Deadline for all materials for the July 2023 start is Monday, June 5, 2023.
1) Submit a proposal describing the writing project you wish to pursue as a Post-Graduate Semester student. At what “stage” is your manuscript? What specific issues and/or problems have arisen in the revising/rewriting process of the manuscript you wish to work on? What are your specific goals? How specifically do you foresee a mentor helping you achieve these goals? Limit: five typed, double-spaced, pages. Be sure your name and address are on the first page, and your name appears on all subsequent pages. Proposals will be read by potential mentors.
Regarding one’s goals, consider the goals prescribed by the Solstice Program for creative theses: poets and children’s picture book writers should pay particular attention to their proficiency in the following: imagery; line breaks (and, for picture books, page breaks); figurative language; rhythm; sound; control of diction; the relationship between form and content; and the ability to revise and “re-envision” a piece of writing. Those who write for children must also demonstrate age-appropriate use of language and subject. Prose writers should consider the following areas: complex characterization; apt language (diction, mood, tone, imagery); appropriate and accurately rendered setting; structural integrity; thematic complexity; and point-of-view appropriate to characters and action. Those who write for young-adults must also consider age-appropriate use of language and subject.
2) Include a portion of the manuscript you plan to focus on during your Post-Graduate Semester. All work must be in a standard, 12-point font and include the author’s name and the title of the piece in the header on every page, in addition to a cover page with author name, title, and submission genre. (Cover pages and synopses do not count toward page limits.) Limit: 20 double-spaced pages of prose; 12 pages of poetry, single spaced, one poem per page. Novels and collections of stories or essays will need a 1,000-word synopsis. If you need information or a refresher about how to write a synopsis, email Solstice MFA Program staff. 3) Non-Solstice MFA grads must submit one letter of recommendation from a former mentor. 4) Non-Solstice MFA grads must also submit a transcript from their MFA degree Applications/proposals that do not follow prescribed guidelines will not be considered.
Once your proposal has been accepted by a mentor, you will need to create a semester plan with him/her. Semester plans MUST include the number of pages you plan to submit with each packet, and must be approved by your mentor before sending it to the Solstice MFA Office.
