Thought-Drive

Late again with the blog, but I haven't been slacking, either. The story was drafted, successfully, I think. I shared it with half a dozen people and got an equal amount of varied ideas and opinions. Not that I needed a reminder that ultimately, the only person that had to be happy with it is me. Still, I know an eclectic bunch of readers, and writers, those who do it for hobby, those who do it professionally, and academically. It was the third draft that I ended up passing around. The feedback was reminiscent of earlier stories. No one said it was bad, but I got about as many good comments, too. Pauses, confused faces, and frowns. It helped a lot. It was the process of actually writing it that was fairly frustrating. Normally, I think about a story, I sketch out pertinent details, I think, and I mull, and I percolate, and I introspect. Then, when I'm fit to bursting, I sit down and I write. It's rough, and not fit to show to anyone, but front to back it is a completed d...

They say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  Three days ago, I scrounged through my email for a correspondence concerning an electronic, unofficial copy of my college transcript, a necessary piece of my upcoming submission packets to various universities. I didn't find the email, though I did find the file. I also found other conversations with people concerning my last attempt at this grad-school endeavor. I want to say I was much younger, though it's only been a few years. I had searched diligently for a creative writing MFA program that did not require the GRE. I sent off for letters of recommendation, I pushed and shoved my various ducks into a row. I unearthed old contacts and summoned my resolve. I made a final decision based on friends I had staying in the area.  As it turned out, there was a dispute with my alma mater. Transcripts weren't sent, the window closed. My friends even moved out of the area. At the time, I was crushed...