Here's the sitch:
My goal this summer is to complete a collection of story samples to use for my application for the 2012 Clarion West Writers Workshop. Years ago I met Octavia Butler on different occasions at Eso Won books when I lived in Los Angeles. The last time I saw her she was doing the "Fledgling" book tour. And once again she mentioned Clarion West and applying for it. At the time I was heavily into screenwriting and was actually adapting some of my short stories into scripts. When Octavia died, I felt really guilty for not pursuing Clarion like she politely suggested. She has often said that Clarion boosted her career. Harlan Ellison was one of her teachers. And when a writer you admire teaches the writer you love and admire, ya gotta listen to your elders.
Right now I am reading anthologies of sci-fi and horror from the early days up to this years best horror and sci-fi collections. I'm also going to read and re-read classic books that changed the trends in speculative fiction.
So this is what I need from you, dear fellow writers. I'm trying to get a feel for what has been done to death so that I don't re-invent the wheel. Mind you, I read some crazy shit, so nothing shocks me much anymore (not even the cyberpunk, meta-horror days in the 1980's), but I want to write fresh work. There is nothing new under the sun, and I am aware of the old trope that there are only about 7 stories that we as humans write over and over again. Please tell what are some stories that you would not want to read again, no matter who is writing it. You will be creating a cheat sheet for me to stay on task.
Now I do realize that you all are trying to do the same thing, so this will be a mutualistic symbiotic relationship.
Imagine that you are the commitee choosing the writers. What story ideas would make your eyes glaze and stop reading?
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