Welcome to your
Mini MFA.
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Let’s get started this summer with the twelve-week class Radical Collapse:100 pages. You have weekly deadlines + feedback, a vibrant group cheering you on, and endless inspiration from your peers’ work.
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We’ll enter study mode in the Fall with Radiant Academia. Research comp titles for your work and lit mags to submit to with publication guidance. Study craft with in-depth exercises alongside a dedicated group.
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The people who take these classes are the epitome of creativity + kindness. In this space, we are vocally protective of marginalized writers, excited to nurture each others’ work, and sincerely interested in everyone’s projects. No weird hierarchies or competition here.
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It’s me, hi! When you join the Mini MFA cohort, then I’m keeping an eye on you and your goals to help you every step of the way. You can reach out with your concerns, writer’s block, or craft questions at any time for the rest of the year. We’ll have meetings and close feedback on your work to support your project to the end.
A year of one-on-one writing mentorship, community, accountability, and feedback
Your Mini MFA is a combination of two core classes; Radical Collapse in the Spring, where we’ll write 100 pages together, and Radiant Academia in the Fall, where we’ll dive deeper into craft, readings, publication, revision, and moving your projects into their final form.
More importantly, the Mini MFA is a commitment through the end of the year to dedicate yourself to your writing. You’ll have me as your mentor the whole way through as well as your cohort. Any self-doubt, lulls in motivation, frustration, or writer’s block won’t stand a chance against your new community!
Do your Writing Field Work
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12 months of advisor support
Through one-on-one meetings, emails, and class check-ins, I’m here for you for the entire duration of your Mini MFA, even when we’re on break from regular classes. I’m here for your writing mental breakdowns, random midnight-written pages, and complete novel overhauls. Don’t go alone! Reach out at any time with questions, musings, or new goals in your writing life.
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Write 100+ pages
The Summer term is simple: Write 100 pages. Each week you turn in 10 and give and receive feedback with your peers. Even if you’ve never written at this volume before, the constant support and inspiration each week will fuel your writing in a new way. You might write different projects or genres each week!
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Weekly Feedback
Every week during Radical Collapse you’ll turn in ten pages. Write consistently with a weekly influx of inspiration and cheerleading from your peers. Then, go deeper during the Fall term of Radiant Academia and turn in longer, revised writing submissions at your monthly writing deadlines.
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Personalized Publication Advice
Articulate your writing style and genre, and study the publishing industry in order to find the places where your work will be right at home. See behind the scenes of literary magazines and traditional publishing to form a clear path for your writing.
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Lasting Writing Community
All of the writers here are the most enthusiastic, observant, and creative peers you could ask for. Get to know everyone’s work in-depth and find those readers who will remain in your circle for years to come.
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Read Deeper
In Radiant Academia, take us through a close analysis of a mentor text of your choice and learn from the presentations and exercises from your peers. Learn how to transform your favorite books into specific craft lessons for yourself.
Your Info Session
Join this virtual info sesh to hear me go through the goals & logistics of the Mini MFA to see if it’s right for you!
Two Core Classes
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Radical Collapse
January - July
Weekly meetings, writing deadlines, and feedback
Write 10 pages every week for a total of 100
Editorial letter at the end of term with observations on your writing and style and next steps
Constant feedback, encouragement, and inspiration from your weekly small group
Accountability and check-ins to help you reach your pages
Peer summaries of work to share observations and analysis
Choose a different feedback format each week to get new perspectives on how your writing is being received
End-of-term reading and celebration of everyone writing 100 pages!
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Radiant Academia
September - December
Weekly meetings and readings
Monthly writing deadlines
Study mentor texts closely to improve your craft and unique writing style
Mini-groups of 3 writers to hone your specific writing goals and genre
Analyze and present on each others’ work through in-depth workshop and close readings
Receive deeper and more strategic feedback to guide your revisions
Submit a 50-200 page manuscript for physical annotations and feedback
FAQ
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Most writers who do these courses together write about 200+ pages over the course of the year. Even more exciting than a whole book, almost everyone discovers new genres, unearths old notes, and finds inspiration in unexpected places while writing. You can certainly make substantial progress on a book and have all of the accountability you need to make it to a full draft if that’s your goal. You can also explore short fiction, poetry, and experimental forms along the way. By the end of the Mini MFA you will not only have a body of work, but a revised artist’s statement and clarity on your projects and paths to publication.
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During Radical Collapse, you will get weekly feedback on your ten pages, and a final editorial letter from me on your entire body of work at the end of the term. During Radiant Academia you will get more in-depth feedback as your peers analyze and present on your writing submissions, and during our one-on-one meetings you and I will discuss more specific revisions and directions for your projects.
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When you register, your welcome letter will contain a link to an availability survey where you can indicate your time preferences. There will likely be at least two cohorts of Radical Collapse again, so you can get a time that works for you! It could be 9am, 1pm, or 6pm EDT on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
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During the August break, if you have a commitment come up and can no longer make the Fall term, just let me know so I can make your spot available to another writer and issue a pro-rated refund. If you have any emergencies during the year just keep in touch with me and we will find a way to still support you and your writing and keep you connected to your community.
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I hope you do! The point of this course is not for you to finish a specific project at the cost of your mental health or integrity as an artist. We are here to learn more about your process as a writer and what it means to live alongside your projects. You’ll learn how to navigate multiple projects at once and how to make progress in meaningful ways.
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Read my little note on imposter syndrome below :) the summary is — if you make this commitment, if you have a hunger to move into a new writing space — then you’re ready!
A Note on Imposter Syndrome
If you’re taking a look at an intensive year-long course like this, that means you have a hunger to take your writing seriously and move to the next level. But with any big transition or commitment like that, imposter syndrome usually rears its ugly head.
My sincere request to you is this; don't deprive your community of your observations and ways of seeing the world. Your writing and your feedback on your peers’ writing contains your unique perspective and lived experiences. Don't use capitalist or academic measurements to ascribe value to yourself as a writer. What you have lived, read, and imagined makes you already qualified to write.
One of the most radical things you can do is value your art, especially if you have any marginalized identities. Self-doubt is always encouraged by those in power because it slows us down on the path towards making our voices heard.
In these writing spaces, there are no hierarchies, so don't start one now by putting yourself down. When you join these classes we all have immense respect for each others’ perspectives, lives, and unique projects. Enter with the faith that others need your words and ways of seeing, and then you will get access to their wonderful perspectives as well!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of writing 100 pages and engaging in close study of texts, don’t use any of your past experiences to indicate what you’re capable of. When you join this cohort of the Mini MFA you are giving yourself access to resources, community, and accountability you haven’t had before; so let’s see what you can do with that!
Ready? Let’s get writing.
Register for the Mini MFA
Registration is currently CLOSED for the 2024 cohort.
However, keep an eye on the newsletter for last-minute openings in this round of Radical Collapse or Radiant Academia.
Enrollment for 2025 begins in the Fall of 2024!
Request a Syllabus
Let’s chat about your writing goals and what you want to accomplish this year, and if the Mini MFA is the right resource for you.
Answer the short Q’s below so I can send you a personalized response to help you plan your writing year and respond to any of your questions, and send you a detailed syllabus for the Mini MFA.
