I'm Back

I'm back.

After graduating from Vermont College of Fine Arts last summer, I spent six months editing and revising the mg novel I'd written prior to beginning the MFA program. In January, I began sending out my agent queries. It's now April 15th, and I am still in that process.

As I write this, I have several full manuscripts out with agents as well as several queries. The name of the game is PATIENCE. You have to do a lot of waiting when looking for an agent.

And what do you do while you wait: Write the next book.

1. Because an author is only as good as his next book.

2. Because if you want to be known as an author, you need to keep putting stuff out there. 3. Because if you don't do something to take your mind off the waiting, you WILL. GO. CRAZY.

I'll be blogging about various things as I go through this publishing process. Tuesdays will be "How-To Tuesdays" where I will discuss the ins and outs of writing and getting published. Fridays will be "Read Like a Writer Fridays" where we can talk about books, new and older books, and analyze what works, what doesn't work, and why.

Welcome to my new blog. May the muse be friendly to you today.

In the final stretch1

Okay, I know it's been a looooong time since I've updated this blog. But I'm back, almost officially an MFA grad (only 2 months to go). I've learned so much about my writing and how to improve it. This semester was certainly the toughest; it was the one that made me face the fact that I still have so far to go. From what I hear, all writers are unsure of themselves, no matter how many books they've written and published. I think that's important for people who are just starting out to know: you never stop learning or improving. And practice doesn't make you perfect, but it does help you get better and better.

This is it!

The day that I've been waiting for for the past 6 months, really the past 2 years, is finally here.  Tomorrow morning I get on a train bound for Montpelier, Vermont to begin my MFA degree at Vermont College of Fine Arts.  I'll be on the train for 8 hours, ugh, and on Tuesday I'll meet up with other incoming students for lunch before we begin our official journey.  After only writing seriously for a little over a year, it really is a dream come true to be doing this.   Unfortunately I haven't had time to get excited about it because I've been too busy stressing over the little details of my being away for 2 weeks.  Making sure the house is fully stocked with food, all the laundry is done, my DH knows what to do with the kids to get them off to camp and home again each day.  I've discovered that I am completely obsessive about these little details--so much so that I seriously haven't thought much about going back to school at all.  I suppose once I get on the train tomorrow reality will suddenly hit me in the face and I'll realize I am actually doing this.  Then I can stress over that for awhile.

I will continue to keep you posted as much as I can throughout the residency.  If I can find time in the EXTREMELY BUSY schedule!

Decision time!

Well, after I heard from Lesley University, I decided it was time to make a choice.  (I still haven't heard from Hamline, but at this point I've decided I don't want to go out to Minnesota in the winter!)  So it comes down, for me, to Lesley and Vermont.  They are both excellent, well-respected programs.  Here are the main differences as I see them:

1.  Vermont is in Montpelier-a quintessential New England town; Lesley is in Cambridge-an amazing city, close to Boston, and surrounded by Harvard and Boston Art Institute.

2.  Vermont's mfa degree is in writing for children and young adults, which means that everyone there would be focused on writing children's books; Lesley has several genres in it's mfa in creative writing program (fiction, screenwriting, poetry, etc) where I could focus on writing for children, but I would be very exposed to other genres.

3.  Vermont uses the well-established program for it's mfa-one that most of the low-residency schools currently use; Lesley also uses a similar program, but add an independent study component on top of it.  

I have decided, based on these three differences, that the best school for me is Vermont College writing for children and young adults.

Now I just have to send them a check!

Please drop me a note if you currently, previously, or some day will, attend Vermont College!

Acceptances!

So far, I've been accepted to Spalding University, Pine Manor, and Vermont College.  I am still waiting, anxiously, to hear from Hamline University and Lesley University.  But I must say, at the moment I am leaning toward Vermont College.  I've heard Montpelier is a beautiful town, and the program is supposed to be phenomenal.   So now we wait.