MFA-ish
MFA-ish
I know there is value in an MFA and I may end up pursuing a degree in the future. In the mean time, though, I'm going to do all the things I know are a part of an MFA: reading (specifically, reading like a writer), study, thinking, experimenting, and lots of writing. Parts that I will have a more difficult time replicating are the connections-- namely, mentors and the other writers in one's cohort. So, I'm informally inviting you fill in to those roles. (Though I will be very skeptical of you initially for taking me up on this craziness.) I'm going to keep track of my goals and if I'm accomplishing them (around the creation of new work and submitting to lit journals, scifi mags, and, of course, novel progress) and I will log what I'm reading. Which I've done for years, but I may feel led to annotate a bit. (I feel like that's something that you have to do for an MFA.)
Home MFA Wish List:
Mentors
Cohort of other writers (maybe a critique group?)
Book recommendations for learning about writing
CONNECT WITH ME VIA SOCIALS to make recommendations or join in!
@brittwriter on Instagram
@brittwriter on Threads
@brittwriter.bsky.social on Blue Sky
FYI: I will not be a terribly exciting person to follow. I have zero hot takes and eschew being an influencer -- that energy is for the writing. I do feel compelled to tell people about the books I'm reading, though, and take pictures of pretty flowers.
THE BIG GOAL: Write a literary science fiction novel.
The Garden by Nick Newman (from some scifi recommended list)
The Bear by Andre Krivak (National Book Award Finalist)
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders (taking notes on this one, which was recommended by another writer friend in an MFA program)
How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis (Ok, this one is mostly for fun. Yet, I've met her. She was a high school teacher in the county over and she writes fast-paced YA scifi and her personal experience of hard work makes me believe that I, too, can do this.)
North Continent Ribbon by Ursula Whitcher (She's a *mathematician* (swoon) and this book was short listed for the Ursula Le Guin Prize! Plus, it's short stories and I need to study those more closely.)
just ideas so far
no submissions; waiting to hear back from August submissions
posting to socials, creating this page, registers for fall PSI event --- results TBD