—————————————————————————————– Newsflash: my poem “Society” has been accepted by 42 Magazine! —————————————————————————————– When I was an undergraduate in Religious Studies* I ran across the word “liminal” and fell in love. Who knew that there was a word for that in-between … Continue reading →
This week I turned in the last project of the final semester of my MFA program. All that remains between me and my degree is a residency and some bookkeeping. The latter has a literal side in this case – … Continue reading →
It was a marvelous residency, but I’ll talk about that in another post. Right now I’m thinking about my thesis novel. My thesis is in the hands of my second reader. Its fate is outside my control, and will be … Continue reading →
So, if all goes well, sometime in the next few weeks, my thesis novel will be approved by my thesis advisor and second reader. When that time comes, I will have a manuscript that is about as finished as it … Continue reading →
In the last day or so, I have turned in my final poetry essay and what I hope will be the final revision of my thesis. This semester is coming to a close, and I’m having trouble accepting it. I’ve … Continue reading →
Much has been made of the importance of getting to know your characters, with suggested tools such as questionnaires (what three things would your character bring to a deserted island?), histories (and then in kindergarten, she. . .), profiles (his … Continue reading →
When I first considered going for an MFA, I faced this question: should I bother? My assumption was that I should, but in my online research I kept finding echoes of that question, often expressed by people who had completed … Continue reading →
I’m in the middle of a deep revision of my thesis novel right now. I’m going scene by scene through the whole manuscript, checking voice, point of view, metaphor choices, et cetera. I’m also allowing myself room to add detail … Continue reading →
At the August 2010 NILA residency, Mary Guterson spoke about her own path to professional novel-writing, and about her process as an author. I have a vivid image from her talk of her in a motel room (not like that!) … Continue reading →
I’ve gotten tired of referring to my thesis as “my thesis.” A thesis is something that, once it’s finished, gets filed away in the school library and looked at only by other graduate students who are trying to find something … Continue reading →