|
 For
27 years, Kate Wilhelm and her husband, Damon Knight, taught
at the Clarion Writers'
Workshop, an intensive and ambitious six-week writing
program for novice writers, known to participants as "boot
camp for writers."
Part memoir and part writing manual, Storyteller is
Wilhelm's affectionate account of the history of the program
and her years there with Damon as mentors and instructors.
She relates how Clarion began, explains why workshop participants
fear red pencils* and rejoice at the sight of water guns,
what she learned, and how she passed a love of the written
word on to generations of writers.
Storyteller is a gift to all writers from this generous
and acclaimed teacher. It includes a special section of writing
exercises and advice.
* See page
121 for the origin of "The Red Line of Death."
Table
of Contents
-
Preface
-
In
the Beginning
-
-
Years
Two and Three
-
Two
New Homes
-
Those
Cryptic Marks
-
Supporters
-
Delegations
and Confrontations
-
Let
the Wild Rumpus Begin
-
Who
Is That Masked Man?
- Where Am I?
-
What's
Going On?
-
Once
Upon a Time
-
Body
Count
-
Please
Speak Up
-
Beyond
the Five W's
-
The
Days
-
Notes
and Lessons on Writing
-
Writing
Exercises
In 2005 we
donated $5 from each sale of Storyteller through our
website to the Clarion
Foundation. In early 2006 we sent in a check for $850
-- thank you readers for helping us help future Clarion Workshop
attendees.
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"There are many
books of writing instruction out there, but what sets Storyteller
apart is the sense that Wilhelm really knows students and
knows how to teach them to craft a professional story."
-- The
Oregonian
"A useful, compact,
and entertaining guide to writing that is neither bound
to a particular genre or market."
-- Locus
"This book should
be on the reference shelf of every aspiring writer. Not
only is it a gift of insight and experience of a wonderful
writer but it's also a fine story of the growth of a renowned
writing workshop. Highly recommended."
-- SF
Revu
"Teaching writing
is a balancing act between compassionate encouragement and
firm, blunt criticism. Kate is a master of it. The book
uses reminisces about the founding, development and running
of Clarion to frame a series of practical, plainly stated
lessons for the beginning (and professional) writer. I learned
a great deal reading it -- something that can be accomplished
in a deceptively short time, for Kate is also a master of
simply and clearly setting out complicated, muddy issues,
a skill honed both in her award-winning fiction (Where
Late the Sweet Birds Sang is a personal favorite) and
in her long years of teaching."
-- Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing
"Oh, but this is
a lovely book.... Wilhelm fills Storyteller with
lessons about how to write, and just as important, how not
to write."
-- Strange
Horizons
"Full of pithy,
relevant advice for writers, amusing recollections of the
field's current giants during their early days, and the
fullest published account to date of how a revered program
was established."
-- Scifi
Dimensions
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