Cristie

Sure thing. I heard from UMKC today by phone and they are making decisions about funding sometime this week. It will come down to funding for me (unless someone gives up their spot at McNeese). I still haven't heard from two schools so??? Who knows what's gonna happen.

Did you ever hear anything?

Thank you!

I may never kill another mosquito in my life! (If I can stay in the south-big whew!) I don't know yet but it's a big fat leaning maybe. I've been there and what a writing place of writing places, right!

Holy crap y'all...I just got accepted at New Orleans. Literal crickets from them and then boom. (Ydrl...omg) and all my oldies and besties on here...Hell yeah they take us! NEVER quit.

Hand up. That's me. I break all the rules. I start sentences with conjunctions, write in fragments, rarely use determiners. Know I need help with timing and pace. Feel free to read the story I posted on here (and shouldn't have-Dark Dressage). I submitted THAT, one chapter from a genre fiction novel I wrote, and a published nonfiction short story. I thought it would be good to show a mix of my writing. I'd say the one I posted asking for help is weird fiction. You tell me?

They so do...I cringed on every single application. lol.

Sniff...Thank you for sharing that. Powerful stuff. I don't know if I want to kiss both your cheeks or get on the phone like a mad momma and call those programs and wtf them for you...or smack you for not writing prose. Tell me you applied somewhere for fiction and/or non. This is a compliment by the way. And never knock the "dorkiness"

No, I completely appreciate your wisdom. Thank you!

OMG, I'm kissing you on both cheeks right now!!! THANK YOU. Big hugs from the south!

My bad. I'm just looking for help from people in the same boat. Do you happen to know/suggest the proper place to seek out help/peer reviews? I'm still figuring all this out but would really appreciate a finger pointing to HERE. Where is that magical place I seek?

If you are referring to my post-which I think you are, explain please. I would think (and I am speculating you are right-but we all seem to be doing that on here) that a little life experience does bring something to the table. Not just age, but milestones, work, etc. I would hope that MFA programs would want a diverse group of writers to work with. I hope I end up in a program that supports diversity and a mentality that learning and writing is for a lifetime. How do they not care about experience? Please share. Many thanks, Cristie

I'm all out of hearts (as usual) but I heart all that. And keeping my fingers crossed for you. I still haven't heard a thing from New Orleans--beats me and I know someone got accepted on the 18th for fiction. Do you know of anyone else applying to the College of Charleston? I haven't heard or seen a thing from/about them.

Please...barge (and you weren't)...this is the only way I'm going to learn and figure this all out. I'll take all the advice I can get! Bring it. Any word from Florida? Or did I miss that?

Where do you honest get help then? None of the rejection letters give you a WHY...so I'm stuck in a guessing game.

I'm willing to sacrifice one to get help I can apply to other works. That thread is there is you want to participate, I'm more concerned with improving (seeing where I went wrong) right now so I can fix it and get in next year. But you make a good point, thanks for that. Wouldn't that then apply to submitting those works to numerous colleges? I do not know all of the ins/outs of this.

There are at least 3 here... plus you that are older. I "think" we have all been accepted somewhere. So, I don't think age is an issue...I firmly believe we bring some real life experience to the table. I won't give my age but I'm close to that ballpark-but always young at heart. I've worried over this too...but no one is ever going to say too old as a reason.

Here you go: Now POST and let's REALLY help each other. MFA Creative Writing: Submission Group Workshop for 2022

Can't we just create a new thread here and post work/comment? I don't see why we couldn't...I mean, it's all for the sake of improving and getting accepted into a program. I'm not shy but some folks might be (Zoom). There is something to be said about being anonymous (for some) me..my name is right there... but that's not for everyone when it comes to putting it all out on front street for everyone to see. Thoughts? We could beckon the Trolls, they'd know. (Y'all might not like them, but they do tend to know things) and I'd throw my work their way just for the brutal truth.

Hang in there.

Ok, so maybe not them... but writing a romance scene and then putting it out there...somewhere-even have a friend read it. That's how you get over ANY fear because I can't think of anything else that you don't expose yourself so completely (no pun).

Thanks, and I'm glad you made this point about your feelings. There is a girl that sits behind me in one of my writing classes (never says a word, not sure where she is from) and reading that....it's a- you could be her feeling...So I plan to reach out to her next week to make sure she doesn't feel this way too. As far as getting over fear of writing/judgement...ha, here's what I did. I wrote a really dirty romance scene and then read it to my mom. OMG...but if you can do THAT...you can get over writing fear and embarrassment real quick.

Let me know what you find. I went into this thinking I was a decent writer...apparently not-but I'm also a big rule breaker. I've only done workshops in school but I have been published more than once. Still, No REAL feedback on my writing (apart from instructors/peers). I have found that people promise to read and review but never seem to have the time. Then I want to throat punch the ones who give you the "good job" business. If you ever want a random reader to give you an honest opinion I will--you do mine and I'll do yours. Let me know and I'll give you my email address. I have nothing to do while I too sit here and wait for TWO more rejections also. I feel like I'm on pause. Could we not start a new thread on here, post our work and all share/comment...help each other along? Yo, feralgrad...I just feel that you know this answer.

That's a great suggestion but one I can't consider. I have to stay in the US (family), prefer the south but clearly am going to have to reevaluate my roots and look past the Mason Dixon Line. I've never even ridden on a subway (Jesus) horses but....I'm literally terrified of moving up north...and this is just fear of the unknown I'll readily admit to. Its not fear of the people or places but how to function successfully in/with them. I have to think about things like a place to live, traffic, food, no friends, and PACE. I live in Arkansas and it's green and sweet and warm (mostly) and slow. The pace of life here is different than big cities. Then there is the whole...I'm not sure my writing style would jive. Imagine the hick in your class at some big fancy school...that would be me. Female honors student that says y'all and drives a truck (just trying to give you a visual). So awkward. Granted, one hell of an opportunity for writing inspiration but still...sooo very awkward. Me at a place like Boston or New York...that's like a good bar joke. Maybe I can find a smaller program somewhere up there (next round) and not dive head first into the deep end. Open to suggestions. I didn't try Alabama or Texas this time so there's still those to think about and I've been told I'd fit in at Idaho. I'm constantly researching programs and towns but this all feels like one big crapshoot.

Going for the Hail Mary. Found a program still accepting applications that had been on my original list. I didn't apply before because I didn't want to live (shiver) in the cold. Reworked my submission and SOP. It screams last minute but HEY...you never know. Crossing my fingers someone out there doesn't like heat and mosquitoes. Or gumbo. I just don't know about a southern girl writing up north. If you happen to know of any programs that are still accepting applications, please let me know.