I Finally Did It...

After two years of blood, ink and tears (boy, were there tears), I finally completed my MFA in Fiction from Southern New Hampshire University.

I am so proud of myself. I'm thrilled. I'm ecstatic. But I'm also a little sad.

The MFA program was a safe place. And no, it's not nearly as cheesy as it sounds. There were peers, going through the same struggles. There were mentors and faculty, filled with wisdom and advice. There were craft workshops. There were peer workshops. There were critiques. And now? Nothing.

It doesn't mean that I will live in a writing desert. In fact, there are plenty of writer's groups in the area. I have friends that I can set up manuscript exchanges with. And there are great resources for alum. But now, the onus is on me. I fully own every word that I write, and that safety net (you know, the one where your mentor can pull you aside and say, 'What the hell are you doing?') doesn't exist anymore.