Application Life is Hard

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.

We had a death in the family and I'm currently out-of-state. In the interest of privacy, it was a sibling's spouse who passed away.

I have also been making changes to certain writing goals and choices. I've decided to make the most recent fellowship I applied for my last and just focus on residencies, grants, and the occasional writers contests.

What's a fellowship*? It usually involves a deeply personal packaging of information that may contain: a resume/CV, a bibliography of one's publications/credits/clips, (often) letter(s) of recommendation, and the work sample (in whatever shape the stringent requirements/submission guidelines state it must be).

Why apply to a fellowship? Well, it's as deeply individual and unique to each person. What I can tell you is that being awarded one, the newly 'minted' fellow has the ability to travel, to teach at a number of institutions, to take part in government programs and grassroots organizations. Now you might ask: but can't you do that WITHOUT ACTUALLY APPLYING for a FELLOWSHIP? Well, it depends on what goals one has in mind. Some of mine are to get funding for specific kinds of research, to travel broadly according to particular projects, and for me to promote myself as a scholar in certain pop culture circles.

I have been applying to these fellowships for almost 3 years, before and after graduate school, and now I think it's time to take a break and concentrate on another aspect of my writing career. So there is that.

In the meantime, take care of yourselves, Dear Readers, and continue to 'watch this space...'

*I'm speaking on writing/creative arts fellowships ONLY.

Fellowships** are as complex and diverse as the people who need and/or desire them. And depending on its industry, a fellowship will follow those particular requirements, rules, and guidelines for applying.

**To learn more about what fellowships are and what they can do for you, check out https://www.profellow.com

Writing Opportunities, galore! Just Take the Time!

What many of my readers may not know is that I have been working on several applications for work, grants, and opportunities with writing.

*The following is for the writers among the readers regardless of experience level. There may be terms and jargons used that are particular to the freelance writing world.*

**DISCLAIMER - Remember to often take what you read from columns, essays, and articles with a grain of salt but always exercise common sense and good judgement. Writing is a business after all. Also, what I've learned over the years is if more than one publication has said the same thing on the same matter, it's probably best to follow that instruction!**

For over three years, I've scoured and researched what's out there, either internationally, nationally, and state-side, and for almost two years, I've actively pursued these in order to jump-start projects, travel to different residencies/retreats, and interact with more writing communities outside my comfort zone. I even attended a fellowship workshop last year 2017.

I've taken more chances, more risks, and knocked on more doors than I have ever done in my entire adult life.

When I decided to begin this journey during my community college Creative Writing course, there were clear Do's/Don'ts.

Have also been given tons of advice over time, often from many well-meaning folks. Advice from writer magazines, online articles, and blogs. I've also attended workshops, conferences, seminars, and residencies, and there have been advice from those too.

I've seen on at least five applications (for the following: fellowships, grants, scholarships, residencies, workshops, retreats, contests, and seminars) what I'm seeing is a pattern.

**Certain items that would render many a writer into the ineligibility category:
1. Publication in a vanity press
2. Self-published
3. Book reviews
4. School publications (college/university)
5. Scholarly/Instructional writing

**Another DISCLAIMER remember that writing is personal for each individual, which means we can make our own choices.
However, there are CLEAR NO-NOs in Writing: Do Not Ever Pay to Publish Your Work. Not even in Self-publishing does one do that.
No upfront payment to an editor. No upfront payment for someone to publish one's work. No payments to edit. No payments to proofread. No payments to put someone's work into print.**

Anything new happens, I'll be sure to announce it here on In Pretty Print and my bibliography blog, The Angry Goblin (please check this for any info on my latest publications), and as always, my official website Tabber the Red is where it's at! 

Updated every few months while the blogs are updated every few weeks, the website is my be-all to finding out everything about me as an author and artist. 

Hyperlinks are above and remember, to SUBSCRIBE to this blog is FREE!

Take care, dear readers, and again, Happy 2018!

My Plans for the Summer

There are a few items on my agenda. Another art show is coming up but I will be unable to participate. I have plans to attend some summer residences now that my formal schooling is finished. This way, I can continue the momentum about completing this novel. I want more 'informal assistance' and the way I see accomplishing such a hurdle is to continue to strengthen my writing profession through out-of-state and out-of-country workshops. This will also tighten my network as well as put myself out there for agents and other publishing entities to discover. Pray for me/Wish me luck for these upcoming endeavors!

My first Public Reading! Part 3

The following pictures show the reaction of the audience after our readings.

     Reactions to my reading was immediate and astounding. One of my fellow seniors, who also was in workshop with me once, told me how proud she was of how far I had taken the story since she first work-shopped it. The associate dean of our program, also one of the faculty, whispered to me that I had everyone eating out of the palm of my hand!

Photo courtesy of classmate/friend Shelia

Photo courtesy of classmate/friend Shelia

That same evening, while on an outing with some of the class, our program's acting-director patted me on the shoulder and expressed how I wowed the entire auditorium, including her. I felt humbled and thrilled.

The next three days, I received thumbs-ups and earlier-termers who approached me to say how excited they were about my story. I had at least three schoolmates (one first-termer and two long-time schoolmates) tell me I had opened their eyes to my genre. Our program's former director-now-faculty-member high-fived me when we met in an elevator!

It was an exhilarating experience and one this introvert does not take lightly.

Photo courtesy of classmate/friend Shelia 

My first Public Reading! Part 2

Photo courtesy of classmate/friend Tina

16 of us would be completing and going through commencement this term. The first eight went on June 20. The second group of eight (my team) would go on June 21. I was third in line and before we started, my fourth-term mentor (my professor during my thesis term) approached me and asked what I would be reading. I told her a scene from my second chapter. She wished me luck and went to her seat.

Photo courtesy of classmate/friend Tina

When it was my turn, I made sure my bookmarks were in place of where I would start and end. I had written my introduction and binder-clipped it to the front. I had practiced my ten minutes down to eight. This would give me enough time to ad-lib my thanks to my classmates and to the three mentors that were my instructors during my time in the program.

The lights were in my eyes but I decided to focus on my sheets of paper. At one point, the microphone went out -others told me they hadn't noticed and that my voice still carried to the back- and so I continued to read, making sure that my eye contact was for everyone. I had read the piece enough to smile and/or react as my characters would. I didn't mimic my two protagonists' accents or dialects but I retained their tonal inflections. 

When I ended with a 'thank you', the auditorium reacted in a way I didn't expect. There were woots, whistles and call-outs! When I returned to my seat, my fellow cohorts told me what a great job I did as well as fist-bumps and handshakes.
[Part Three in next post...]

My first Public Reading! Part 1

      As part of the requirement to complete my MFA, graduating cohorts have to do a public reading of their thesis. The program had changed the timing. With only 10 minutes, weeks before I traveled to Tampa for this last writing residency and my commencement, I practiced several pieces before deciding on one scene.

I worked out that I would dress up for this. I am a budding cosplayer (costume player at a scifi/fantasy/horror/comic/anime convention) and because this residency would be my last, I decided I would dress as the time period of my historical fiction, the early 1930s.

We were split into two teams of eight. I would be in the second team and the third in line. On Day 4 of the residency, June 21st, I did my first public reading.

Photo courtesy of friend/classmate Tina

Photo courtesy of classmate/friend Shelia

My costume consisted of clothing I already had in my closet. I wore a matching vest and slacks my mother had sewn for me several years before. I wore a pair of J.G. Hook shoes I had purchased many years ago. My dress shirt one of a set I bought from Steve and Barry's about six-seven years ago. Also, in honor of Father's Day, I wore one of my father's messenger caps, pin-striped as my outfit.

[Part Two in next post...]

It is a New Year!

Original date in journal 11/2/14

While reading Scott McCloud's "Making Comics" on page 232, McCloud speaks about artists basing 'his or her comics around [a]...'collection of values. ..'

And as I do readily subscribe to one of these values, the other three aren't far from my thoughts. I do want to tell the best story I can, but I want to strive for excellence, experiment and test the boundaries of my skills.

One day, my supervisor and I discussed my novel-in-progress, and I gave updates about my latest feedback. I mentioned I may be the only anthropomorphic writer in the writing program, but I also explained there were other MFA programs that did separate by genre. My supervisor immediately disregarded that idea, for though she is a genre fan buff too, she told me it was better for me to be in the present program since I'm exposed to other genres at once. She even pointed out all the topics and variety of issues I pinpoint in the story: romance, historical, sociology, anthropology, economics, racism, segregation, crime, politics etc.

That was important for me to know and understand. I also want to create lasting art. Art that endures.

Now, to continue getting ready: new goals, more writing and packing for residency next week!