Clarion West Write-a-Thon

There is one week left of my first ever ClarionWrite-a-Thon! I chose to participate in this fundraiser for a few important reasons I’d like to share:

First, I believe in the power of story, particularly stories that stretch the limits of our world. I recently made a list of some of my favorite literature of all time and was not surprised to find many titles that could fall under the umbrella of “speculative fiction”.  JK Rowling, Jeanette Winterson, Arundhati Roy, Maxine Hong Kingston, Virginia Woolf, William Shakespeare, Ellen Kushner, Phillip Pullman, Rudolfo Anaya, John Crowley, Isabel Allende, and so many more of the world’s great writers, play with magic and science in their stories. Clarion West is an organization that fuels this kind of work and I’m honored to support them in whatever way I can.

Secondly, Clarion West is located in Seattle. As a result, many great teachers and writers come through our little corner of the planet. Selfishly, I’d like that to continue.

Thirdly, I’ve directly benefitted from Clarion West’s work when I attended a full day writing workshop with John Crowley last May. He’s one of my heroes and I was terribly nervous, but the workshop proved welcoming and inspiring. As a result, I have great confidence in Clarion to put together professional and worthwhile educational opportunities for writers.

Lastly, the money raised from this Write-a-thon will help fund scholarships for writers who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend workshops with Clarion. We all know that writers (and artists in general) are rarely compensated well for their work, so I think it’s pretty damn important to open as many doors as possible and work to keep them open. 

And so…. I’m happy to report that as of last night, I’ve hit both of my Write-a-Thon goals!!

-First, to have at least 10 donors sponsor me in support of Clarion West (I got 15!).

-Second, to finish revisions on my WIP.

“Finishing revisions” is a vague goal, and I confess, I have a LOT more that I want to do with my WIP before it’s ready to be shared, but I did work hard this month to get through the full manuscript at least once. I’ll now go back to the beginning and dive in again.

THANK YOU to all my awesome and inspiring sponsors. You are the BEST. As a little reward, here’s a sneak peak of Drift. This is another one of the interludes that appear between chapters and I wrote it this month as part of the Write-a-Thon. (The other is posted on my Clarion Write-a-Thon profile.) Thanks again and love to all!

Near Lynton:

Low Tide

Tides in the northwest can be extreme. Twice a year the waters recede so far they reveal an excess of life’s abundance and death’s carnage. An influx of hungry water fowl and curious children descend on the beaches then, further adding to the diversity of specimen collected there.

For visitors seeking a quieter low tide experience, there is one stretch of beach, wide and wild, that can only be accessed via a lengthy hike through the rainforest. The trail is well maintained, but treacherous and slippery in the rain, and though there are many visitors in the dry months, a late spring visit might find the shore all but abandoned by humans. Deer will be there, walking nimbly among the stones. Raccoons will wash their hands in the salt water pools. Otters will play in the gentle waves. Sea lions will bellow from the rocks a quarter mile offshore. 

If you’re unlucky, you may find the body of a juvenile grey whale, washed ashore, collapsing. If the wind shifts, you might smell the carcass of other deceased things and you’ll wonder if you came at the wrong time. 

Look up. You’ll witness new eagles practicing their flight, and when the tide is at its lowest, you’ll risk a visit to the far side of the largest seastack. You’ll scramble on slippery volcanic rock, your heart pounding. Careful, if you fall, no one will find you. Reaching the oceanside of the former island, you’ll sit on a flat bit of stone and stare out at the vast grey and white of the Pacific.

You’ll try to catch your breath, but it will have left you, slipping already into the caverns at your back, the dark and glorious places you’re about to find.