mudpuddle1

The funding package requires you weave counterfeit alpaca rugs for export and the classrooms smell like rusted feet. 
Ricockulous. That would be unethical. 

Just declined an offer from the University of Oregon (for fiction). Congrats to whoever gets pulled from the waitlist!!!! :)

Just declined an offer from the University of Oregon (for fiction). Congrats to whoever gets pulled from the waitlist!!!! :)

Just declined an offer from the University of Oregon (for fiction). Congrats to whoever gets pulled from the waitlist!!!! :)

Has anyone declined their offer from the University of Tennessee (for fiction)? I'm on the waitlist and waiting on some good news. 

The program sounds AMAZING and the current students I've talked to have had really good things to say!  Their stipend recently increased and the healthcare sounds pretty decent as well. 

Just declined an offer from the University of Oregon (for fiction). Congrats to whoever gets pulled from the waitlist!!!! :)

Has anyone declined their offer from the University of Tennessee (for fiction)? I'm on the waitlist and waiting on some good news. 

That's wonderful! Thank you on behalf of those waitlisted there. Someone's day is about to be made

Just declined an offer from the University of Oregon (for fiction). Congrats to whoever gets pulled from the waitlist!!!! :)

I don't think it's inappropriate--especially if you explained your predicament--but unfortunately there's a good chance they won't have any information to give you. 
I'm sorry you're dealing with this. A lot of people on Draft are in the same boat. It sounds very stressful. Would it be possible to ask your complex for an extension instead? 
I hope you hear good news soon (and hopefully, before Feb. 29th)!

This

I'm out of reactions (I wonder what the point of limiting reactions is) but I'm mentally hearting many posts here. @Rixor I could not agree more. Also congrats to @pomelo and everyone writing new work. I've been working on a short story on and off for the past few weeks. Hope to finish and edit it soon in time for a fellowship application in April.
@mudpuddle1 I def agree on UTK. Giving so many people false hope; it feels like a scam, honestly. 

Am I the only one with a bad taste in their mouth knowing UTK waitlists so many people? Just feels....icky. 

Oh my god guys. Oh my god. I'm on the Syracuse waitlist!!!!!!!!!

feeling bleh 😢

Woooh. Was just about to type that today is existential crisis day for me. Making all sorts of wild and outlandish plans and thinking how difficult everything is. What do I do later this year? Finally move out and rent a small room where I can write in peace? Take everything I have (which isn't much) and start a small shop or other business and hope it thrives so I can at least have something going in one aspect of my life? Move to a neighbouring country and look for decent jobs there?
I was just reading about three writers who had  painful experiences with publishing. John Kenneth Toole, who died by suicide after years of having his novel manuscript rejected by publishers. The novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, would be published over a decade after his death, and would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1981. Helen DeWitt, who worked odd jobs for years and years, producing manuscripts that were rejected over and over. She struggled for years before her 50th(!!) manuscript was accepted for publication as her debut novel, The Last Samurai; becoming a bestseller after publication in 2000. She had also considered suicide. Dow Mossman, who went to Iowa Writer's Workshop in the late 60s. His one novel, The Stones of Summer, languished and went out of print soon after publication when the publishing house folded. He broke down and spent time in a sanatorium. Thereafter, he worked as a welder for some 20 years while looking after his parents. His work was rediscovered in the 2000s and a Sundance-winning film made about him and his book. The book was republished by Barnes & Noble. 
It can be hard navigating this writer life because we tie part of our ego to recognition. More important than anything else is that we take care of ourselves, take care of our minds, and create some kind of stability and joy for ourselves outside of writing. The writer must be alive (and well) to do the writing. We can't tie everything to external recognition for our work. We have to take care of ourselves. 
Yesterday was very difficult for me with the back-to-back rejections from Cornell and (the constructive ones) from Michener and Michigan, not to mention the other constructive one from Vanderbilt last week. That makes 7 out of 12 applications, all Rs so far. It's so hard. But I still have to take care of myself. I still have to find joy and inspiration in my life because what else do we have if we don't have that? We are people and we deserve to be cared for, deserve to have soft and affirming places in our lives. Sending deep compassion to everyone feeling terrible right now. I hope we make it through this and come out to better things. But we can only do so if we persevere, take care of ourselves, and try try again.

@cashewgirlI believe so!

feeling bleh 😢

@cashewgirl Hey! I think I was the one that mentioned UTK having the 3 spots for fiction. I may have misspoke. It's possible that it's 3 spots split between fiction/nonfiction. Their website isn't super clear. I'm sorry if I caused any confusion. 

I am feeling MAXIMUM bleh today. Only an acceptance call could lift me out of this bleh week. But that's okay, being bleh is part of being human. mud puddle, I saw your post before about rolling over your app -- don't be scared to reach out to the coordinator/admin and ask if they got your app! I hate doing stuff like that but you'll be proud of yourself once you get it done. 

feeling bleh 😢

i don’t think this is insensitive at all! that sucks, and im sorry they weren’t more receptive/helpful. are there more places you’re waiting to hear from? sorry if you have a signature that says- i’m on mobile. i think if you’ve already gotten an A and some WLs, you have a good chance of getting good news from funded programs

Yes that's right! There def aren't 18 posts or spreadsheet entries but I'm assuming there are many people who were accepted/waitlisted who aren't on Draft. I could be wrong and there could be more coming!

Welcome! I get this feeling soooo much. It must be really discouraging. I'm sorry you haven't gotten any yeses yet. Hopefully you'll hear some good news soon!
It's really silly and my friends make fun of me for it but I have a huge dry erase board that I've had for like 7 years that has the words 'I AM A WRITER' written across it. It's a constant reminder that no matter what rejections I face or jobs I lose, I'll always be a writer and that's not something anyone can take from me. I want to say Austin Kleon has also mentioned doing similar things as an artist to keep the world of rejection, imposter syndrome, and self-doubt at bay.