My Experience with The Odyssey Writing Workshop

The cute wildlife at St. Anselm

The Odyssey Writing Workshop is already taking applications for this year's workshop. They have a fantastic lineup of instructors, including Elizabeth Hand, who was an instructor my year, the lovely Catherynne M. Valente, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, Alexander Jablokov, and Gordon Van Gelder.

I went to Odyssey in 2007, shortly after I started writing and submitting seriously. At the time, I was struggling to improve my craft. I had submitted stories to a couple of different editing services, and the feedback was great, but I wanted--and needed--something more. I needed somebody to look at all of my work and tell me my strengths and weaknesses.

Odyssey is run by Jeanne Cavelos, an editor, scientist, and teacher (I swear, she has a time machine stashed somewhere in order to have achieved so much). She's passionate about writing and teaching, which makes for a wonderful experience. She cares deeply about each and every student's progress. She not only pointed out my strengths and weaknesses, but she gave suggestions for improvement. I still pull out the class assignments from time to time and work on them.

I also lived and worked with fifteen other writers at the workshop. They've been invaluable not only for their friendship, but for their help, suggestions, and in networking with other writers and with editors. They are a brilliant bunch, and I've enjoyed watching their progress and cheering them on over the years.

St. Anselm, looking ready to kick booty

Odyssey lasts for six weeks. The instruction is intense. There's little time for anything else, as you immerse yourself in writing. By the end, my brain felt like a wrung-out towel. I've used the term "life changing experience" in reference to Odyssey. It's so hard to explain, but it truly is. I had the chance to spend six weeks doing something completely and utterly for myself, to push myself, to push my craft, to make friends, to learn, to be amazed. If you'll allow me to sound a bit pretentious for a moment, it was a completely transformative time for my art.

Since I went to Odyssey, I've written countless short stories, a novella, and three novels. I've published ten short stories (with several forthcoming), one novel, one short story collection, and a non-fiction article. Without Odyssey and Jeanne, I would have struggled for a long time, trying to figure out the craft of writing. Worse, I might have given up writing altogether. For those considering a workshop, Odyssey will provide you with an amazing experience.

Thumbnail Thursday with Barbara A. Barnett

I'd like to welcome fellow Odyssey grad Barbara A. Barnett to the blog today! She is one of the wittiest, loveliest people I know. Read on to find out more about her!

What are you working on right now?

I've been working on a particularly slow-going round of revisions on a tricksy little beastie of a short story involving a violin, a magical military chaplain, and things that go boom. I've also got me a shiny new flash story to tweak and polish.

What's your pre-writing ritual?

I don't have one. I just apply butt to chair and start writing. Actually, even the butt-to-chair part doesn't always happen. I've been doing a lot more writing while standing recently.

What is one of the most surprising/interesting things you've discovered while doing research for a story?

One of my favorites was learning about the town of Longyearbyen, which is part of Norway's Svalbard Islands. You're not allowed to die in Longyearbyen. Because of the climate, bodies buried there won't decompose, hence the no-death policy. I found that fascinating. Now if I could just sell the story that research spawned . . .

Tell me about your favorite story that you've published. What inspired it, and what does it mean to you?

It's tough to pick, but at present I'd have to go with "Mortis Persona," which was published in Fantasy Magazine and reprinted in Wilde Stories 2011: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction. The story was inspired by a panel I attended at World Fantasy Convention. One of the panelists mentioned the ancient Roman funereal practice of actors wearing death masks to represent ancestors of the deceased. My brain immediately went, "Dude, what if the actors actually became the ancestors when they wore the masks?" The story was challenging to write, but I fell in love with the world and the characters, and getting to see several readers fall in love with them too resulted in many warm fuzzy feelings.

You can have lunch with any writer, living or dead. Who would it be, and why?

Peter Beagle, because I absolutely adore The Last Unicorn. It's one of the few books I've read multiple times. I tend to be a super-slow reader, so that's saying a lot. 

What's one of the best novels and/or short stories you've read recently?

Sadly, I haven't been able to do much fiction reading lately because of grad school and my raging case of slow-reader-itis. One book I did manage to read recently was The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I love the voice and style with which she writes.

Writing is a sedentary endeavor. What do you do to stay healthy and active?

I'm lucky in that I have a day job that frequently keeps me on my feet carrying around large folders full of orchestral music. As I mentioned before, I've also taken to standing while I write, which helps. And I find that regular exercise helps me both physically and mentally, especially walks and yoga—two things I've unfortunately been slacking on lately.

***

Barbara A. Barnett is an avid rejection letter collector (aka writer), musician, Odyssey Writing Workshop graduate, SFWA member, coffee addict, wine lover, bad movie mocker, and all-around geek. Her short fiction has appeared in or is forthcoming in publications such as Fantasy Magazine, Shimmer, Daily Science Fiction, Intergalactic Medicine Show, Flash Fiction Online and Wilde Stories 2011: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction. In addition to writing, she works in an orchestra library and is currently pursuing a master's degree in library and information science at Rutgers University. Barbara lives with her husband in southern New Jersey, frequently bursts into song, and can be found online at www.babarnett.com.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

The witty, talented, and charming Barbara A. Barnett tagged me in her blog for The Next Big Thing Blog hop. Barbara was in my Odyssey class in 2007 and is a fellow wine connoisseur. Her writing ranges from humorous to dark, and everything in between, and her work has appeared in publications such as Fantasy Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, Black Static, Shimmer, and Wilde Stories 2011: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction. Should you come across her work (and I do encourage you to seek it out), you'll be glad you took the time to read it.

What is the Next Big Thing Blog Hop, you ask? An author answers some questions, then tags other authors, who then tag other authors, and so on, giving readers a chance to find some great new writers they may otherwise have never discovered. So read on to find out what I'm working on right now, and then consider the work of some other writers who might turn out to be the Next Big Thing.

What is the working title of your book?


I'm pretty awful at coming up with titles, but I like the working title of my current novel-in-progress, Death is the New Normal. It's a young adult/new adult urban fantasy novel set in Albuquerque about a recent high school graduate named Rose who comes from a long line of necromancers.

Where did the idea come from for the book?


I took an online writing class about a year ago taught by Bruce Holland Rogers. One of our assignments was to come up with a scene-by-scene outline for a novel. I did that for a young adult-space opera sort of novel and then realized that I didn't want to write it, at least not at that time. I wanted to write something more along the lines of urban fantasy, and maybe with a character just out of high school (because really, I don't want to revisit that part of my life, even in my imagination), and maybe something a little dark. Don't ask me how my brain got from the first idea to the second.

What genre do you write? What genre does the book fall under?


I write primarily fantasy, and I occasionally dabble in science fiction and horror. If I'm honest with myself, the reason I set aside the young adult-space opera novel is that I don't feel as confident in writing science fiction as I do fantasy. I'm slowly overcoming that, and I look forward to writing that sf novel someday.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?


I have a toddler, I've hardly been to the movies lately! Seriously, I have no idea who I'd pick. I don't know current actors that well. But if I could go back in time and choose Anne Hathaway as she was in The Princess Diaries, I'd have her play the lead.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?


An eighteen year-old discovers she can raise the dead and unintentionally draws the attention of three self-proclaimed angels who believe it's their duty to kill her.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?


I'll pursue publishing through more traditional means.

How long has the editing taken you?


I wrote two drafts last year, and right now I'm waiting for responses from beta readers. So all together, it will probably be a year of edits before it's ready to send out into the world.

What other books would you compare your book to within the genre?


Hmm, I'm not sure. I'll get back to you on that one.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?


I wanted to explore what it means to be good or evil.


What else about your book might pique your reader’s interest?

Rose works in her brother, Ed's, restaurant, which is a fusion of Cajun and New Mexican cuisine. As far as I know, a restaurant like that does not exist in the real world. I wish it did.

***

And now for the tagging, in no particular order:

If you enjoy haunting stories and lyrical writing, you'll love Luisa Prieto's work. I met Luisa at The Never Ending Odyssey, where I discovered her work. It's dark, it pulls no punches, and I love it. She's the author of the After Series, Cooking With Ergot, Written in Blood, and Shadow Hunt.

Susan Abel Sullivan is the author of The Haunted Housewives of Allister, Alabama and Cursed: Wickedly Fun Stories from World Weaver Press, as well as the short story collection--Fried Zombie Dee-light: Ghoulish, Ghostly Tales. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous online and print publications, including Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, ASIM Best of Horror: Vol II, Beyond Centauri, New Myths, AlienSkin, and Writers' Journal. She is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop for Speculative Fiction. When not writing she likes to get her groove on by teaching Zumba Fitness classes. Visit her website at: http://susanabelsullivan.weebly.com/.

Abby Goldsmith  is a fellow Odyssey graduate and has been working on an epic science fiction series. And she is a fabulous artist. And she started a web show. And she's had several short story publications. I think she sleeps. Sometimes. I can't wait to see her Torth series on book shelves some day. Until then, go to her blog, or her website, to find out more. She'll also be making an appearance on this blog on February 14th.

A Final NaNoWriMo Report

Before November started, I had 11 short story ideas ready to go with the intent of writing 50,000 words in one month. I ended up with 6 short stories and 1 novella and a few insights.

Something I already knew about my writing was that I meander when I start a story. I never manage to come up with an awesome, memorable first line, or heck, even a first paragraph or page that's usable. I usually have to ease into the story, and then somewhere around the second page things get going. Working on short form for a month really brought this home for me because every few days I ended up doing the exact same thing. I'd meander my way into a story.

The second thing I discovered was that I really couldn't put my finger on a story's theme until it was finished. I might have an idea of what I want to write about when I start out, but it's not until I write the last few lines that I think, "Oh, that's what this story was about." It was infinitely easier to figure this out when I wrote a story over the span of a few days.

Third, it's okay for the first draft to suck. Really, it is. You just can't get it all right the first time. I think I needed to remind myself of this. I ended up jotting down a few notes at the end of each story before moving on to the next so I'll be able to look at that whenever I go back to revise.

Finally, I managed to shake off whatever was bugging me earlier this year and finish several stories. Yes, they need work. But it's so much easier to make a story into the shiny, gorgeous thing it's meant to be when you actually have the raw material on paper. That last story was hard to write. I was tired of pushing myself. I felt mad-scientist insane, like when I attended Odyssey and had to critique stories every day on top of writing my own material and going to class. When I wrapped up the last few lines of that last story, I think I might have cackled. Cackled! Well, the nice folks in the coffee shop are used to me by now.

For those of you who finished NaNo, congratulations! For those who started something but didn't reach that 50K mark, keep plugging away. And when you're ready to edit that story (or stories) into something beautiful to send out into the world, read Amalia Dillin's tips for revising.

Shards of History Launch Party.

This past weekend I finally, officially celebrated the release of Shards of History with a launch party. It went well, I had fun, the food was great, and the company even better. I got some excellent tips for throwing a launch party from Mary Robinette Kowal. I strongly suggest reading her post if you're going to throw such a shindig.

My husband talked me into having the party at a tea room called Special Touch, and I'm glad he did because it's a beautiful facility, as you can see here:

That's my little man sporting his jersey. The unfortunate part is that I didn't think to take any pictures during the party. I was in full blown hostess mode and thinking about my reading and making sure my son didn't touch anything on the shelves filled with delicate tea pots and cups and carousel horses. So this picture came after the party, when everybody had cleared out.

There were little sandwiches in the shape of hearts, delicate cuts of fruit, tortilla rolls, and an assortment of desserts, including tiny tarts topped with whipped cream and itty bitty pastry dragonflies.

I ate that one right after taking the picture, and it was delicious. And no, there are none left! Why are you looking at me that way? I always hold my hands behind my back!

I gave a reading, which went well. About two sentences into the reading, I realized my throat was extremely dry, and I thought, I can't stop for a sip of soda now! I was told I didn't sound nervous at all, but I couldn't quite contain my nervous energy and kept shifting my weight from one foot to the other. I've actually never read in front of a crowd not dominated by writers, and I was a little anxious about the response I'd get.

I didn't have physical books to sign, so I signed bookmarks instead, and I included those bookmarks in the gift bags that I gave to the guests, along with feather pens and tiny little notebooks made of upcycled paint sample cards, like so:

The pens were quick and easy to make and tied in with the theme of the novel, and also tied in with the theme of writing in general (as did the notebooks). I ordered the notebooks from One Stitch Designs on Etsy, and I also included chocolate in the gift bags, just in case my guests weren't hyper enough from dessert.

Some friends over at Frame-N-Art framed the cover art for me:

I have yet to hang it in my office, but believe me, it will have a place of honor!

Also, one of my guests mentioned that she and her family recently acquired some chickens, and they had named all but one. They named their last one after a character in the novel. As the 2007 Odyssey workshop class has a thing about chickens, and this novel began at the workshop, this seemed most appropriate.