2021 Applicants Forum

[spacedumpster]

6 hours ago, Michelle Zeller said:

That sounds so great. Can you post what was accepted? I've never submitted a story to a journal. I didn't even know people do that. How much do that ones that pay give you? 

Here's my piece in The Molotov Cocktail. As is typically the case years after I write something, I now think it needs some heavy revision and expansion. ? Oh well. People read it as it is, and maybe some of them even liked it! Content Warning: cults, poisoning, drugs. Yeehaw.

https://themolotovcocktail.com/about/archive-vols-1-3/vol-8/vol-8-issue-18/rainbow-fungus-rainbow/

The other pieces were only in print, not online, but if you really want to read them I can send a PDF.  

As far as money goes, it varies widely. I'm told that bigger publications like The New Yorker and The Atlantic pay pretty well. Some magazines pay by the word, some by the page, some a flat rate for contributors. Smallerer journals generally seem to pay $20-100 for first rights to flash fiction, more for longer works. 

Poetry is not entirely my jive, so I can't really speak to that.

Edited January 5, 2021 by spacedumpster

[orangeslice]

4 minutes ago, spacedumpster said:

Here's my piece in The Molotov Cocktail. As is typically the case years after I write something, I now think it needs some heavy revision and expansion. ? Oh well. People read it as it is, and maybe some of them even liked it!

https://themolotovcocktail.com/about/archive-vols-1-3/vol-8/vol-8-issue-18/rainbow-fungus-rainbow/

The other pieces were only in print, not online, but if you really want to read them I can send a PDF.  

As far as money goes, it varies widely. I'm told that bigger publications like The New Yorker and The Atlantic pay pretty well. Some magazines pay by the word, some by the page, some a flat rate for contributors. Smallerer journals generally seem to pay $20-100 for first rights to flash fiction, more for longer works. 

Poetry is not entirely my jive, so I can't really speak to that.

This was cool! I once met a young woman in a hostel who had quit basically her whole life to lead weekend-long Ayahuasca 'ceremonies'. She said vomiting was normal lol...definitely makes you wonder how long it would take to realize something was amiss - interesting to see your take on it!

[spacedumpster]

7 minutes ago, orangeslice said:

This was cool! I once met a young woman in a hostel who had quit basically her whole life to lead weekend-long Ayahuasca 'ceremonies'. She said vomiting was normal lol...definitely makes you wonder how long it would take to realize something was amiss - interesting to see your take on it!

Thanks for taking the time to read it! The one time I took ayahuasca I just saw a real quick vision of an iridescent samurai, then sat in a circle for like four hours while a bunch of hippies tripped wayyy harder and sang medicine songs and played flutes and shit. It was amusing. 

[spacedumpster]

Also, yes a bunch of people barfed. 

[FairleyAlfy]

13 hours ago, Greithe said:

I had this problem years ago - lots to keep me up at night as a mom lol.

The doctor suggested no caffeine after noon, and plenty of physical exercise sometime during the day like hiking or something to get the heart rate up, and those two things really did help.

But I found that the real trick is to routine myself to sleep. For me, that meant getting out of the habit of turning on lights when it gets dark outside - I let it get dark inside too, and keep lights low. After dinner, I take a slow hot bath, and journal a few pages before picking up a book and reading myself to sleep. After dinner is all about winding down: no loud music, no adventure movies, no screen time (well right now I'm working on another SOP so tonight's an exception!). 

Eight nights in a row though, I'd be reaching for the Jameson or the Nyquil, or a really boring documentary, whatever helps you out. You need your sleep!

Good luck!

Thank you! This is helpful! I'll start putting myself more in a schedule now that applications are finished. I'm about about screen time at night out of anxiousness. I have been reading a lot more, but I think the material I read is too thrilling for bedtime. Maybe I should start to read the dictionary before bed. I've been drinking a couple of glasses of wine before bed. It helps...but not exactly a healthy habit. haha

[largeheartedboy]

17 hours ago, ZaytandLabna said:

I applied to colleges in NYC. I'm limited in location, so its gotta be in NY. I applied to NYU, Columbia, CCNY, Hunter, Queens and Brooklyn College.  All concentrations in Poetry. 

I also only applied to NYC schools (NYU, Columbia, CCNY, Hunter, and the New School). CCNY got back to me within a couple of weeks with an acceptance, waiting to hear from the rest.

Good luck!

[FairleyAlfy]

1 hour ago, spacedumpster said:

Thanks for taking the time to read it! The one time I took ayahuasca I just saw a real quick vision of an iridescent samurai, then sat in a circle for like four hours while a bunch of hippies tripped wayyy harder and sang medicine songs and played flutes and shit. It was amusing. 

I've only tripped on LSD, and it was a great experience. I've always wanted to participate in a peyote ceremony though or iboga. Breaking Open the Head by Daniel Pinchbeck is a fascinating book about psychedelics. He's a journalist who goes on a spiritual journey, tries multiple psychedelics, and writes about his experience. It's also a study of Shamanism. Fascinating book!

Edited January 5, 2021 by FairleyAlfy

[ZaytandLabna]

16 minutes ago, largeheartedboy said:

I also only applied to NYC schools (NYU, Columbia, CCNY, Hunter, and the New School). CCNY got back to me within a couple of weeks with an acceptance, waiting to hear from the rest.

Good luck!

HII omg!! 

Whaattt. congrats!!! I technically haven't submitted my CCNY yet bc I'm worried about not using every possible second to edit my SOP, but now I'm thinking I should just submit??? I didn't know they start accepting before the deadline oops. ahhahhaa. 

Do you live in NYC? I live in Florida and regardless of acceptances am moving up there and really nervous about being a fish out of water hahaha. 

[ZaytandLabna]

20 minutes ago, largeheartedboy said:

I also only applied to NYC schools (NYU, Columbia, CCNY, Hunter, and the New School). CCNY got back to me within a couple of weeks with an acceptance, waiting to hear from the rest.

Good luck!

oh also what concentration??  

[spacedumpster]

11 minutes ago, FairleyAlfy said:

I've only tripped on LSD, and it was a great experience. I've always wanted to participate in a peyote ceremony though or iboga. Breaking Open the Head by Daniel Pinchbeck is a fascinating book about psychedelics. He's a journalist who goes on a spiritual journey, tries multiple psychedelics, and writes about his experience. It's also a study of Shamanism. Fascinating book!

I read that some years ago and seem to remember enjoying it. If you're into that sort of thing, you should definitely read some of Terence McKenna's work (The Archaic Revival, Food of the Gods, True Hallucinations all recommended), or listen to his possibly even more engrossing talks. Some of his ideas are pretty woo-woo, but the man had an exquisite grasp of language, and he was definitely tapped into some special part of human consciousness.

[Greithe]

10 minutes ago, ZaytandLabna said:

I live in Florida and regardless of acceptances am moving up there and really nervous about being a fish out of water hahaha. 

That's funny - when I was deciding where to apply last summer, my whole family agreed on one thing: "Not Florida!" We're in Polk County and used to work for Disney LOL - anywhere but here, man.

Good luck getting to NYC! What an amazing place to study writing that will be!

[ZaytandLabna]

1 minute ago, Greithe said:

That's funny - when I was deciding where to apply last summer, my whole family agreed on one thing: "Not Florida!" We're in Polk County and used to work for Disney LOL - anywhere but here, man.

Good luck getting to NYC! What an amazing place to study writing that will be!

HAHAHHA IM DEAD. we got Publix and that's about it hahahaha I hate it here. 

I'm in Pasco county.  waittt I have a feeling we are not far from each other hahaha. 

Where are you tryna go? 

[Ophelias pansies]

Hey guys, 

I'm pretty new here but I thought it'd be nice to be in a community of people who understand how nerve wracking application season is. Does anyone have advice for how to control your nerves? I feel like I check Gradcafe, my application portals and my email 24/7. My nerves are fried and I can't sleep. I saw that usually application results start moving in February but a professor in my undergrad said that they'd put money on the decisions moving as soon as January because of COVID. They'd want to get accurate numbers of students in early I guess. I joke around with my friends that I wish I could follow my application through every step of the process. If I could do nothing but sit and wait in the meeting rooms I totally would. Anyone else nervous as anything? How do you deal with it?

[FairleyAlfy]

1 hour ago, spacedumpster said:

I read that some years ago and seem to remember enjoying it. If you're into that sort of thing, you should definitely read some of Terence McKenna's work (The Archaic Revival, Food of the Gods, True Hallucinations all recommended), or listen to his possibly even more engrossing talks. Some of his ideas are pretty woo-woo, but the man had an exquisite grasp of language, and he was definitely tapped into some special part of human consciousness.

Thanks for the recommendations! I really enjoy reading about spirituality in all its forms, even if it's a bit woo woo. haha I'm not spiritual myself, but I  gravitate towards books about spirituality, Abrahamic religions, Buddhism, and whatever else. I think the cynic inside me wants to believe in something. 

[spacedumpster]

2 minutes ago, FairleyAlfy said:

Thanks for the recommendations! I really enjoy reading about spirituality in all its forms, even if it's a bit woo woo. haha I'm not spiritual myself, but I  gravitate towards books about spirituality, Abrahamic religions, Buddhism, and whatever else. I think the cynic inside me wants to believe in something. 

Same, I'm totally fascinated by spirituality but deeply skeptical of anything--a byproduct of 12 years of Catholic school, perhaps haha. Pardon me while I make another unsolicited recommendation! If you're into comics or graphic novels, you might also dig Forming (link) by Jesse Moynihan. Epic metaphysical fantasy rooted in Abrahamic myth and arcane mysticism, but, like, edgy and full of weird slang. 

[mrvisser]

12 minutes ago, Ophelias pansies said:

Hey guys, 

I'm pretty new here but I thought it'd be nice to be in a community of people who understand how nerve wracking application season is. Does anyone have advice for how to control your nerves? I feel like I check Gradcafe, my application portals and my email 24/7. My nerves are fried and I can't sleep. I saw that usually application results start moving in February but a professor in my undergrad said that they'd put money on the decisions moving as soon as January because of COVID. They'd want to get accurate numbers of students in early I guess. I joke around with my friends that I wish I could follow my application through every step of the process. If I could do nothing but sit and wait in the meeting rooms I totally would. Anyone else nervous as anything? How do you deal with it?

I sure hope your professor is right about results coming early! I'm pretty stressed, but I think I'm also just generally stressed about being quarantined and society being shut down. I just try to stay reading and writing in the meantime, but I don't put too much of an impetus on getting too much done right now. That might be counterintuitive, and is probably not how most people want to handle their stress, but for me I just try to look at the interim period as a time to relax. I don't want to become too lax; I still want to get better at writing all the time, but I try to tell myself that nothing is so urgent until I find out about MFAs. My life is just kind of up in the air right now, so it doesn't make sense for me to be too concerned with its direction until I find out.Outside of writing, I just watch a lot of football, go hiking, birdwatching, ride my motorcycle. Anything to take up the hours.

Sorry, that isn't helpful, but all that is just to say that I'm going through similar emotions, and I'm sure most others are as well.

[FairleyAlfy]

8 minutes ago, Ophelias pansies said:

Hey guys, 

I'm pretty new here but I thought it'd be nice to be in a community of people who understand how nerve wracking application season is. Does anyone have advice for how to control your nerves? I feel like I check Gradcafe, my application portals and my email 24/7. My nerves are fried and I can't sleep. I saw that usually application results start moving in February but a professor in my undergrad said that they'd put money on the decisions moving as soon as January because of COVID. They'd want to get accurate numbers of students in early I guess. I joke around with my friends that I wish I could follow my application through every step of the process. If I could do nothing but sit and wait in the meeting rooms I totally would. Anyone else nervous as anything? How do you deal with it?

I'm right there with you! I've been trying to distract myself with baking, jigsaw puzzles, reading, and I just finished watching Peaky Blinders. Distraction, distraction, is what I recommend. Find a hobby you've always wanted to dabble in. Work on your TBR. Hike. Breathe. It's going to be okay!

[FairleyAlfy]

3 minutes ago, spacedumpster said:

Same, I'm totally fascinated by spirituality but deeply skeptical of anything--a byproduct of 12 years of Catholic school, perhaps haha. Pardon me while I make another unsolicited recommendation! If you're into comics or graphic novels, you might also dig Forming (link) by Jesse Moynihan. Epic metaphysical fantasy rooted in Abrahamic myth and arcane mysticism, but, like, edgy and full of weird slang. 

Yea, I feel that. I grew up in a super religious household that went to church three times a week. haha I think it's made me a better writer though. Skepticism makes good writing. It's relatable. I think every human spirit has at least a dash of it. 

That sounds right up my alley! Thank you!

[Greithe]

1 hour ago, ZaytandLabna said:

I'm in Pasco county.  waittt I have a feeling we are not far from each other hahaha. 

Where are you tryna go? 

Well, being in Polk County "Poke Canny" and working at Legoland, I have about $32 left after all the application fees, so cost of living was a big factor in choosing where to go. I applied to Iowa, Illinois, GCSU, and WVU (my undergrad was from Fairmont State in West Virginia). My kids have autism too, and so for a lot of reasons any Big City was a non-negotiable no, for now.

Pasco is NOT far from me!  But you have beaches, and I have *shudder* the legendary I-4. I'm happy to drive it to hang sometime, coronavirus and weather permitting. ☺️ We can stare at our phones together, willing them to ring lol. ?

[ZaytandLabna]

30 minutes ago, Greithe said:

Well, being in Polk County "Poke Canny" and working at Legoland, I have about $32 left after all the application fees, so cost of living was a big factor in choosing where to go. I applied to Iowa, Illinois, GCSU, and WVU (my undergrad was from Fairmont State in West Virginia). My kids have autism too, and so for a lot of reasons any Big City was a non-negotiable no, for now.

Pasco is NOT far from me!  But you have beaches, and I have *shudder* the legendary I-4. I'm happy to drive it to hang sometime, coronavirus and weather permitting. ☺️ We can stare at our phones together, willing them to ring lol. ?

Gotchya. I really hope you get in!!! 

haha the beach is like an hour drive unfortunately. Not too bad though.

I would LOVE that!! already drive an hour every day to get to work, wouldn't mind the drive! I don't imagine you're too far though. Weathers been really nice and cool. Says it'll stay like this for the next couple of days. Enjoying it while it lasts! 

[pattycat]

20 hours ago, spacedumpster said:

I really enjoy The Sun, and I have submitted to them in the past (nothing published there yet). As a matter of principle, these days I generally only submit to magazines that pay writers and do not charge submission fees, but I recently threw my hat in the ring for a flash contest with American Short Fiction. I've submitted to The Masters Review twice now (one TBNT, one still in progress), and I send work to The Atlantic and The New Yorker once or twice a year for a laugh.

A couple of years ago, I had some work accepted at a few smaller journals (The Molotov Cocktail, Havik, and The Laurel Review), but none of them were paying publications. Still nice to know somebody, somewhere digs my work. 

Congrats on the publications! I just recently started submitting. One of my recommenders gave me a long speech about steeling myself for a whole lot of rejection (when it comes to publication) and encouraged me to submit as much as I can, so I started a rejection wall where I have printed copies of my rejections taped up. I only have two so far but my goal is to paper that sucker by the end of the year. ?

I'm a big fan of Black Warrior Review. They publish a lot of surreal and experimental stuff, which I love to read but don't really write. I did recently submit a piece to them that has a little splash of weird, but I'm not hoping for much.

And I entered the ASF flash contest too, so good luck to us both!

[largeheartedboy]

2 hours ago, ZaytandLabna said:

oh also what concentration??  

Nonfiction

[largeheartedboy]

2 hours ago, ZaytandLabna said:

Do you live in NYC? I live in Florida and regardless of acceptances am moving up there and really nervous about being a fish out of water hahaha.

I've lived in NYC since 2011. The literary community is the big draw for me, I have hosted three reading series and the people have been so welcoming. You will fit in!

[spacedumpster]

12 minutes ago, pattycat said:

Congrats on the publications! I just recently started submitting. One of my recommenders gave me a long speech about steeling myself for a whole lot of rejection (when it comes to publication) and encouraged me to submit as much as I can, so I started a rejection wall where I have printed copies of my rejections taped up. I only have two so far but my goal is to paper that sucker by the end of the year. ?

I'm a big fan of Black Warrior Review. They publish a lot of surreal and experimental stuff, which I love to read but don't really write. I did recently submit a piece to them that has a little splash of weird, but I'm not hoping for much.

And I entered the ASF flash contest too, so good luck to us both!

I love the rejection wall!! Personally, I just delete them from my Submittable account immediately so it's like it °~*never even happened*~° ?

[ZaytandLabna]

28 minutes ago, largeheartedboy said:

I've lived in NYC since 2011. The literary community is the big draw for me, I have hosted three reading series and the people have been so welcoming. You will fit in!

no way that's awesome!!

I hope so! Can't wait!