Poets & Writers Speakeasy: Writing and Publishing: MFA Programs: MFA Fiction Programs

Subscribe | Give a Gift Subscription

Advanced Search

Main Index » Writing and Publishing » MFA Programs
MFA Fiction Programs - Questions & Concerns

You are not signed in. Click here to sign in.
If you are not a member, Register here!

123006 registered users

1 ... 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

View All

lapwing

Mar 25, 2009, 2:06 PM

Post #251 of 313 (3987 views)
Shortcut

Re: [theootto] Which genre? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Many thanks for the advice, moomoocow42 and theotto. My difficulty with literary journalism, for the record, is that I tend to be too timid in my interactions with the people I'm following around, with the result that I don't get what I need to write something decent. It's a question of my temperament being wrong for the task at hand. But what I do love is being away from desks of all kinds and, later on, crafting prose in my reporter voice, and also reading anything by Mitchell, McPhee, etc. So I hope there's a way around these quirks of personality. Anyway, I appreciate the reminder about how writing that isn't informed or nourished or generated out of passion may be admirable in some ways ("good") but also inauthentic. And yeah, I see what you mean about the disconnect between being practical and enrolling in an MFA program :)

Tabby

Mar 25, 2009, 3:22 PM

Post #252 of 313 (3943 views)
Shortcut

Re: [lapwing] Which genre? [In reply to]	Can't Post

If you are a good fiction writer, you will be a good literary journalist. I came from the opposite tack, I was good literary journalist and a lousy fiction writer, but I changed that.

Writing is some skill, and a great deal of discipline.

Short answer: Do what you love!

http://www.kellykathleenferguson.com

lapwing

Mar 25, 2009, 3:40 PM

Post #253 of 313 (3927 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Tabby] Which genre? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks, Tabby (great blog, by the way!). It's inspiring to hear that you've been able to make room for both kinds of writing. I'd like to think that the glimmers of narrative intelligence, or whatever it is, that now and then turn up in my fiction will translate into CNF that involves significant reporting. But again, I appreciate the encouragement!

reality writes

Mar 25, 2009, 4:40 PM

Post #254 of 313 (3895 views)
Shortcut

Re: [lapwing] Which genre? [In reply to]	Can't Post

I agree with Tabby. I was a newspaper journalist for a few years, then did freelance newswriting for a few years after that. If you're writing fiction, you already have the storytelling skills that print journalism wants. I don't think school can teach you how to be a better interviewer. It's just trial and error. And really, your story tells you what holes you need to fill in it. You can always draft a story and then call back to ask more questions of your subjects.

And with the dismal outlook of newspapers and magazines these days, I think it's better to have something else to fall back on anyway. (i.e. - teaching literature, writing novels)

reality writes

Mar 25, 2009, 4:43 PM

Post #255 of 313 (3892 views)
Shortcut

Re: [lapwing] Which genre? [In reply to]	Can't Post

oh, and by the way, I'm going to my MFA to study poetry. ha. I just dabble in everything, I guess. So yes, you can totally reinvent yourself as a writer over and over again.

lapwing

Mar 25, 2009, 9:22 PM

Post #256 of 313 (3804 views)
Shortcut

Re: [reality writes] Which genre? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Now that's a reinvention, truly :)

Khalilah

Apr 11, 2009, 1:25 PM

Post #257 of 313 (3640 views)
Shortcut

How the Admissions Committee Choose [In reply to]	Can't Post

It took me about half an hour to decide where to post this and I hope that I've made the right decision and future MFA applicants find this useful. I recently visited Indiana U-Bloomington and had the good fortune to meet with all of the fiction professors who were on the admissions committee. One of them said the most enlightening thing to me. I'd read it before in Kealey's book but hearing it from the source (i.e. directly from an Admissions committee member who voted for my acceptance), it became salient and usable information for me. Anyway, this thing is that everyone on the admissions committee reads separately and chooses the people who meet two criteria for them: 1. Talented Writer 2. Writer whose work they'd want to read and help the writer to develop for the duration of the program.

Then everybody on the committee comes together and only those who all the admission committee members have on their list are waitlisted or accepted. So (I imagine for most programs -- the director at Irvine said something simliar in AWP), those who are getting in or making waitlists are those who all the admissions committee members feel are talented writers whose work they'd want to read and help develop for the next two to three years.

For me that was so important to hear as, for better or worse, ego or insecurity, I'd been struggling with why I hadn't been accepted by so many other schools. And now I know how to make peace with those rejections -- yes some of them I'm sure are coming from people who are just thinking "What?! She needs to get, and keep a day job!" but many of them probably were in the category of "she may be talented, but we don't all want to read her work and support her development for the next two - three years or we don't want to be engaged with her work as much as we want to engage the work of this other applicant".

So those rejection letter sentiments like the ones from Wash U, Michigan, Iowa and Irvine that say 'this rejection is not a reflection on your talent or potential' are valid and I think as we travel through this process and I see some people wanting to give up or seriously doubting their talent, we need to keep these standards in mind. Professors at both of the schools that accepted me let me know that there are people who they waitlist or reject who are very talented and go on to strong careers.

Furthermore, I think this sweeping connection that the professors have to make with your work speaks to the importance of doing as Purdue (and Oregon) suggest and read the work of the professors and maybe even some of their alumni and think about whether you are applying to a program whose professors are likely to connect to your work. Not that you have to write in the same style as the professors to whom you are submitting but I look at the two programs to which I was accepted and similar to these authors, my writing has some upfront drama, darkness and deals with some of the issues with which the professors are dealing.

I've at this point been privileged to read a short story written by a writer accepted to a program that rejected me and as soon as I finished it, it hit me why that committee would fall in love with her writing and not mine (we are on different ends of the spectrum in subtlety and experimentation) since, when I review the writing of the professors at that school, their writing would indicate a greater connection with her style of writing.

If I had it to do again, about five or more schools would fall off my list and I might have replaced them with two different schools whose financial packages are less than attractive, in an effort to send my writing to people who would get really excited about it. I read at least five pages of the work of every fiction professor at all the schools to which I applied and truth be told, I was only excited about the work of author/professors at five of schools and only swept away (like Khalilah you have to stop reading if you ever want to get this application in) by the work of the majority or all of the writers at three schools (two of which accepted me). So at least in my case, the connection aspect of the admissions/decision making process is reciprocal.

I hope that someone finds comfort or guidance in this post.

chop

Apr 16, 2009, 11:03 AM

Post #258 of 313 (3440 views)
Shortcut

Re: [germericanqt] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hello--I have a question and am new to this forum. I applied to three MFA programs in Fiction (two full-time residency, and one low-res). I only was accepted to the low-res program, which has a good reputation. I was more excited about the full-time programs, but now that I only have the low-res option, I'm wondering if I should accept it. I am at a point in life (mid-30s) where i have to do this now (b/c of having kids, etc) and don't have the time to reapply next year to full-time programs. But, I wonder will I be "settling" if I go to the low-res program, or should i go, since I think I might regret not going at all? And I could definitely use the feedback, structure and credentials of the MFA program, so to not go might be silly and something I regret. I just wonder if I'm getting swept up by ideas of "rankings" and how I might have a better chance of getting published, etc if I went to a school with more famous faculty, etc...I know that's ridiculous, but it's just a lot of money to spend if I don't really NEED to go or am not totally passionate about this choice...but might i be once I got there? I don't know...the idea of spnding the money for only 20 days a year on campus does not sound exciting, like more of the same in my life now. But maybe I could really use the challenege and structure. I am so confused. Someone please help me make the decision to go or not to go.... :( Thanks!

LesK
Les

Apr 16, 2009, 11:21 AM

Post #259 of 313 (3435 views)
Shortcut

Re: [chop] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Chop,

Try thinking about it in terms of opportunity cost. If you chose to attend a full-time program, and got funding, it's entirely possible that the opportunity cost (i.e., the income you'd be giving up), even with a fantastic funding package, could be much more than that of paying for a low-res program and keeping your day job (whatever that may be). And, of course, if you're married or otherwise involved (you mentioned kids), then you also need to be mindful of the cost for your SO to move with you (if need be) and find a job....and in this economy, would your SO be able to find comparable work at another locale?

As for the difference between full-time and low-res, I don't think there's much difference between publication records of grads from top programs in either category, but I may be wrong. I do know that a number of successful writers in all genres have gone to schools like Warren Wilson, Lesley, Pacific, etc. Of course, I also strongly believe that, in many ways, a program is what you make of it, and what you can take to the University (or your home office or wherever)....but good teachers (obviously) help. To me, the two biggest disadvantages of low-res programs are that you don't have the opportunity to teach (for CV building, of course), and the sense of community is, well, a bit more like the sense of community here (on the PW boards). You can, obviously, make friends, connections, etc., but the opportunities to talk about literature, teaching, writing, or whatever over a few beers is clearly limited.

In short, it's really a call you need to make for yourself. That said, I would encourage you not to simply pass on the idea of doing an MFA. If it's your dream, make it happen. Hope this helps.

Les

chop

Apr 16, 2009, 11:39 AM

Post #260 of 313 (3420 views)
Shortcut

Re: [LesK] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks, LesK, for your thoughtful response!

Juliet73

Apr 16, 2009, 11:52 AM

Post #261 of 313 (3411 views)
Shortcut

Re: [chop] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Chop, I think it depends on what you want out of the MFA experience. There are so many reasons that people go for this degree, and I think that there are other ways to achieve the same outcome in many cases. A couple of the things you mentioned:

discipline: For a lot of writers, it is tough to become a disciplined writer without some external force (such as needing something to turn in for a workshop) motivating them to write. However, you may be able to find local/online workshop groups or start your own to create your own deadlines.

networking and working with well-known, gifted faculty: You could also get this by attending summer workshops and residencies anywhere in the world, or on a lower level, by going to readings in your area and meeting people that way.

Have you spoken to anyone who is currently enrolled in the low-res program you're considering? Maybe if you had a chat session or exchanged email with them, you could figure out whether or not you'd ultimately be disappointed. Personally, whenever a roadblock is thrown up for me (something that dashes my original dream), if there is an alternative, I often become convinced that the alternative was the best option all along and I just hadn't realized it. Maybe the same will happen for you. Anyhow, good luck making your decision -- I know it's extremely hard.

jlgwriter
Jeanne Lyet Gassman

Apr 16, 2009, 12:30 PM

Post #262 of 313 (3391 views)
Shortcut

Re: [chop] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Chop,

I'm in my third semester of a low-res program, and I have no regrets, although I had the opportunity to attend a residency program in my home state within commuting distance. Some things I can tell you about what I have learned from my low-res experience thus far:

It requires tremendous discipline.
You have to learn to manage your writing/reading time and manage it well. It doesn't seem like a big commitment, but the work load is heavier than you realize. At the end of each residency, you are sent home with a semester plan. For the next approximately 6 months (no spring, summer, or winter breaks with low-res), you will be submitting a packet of your creative work and some critical writing (based on your reading) every 4 weeks. The feedback you receive is detailed and personal. Remember, the faculty seldom have more than 5-6 students assigned to them, so they can put a lot of time into your writing needs.

There is a strong sense of community at the residencies and beyond.
Low-res students communicate via cyberspace, but a lot of us find ways to get together in real time. This summer, I will be traveling to my residency with a fellow low-res student who is two semesters behind me. Last winter, I traveled with another student. We visit fellow students near us, exchange work outside of the program requirements, go to each other's readings, cheer on our fellow students' successes, etc. I feel that my low-res program is especially nurturing. EVERYONE wants you to succeed. They give you leads on grants, publication opportunities, jobs, retreats, workshops...the support is fantastic. I've belonged to critique groups for years--some of them with well-known authors--and I have never found the community that I have with my low-res program.

The support lasts beyond your MFA.
Some examples: A friend of mine was referred to a faculty member's agent shortly after graduating. Her book went on to win some very prestigious awards.
Another grad started a literary magazine and encourages all of the program grads to contribute.
Another grad received a job offer to edit a different lit magazine.
Other students have networked into teaching positions at prestigious writing programs.
The faculty often works with students on special projects after they graduate. I know of two people who finished and published novels with faculty help AFTER graduating.

The faculty at my program are stellar.
I am well-read and have a good background in literature, but I have learned sooo much in the past two years. And my craft shows that. My advisors have pushed me to experiment with my craft, to reach beyond my comfort zone, to read authors I had never heard of, and to grow as a writer. I will be graduating next winter with a novel manuscript, a collection of some decent short stories, and some pretty solid critical writing under my belt. But all of that took hours of hard work. Hours and hours of late nights and long weekends on my part. And I suspect, I gave my advisors some long hours of work, too. :)

So, no, I don't think you are "settling" for a low-res program. Frankly, I can't imagine doing this any other way. The residency program I could have gone to is huge; the faculty is overloaded; and with the current economic crisis, the funding is rapidly evaporating. It has cost me some money to go the low-res route, but it's been worth every cent. Nope. No regrets. Well, just one...I don't want to leave! I'm looking forward to graduating, but I will really, really miss the structure and discipline. I'm just hoping I've matured enough to maintain this on my own!

You haven't named your low-res program (nor have I), but if you have more questions, feel free to PM me.

Jeanne
http://www.jeannelyetgassman.com
http://jeannelyetgassman.blogspot.com

http://www.jeannelyetgassman.com
http://jeannelyetgassman.blogspot.com

chop

Apr 16, 2009, 1:41 PM

Post #263 of 313 (3354 views)
Shortcut

Re: [jlgwriter] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks, Juliet and Jlgwriter...
Wow, I have not heard any criticisms of low-res...Good luck to both of you, and I appreciate the insights you provided that will help me make a decision...gulp! :)

Greegle

Sep 22, 2009, 11:49 PM

Post #264 of 313 (2674 views)
Shortcut

Re: [jlgwriter] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Wow, helpful thread. JLG and Juliet, if you don't mind, I am curious as to what your Low-Res schools were, as I'm less secure as to how to seek out high quality Low-Res programs.

As for my question, I recently communicated with my favorite writing teacher from undergrad about writing me a recommendation and he told me he would write me five (5!). Considering everyone's advice in this messageboard as well as Kealey's book is to apply to as many schools as I can, I'm troubled. This professor's recommendation would easily be my most influential recommendation, since my other professors were generally on a different wavelength than I, and I'm guessing that I might be able to push him to 6 or 7 if I can present a strong enough case for each of them - but he is understandably hesitant about flooding the market with his recommendations.

My question is: should I just take take the flat number of 5 or 6 he gave me and work around it, or should I continue to try and apply to 12 or more schools, but with half of them getting less-than-stellar recommendations?

I anyone has an idea of another thread where this question would be better suited, feel free to let me know, as I'm as new as they get.

Thanks in advance...

bighark

Sep 23, 2009, 2:52 AM

Post #265 of 313 (2657 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Greegle] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Yikes. That's not very nice, is it? Flooding the market with his recommendation? That's a scream.

Anyway, I think the best you can do in this situation is make the recommendation process as easy as possible for this particular professor. Use online recommendations whenever they're available, and if you do have to work with snail-mail copies, be sure to send him everything he needs: pre-addressed stamped envelopes and whatever prompts or forms that may be required for a given school.

At this point, you may want to send him a letter detailing the schools where you intend to apply. Send all your schools. Arrange them alphabetically, and write a brief explanation for each. If your presentation is organized and professional, you might be able to convince this guy to change his mind.

Good luck.

libbyagain

Sep 23, 2009, 3:15 AM

Post #266 of 313 (2652 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Greegle] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

I second Bighark's "Yikes" response.

Does your college/university have a venue dedicated to helping grads with application processes--professional files containing letters of recommendation, and. . . other information, I think (it's been ages since I did this--I forget). I know that many programs ask for a particular slant to their letters, and perhaps many also require a particular site or form on which the recommendation must appear. But perhaps a venue with a letter on file would ease things somewhat. If the guy's not personally responsible for sending out to tons of schools, then. . . he may feel differently?

If his reasoning really is that he doesn't want to "flood the market," not that he's looking for a way not to have to do all that work, then maybe you might consider presenting him with a list of the (presumably wonderful) schools where you're applying, together with a brief-brief-brief apologia re. the odds of getting into these schools and the wisdom of applying to a large number of them, and ask him whether he "has suggestions about which 6 of these he thinks his recc. might best suit." Maybe he has lines in to certain schools, etc. Ideally, too, he'd relent, seeing as how your process is so superbly thought-out, and he is a mote in your eye, a wrench in your smoothly-oiled works, and he doesn't really want to be. . . .

Good luck.

Edited to change spelling of "mote" from "moat," and thus prevent embarrassing gaffe.

(This post was edited by libbyagain on Sep 23, 2009, 3:17 AM)

aiyamei

Sep 23, 2009, 7:23 AM

Post #267 of 313 (2635 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Greegle] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Personally I think his behavior is downright weird. My understanding and personal experience is that regardless of how many forms they are asked to fill out, professors generally follow a pretty standard procedure, which is that they write ONE letter of recommendation for a given student, and then produce multiple signed copies, each of which is paper-clipped to the schools' respective forms.

Even if this teacher is not in that particular habit, still, the fact that he spoke of "flooding the market" suggests he's a bit bonkers. Completely unclear on the concept. Reminds me of a Mr. Boffo cartoon. You are ONE student. Therefore even if you apply to sixty schools, he's still only _essentially_ writing one letter, i.e. only recommending ONE person, i.e. there is no flooding going on. He's very much out of touch with the normal responsibilities of his profession.

Greegle

Sep 23, 2009, 6:38 PM

Post #268 of 313 (2581 views)
Shortcut

Re: [aiyamei] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks for everyone for the responses. First, let me just say that I was reading into his statement when I said what I did about flooding the market. I, too, presumed that he would just have copied and pasted the same recommendation to all schools and a fear of flooding the market and diluting the value of his personal recommendation was the only idea that struck me as valid. Given a previous remark he once made to me about how he would only write me a recommendation for a job if he thought I would like it, I made an assumption, which may be altogether incorrect. Maybe he's just lazy, though I doubt it would be that simple.

I appreciate the idea about listing and explaining the inclusion of every school I intended on applying to, and hoping to persuade him thus, but left to my own devices, I was probably going to lowball it with 6 or 7 schools hoping he'd throw in an extra recommendation or two. I haven't yet responded to his e-mail with the offer of 5 recommendations, because I figure I should get my game plan figured out beforehand. I had been working with a number closer to 20 than to 5 before his e-mail (though I had been looking for more criteria to use to narrow it down. Mindlessly obeying him would actually be the easy way out). I started to try and narrow the list down today, but without even counting Low-Res schools, which I've currently done NO research on, I'm still looking at at least 6 or 7 I'd want to give a decent swing at.

So, if making my case fails and he, for whatever reason, sticks to 5 or only budges with 1-3 extra recommendations (the more probable route, I think) then what? Do you guys think applying to 6-8 schools still gives me a decent chance? Most schools hover around 3-5% acceptance as I understand it. That's still about a 25% shot, right?

(Like my math there?)

jamie_mu

Sep 23, 2009, 9:52 PM

Post #269 of 313 (2537 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Greegle] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Greegle,

I only applied to 6, mostly because of the cost of applications. I did okay. It's not unheard of to get into a few schools when only applying to handful. But it is more coomon to cast a wide as net as possible (cliched yet?). You could ask your letter writer how many schools he applied to when an undergrad, just to make him feel guilty.

I think your best bet is to figure out what five schools on your list would take his letter at more than the standard "this person isn't an a-hole" value. Does he personally know any of the professors on the adcoms of any of your schools to which you want to apply? If no, then prioritize the schools you think his letter would be most helpful with, see if he might bend his rule for a few more, and then find someone else. LOCs are just a minor step in the whole process. Unless you letter writer knows someone at a program then I wouldn't worry too much about having to go to another prof that might not know your work as well.

Good luck.

PS--one of my letter writers refused to deal with electronic LOCs, so I had to supply him with everything. These are challenges you have to get through.

gcsumfa

Sep 24, 2009, 1:27 AM

Post #270 of 313 (2500 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Greegle] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

You might consider signing up for a dossier service, like Interfolio; it's $15/year and $4-5 per mailing.

It makes this entire process a lot easier; basically, he will send his letter to the dossier service, and then you will FW his letter from the dossier service to as many schools as you want--a lot easier on him, and a lot easier on you. If he has a problem with this, then--honestly--he sounds like a d-bag, and you should just get someone else to write a letter for you. I used Interfolio, and most of my profs were more than happy to oblige, because they just had to send the letter to one place, and it was all done online. I've never even heard of a letter writer complaining about his letter "flooding the market." Weird.

By the way, Interfolio allows you to waive your right to read the letter.

(This post was edited by gcsumfa on Sep 24, 2009, 1:33 AM)

PJwave1

Sep 24, 2009, 4:00 PM

Post #271 of 313 (2421 views)
Shortcut

Re: [jamie_mu] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Jamie_mu,

Sorry for this being off topic, but I remember you were one of the superstars here last season. Would you be interested at all in sharing a story? I've slept under a blanket of rejections for two MFA application seasons and although I've been in a number of workshops, I'd like to get some sense of what kind of writers the top choice schools are selecting. You got into Michigan and a bunch of other dream schools, right?

jamie_mu

Sep 24, 2009, 6:23 PM

Post #272 of 313 (2394 views)
Shortcut

Re: [PJwave1] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

PJ

I don't think it was the quality of my writing that got me accepted, but more what I was writing about. Don't get me wrong, before applying I wrote a lot, read a lot, workshopped, and honed my craft, and I'm sure my poetry was equal to other applicants on a technical level. I felt the quality of my writing got me into the short-stack of possible accepted applicants, as Ha Jin mentions in an Atlantic Monthly article, �Looking at the writing samples allows you to get to a list of 30 to 40 out of the 300. From there, each person in some ways deserves to be accepted. That�s where other factors enter the discussion.� (http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200708/edward-delaney-mfa/2) I think other factors in my life set my application apart from the rest, particularly subject matter. I write poetry primarily about my experience as a soldier in war. It is an experience that I believe few people are writing about. Also, because I was a soldier and came to school later in life, I was an older applicant, which I've believes helps. (Though, thinking about my current cohort, two students are fresh out of undergrad and 22-23 years old; I, too, just graduated, but I'm 28.) And so while the technical level of my poetry is probably similar to most applicants, my writing sample was unique because of its topic. Again, I worked hard as an undergrad, wrote and read a lot, maintained a high GPA, studied for the GRE, and made sure I was a competitive applicant regardless of my personal and unique experience. Two of my letter writers were not published writers but community college teachers who new my work ethic. The other letter writer was a poet who advised me on an honors thesis, but I'm pretty sure he didn't know anyone at the programs where I was applying (though an interesting guy who studied under Robert Lowell and other big names at Harvard).

So, I don't think I can offer any secret to success. Send your best work. Read and write a lot. Live life, and write it. It almost sounds trite. I do believe that this MFA business of applications for the most part is arbitrary. Adcoms are not looking for the best writers, they're looking for the best fit. No amount of workshops, revision, or reading will make you a better fit in a program. It's more of a gut feeling of each of the members of the adcom. You can't make someone want to work with you. The best you can do is show them you are willing to work (and work hard) with them.

I applied to six programs. I was accepted by U Mass Amherst, Michigan, UC Irvine, and Johns Hopkins. I was rejected by Iowa and Cornell.

__________

Sep 24, 2009, 7:28 PM

Post #273 of 313 (2376 views)
Shortcut

Re: [jamie_mu] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Wow. Did someone tell you this, or is that just your best guess? What makes the subject of war a good fit for your program? Are the professors retired military?

It sounds like you're being a bit hard on yourself.

six five four three two one 0 ->

jamie_mu

Sep 24, 2009, 7:48 PM

Post #274 of 313 (2370 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Junior Maas] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

No one has told me anything. Everything is always a best guess.

I guess I was making two different points. It's not what I write about, but its uniqueness. Then I later opined on MFA applications and acceptances. Maybe I could have been clearer. I think I was successful in the application process because both the craft/technical level of my writing and the topics on which I could write with credibility made the members of adcoms excited to work with me. Does that make more sense?

I'm not saying everyone needs an edge to get into an mfa program. I'm just writing what I think.

fictionista

Sep 25, 2009, 11:05 AM

Post #275 of 313 (2301 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Junior Maas] Second Time (or more) [In reply to]	Can't Post

Certainly you don't have to be retired military to be interested in a soldier's point of view? And to want to cultivate it?

1 ... 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

View All

Main Index » Writing and Publishing » MFA Programs