Clarion West Day 2 & 3

Well, I was pounding away at my keyboard right up until the 7pm deadline (when John Kessel was scheduled to read at the University Bookstore), but I managed to get my story, “The Hairy Man is Dead” in under the wire (complete at 3500 words).  Am I happy with it? I think I was stretching for something, and the story does make a statement, which I think it essential in fiction. It’s very first draft-y though. There’s kind of an extra scene in there that isn’t attached to anything, and the ending needs to be strengthened. But we’ll see what the group has to say about it tomorrow.

Kessel’s reading at the bookstore went very well (I do have pictures, but no time to upload them). The biggest thing I learned was that summary is okay in a reading. Several times, Kessel broke from the narrative and said stuff like, “and then they land on the planet on the wrong side of the mountain range, which is trouble”. I spoke to him privately about this later, and he confessed that he’d written out the summaries in advance. This is something to remember.

That night, having turned in my story, I slept like a baby.

Day 3 is going well. I’ve read the other three stories due to be critiqued, and they each have their strong points. At least one of them, I privately think is publishable, but they were all good. In the light of day, mine is looking more and more flawed and implausible. Nate Parkes raised a really great point about the piece already, though. I think this is going to be like getting the benefit of my friend Andy LeBlanc’s (whom I’ve spoken about on this blog before) advice times seventeen. I hope my brain can handle it!

John Kessel is really amazing, in that he’s made an effort to engage each of us separately in casual conversation. This is really above and beyond the call of duty, especially for pheebs like me who can’t think of a single thing to say.

Tomorrow is my first workshop critique, and, not coincedentally, my private meeting with John Kessel. I’d like to go in there armed with a couple of questions about writing to ask him. I’d like to get your suggestions. If you can think of something I should ask Mr. Kessel, please leave it in the comments and I’ll ask him.

Anyways, I’ve just finished an outline for story number 2, which is tentatively called “The Chemicals Between Us”. My subconscious seems to be telling me to write stories that I believe will appeal to my instructors. For John Kessel, author of “Stories For Men”, I wrote a tale about immasculation in the workplace. For Karen Joy Fowler, I’ve come up with a piece that deals with rape.

I’d like to believe that this is not unconsciously sucking up. Rather, it’s getting them to critique stories that fall into their areas of expertise. I’d say this was a good strategy if it weren’t all bullshit. I’m just writing the stories my subconscious is puking up.

And I’m going to get to it right now. I’ll let you know how tomorrow goes.