass to the chair and write! :)
- http://www.batshite.com/royalflush Scott Bartlett
  
  Or, if you use a treadmill desk, glue your feet to the treadmill belt!
  
  Wait a second…something about that doesn’t seem right…