I want to start this new series on writing with the comment that writing is personal. No one does it the same way. So everything in this Nibs and Ink series is my personal opinion and should be taken with a grain of salt.
With that out of the way, I figured since the new school year just kicked off, why not add in more MFA and writing posts for those who are aspiring writers, or want to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing. This post will be sad, because last year I had just moved to NYC, just met my cohort, and the world was a very different place…
Pen-Ultimate
So begins the second (and final) year of my MFA. While the world looks nothing like it did last year, there is comfort in the simplicity of knowing there is class are certain days of the week, and homework assignments to be done before you meet again. There is no New York, there are no hugs to throw around the cohort’s shoulders, there is no empty room at 10pm to hide in and read bad writing; but there is hope.
The Pen is mightier than the Sword
An age-old adage, but never more felt than now. Writing is something that eases the soul of its grief, its hurt, it expresses the subconscious things that we hold onto without knowing. And this year, this final year to dig into myself and find why I write, who I write for, it hits me like that cliffhanger in Aurora Burning. I’ve started writing poems, snippets of worlds I’m yet to flesh out, characters who are hurting in ways they don’t understand that mirror my own because it’s the only way to get it out. 2020 has been more that rough for everyone, and putting the pen to paper is a way I can maintain some semblance of control over it. I choose what I write.
Prose and Pose
Positioning myself to have a good semester has been interesting: it’s the last workshop I will take, the last lecture course I attend… The last first day. Except, I realized that wasn’t true. Writing is about exploration, exploiting our fears and wishes and goals. Taking a picture book class is teaching me about being fearless.
Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful
– Mary Shelley
This semester is about my prose, about finishing this draft, and posing myself to take a huge leap during my thesis semester in the spring. I choose what I write. On the flipside of that statement is you can’t please everyone; the one person you have to please is yourself — your story. I am taking risks and trying new things, with my writing and with life, so I can remain fearless and vulnerable.
The End
Kicking off Nibs and Ink, I wanted to give you a glimpse of me, of what I love with all my heart: the act of writing. This semester may have begun, but it’s always a journey to get from point A to point B. Keep your pencils sharp, your wits quick, and jot down your favorite thing about writing and/or creating art of whichever medium you enjoy.
Keep Fangirling,
Xo, Camille
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