MFA Confidential Blog

I am still recovering from Come Home Chicago. It was a night of great storytellers, music, and people. The complimentary Malort was not so great, but I still took a few shots … Read more

I’ve always been a pretty messy person, but every September when I was growing up, I remember how excited I’d get about my pristine new school notebooks and my perfectly sharpened pencils. … Read more

One of the perks of enrolling in an MFA program is that you become clued in to the literary goings-on in your area. I grew up in Chicago, home to one of … Read more

One thing I noticed right away at Columbia College Chicago is that the professors referred to students—even those of us, like myself, who’d never been published in our lives–as “writers.” Even my … Read more

(This is the same post as yesterday’s, but I reformatted it to make it easier to read….) Hello, and welcome to MFA Confidential! My name is Jessie Morrison and I’m really excited … Read more

Hello, and welcome to MFA Confidential! I’m really excited to spend the school year blogging about my experiences as a third year MFA student at Columbia College, Chicago. Thank you to Writer’s … Read more

Well, friends, this marks my last post as MFA Confidential.  I just wanted to thank you all for reading and for your supportive comments along the way. I also wanted to thank … Read more

A while ago I wrote a post about getting worse. About thinking, really, that I was backtracking as a writer. I know now that the feeling was a temporary one, one urged … Read more

  DON’T… 1.      Play it safe. Never play it safe. Writing is about taking risks. About digging deep and uncovering the raw, sometimes painful pieces. When one takes risks in their writing, … Read more

As I wrap up my time as MFA Confidential, I wanted to focus on my most favorite writing quotes for this installment of 5 for Friday. These are the good ones, those … Read more

Last week was a crazy week and I wasn’t able blog as much as I wanted to. My husband and I closed on a house—our first!—and so things were a bit hectic. … Read more

As I finish the final revisions on my thesis, I’m eager and anxious to get started on new work. I have many stories that are in their early stages. They’re on my … Read more

As I’ve said before, I’ve been spending some time lately reflecting on my MFA experience.  I’ve been sifting through my memories and I’m realizing that there are so many things I must … Read more

A few people have asked me lately about the different MFA in Creative Writing programs that are out there and what to look for in a program. MFA in CW expert Tom … Read more

Should I get an MFA? People ask me this all the time. It’s a completely personal decision, one that many writers find difficult to make. Personally, I couldn’t think of anything better … Read more

Over the next few weeks as I write my last posts as MFA Confidential I know I will certainly be in “reflection mode.” The two years I spent in an MFA program … Read more

  “I want to write because I have the urge to excel in one medium of translation and expression of life. I can’t be satisfied with the colossal job of merely living. … Read more