kaliadofo

Hi, I'm a fellow MFA applicant and have been quietly lurking about the chatroom. However, as rejections come in, I want to reassure anyone who is feeling the weight of the rejection that an MFA is NOT the only way to a published book or a steady career as a writer. It is the most straightforward way, but it may not even be the right way for you. I have talked to a bunch of writers during this process, both MFA graduates and MA/PHD graduates alike, and many have told me personally that while MFAs are a great way to get to where you need to go, there are also fellowships, residencies, publications with funding and connections with literary agents, publishers and more, all of which can get you to your overall dream. We will often have to teach or find another way of making money because, unfortunately, living costs are abysmal, and we don't have as many readers anymore, but one of my mentors, who does not have an MFA, is a well-respected, established writer who built his own program for writers through his own connections and lives well. There are so many ways to go about this process, and remember that our journey, unlike others, takes years and oftentimes decades to build. A few rejections will never determine your success as a writer, only your determination, ambition, and motivation to continue writing. Please remember that during this process, you are deserving of a mountain of publications and an incredible career, with an MFA or without!