backtooskewl

I was just looking at Bluestoop the other day after thinking about workshops. Are they good? I've actually already applied to one creative residency for this summer, so it's possible I'll have a good recc letter or two lined up. I had the hardest time figuring out whether to work on a grad school relevant material or not when submitting the app tomorrow, but I decided I might be sick of my grad sample by the summer, and treating it as a creative vacation to work on something new.

Actually I was considering starting my own writing workshop group this year. Would it be kosher to do so and then get a ref from a regular attendee who's familiar with my work?

Thank you @prufrock_! So when is an appropriate time to hit up professors for recc letters again? and do you think the one who responded is a lost cause or that I should try them agian? How did you find writers workshops in your city? I'm in Philly and haven't thought to look for some here. I was actually considering starting my own this year.

Ohmygoodness. September feels so far away. There's not programs that are taking students in sooner? This might be a dumb question. I have a hard time keeping track of grad school timing while I'm still running my life. Also! So I was getting really close to having my materials ready to apply to the one school I knew I would apply for, however it was my two references that became the obstacle. Both of them were professors I haven't spoken to in about ten years. One replied and said they were too busy to write a recc for me at the start of the year, but were happy to supply one for the next application cycle. The other didn't respond at all. I had to hunt down her latest university contact as she had moved schools. Is this common? Should I try again with her or move on? I guess the good news is this will give me time to research schools and early apply to a bunch of good ones. Oh. One other question. Still a gradcafe newb. Now that app season is over, should I be talking about this on a new thread or?

Let's be friends! Send me a DM if you want to chat about it all!

Dearest amazing MFA applicants of gradcafe. Me again, with some more questions. So, TLDR - In October, as I was gaining steam on my grad app, I was furloughed from my day job AND got covid AND was in a bike accident. I am just now getting back to the application and here's what I've got left to do: - Pick out schools, other than my most nearby top school, which someone convinced me is a good move. - Write A CV - Get two recc letters. The initial request emails have been sent out, but haven't even received responses back yet. I realize now I haven't given these professors I haven't seen for a dozen years much time. - Revise my writing samples. The goodish news is having been a writer for so long means I have a ton of writing to pull from, it's just not formatted/edited into what a program that would only take literary fiction might take. Related question: Is putting a genre fiction sample in an app that only does or has a more lit fiction lean a big no no? I worked mainly in games and comics, so genre fiction influences just about everything I've written, and I honestly have a hard time telling what is or isn't lit fiction enough. - Statement of purpose not started! I very much want a fully funded/TA/not worry about money acceptance. Is submitting so much closer to the deadline going to hurt my chances significantly? If I decide I need to delay applying when is the next time to apply to grad programs, and how does this sorta start/stop thing affect my applying in the future? What if I only get an offer from one and say no because of the odd timing of it all?| Good news: Have a gig again, so there's time to finish things to some degree, as long as yours truly can stay focused.

Hi writers! I'm seeking advice and support. I'm new to GradCafe and lots of this. I have never applied to a grad program. Feel free to link me wherever the best resource might be. I graduated with a BA in Creative Writing in 2013, and have not been back in academia since. Without further ado, things I'm tryna figure out: 1. Recommendation Letters: I've not stayed in contact with my professors from a decade ago. Some are my Facebook friends. Does it make sense to reach out to them? I have however had a career writing in the entertainment industry, but with unstable gigs and questionable co-workers, and another career in community organizing. I also have one friend and peer who was in my original writing program, and we have watched each other work over the years. He also works for one of the universities I plan to apply to. Any advice on who to choose for these? Can I send more than the asked for amount? Also someone asked me if they had to write the letter themselves. Is it cool to write a letter for them? 2. Moving to a new MFAS program. Once I make it into an MFA program, how possible is it to jump to a different program if I wanted to? 3. Applying to multiple schools. How are you all juggling applying to 10+ schools? What resources have you been using to compare them? Does anyone have recommendations for schools to check out that offer good pay/full ride in some way, and are in the NE from NYC to DC? 4. Oh. One other thing. KIND of MFA. There's an itch in the back of my head that I might be better suited for something focused on screenwriting or mixed media or related to tech or even media and psychology. There are just so many grad programs. How did you all end up deciding on Creative Writing versus a good screenwriting program? Any of the latter I should check out? Wishing everyone here luck!