The major thing that has changed in my life since I went to Clarion West is the people in my life. I think you’ll find that across the board, for the most part: you leave that sorority house not only loaded down with a gut full of knowledge (and a gut full of Joanie’s cooking) but with an address book full to bursting with awesomeness.
Before I went to CW I knew a few writers. I’d been to a few signings (what up Dan Wells!). I even went to a convention (where I felt lost and lonely, for the most part). I belonged to some critique groups, which had their own…problems. My literary circle was anemic. Mr. Eliza will attest, I complained often. The words “I want a writer friend!” were heard maybe too often around my house. It was tragic. I set things on fire. (Or maybe that was him, the memory grows smoky, harhar.)
Clarion West did three things, in the people field.
1- It introduced me to my fellow Westies, amazing people each and every one of them. (Now Mr. Eliza hears “I miss my writer friends!”)
2- It introduced me to authors who were both up and coming, and established, broadening my understanding of what it means to be a professional writer and underscoring the fact that this. Is. Possible.
3- It introduced me to my new IRL critique group, Horrific Miscue. Comprised of previous CW alumni, this is a well-organized, competent group that gives excellent critiques and supports one and another. (One of my issues with previous crit groups was…well, a lack of all three of those criteria.)
With that in mind, it pleases me to introduce all of you, my beautiful readers, to the Horrific Miscue blog. A bit quiet in the past, the blog is undergoing, as Cat Rambo says, Revitalizations! Members of the Horrific Miscue groups will post to the blog periodically with publishing updates, thoughts to think about and the like. I’ll be posting there on occasion, as well.
So add it to your blogroll and read it with your morning coffee or–better yet–midnight bourbon!
