But six weeks in Nowhere, Iowa wouldn't be fun . That said, eight years later, I think that going to Clarion made a noticible change in my writing. One of the people in my Clarion said that a good thing about going to Clarion is that it's worth it to learn that you're not cut out to be a writer, and go on to do other things. If you want to make a living as a writer, of course, a few short stories are good to sharpen your craft, but you won't make a living at it. About one third will be completely wrong, and should be ignored.
Talent consists in knowing which advice fits into which category.
Be careful with rewrites. It is possible to rewrite all the heart and vitality out of a story. Often it is a better use of your time to write a new story instead of rewriting an old one. If you want to know what it was like the year I taught, try reading Phil Brewer's Clarion 2001 Journal Clarion Homepage Back to Landis home page.