Dear readers,

You probably know that, before I wrote a book, I’ve been writing poems. Poems are literary pieces that are sometimes difficult to create because their systems are intricate. That is why I used to create only one poem per week. But within six weeks this year, I will try to write and publish 85 poems, a number that is more than 14 times the amount of poems that I usually create within the same period of time. And I will do this as my participation in the Clarion Write-a-Thon 2012. A write-a-thon is like a walk-a-thon. But instead of walking, I’ll be writing, and instead of lining up pledges per mile, I’ll be lining up pledges per poem.

The Write-a-Thon has been hosted annually for the past few years by the Clarion Foundation, a wonderful organization that provides funding for the highly respected Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop at University of California, San Diego. As you can remember, I participated in Clarion Write-a-Thon 2011 also. That write-a-thon had inspired me to write “Crab Mentality,” my first ever story in the horror genre. Writing the story was an adventure of learning to me as much as participating in the write-a-thon was a memorable experience. The other writers and I got to discuss our writing goals every week, which created a sense of camaraderie to the whole event.

There are lots of improvements in Write-a-Thon 2012, and the best one is that this will team us up with fellow authors and Clarion mentors so we can share critiques, ideas, encouragement, and good writing. It’s the same approach that they’ve used successfully for years in the workshop, and I know that it will provide me with just the kind of push that I need to finish the project that I’ve chosen, creating 85 poems within six weeks.

Plus it’s all for a fantastic cause. Clarion is the oldest writing program of its kind, and it is highly respected.  Many of the greatest figures in science fiction and fantasy honed their skills and launched careers there.  Check it out on the web at clarion.ucsd.edu. Writing programs are under tremendous financial pressure and Clarion is no exception.  The Write-a-Thon's success is vital to the workshop's continued existence.  Last year it raised $17,000!

I hope you'll help out by going to my writer page and sponsoring my writing.  Every contribution that comes through will show on my page and will drive me to do more and better, while also helping out future writers.

Thanks in advance!  Please check back often to see how I'm doing and what I've written..

Charlene Delfin