The T-Word

Thesis is such an ugly word.  I hear it and right away I start getting the willies.  Something about the idea of a thesis can be intimidating, paralyzing even.  I bet you're thinking, this is a DIY MFA... which means I can do whatever I want, so why do I have to write a *gag* thesis?

Sure, DIY means Do-It-Yourself, so if all you want is to dabble in writing, you don't have to write a thesis.  But if we're really serious about our writing, we have to be in it for the long haul and sooner or later that means writing something "big."  And by "big" I mean anything: a collection of short stories, a collection of essays, 100 1-page flash fiction pieces, a novel, a memoir, a collection of poems.  I'm not saying that "size matters," but... well... when it comes to writing, it sort of does.  After all, you can't just write one story and rest on your laurels for the rest of your life.  Well, theoretically you can but the you're not really a writer.  You're just a laurel-sitter.

Chances are if you're a writer you'll have to start a big project at some point, and I'm guessing that if you're reading this you are one of the chosen ones.  And that's where the THESIS comes in.

In honor of NaNoWriMo I'll be posting a series every weekend between now and the end of November about getting through a "big project."  I'm currently working on a schedule of topics and I'll keep you all posted (ha ha, pun intended!).  Even if you're not doing NaNoWriMo--I'm not... my deadline is in October--you can still learn tips on getting through a big project.  Just stop by and read up on how to jump through the ultimate MFA hoop.  Thesis...dum dum dummmm.

Remember, the beauty of a DIY MFA thesis is that you come out of it with a full-on book (unlike an MFA Thesis where you might write only half of the book, or do one revision or do one small part of the process).  The DIY MFA thesis is more involved because our goal is to come out of it with a book that's ready to query.  It might take you months, even a year or two, but when you're done with it you'll have your book and you'll be ready for the next step.

Excited?  I am.  Starting after Commencement Week, I'll do my first Thesis Project post, so stay tuned.