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If you want to teach writing or literature at the college level, you have hundreds of Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Master of Arts (MA) programs to choose from in the US.  However, until recently, if your goal was to write science fiction, fantasy, or horror at the Master’s level, you were out of luck.  Though some may tolerate speculative fiction, most MFA programs do not encourage students to write it.  Now, however, two low-residency graduate creative writing programs are specializing in writing popular fiction.  (Low residency programs let you pursue a degree online or through the mail yet require you to spend two to three weeks on campus per year.)

Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing (Popular Fiction option)

The University of Southern Maine offers a low-residency MFA program in Creative Writing at its Stonecoast campus.  The program has options in creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, cross-genre, and popular fiction.  Students (and faculty) in the latter option write and sell mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, horror, fantasy, and science fiction.

The curriculum includes two ten-day residencies per year.  Most residencies happen at the Stone House Conference Center in Freeport, Maine, but some students may be selected to do a residency in Ireland.  In the first two semesters, students concentrate on the fundamentals and strategies of genre fiction, including plot, suspense, and character development. In the third semester, students begin working on an enhancement project in one of the following areas of emphasis:

• Craft
• Literary Theory
• Community Service
• Creative Collaboration
• Teaching / Pedagogy
• Publishing

Students must complete an essay or thesis based their project.  Projects range from a more traditional thesis on, for example, mythological criticism, to an internship leading a writing program in a homeless shelter.

Stonecoast faculty includes several notable, award-winning speculative fiction writers such as Nancy Holder, James Patrick Kelly, and Kelly Link.  Nancy Holder is a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award and the author of dozens of books.  James Patrick Kelly’s works have appeared in many “Best-of” collections throughout the years, and he has taught writing at several other universities and workshops, including The Clarion Workshop.  Kelly Link’s stories have won the Nebula, James Triptree, Jr., and World Fantasy Awards.

Seton Hill University MA in Writing Popular Fiction

Seton Hill University in Greenburg, Pennsylvania offers a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction.  According to its site, the program “teaches students to write marketable novels in popular genres like mystery, romance, science fiction, horror, and fantasy.”  Students can also specialize in children’s and young adult fiction as well as a blend of genres.

The curriculum includes biannual week-long, on-campus residencies, which consist of workshops and seminars on topics ranging from conflict and plot to astronomy for science fiction writers.  Between residencies, students work on term writing projects with faculty mentors and online peer writing groups. Past mentors have included writers such as James Morrow.

The MA program’s faculty includes multiple Stoker Award-winning author, Michael Arnzen.

Other MFA / MA programs

A few more traditional graduate programs in creative writing may be sympathetic to speculative fiction because, for instance, a noted author is on the faculty.  Those include but are by no means limited to:

• University of Kansas (KU)—James Gunn founded the school’s Center for the Study of Science Fiction. KU offers MA, MFA, and Ph.D. studies in creative writing.
• North Carolina State University—Its Creative Writing Program is run by author John Kessel, who incidentally studied under James Gunn at University of Kansas.

You gotta love Tina Fey. Last night on SNL, she did the woman’s report thing on the news (as well as starred in almost every sketch). She said (rough quote):

“It’s a great time to be a lady. There’s a lady Secretary of State. Lady Speaker of the House…And did you know there’s four women in space?  And the real sign of progress . . . no one cares. Twenty years ago that would only happen in a porn movie.”

It’s funny cuz it’s true.

(In case you don’t know what she’s talking about, check out this article: Discovery shuttle launch sets record for most women in space .) Yes, there are a record four women in space right now. Three launched on Shuttle Discovery last week,  joining the fourth already on the space station. And, I don’t recall seeing too much coverage of it at all. In fact, I think Tiger Woods got far more press.

“So?” you may ask. Surely twenty years ago–which was 1990–all sorts of women were zooming around on Space Shuttles. Not so much.  Do you know when the first American woman launched into space? 1983. (The first woman ever in space was cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963.) On June 18, 1983,  a mere 27 years ago, Sally Ride launched aboard Challenger (STS-7 ) as a mission specialist.  The first woman Shuttle Commander didn’t sit on the launch pad until 16 years later.  On July 23, 1999, Eileen Collins commanded Columbia (STS-93) as it lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center.   (By the way, the STS number is the mission number, which is roughly indicative of how many Shuttle flights have occurred since the first Shuttle launch in 1981.)

Collins also enjoys the distinction of being the first woman to pilot a Space Shuttle, which happened 4 years earlier. On February 3, 1995,  Collins was the pilot for  Discovery (STS-63).  I remember this launch (as well as the others) in particular. It brought to my attention a piece of semi-secret history. A very special group of women came to KSC to see Lt. Col. Collins off that day.  Seven of the original Mercury 13.

Remember the movie The Right Stuff? The astronaut candidates go through a series of grueling tests in New Mexico to pick the first American astronauts, the Mercury 7.  That was 1959. Well, when the US government got wind later that the Soviets were prepping a woman to go into space, NASA secretly evaluated a few dozen women–all pilots–and subjected them to same tests as the male candidates between 1960-1.  Thirteen women passed the tests.  We could have had the first American woman in space way back in the early ’60’s.   However, after Tereshkova went up on Vostok 6 on June 16 1963, NASA discontinued the program.  (There’s a lot more to the story, which I may write about later.) It took nearly 30 years for the US to put a woman in space.

Now we have four up there, and no one seems to care. I guess that is a sign of progress. Maybe.

Enjoy:

The agent panel at Publishers Weekly’s “Beyond Twilight: What’s Hot in the Teen Market in Publishing and Hollywood” discussed what coming up in the market in the near future. Evidently it’s fat vampires and sexy werewolves. Dystopia is also a newish trend:

The discussion also touched on the rise of dystopian novels like The Hunger Games and The Road and the role that blockbuster films like Avatar and a forthcoming Hunger Games film adaptation will have on the popularity of the genre among teen readers. Noting the depressing plot of The Hunger Games, Lundberg said the industry was “not sure how the film will do. Kids killing kids? It’s a Hollywood non-starter,” causing a librarian in the audience to respond, “But my teens like depressing,” to general laughter.

That’s good for me. (Memento Nora is set in a near-future dystopia.)  It’s hard to believe anyone doubts how well the Hunger Games movie will do, but then again Hollywood seriously underestimates its viewers. Thankfully, YA book publishers don’t do that–much.

If you’re serious about writing science fiction, fantasy, or horror professionally, consider attending one of the intensive workshops (a.k.a., boot camps) in the field.  They range in length from one to six weeks. Most, if not all, follow a similar workshop format and feature well established writers as instructors or guest lecturers. Admission is very competitive, usually based on writing samples. Tuition can be expensive but most participants find the experience transformative.

Clarion Writers’ Workshop

Application Fee: $35
Tuition:  $1600
Room & Board:  $2500

Established in 1968, the Clarion Writers’ Workshop is a six-week intensive boot camp taught by top writers and editors in the field. Though founded at Clarion State College in Pennsylvania and later moved to Michigan State University, Clarion is now held yearly on the campus of the University of California, San Diego.

Clarion touts itself as “the premier proving and training ground for aspiring writers of fantasy and science fiction.” Clarion attracts stellar faculty, many of whom are Clarion graduates.  Some of those award-winning alumni include: Octavia Butler, Cory Doctorow, Kim Stanley Robinson, Kelly Link, and Bruce Sterling.

Clarion has inspired two other Clarions—West and South—which are modeled on the original workshop:

• Clarion West is held yearly in Seattle.  $3200
• Clarion South is held every two years in Brisbane, Australia. AUD$2800

Scholarships and financial aid are available for all three Clarion Workshops.

Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop

Application Fee: $30
Tuition:  $1900
Room:  $700-1400

Odyssey is an intensive six-week workshop held yearly on the campus of Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.  Founded in 1996 by former Bantam Doubleday editor, Jeanne Cavelos, Odyssey is the only speculative fiction workshop run by an editor. She writes on the workshop web site:  “Odyssey is for developing writers whose work is approaching publication quality and for published writers who want to improve their work.”

Guest lecturers and writers-in-residence have included Nancy Kress, Robert Sawyer, Terry Brooks, and Harlan Ellison.

Financial aid is available in the form of two work-study positions. And New York City residents may apply for a scholarship created by the New York Science Fiction Society.

Center for the Study of Science Fiction Writers Workshop

Application Fee: $0
Tuition:  $400
Room:  $266-532

The Center’s Science Fiction Writers Workshop is a two-week intensive workshop for writers who have just begun to sell their work. Offered by the University of Kansas’ Center for the Study of Science Fiction, the workshop is taught by the Center’s founder, SFWA Grand Master, James Gunn. Guests have included Frederick Pohl and Elizabeth Ann Hull.

The Science Fiction Writers Workshop emphasizes short fiction; however, the Center also sponsors the Science Fiction & Fantasy Novel Writers’ Workshop , which is usually held concurrently with the original workshop. Kij Johnson leads the novel workshop.

Following the workshops, participants are welcome to attend the Campbell Conference, during which the John W. Campbell and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Awards are presented to the best science-fiction novel and short story, respectively, of the year.

Uncle Orson’s Literary Boot Camp

Writing Class: $175
Bootcamp:  $725

Uncle Orson’s Literary Boot Camp is a yearly two-day writing class and four-day boot camp for writers of science fiction and fantasy. The class is open to novice and experience writers alike, but the boot camp is open only to writers serious about professional level work.  (Boot camp participants attend the class.) Orson Scott Card leads the class and boot camp. Location usually alternates between west and east coast locations.  The 2008 workshop was held in San Diego; the 2009 location has not been announced as of publication of this article.

Viable Paradise

Application Fee: $25
Tuition:  $880
Room:  $155-175/night

Viable Paradise is a one-week workshop held yearly on Martha’s Vineyard.  Past instructors have included such notables as Elizabeth Moon, Maureen McHugh, and James Patrick Kelly.

Note: Quoted costs may have changed.

Ever feel like you’re writing in a vacuum? You send out your work, and very seldom do you get any explanation why it’s rejected (or even accepted.)  Participating in a critique group or workshop (often the words are used interchangeably) can give you the feedback you need to improve your writing. And for science fiction, fantasy, and horror writers, it’s crucial to find a group that specializes in (or at least allows) your genre.  Fortunately, several well-respected speculative fiction writing workshops thrive online these days.

Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror

The name of the workshop—The Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror or OWW S&F— pretty much sums up what the group is all about.  It’s an online community of speculative fiction writers, aspiring and published, who help each other improve their work. The workshop boasts a respectable number of success stories, including Hugo Award-winning writer, Elizabeth Bear.

The review process works on a point system. Members need to review four stories for every one they submit.  Submissions can be short stories or novel excerpts under 7500 words.

Once a month, the Resident Editors review outstanding submissions in the workshop newsletter.  The editors include, among others, Jeanne Cavelos, a writer and former senior editor at Dell Publishing, and Susan Marie Groppi, the editor-in-chief of Strange Horizons. Jeanne Cavelos is also the founder and director of Odyssey, an annual six-week writing workshop held on the campus of Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.

OWW S&F requires a low yearly fee for participation ($49).

Critters Workshop

Critters Workshop is a free online critique group for science fiction, fantasy, and horror writers.  Dr. Andrew Burt (a.k.a., the Critter Captain) and his army of software minions run the workshop.  Members—or Critters—must maintain a certain level of participation in order to have their own work critiqued.  (The posted rules make it sound more complicated than it is. Basically, you need to contribute a substantive critique of one 2000-word or longer story per 75% of the weeks you’re a member.)

Submissions can include short stories or novel excerpts under 20,000 words. Critters also has a special program for critiquing entire novels, something notoriously difficult to accomplish in most workshops.

Other Worlds Writers’ Workshop

Other Worlds Writers’ Workshop is a free online critique group strictly for science fiction and fantasy writers.  (They don’t allow horror or mainstream submissions.)  Other Worlds is an email-based workshop with members of all writing levels.  The group offers a structured program for beginners to teach the basics of speculative fiction writing.

Members must complete two critiques a month to stay active and must critique two stories for every one they submit. Members can submit any length story in any phase of completion, from draft or work in progress to polished story.  (Most workshops encourage submitting only completed work.)

Hatrack River

Hatrack River Writers Workshop is a free online forum that includes peer critiques of short stories and novel fragments for writers of science fiction and fantasy. The workshop is part of Orson Scott Card’s official web site. Writers can post fragments (up to 13 lines) of their short stories or novels in the appropriate forum area and ask for feedback and/or volunteers to read and critique the entire story.

Zoetrope Virtual Studios

Zoetrope Virtual Studios is an online workshop for a wide range of fiction, including short stories, novellas, poetry, and screenplays. Although it’s not dedicated to speculative fiction, the Virtual Studio allows science fiction, fantasy, and horror submissions.  Bear in mind, though, they might not be reviewed by writers familiar with the genre.

Participation requirements vary per length or type of story.  For instance, participants in the short story wing must review five stories for each one they submit whereas in the novella wing, members only need to review two novellas for each one they submit.

The Virtual Studio is associated with Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios and All-Story magazine.  Exceptional submissions to the workshop may be selected for publication in All-Story.

Note:  One of the better known online workshops, Clarion Virtual, an offshoot of the Clarion Writers’ Workshop, was discontinued as of September 2008.