Clarion write-a-thon, starting now! · 7:06am Jul 19th, 2014
Okay, I'm entering the Clarion write-a-thon!
Why do I do these things to myself? 
It is a little stupid of me. I’m already going to be busy until after Bronycon, and the write-a-thon is… now through August 2.
Two weeks left.
Pledges support the Clarion science fiction & fantasy writing workshop. As my previous blog explained, Clarion is the Harvard of fantasy and science fiction, yet is pretty affordable, because most of its cost is paid by donations. As was my own tuition at Clarion. So I owe them a debt.
My secret agenda is to show the professional writers that people take fan-fiction writers seriously enough to pledge real money.
My super-secret agenda is to make them curious enough to come over here.
Also, they have a special challenge this week: The three writers who bring in the most money this week each win one story critique from a Clarion alumni. (It doesn’t say who, but presumably one of the famous ones.)
If I win, I think I’ll make him or her read a pony story. 
“This week” means “July 13-19”. So we have 24 hours left.
What will I do? 
Write words, from now through August 2.
What will I count as “words”? Well, unless you folks have strong contrary feelings about any of these things:
1. Pony words published either to fimfiction or to a write-off, whether new stories or new chapters to old stories. That includes publishing stories I’ve been working on but not finished, but doesn’t include blogs, rewrites of things already published, or things that I write but don’t publish in time. I added the write-off because I might do this weekend’s write-off, but might not publish it on fimfiction by Aug. 2.
(Should blog posts count? Maybe at half-a-word per word?)
2. Words written for print fiction markets.
3. Words written on book proposals.
What will I write? 
Maybe another chapter for “Bad Horse’s Bedtime Stories”, just so I can hit 3000 words and submit it to EQD.
Hopefully, I’ll push “Celerity” out the door one way or another. Cold in Gardez said I should add Twilight to the story, and he’s probably right, but it will at least triple in length if I do. Argh.
Possibly, a book proposal for the White Wolf novel I described in my last post.
Most likely, “Granny Changeling” (working name), a biggish story that’s been pestering me for a long time. I guess it might come in at 15,000 words. I don’t think I can finish it before Bronycon, but I can push out some chapters. I want to write this, but I really need a push to get started.
What’s this “Granny Changeling” thing?
It's that happy story Ghost keeps asking for.
Granny Smith notices some things aren’t right. She used to do the dishes herself every day, but now she’s like as not to drop one. She used to knit beautiful sweaters, but now can only make lop-sided scarves. She used to play a mean fiddle, but now if she pulls a bow, it sounds like a wagon wheel with no grease.
She realizes there’s only one possible explanation for this: She’s a changeling.
She retreats into her bedroom, insisting everypony keep away from her, or she’ll suck the love out of them. She begins trying to run away whenever nobody’s watching her. She says she can’t stand the guilt, living in the house of the pony whose life she stole. She begins withering away.
It gets so bad that the Apples decide they have to sell the farm and go somewhere else.
The only people who want to buy the farm are Flim and Flam. They think Apple Bloom’s idea that Granny is doing so poorly because she won’t let anyone hug her is ridiculous:
Flim: Hugs? Nonsense! We have extracted and concentrated every necessary nutritional element known to ponykind--
Flim: --Plus several unknown--
Flam: --and put them in our Flim and Flam Miracle Tonic!
Flim: Hugs are extraneous!
Flam: Superfluous!
Flim: Just look at me. Never had a hug in my life, and I’m as healthy as a horse!
And they think that the fact that the Apples put taking care of Granny above keeping their farm is pathetic.
Flim: Don’t blame us. Your silly filial piety cost you your farm. You could’ve put her out to pasture instead.
Flam: Out with the old and in with the new, that’s what our mother said!
Flim: Set your eyes on the future and don’t look back, that’s what she said!
Apple Bloom: Where’s your mother now?
Flim: We don’t know.
Flam: She didn’t look back.
Their mother always wanted to be respectable, and when their father couldn’t provide that, she left. And now they, Flim and Flam, are respectable land-owners.
But after the deal is closed, the brothers keep coming up with excuses why the Apples shouldn’t leave the farm just yet. They've locked up the barn and put up signs saying "KEEP OUT"; you can hear them building something in it at night. And Granny seems to be getting better.
What can you do? 
To make a donation or a pledge, go to my write-a-thon page.
Pledges to my writing are in units of dollars per (square root of (words written)). Somebody already made a pledge, and either they meant it to be cents per sqrt(words), or they made a big pledge. So be careful about that. If you pledge, the amount you give is based on how many words I write, and I'm not going to have anything written this week, so it won't help me get that story critique.
If you pledge, it will (I think) give you an estimate of how much your pledge will come to, based on my goal for how many words to write. It will look confusing, because it says I set my goal as "141 sqrt(words)". That means I set a goal of publishing 20,000 words, and sqrt(20000) = 141. I can tell you that ain't gonna happen in the next 2 weeks. 10,000, maybe, possibly. I am tracking my progress as sqrt(words), so if you pledge $0.25 per sqrt(words) and I write 10,000 words, that's $0.25 * 100 = $25.
I may have over-geeked that.
You can also make straight-up donations. If you do this today (Saturday), pledging would be better because it would help me win the critique. With the caveat that donations made several hours ago still haven't shown up on the Clarion website, and they say it might take up to a day.
My writer ID is 512172, which is odd considering there were only a few dozen writers signed up ahead of me. Pro writers include Elizabeth Bear, David Brin, Cory Doctorow, Geoffrey Landis, Karen Joy Fowler, Kim Stanley Robinson, & Delia Sherman.
I chipped in as much I could (which, granted, isn't all that much). The Clarion folks say it may take as much as 24 hours for the donation[1] to come through, though, so I don't know if it'll show up on time.
Good luck with the writing!
[1] I didn't pledge, but rather donated outright. That's not a problem, I hope?
So. You mentioned being at BronyCon... Would interacting with fans make you uncomfortable?
2299280 Fans!
Oh, wait. I'm a fan.
I guess it should be okay, then.
In fact, I think I'm listed as a writing coach at Quills & Sofas, meaning people can come by and ask me to
tell them how bad their story isgive them a gentle critique.Or a rough one. Depends how you like it.
2299430 I really don't pony-words but I really want to talk theory / shop (?) with you.
I'd love to see you finish that Granny Changeling story.
And I'll be happy to donate or pledge, depending on what would help you most. Based on what you and Ghost have said about either of these, will the pledge/donation help you today? I'll do it regardless if it'll help you now or later, just clarifying.
I'm also curious about your idea of submitting ponywords, since there's an awful lot of context behind any pony story that a reader new to MLP:FiM would be missing...
THAT'S a happy story idea?
Oh wait, you're Bad Horse. If I wasn't in debt from EFNW, I'd chip in. Maybe next week. Good luck!
2299486 If you do it today, the donation would help me win the critique. The pledge wouldn't, because it doesn't register until I add to my "words written" counter. After today, it doesn't matter which way.
There is also a story critique for whoever raises the most money over the whole 6 weeks.
2299562 Done. The donation isn't much, but I hope it will help you.
question; how many words do you anticipate writing, as a ballpark? I'm thinking of pledging but I'd rather not bankrupt myself :-P
2299694 I think 10,000 words, tops. I chose the weird units of "square root of words written" so that I can't bankrupt you. sqrt(10000) = 100. If I write 20,000 words, which I couldn't unless I stayed here at my desk for the next 2 weeks, sqrt(20000) = 141.
You can make a donation for a set amount instead.
2299496
Well, from the description I would peg it as mostly in the tone of the show (or, rather, in tone with the darkest episodes of the show, which are still fairly light), but with a heavier opening, perhaps in line with Bad Horse's own Keepers short story. I assume in the part after what has been described hijinks ensue. Seems like an interesting read, and got me curious as to how Bad Horse will interpret the Flim Flam brothers.
Wilt thou link to thy donation page, an' it please ye?
2300312
What? Is it bad to be snarky to people while asking them for money?
2300357
Tiny Link ; Didn't Register
2300658
CLICK HERE
Donated!
Keep up the great work!
2314451 2299681 Thanks to both of you!