This autumn has been my second semester in my low-residency MFA program, and it was a productive one! At this semester’s close, I am now just over 40,000 words into the novel that will be my thesis work. I have been given wonderful encouragement on this project all semester, and I feel like it’s really starting to come together into writing that feels very true to what I want to write, and who I am as a writer/human being. This may be the most fun I’ve ever had in my own writing, and I want to really hold on to that. I have been surprised by many of the turns the story has taken this semester, and part of why I’m enjoying it so much is because I truly feel like I’m riding the wave and not sure where it will land yet. I am happy with the road traveled thus far.

In addition to the thesis project work, a bunch of us MFA students are kicking off an MFA literary journal, in print later this month or by early December. The first issue is going to be titled “Elsewhere.” I have three new poems included in this one, and am really excited to see how the printing looks and to see my friends’ work in there too. More on that to come!

Last for now, I have a new short story going out for submission. And I’m a bit surprised that it’s a horror story! Very excited about this because it’s been ages since I’ve done short fiction work. I am currently calling it “Signs of Life,” and we’ll see what happens next with that one.

I get to be a “teach-in” reader at my daughters’ school later this month, and get to read to the kids from my picture book, and one of my middle grade novels on submission, so lots of fun creative times in the current pipeline.

Next residency starts December 5th at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach. Ready to keep going and see where the wave takes me. Onward!