Lately, I’ve been thinking about Doctor Who. Which is funny, considering it’s on a hiatus here in the US and isn’t even on the telly (like that? I used ‘telly’. How ‘posh’.) I’m a fan of the show, both classic and modern versions. I wanted a Tom Baker scarf when I was in Junior High, and the episode “Blink” is one of the best hours of entertainment you can find. “Don’t blink. Blink and you’re dead. Don’t turn your back. Don’t look away. And don’t blink. Good Luck”. (Anyone who recognizes that line knows exactly what I’m talking about.)

But this isn’t meant to be a Doctor Who fan post, it’s meant to be a post on writing for all-ages. When I was at the Clarion Writers Workshop I remember one of my fellows, a Brit, told me how funny it was that Doctor Who was taken so seriously here in the States, because back in the UK everyone knew that it was a kids’ show, it was Britain’s highest rated bit of family programming.

For some reason, this floored me. Doctor Who was scary, I said. Yeah, she responded, and kids like to be scared. So do parents.
This was, I think, a tiny revelation for me. Kids like to be scared. So do parents. The entertainment value is the same for both.  The experience is the same for both.  I think this is the key, and, for me, what is missing from so many works of fiction intended for all-ages.

In broad strokes, I think that so much all-ages work falls into two traps (and my own work is not excepted from this) They are:

1) Writing down to “kid’s entertainments” and staying there. Overly simplistic plots, obvious jokes, flat characters etc. Sometimes (but not often) appeases the kids but the adults want to shoot themselves.
2) Trying to write on two levels at once so that the work is full of lots of number 1, but also enough inside jokes and subtext for the adults so that they don’t get bored. This can be fun, but eventually it becomes obvious that the kids and the adults are laughing at different times. They are, in effect, enjoying two different stories. They are not really sharing the experience (or at least not as much as they could be).

There’s a third option, and I think it’s the better choice. Fiction can entertain adults and kids at the same time. The jokes can be funny for everyone, the action exciting for everyone and the scares scary for everyone. It’s the way Doctor Who aspires to entertain. Mostly it succeeds, sometimes it fails but it always reaches for that admirable goal.

I’m going to turn it into a mantra - “WWDWD?” or “What Would Doctor Who Do?”

It’s what Pixar’s Wall-E does. It’s what DC Comics’ Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade does. It’s what Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book does.

But it’s not easy. Not by a very long shot.

End Part 1. Next time I’ll be even more long-winded about the nuts and bolts of what I perceive this process to be and my conclusions will be just as useless. Stay Tuned!

So a few days ago a former teacher of mine sent out a call for writing advice to share with her new students. Specifically, advice about how to balance a writing life with the very likely day-job.  Fellow Clarion alum and KT Literary client Catherine Cheek replied with a very nice response which she also blogged about here, and subsequently linked here by our agent extraordinaire.

In the interest of fairness, and petty one-upsmanship, I will now share my own small response that was originally a part of that discussion.  My thoughts are brief and nowhere near as well thought out, but they do reflect a serious concern of mine - The Danger of the Hobby Writer!

Enjoy. (or if Kater’s reading this - come and flame me!)

I agree with a lot of what’s been said but . . .  I absolutely abhor, dread and despise the term “hobby writer” (but I absolutely love, admire and celebrate Kater!).

I certainly agree that writers must come up with a financial safety net, whether that is a day-job with benefits or employed spouse.  But I’ve known several aspiring authorly friends over the years whose writing careers ended not with a bang or whimper, but with the words “I’m more of a hobby writer now.”

It takes such devotion, such a ridiculous faith-in-one’s own worth to be a writer that I think it needs to always be at the front of your ambition.  A writer needs to cover the basic hierarchy of needs, and that usually comes in the form of a day job, but that is only to support the writing.

I’ve sold two books, but I’m the sole support of my family of three, therefore I teach English and ESL at the community college, which is a rewarding job with time off to write.  I’m planning to have a day job for a long, long time, even if I sell more books, because that’s the reality of this business for most of us.

But on my taxes I put “Writer”.

When asked what I do for a living, I answer “Writer”.

My “hobby” is collecting comic books (yes I’m that kind of nerd).

Clarion Writers' Workshop

I recently got an email reminding me that the Clarion Writers Workshop is accepting applications for it’s 2009 session.  I, myself, am a proud graduate and would recommend it to anyone looking for a shot of writing adreniline.  It’s six weeks of intensive, immersive writing geekery and it’s also a lot of fun.  The teaching is excellent, the staff great, the campus beautiful and the San Diego beaches are gorgeous.

When I was there way back in aught ‘07, I got up at the crack of dawn and went for a jog in the neighboring eucalyptus forest, then attended workshop for a few hours and spent the rest of the day writing, or talking about writing before taking a little hike down to the cliffs to watch the sun set over the Pacific.  If it was the weekend, some of us would head for the beach to swim with the seals. Oh, and there were squirt-gun fights.  Sound like a good way to send the summer?  Then check out the info below:

Announcing the

2009 Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop

@ UC San Diego

June 28 to August 8, 2009

The Clarion Workshop is widely recognized as the premier training ground for aspiring writers of fantasy and science fiction short stories. Many graduates have become well-known writers, and a large number have won major awards. Instructors are among the most respected writers and editors working in the field today. The 2009 writers in residence are Holly Black, Larissa Lai, Robert Crais, Kim Stanley Robinson, Elizabeth Hand, and Paul Park. The six-week workshop is held on the beautiful beachside campus of the University of California at San Diego.

Since its inception in 1968, Clarion has been known as the “boot camp” for writers of speculative fiction. Each year 18-20 students, ranging in age from late teens to those in mid-career, are selected from applicants who have the potential for highly successful writing careers. Students are expected to write several new short stories during the six-week workshop, and to give and receive constructive criticism. Instructors and students reside together in campus apartments throughout the intensive six-week program.

The application period for the 2009 workshop is January 2 – March 1. Applicants must submit two short stories with their application. Scholarships are available. Additional information can be found at http://clarion.ucsd.edu.

Here are a few more.  It’s a small list this time.  Most of my time was spent reading student’s papers.  As usual, these are in no kind of order.

Mouse Guard: Fall 1152, words and art by David Peterson

Gentlemen of the Road, by Michael Chabon

The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane, by Robert E. Howard

The Black Petals, by Michael Moorcock

Summerland, by Michael Chabon

I owe a belated congratulations to two splendid people:

Fellow Clarion classmate and wicked-talent Catherine Cheek has just joined forces with Secret-Agent Exemplar Kate Schafer-Testerman to rock the world of adult speculative fiction.  Catherine (Kater to those in the know) is a multi-talented writer and graduate of the Clarion Class of 2007 (as is yours truly) and Kate is the owner of KT Literary (of which yours truly is a client).

It’s nice when good things happen to good people.