ODYSSEY: ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND RESPECTED WORKSHOPS
FOR WRITERS OF FANTASY, SCIENCE FICTION, AND HORROR
About Odyssey
Now in its 24th year, the Odyssey Writing Workshop is widely considered one of the top programs in the world for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Acclaimed authors, editors and agents serve as guest lecturers, and 59% of graduates have gone on to be professionally published. Among Odyssey’s graduates are New York Times bestsellers, Amazon bestsellers, and award winners.
Odyssey’s 2019 session will be held from JUNE 3 to JULY 12 on the campus of Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. Saint Anselm College, Odyssey’s host campus, is rated one of the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the country, and its campus provides a beautiful setting and high-quality facilities for the workshop. Odyssey students love the Coffee Shop, the peaceful, beautiful grounds, and the friendly, efficient staff.
Writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror from all over the world apply to Odyssey each year; fifteen are admitted. Odyssey combines advanced lectures, in-depth feedback, and one-on-one guidance for maximum impact. Class meets for over 4 ½ hours, 5 days a week, and students use afternoons, evenings, and weekends to write, critique each other’s work, and complete other class assignments. Graduates commonly say they worked harder at Odyssey than they ever have, and they learned more in six weeks at Odyssey than in years earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree in creative writing.
A video of graduates describing their Odyssey experiences is available here: http://ow.ly/UWiD3.
The early action application deadline for this summer’s Odyssey is JANUARY 31, and the regular application deadline is APRIL 1. All applicants receive feedback on their writing sample.
Odyssey, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is funded in part by donations from graduates, grantors and supporters, and in part by student tuition.
Tuition is $2,060, and housing in campus apartments is $892 for a double room and $1,784 for a single. College credit is available for an additional fee.
Financial Aid
New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin (A Game of Thrones) is funding a scholarship for a horror writer to attend Odyssey. The Miskatonic Scholarship will be awarded to a promising writer of Lovecraftian cosmic horror. It will cover full tuition, textbook, and housing. For more details, see our website.
The Parasite Publications Character Awards, sponsored by Odyssey graduate Sara King, provide financial assistance to three character-based writers wishing to attend. The awards provide three scholarships in the amounts of $2,060 (full tuition), $500, and $300.
A work/study position is also available.
Odyssey’s Director and Primary Instructor
Odyssey founder Jeanne Cavelos is a bestselling author and former senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell, where she won the World Fantasy Award for her work. In addition to her lectures, which are legendary, she provides students with detailed, constructive critiques that average over 1,500 words each. She also works individually with students to set goals, chart progress, and talk out problems. In 2015, Jeanne was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for her work teaching and running Odyssey.
Our 2019 Guest Lecturers
Lecturers for the 2019 workshop include some of the best teachers in the field: bestselling authors Holly Black and Sara King, award-winning authors Nisi Shawl and Fran Wilde; highly praised author/editor Paul Witcover, and award-winning editor/publisher Neil Clarke of Clarkesworld Magazine. We’ll also have agent Joshua Bilmes, president of the renowned JABberwocky Literary Agency, and award-winning editor/publisher Scott H. Andrews of Beneath Ceaseless Skies as virtual guests via Skype.
Comments from the Class of 2018
“Odyssey has completely transformed my writing life in the span of six weeks. Not only has Jeanne given me an amazing writer’s toolbox, she’s unpacked every tool and explained its use in wonderful detail. I am so excited for my writing future. A million thanks to Odyssey!” –A. Katherine Black
“Before Odyssey, writing felt nebulous and mysterious. Both my strengths and my weaknesses were abstract, incalculable, and I couldn’t get a grip on what I needed to improve. Odyssey made everything tangible. Now I’m in control of my strengths as a writer, and I know what I have to do to grow. The most valuable part of the Odyssey experience is the realization that any writer can meet their full potential, so long as they’re willing to put in the work and check their ego at the door.” –Valerie San Filippo
Odyssey Graduates
Linden Lewis, Odyssey class of 2016, recently sold her trilogy to Skybound/Simon & Schuster in a major auction. The Poppy War (HarperCollins), the first novel of R. F. Kuang, also class of 2016, has been included on multiple “Best of 2018” lists and is currently a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards. Other recent novels by Odyssey graduates include The Wild Dead by Carrie Vaughn (Houghton Mifflin), Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (Disney-Hyperion), The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss (Saga Press), The Dark Apostle: Elisha Daemon by E. C. Ambrose (Baen), and I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall (Penguin Random House).
Other Odyssey Resources and Services
In addition to the workshop application, the Odyssey site, www.odysseyworkshop.org, offers many programs and resources for writers, including online classes, webinars, a critique service, consultations, coaching, free podcasts, author interviews, writing tips, and a monthly online discussion salon.
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