I have a few theories on what went wrong, with exactly two schools to hear back from, yes, two actually, Its not looking too good. At this point i shall even take a wait list, gladly so. Just to know i am not entirely on the wrong track. So the thing is though i am quite the pot of negativity, i cant seem to quite think that no, this is not for me. If nothing i am only analyzing further how to get it right the next time. That's right i am going to give this one more shot, not sure next year because that would be quite rushed and not to mention stupid. and also big drain in pocket.
Considering that the successful applicants this year are all the following
1. People who have taken years- about 2 to a range of 7 years, to work and fine tune their writing have got into some good schools
2. People who have thoroughly work-shopped their stories and got active feedback from other than well meaning friends and husbands ;o
3. People who are applying for the 2nd and 4th and 5th time and lo and behold, successfully this time.
4. And most importantly people who spend about 5 to 7 hours a day writing and re writing their pieces.
5. People who have been planning this for years unlike my few months before realization dawns, hurriedly edited out with boi;s help stories that are neither here nor there. I will gladly take that waitlist, yes sir.
More importantly i have a bigger problem at hand. Background. Though most schools say that your writing sample is all that takes, its not entirely true. Yes ultimately that is what gets you in. But once you are in a say 10 person shortlist for 6spots well pref is given to one, background- literature preferred. Cos apparently they have a more sure shot way of knowing you can keep up with the academics that way. and 2, GRE which i aced, so that is ok and 3, LOR which i definitely need to find new people to write them.
Since the program is fully funded the graduate school prefers to give the spot to someone filling all these criteria in the ten shortlisted people.
And lastly the stereotype problem. Apparently since writing fiction is ultimately like any other proffesion is about selling one is expected to sell him/herself. which basically for me means that being an Indian, i seem to be expected to write more Indiany stories. Not sure how to go about that now, as in how to make it more from the native land. The thing is though i love, love writing i understand why this is being said. A program takes you with the hope that you make it and thus make the prog look good. Many people in this MFA forum have complained about this bitterly. As in i remember this Nigerian who said he was expected to write about war and poverty and such and obviously that did not appeal to him. I completely understand. Its awful when something you have put so much into is dismissed by a proff for not being " authentic" is just disheartening. but some part of my common sense says do it. Just do it, till you are in and once you are in a better place write any goddamn fuckshit you want.
Finally i need to erase my MBA background once and for all. So i am thinking of doing an MA in English in correspondence and get that over with. I dont think i could afford a double masters in the amerigas without burning a serious hole in mine, boi's and everyone i know's pockets.
Not that those Indian-y stories are just rushing forward just waiting to be called out. I am still writing depressive shit about relationships and people and parents. :/ Its like i never get over it. Also the whole applying process is such a nightmare. Seriously, spreadsheets. numbers. dates. proffs- who teaches where. books. scores. fucking toefl. money that i dont have-anymore. other problems. deadlines. critical essays!! what are those! Teaching statements and by the time you apply to about 18 programs- that is right, apparently a successful applicant applies to 15 and more because the whole process being so subjective, you never know who likes you and who wants to kick your nuts and with so few spots- about 5 in each school with about 2000 applicants on an average any given year.... you see.
I need it. I have never needed anything this badly and i really feel in the bones that it will happen. I just hate the getting till there. Having to tell fucking dimwits why you want to apply to a writing program, what is a writing program, what do you do after that. Il sew curtains for my house.
and even worse people who say things like- oh cmon who doesnt get into an MFA. your ammayipan ie.
Yeah before i get all abusive, i shall get going. Bye loves.
Considering that the successful applicants this year are all the following
1. People who have taken years- about 2 to a range of 7 years, to work and fine tune their writing have got into some good schools
2. People who have thoroughly work-shopped their stories and got active feedback from other than well meaning friends and husbands ;o
3. People who are applying for the 2nd and 4th and 5th time and lo and behold, successfully this time.
4. And most importantly people who spend about 5 to 7 hours a day writing and re writing their pieces.
5. People who have been planning this for years unlike my few months before realization dawns, hurriedly edited out with boi;s help stories that are neither here nor there. I will gladly take that waitlist, yes sir.
More importantly i have a bigger problem at hand. Background. Though most schools say that your writing sample is all that takes, its not entirely true. Yes ultimately that is what gets you in. But once you are in a say 10 person shortlist for 6spots well pref is given to one, background- literature preferred. Cos apparently they have a more sure shot way of knowing you can keep up with the academics that way. and 2, GRE which i aced, so that is ok and 3, LOR which i definitely need to find new people to write them.
Since the program is fully funded the graduate school prefers to give the spot to someone filling all these criteria in the ten shortlisted people.
And lastly the stereotype problem. Apparently since writing fiction is ultimately like any other proffesion is about selling one is expected to sell him/herself. which basically for me means that being an Indian, i seem to be expected to write more Indiany stories. Not sure how to go about that now, as in how to make it more from the native land. The thing is though i love, love writing i understand why this is being said. A program takes you with the hope that you make it and thus make the prog look good. Many people in this MFA forum have complained about this bitterly. As in i remember this Nigerian who said he was expected to write about war and poverty and such and obviously that did not appeal to him. I completely understand. Its awful when something you have put so much into is dismissed by a proff for not being " authentic" is just disheartening. but some part of my common sense says do it. Just do it, till you are in and once you are in a better place write any goddamn fuckshit you want.
Finally i need to erase my MBA background once and for all. So i am thinking of doing an MA in English in correspondence and get that over with. I dont think i could afford a double masters in the amerigas without burning a serious hole in mine, boi's and everyone i know's pockets.
Not that those Indian-y stories are just rushing forward just waiting to be called out. I am still writing depressive shit about relationships and people and parents. :/ Its like i never get over it. Also the whole applying process is such a nightmare. Seriously, spreadsheets. numbers. dates. proffs- who teaches where. books. scores. fucking toefl. money that i dont have-anymore. other problems. deadlines. critical essays!! what are those! Teaching statements and by the time you apply to about 18 programs- that is right, apparently a successful applicant applies to 15 and more because the whole process being so subjective, you never know who likes you and who wants to kick your nuts and with so few spots- about 5 in each school with about 2000 applicants on an average any given year.... you see.
I need it. I have never needed anything this badly and i really feel in the bones that it will happen. I just hate the getting till there. Having to tell fucking dimwits why you want to apply to a writing program, what is a writing program, what do you do after that. Il sew curtains for my house.
and even worse people who say things like- oh cmon who doesnt get into an MFA. your ammayipan ie.
Yeah before i get all abusive, i shall get going. Bye loves.
4 comments:
hmmmm
Ok i know your application thingie is over but couldn't you package your stories as the new, urban Indian woman-type thingie, thus subtly pointing out that it is disingenous to expect every Indian to write about poverty/elephants/whatever they expect but also conforming to their need for stories to be marketable. New, urban Indian woman-type thingie seems to be all the range in the publishing industry.
The Bride: Funnily enough one of my stories is about an urban woman stuck in a sad marriage and the other one about a gay boy and his partner who wont let him come out. So in my head now as i analyse it this is as new-indiany- issues as i can think. I am not sure what now then..
Hahn, I didn't mean change what you write about. Never do that. Just change how you market what you write about.
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