Odyssey Writing Workshop
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1996 by World Fantasy Award
winning editor Jeanne Cavelos
, the Odyssey Writing Workshop is held annually on the campus of Saint Anselm College
in Goffstown, New Hampshire
. The workshop runs for six weeks, combining peer-to-peer feedback
from students and guest lecturers.
Some well published authors, editors, and agents have taught at Odyssey, including George R. R. Martin
, Harlan Ellison
, Jane Yolen
, Terry Brooks
, Charles de Lint
, Ben Bova
, Elizabeth Hand, Patricia A. McKillip
, John Crowley
, Terry Bisson
, Ellen Datlow
, Nina Kiriki Hoffman
, Donald Maass, Robert J. Sawyer
, and Dan Simmons
.
Fifty percent of Odyssey students go on to be published. Jeanne Cavelos
serves as the primary instructor, guiding students through the six weeks, providing assessments of their strengths, helping them target their weaknesses, and charting their progress.
Students use the afternoons and evenings to write, read each other's work, and complete other class assignments.
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
winning editor Jeanne Cavelos
Jeanne Cavelos
Jeanne Cavelos is an American writer, editor, and astrophysicist. She is the founder of the Odyssey Writing Workshop.- Bibliography:*Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages – Casting Shadows...
, the Odyssey Writing Workshop is held annually on the campus of Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College is a nationally ranked, private, Benedictine, Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Founded in 1889 by Abbot Hilary Pfrängle, O.S.B. of Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, at the request of Bishop Denis M. Bradley of Manchester, New Hampshire, the...
in Goffstown, New Hampshire
Goffstown, New Hampshire
Goffstown is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 17,651 at the 2010 census. The compact center of town, where 3,196 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Goffstown census-designated place and is located at the...
. The workshop runs for six weeks, combining peer-to-peer feedback
Peer feedback
Peer feedback is a practice in language education where feedback given by one student to another. Peer feedback is used in writing classes of both first language and second language to provide students more opportunities to learn from each other...
from students and guest lecturers.
Some well published authors, editors, and agents have taught at Odyssey, including George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
, Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
, Jane Yolen
Jane Yolen
Jane Hyatt Yolen is an American author and editor of almost 300 books. These include folklore, fantasy, science fiction, and children's books...
, Terry Brooks
Terry Brooks
Terence Dean "Terry" Brooks is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two movie novelizations. He has written 23 New York Times bestsellers during his writing career, and has over 21 million copies of his books in print...
, Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint is a Canadian fantasy author and folk musician. He is also the chief book critic for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction....
, Ben Bova
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
, Elizabeth Hand, Patricia A. McKillip
Patricia A. McKillip
Patricia Anne McKillip is an American author of fantasy and science fiction novels. Her novels have been winners of the World Fantasy Award, Locus Award and Mythopoeic Award. In 2008, she was a recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement...
, John Crowley
John Crowley
John Crowley is an American author of fantasy, science fiction and mainstream fiction. He studied at Indiana University and has a second career as a documentary film writer...
, Terry Bisson
Terry Bisson
Terry Ballantine Bisson is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his short stories...
, Ellen Datlow
Ellen Datlow
Ellen Datlow is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror editor and anthologist.-Biography:Datlow was the fiction editor of Omni magazine and Omni Online from 1981 through 1998, and edited the ten associated Omni anthologies...
, Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Nina Kiriki Hoffman is an American fantasy, science fiction and horror writer.-Profile:Hoffman started publishing short stories in 1975. Her first nationally published short story appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction magazine in 1983...
, Donald Maass, Robert J. Sawyer
Robert J. Sawyer
Robert James Sawyer is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 20 novels published, and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Amazing Stories, On Spec, Nature, and many anthologies. Sawyer has won over forty awards for his fiction, including the Nebula Award ,...
, and Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, known as the Hyperion Cantos, and for his Locus-winning Ilium/Olympos cycle....
.
Fifty percent of Odyssey students go on to be published. Jeanne Cavelos
Jeanne Cavelos
Jeanne Cavelos is an American writer, editor, and astrophysicist. She is the founder of the Odyssey Writing Workshop.- Bibliography:*Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages – Casting Shadows...
serves as the primary instructor, guiding students through the six weeks, providing assessments of their strengths, helping them target their weaknesses, and charting their progress.
Class format
Class meets for four hours in the morning, five days a week. Half of the class time is spent on lectures, writing exercises, and discussions. Lectures cover the elements of fiction writing while the other half of class time is spent workshopping student stories. Students are directed to provide honest, concrete, detailed feedback.Students use the afternoons and evenings to write, read each other's work, and complete other class assignments.
Notable graduates
- Juliette Crane, Class of 2008
- Carl FrederickCarl FrederickCarl Frederick is a science fiction author living in Ithaca, New York. He has written numerous short stories that have appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight, Asimov's Science Fiction, Flash Fiction Online, Jim Baen's Universe, Space and Time, and other publications...
, Class of 2000 - Sara KingSara KingSara J. King is an Alaskan science fiction writer residing in the Alaska Bush." She is currently working on her 11th novel, part of the "After Earth" series represented by the Donald Maass Literary Agency of New York.-History:...
, Class of 2008 - James Maxey, Class of 1998
- Matthew Rotundo, Class of 1998
- David J. SchwartzDavid J. SchwartzDavid J. Schwartz is an American science fiction and fantasy writer, whose book Superpowers was a finalist for the Nebula Award.-External links:*, the author's official site. Includes his blog and bibliography....
, Class of 1996 - Carrie VaughnCarrie VaughnCarrie Vaughn is an American author who writes the urban fantasy Kitty Norville series. She has published more than 50 short stories in science fiction and fantasy magazines as well as short story anthologies and internet magazines...
, Class of 1998
See also
- Terry BissonTerry BissonTerry Ballantine Bisson is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his short stories...
- Ben BovaBen BovaBenjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
- Terry BrooksTerry BrooksTerence Dean "Terry" Brooks is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two movie novelizations. He has written 23 New York Times bestsellers during his writing career, and has over 21 million copies of his books in print...
- John CrowleyJohn CrowleyJohn Crowley is an American author of fantasy, science fiction and mainstream fiction. He studied at Indiana University and has a second career as a documentary film writer...
- Ellen DatlowEllen DatlowEllen Datlow is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror editor and anthologist.-Biography:Datlow was the fiction editor of Omni magazine and Omni Online from 1981 through 1998, and edited the ten associated Omni anthologies...
- Charles de LintCharles de LintCharles de Lint is a Canadian fantasy author and folk musician. He is also the chief book critic for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction....
- Harlan EllisonHarlan EllisonHarlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
- Elizabeth Hand
- George R. R. MartinGeorge R. R. MartinGeorge Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
- Patricia A. McKillipPatricia A. McKillipPatricia Anne McKillip is an American author of fantasy and science fiction novels. Her novels have been winners of the World Fantasy Award, Locus Award and Mythopoeic Award. In 2008, she was a recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement...
- Robert J. SawyerRobert J. SawyerRobert James Sawyer is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 20 novels published, and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Amazing Stories, On Spec, Nature, and many anthologies. Sawyer has won over forty awards for his fiction, including the Nebula Award ,...
- Nina Kiriki HoffmanNina Kiriki HoffmanNina Kiriki Hoffman is an American fantasy, science fiction and horror writer.-Profile:Hoffman started publishing short stories in 1975. Her first nationally published short story appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction magazine in 1983...
- Dan SimmonsDan SimmonsDan Simmons is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, known as the Hyperion Cantos, and for his Locus-winning Ilium/Olympos cycle....
- Jane YolenJane YolenJane Hyatt Yolen is an American author and editor of almost 300 books. These include folklore, fantasy, science fiction, and children's books...
- Center for the Study of Science FictionCenter for the Study of Science FictionThe Center for the Study of Science Fiction is an educational institution, associated with the University of Kansas, that emerged out of the science-fiction programs that James Gunn created there beginning in 1970....
External links
- Official Odyssey website
- Jeanne Cavelos official website
- "Workshopping at Odyssey" article by David J. Schwartz, graduate of the class of '96