With the WUSTL acceptances & waitlists, it looks as if this is my fifth rejection. I don't know what I would improve if I did this again next year or in two years, etc. My resume is terrible, my past education is spotty, & my recommenders aren't familiar with my creative writing, but I'm sure the problem lies with my writing sample.
I know my fiction is not good, but I don't know how to move forward. I've been burnt out since mid-fall and not writing at all. There are no communities of literary fiction writers where I live, so I haven't been able to get informed criticism. And I am mystified by the "professional" side of creative writing—where to submit your work, what residencies and fellowships to apply for as an unpublished author.