For those in the “know,” the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop is the launching point for many great writers.  Lots of programs have hype but this one I got to see kick a friend from writing and infrequently submitting to publishing nearly a short story a month.  Marie Vibbert says Clarion helped her change from saying she was writing to actually writing.  All I know is my favorite Marie pieces were all written at or after Clarion.

Every year several of my friends and workshop partners who are graduates participate in fundraisings for the Clarion workshop because, here is the kicker, Clarion offers scholarships so that money isn’t an obstacle for talented writers to step-up their careers.  Those scholarships are likely my only hope to ever be able to afford to go.  So this year I will be joining in to earn scholarship money for other lucky writers.

Marie does a drawing for a hand knitted sweater for donations of $20 or more.  I don’t knit, or at least not that well or as productively as Marie does.  I will follow in the footsteps of Geoffrey Landis and simply set a goal and hope a few people care enough to pledge or sponsor me.

Here it is, my fundraiser page: http://clarionwriteathon.org/members/profile.php?writerid=761322