All posts tagged: low-res

Long Distance Writing Workshops

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Seton Hill University’s MFA program is low-residency. For most of the year, my work-shopping occurs via email with my critique partners and my mentor. There are pro’s and cons to this method. In this post, I’ll review both: The Pro’s of Long Distance Work-shopping More time to critique. During in-person workshops, the critiques are given verbally, on-the-spot. Writing a critique beforehand gives me time to think about giving a thorough, constructive edit. Ability to give a manuscript different layers of edits. As a low residency grad student with a busy life, I can chunk down my critiques and address a manuscript at the macro- and micro- level. Did I mention time? The reason I chose a low-residency program was because of the time it would give me. I am not saddled with attending classes. As a mother, this means I don’t have to arrange for and pay for childcare in order to attend school. (Yeah, that’s not directly related to critiquing, but it matters to me.) The Cons of Long Distance Work-shopping Inability to read first reactions to …

2018 Notifications

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Image: Beate Meier It’s our fourth annual notifications post! Below, you’ll find information about creative writing acceptance, rejection and waitlist notifications; MA and low-res programs are included. We collect this information from Gradcafe. We cannot guarantee the data is 100 percent accurate as it is user submitted and unverifiable. Please let us know if a program is still notifying applicants, or if anything is inaccurate. Where did you apply? Have you heard back from programs? Share below and good luck! ***** Updated 3/13/18 10:49 PM Programs that have notified so far according to GradCafe results. This does not necessarily mean they are done notifying. Programs are listed in alphabetical order. Fiction Adelphi University: acceptance via email. University of Alabama: all notifications sent. University of Alaska, Fairbanks: acceptances via email and phone. American University: acceptances via email. Antioch Los Angeles: acceptance via phone. Arcadia University: acceptance via email. University of Arizona: all notifications sent. Bard College: rejection via email. Bennington College: acceptance via phone. Brooklyn College: acceptances via phone. Brown University: all notifications sent. Boise State University: acceptance …

Preslaysa Williams Introduction (Seton Hill University)

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Image: www.unsplash.com  I applied to a MFA program in Fiction to salvage a long-lost dream and save my creative life. Close to twenty years ago when I was an undergraduate, I had set a goal to earn my MFA. I’d planned to earn an MFA right after college. After getting my MFA, I’d planned to embark on my life as an artist. But life doesn’t always work according to plan. After earning my undergraduate degree, I earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration. I later secured a job in government. I had figured I’d put my cute little creative itch on the back burner and focus on my “real” career. A few years into working a nine-to-five, I was soul-restless and unhappy. I needed to pursue art and so I took up writing nine years ago. I’ve been pursuing a writing career ever since. So why pursue a MFA with years of writing experience under my belt? I wanted to keep the promise I’d made to myself all those years ago. Also, I’ve been on the …

2017 Notifications

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Image: Beate Meier It’s our third annual notifications post! Below, you’ll find information about creative writing acceptance, rejection and waitlist notifications; MA and low-res programs are included. We collect this information from Gradcafe. We cannot guarantee the data is 100 percent accurate as it is user submitted and unverifiable. Please let us know if a program is still notifying applicants, or if anything is inaccurate. Where did you apply? Have you heard back from programs? Share below and good luck! ***** Updated 4/9/17 8:42 PM Programs that have notified so far according to GradCafe results. This does not necessarily mean they are done notifying. Programs are listed in alphabetical order. Adelphi University: fiction acceptance and rejection. University of Alabama: some poetry and fiction notifications. University of Alaska: creative non-fiction acceptance. American University: poetry and CNF acceptances, and a poetry rejection. University of Arizona: all notifications sent. Arizona State: fiction acceptance and poetry rejection. University of Arkansas: poetry acceptance and fiction rejections. University of Baltimore: acceptance. Bennington College: fiction acceptance. Boise State University: all notifications sent. Boston University: all notifications sent. Bowling …

Change is Inevitable

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I have never been a strong proponent of change.  In fact, I have gone to extremes to not have to change.  Nothing frightens me more.  However, being a writer is one place that I must accept change because without it, I lessen my chances of writing a masterpiece.  This isn’t an easy thing to do especially after I’ve poured my heart out on 50 pages of prose only to be suggested my mentor to scratch it all.  In my past writing semester, this is exactly what happened.  However, I didn’t realize until later into the semester that mentor was struggling as much as I in the process.  I felt supported. The project I’m working on is a spiritual memoir.  My original idea was to write my traumatic experiences growing up in a home that eventually created PTSD in me.  Then I was going to explain how I found a God that I could relate to.  The more we talked, the more my mentor felt that my dog’s story was the story that needed to  be …

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year… To Work

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Happy Holidays, everyone!  This season marks a lot of things, the observances of many religious and secular celebrations, cold weather and for many a break from work and school. For some this time of year is happy and filled with family, and friends. Unfortunately for others this is a tough and sad time. I sincerely wish for everyone that they are able to get whatever it is they need now and over the next few months as we brave the cold and dark inside and outside while we wait for the warm light of spring. One thing we all have in common is that a new year is coming. No matter what we thought of 2016 it is coming to a close for better or for worse. While it is important to take stock, celebrate, and have rest and relaxation it is equally if not more important to prepare for a brand new year. Folks are talking about resolutions, and while I’m not a fan of the concept of ‘New Year, New Me’ for many …