Tag: MFA

It’s Been Awhile: Revise vs. Edit

May 10, 2016

It is spring, nearly summer and I’m so excited to be at the end of another semester and my first full year as an MFA-seeker. I have done very little new writing in the last quarter but it’s not been a creative loss. I’ve been learning what “revision” truly means and how it differs from editing. About … More It’s Been Awhile: Revise vs. Edit

Decisions, Decisions: The Golden Apple’s Coming Makeover

December 7, 2015

My husband is always nervous when I start conversations with the line “I’ve decided…” Usually, this line is followed by some life-changing epiphany for our future. “I’ve decided I want to work full-time.” “I’ve decided I want to go to graduate school.” “I’ve decided I’m only wearing neutral colors and real jewelry.” “I’ve decided we’ll … More Decisions, Decisions: The Golden Apple’s Coming Makeover

November madness, NaNoWriMo, and the end of my first MFA semester.

November 19, 2015

Perhaps you’ve noticed my absence from the blogosphere this month (probably not). October was a fabulous month full of celebration and excitement and it wiped me out. November has been mad and a little more focused on my non-blog writing. In addition to the semester wrapping up–the last day of class for me is the … More November madness, NaNoWriMo, and the end of my first MFA semester.

Posing and Opposing: A lesson from Debra Monroe

November 12, 2015

Debra Monroe was our guest speaker last night in 501 and she was great. Debra writes memoir and fiction and teaches writing at Texas State. She has 7 books to her name, one of which was recently released. She is reading from her new memoir, My Unsentimental Education at UNM this evening and is very entertaining so I … More Posing and Opposing: A lesson from Debra Monroe

My Name is Faerl Marie and I Write Chick Lit.

October 26, 2015

We had a guest speaker in a recent MFA class–Intro to Writing as a Profession. She was really great, funny, clever, and an alumni of our program whose fiction, though not yet published, has made the finalist cuts for some note-worthy awards. She shared a near-universal frustration with trying to get her novel published and … More My Name is Faerl Marie and I Write Chick Lit.

MFA Monday: Workshop

October 19, 2015

For anyone whose never taken a workshop class, it can be quite daunting. Not only are you handing over pages of your work, but the entire goal is to have it critiqued and examined under a spotlight of critical attention by a whole group of people with different opinions, different perspectives, and different tastes from … More MFA Monday: Workshop

MFA Definitions

October 19, 2015

This is a working list of definitions I’m learning and developing as part of my MFA. Some of these words are completely new to me, others are familiar, and some were completely misunderstood. I’ll be updating this regularly so stay tuned. Psychic Distance: Also called ‘Narrative Distance,’ describes the relationship the reader has with the narrator; … More MFA Definitions