Okay, it began by changing the course of my writing life, but the waves of that swept through my life in general, too. I participated in the workshop exactly five years ago in 2011. Holly Black and Neil Gaiman had both tweeted about it with a certain sureness, which caught my attention. I had just graduated college without a clear idea of what to do next. I questioned a lot of things about myself, where I lived (with my parents), my job, and whether or not I should continue to write.
While the program doesn't guarantee everyone will come out an award winning writer--nothing can do that--a lot of award-winning writers have gone through Clarion. The "magic" of it, I'm convinced, is simply the act of being locked away with like-minds telling stories for six weeks.
Whatever happened while I was there, it changed something in me. Since then, I moved to Boston, published sixteen short stories and poems, finished a novel, and have pushed myself harder each year, each story to become a better writer. It took me from a dark funk into a brighter, more challenging world.
One of the things that helped me get there was a scholarship. This is a workshop that should be accessible to a lot of people. Raising money for it is a little different than asking people to contribute to my patreon, which is going to be around for a while and is meant to benefit my own work.
This year, I'm competing in the Clarion Write-a-Thon to raise money for the program from June 19th to August 2nd. Please contribute! A kind donor has already sent me funds while I try to hit my lofty, 50,000 word goal, but there's still time!
