CayceCamus

Tarot is great for creative writing since it is all based on archetypes. Need a conflict? Pull a card and see what it inspires based on its archetypal meaning and symbolism. Need some character development? Pull a card and see how you can incorporate its meaning into that character's motivations or history. It fosters thoughts you would not otherwise come to on your own.

Tarot is great for creative writing since it is all based on archetypes. Need a conflict? Pull a card and see what it inspires based on its archetypal meaning and symbolism. Need some character development? Pull a card and see how you can incorporate its meaning into that character's motivations or history. It fosters thoughts you would not otherwise come to on your own.

Uh, you okay bro? So, the way I see tarot isn’t an end all be all system of “magical prediction”. The cards mostly give advice, not all of them will make sense, that ain’t possible. Those people who claim it is fate and charge you a lot of money for it are most likely scammers. Some of the card will never make sense. That being said, you don’t have to be mean about it to the people who truly believe in it. Calm your salty self please.

Tarot is such bullshit. If I offended anyone, I'm not sorry. 

Do you guys realize that trolls can post fake acceptances just to fuck with ya'll
 

This has definitely crossed my mind. Yeah, it's not very hard to mess with MFA app folks. We're a neurotic bunch to start with  

Saw this Tweet from MFA Writers Podcast. I think it’s great advice for the coming weeks. Best wishes to all of y’all!
“As MFA decision letters start to roll in, two reminders:
1. Be kind to yourself. Your personhood is unrelated to a program decision.
2. Be kind to others. Your safety school is another person's dream school.“

Anyone who applied to Helen Zell (Michigan,Ann Arbor) the "How to Apply" page updated and said that decisions will be made in early March! Hope this eases some February nerves! 

Thanks for the encouragement! Just preparing myself. But I know...it's not over till the parking lot's empty.

Don't put yourself down! We have heard of a few alleged acceptances, but those in no way correlate to every school rejecting you, not even close! We are so early in the season and universities are sluggish places. We still got acceptances, wait lists, and then maybe some rejections ahead. Nothing is set in stone yet! ☺️

Don't put yourself down! We have heard of a few alleged acceptances, but those in no way correlate to every school rejecting you, not even close! We are so early in the season and universities are sluggish places. We still got acceptances, wait lists, and then maybe some rejections ahead. Nothing is set in stone yet! ☺️

Don't put yourself down! We have heard of a few alleged acceptances, but those in no way correlate to every school rejecting you, not even close! We are so early in the season and universities are sluggish places. We still got acceptances, wait lists, and then maybe some rejections ahead. Nothing is set in stone yet! ☺️

Don't put yourself down! We have heard of a few alleged acceptances, but those in no way correlate to every school rejecting you, not even close! We are so early in the season and universities are sluggish places. We still got acceptances, wait lists, and then maybe some rejections ahead. Nothing is set in stone yet! ☺️

Don't put yourself down! We have heard of a few alleged acceptances, but those in no way correlate to every school rejecting you, not even close! We are so early in the season and universities are sluggish places. We still got acceptances, wait lists, and then maybe some rejections ahead. Nothing is set in stone yet! ☺️

Don't put yourself down! We have heard of a few alleged acceptances, but those in no way correlate to every school rejecting you, not even close! We are so early in the season and universities are sluggish places. We still got acceptances, wait lists, and then maybe some rejections ahead. Nothing is set in stone yet! ☺️

makes sense, I guess, and this is certainly what we've all been told to expect this year, but it's interesting to me because Illinois (the only other school to release this info yet, afaik) reported many fewer applications than usual. ofc, the sample size is currently 2 so it's possible Illinois is just an anomaly, but it's also possible that the ruined economy is wreaking havoc with the numbers, rather than increasing the number of applications all across the board. but, again, too early to tell

I expect this to be about the situation for most programs. Buckle up, everyone, and good luck. We're all in it together. 

You didn't miss out on anything by not applying to Indiana. Trust me. 
Where about are you on the coast? If it's bringing you back to writing, go look at that big dumb rock from The Goonies, get some taffy, and write a dang masterpiece!
Interesting observation that I should definitely work into my writing-- every beach town I've been to has a particularly weird uniformity and, like, sterility at the surface. Great Lakes, Northeast, West Coast, doesn't matter. There's something spooky there.
 

Or at least insanely anxiety-ridden.

On Feb 3 2020, the application thread got to page 19. On Feb 3 2021, the application thread is at page 44. This season is going to be insanely competitive, isn't it? 

Because you're human and only have so much time and energy.  
You did great. You've got this. You're going to be okay, promise. ❤️

I think—for me, at least—it's really easy in hindsight to ask why one didn't apply to other schools, especially once acceptances roll in. I see how excited people are and I think, I could have gotten in and I should have tried! Like, why did I end up not applying to Indiana and choosing to apply to Ole Miss? I'm happy about applying to Ole Miss, but at this point I can't remember how I narrowed it into my list of seven. Which is why I'm also going down the 20-something applications route for next year if this year doesn't work out. 
Agh, unrelated tangent: I'm currently staying a few days at the Oregon Coast (in an isolated, COVID-safe manner), and I thought it would be a nice way to distract myself from MFA stuff, and at times it is, but I walk around and look at Victorian houses and oceanside cliffs and it all just brings me back to writing. Goddammit.  

I JUST GOT INTO UW MADISON!!! ......... for computer science, hah. I got offered full funding as TA for their PhD program. I know this is for MFAs, but I'm so excited I had to share. This is my first response out of the 12 schools I applied to, and it is really competitive in CS. I can't believe it!!

Well friends, I did not get the Welches ready quick enough. But in the back of my fridge there has been a single beer, leftover from a six pack given to me four years ago, on the day I quit my good job in insurance with not much more of a plan other than to focus on my life and writing. So upon receiving a FULLY-FUNDED OFFER last night I cracked that bish open and drained the final vestige of that life I once knew.
And it was very, very good.

@maddykrobI didn't apply to Miami, but thanks for sharing your experience! Just makes me all the more excited at the prospect of attending an MFA anywhere.