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lilacbread

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  1. This is really insightful, thank you! I'm definitely curious about "perfect" or by-the-book stories looked like. Did they follow traditional themes, turns, styles, plot devices, etc.?
  2. I was also just waitlisted at NYU for fiction! I lurked the previous draft groups and I couldn't find anything concrete, but it seems like they traditionally keep a long list. I'm not hoping out hope, but imo it's really cool that someone read our work and found merit in it Congrats!
  3. I haven't either! Just checked the portal and it hasn't been updated. (for fiction)
  4. Yes, completely. You're not alone!
  5. I really appreciate it! And I understand what you mean. I think I should probably think about how much I need and go from there. Your job history sounds so eclectic—I agree that every experience colors the writing you do. Ahh I wish I could do that! I would love to find a situation that allows for that. What do you do? Woah, your previous writing schedule sounds intense. I definitely understand your feelings; it's really hard to step away from a situation that requires so much involvement. What you said about stress is so true! I often feel guilty because my work is usually only ~45-50 hours at most, but it's a real energy-zapper. I'm glad you were able to find a balance that works for you I'll keep what you said in mind as I figure out my next steps. I noticed you're from Maryland; are there any local workshops here that you've taken?
  6. Hey everyone! I've mostly been a new lurker here, but I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm a fiction writer from DC! After college I realized writing was something I wanted to do more seriously, but to be honest I've had a lot of trouble balancing writing with my career in political writing. I find my work pretty exhausting; I work under very tight and spontaneous deadlines, which makes it hard to plan ahead. I anticipate I probably won't get into an MFA program this cycle (I only applied to several top schools), so I'm trying to make contingency plans re: how I can continue writing even without institutional support. I've noticed most workshops start at 6pm EST, but that's when my workday supposedly ends (and the truth is that it often runs longer, without any previous notice; if I'm given a new assignment at the end of the day it's my responsibility to fulfill it). I honestly feel spread very thin between work, spending time with my loved ones and writing fiction. I'm so exhausted that I think about quitting my job every day, but I feel guilty doing that under such a precarious economy. So I wanted to ask about day jobs. Before your MFA, what are you doing to support your writing?
  7. I agree! I think this process is always subjective, in that art is subjectively assessed. Fwiw, I've heard at Helen Zell that the first pass is done by current students, and an Iowa alum told me they read samples for admissions once (I'm not clear on if they were a current student or an alum by the time they did that, though).
  8. Fellow applicant here—I want to push back on this a little bit! Iowa's director is a woman of color who has arguably paved the way for tons of writers to find commercial success, many of whom wouldn't have had as much support under previous directors (Carmen M. Machado actually tweeted about this recently). I think it's easy from the outside to see this as a form of gatekeeping—and in a way it is—but I think in another way it's an opened door for writers who wouldn't have had these opportunities otherwise.
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