Wow, three Hottie posts of the day.  Looks like I need to write something new.  

Well, I definitely have a good topic.  I am about to complete my sophomore year of college.  That means I have at most two years of college left.  Undergraduate, that is.  I’m thinking about going to grad school, and today I looked up a bunch of MFA programs.  I think I’m now acquainted with ever MFA program in the country, and yet I still didn’t really find one to fit me.  I want a place that has both playwriting and fiction, preferably in a suburban area.  I don’t really want to be directly in a city, but I’d like to be really close.  At least I don’t want to be in NYC.  It’s just a bit too much for me (at least I think it would be.  I unfortunately have yet to go).  I’d also like there to be some faculty members who I know.  Also, I want it to be a two-year program, and fairly cheap.

I did find a few cheap programs, with both playwrighting and fiction and notable faculty.  Where are these programs?  New York.  Gulp.  It makes me so nervous, and I’d have to go out there on my own.

Even more intriguing, however, is a program I read about that they have at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.  It’s a masters program for musical writing!  This is a career I’ve been toying with pursuing.  I think it combines a lot of my interests, and I love musicals.  Again, though, New York.  Scares the bejeezus out of me.

But, before I decide ANYTHING, I have my scriptwriting class next semester, so that will help me decide if I’m good at that sort of thing and if I want to pursue it.  If not, then that will open up a lot of programs for me (I’ll just need a good fiction writing program, as opposed to play and fiction writing).  Also, I’d like to visit a few places – cities and actual campuses – before making any decisions.  Plus, I’ll need to get to work distinguishing myself.  I’ll probably need to be published a few more times, then have a manuscript prepared (because many schools ask for a manuscript when one is applying to an MFA program.  A daunting task, to be sure).  Plus, most authors I’ve heard speak on the subject say that a person who wants to go to grad school to obtain an MFA should probably wait a few years after they complete their undergraduate studies.  This is to – as cliche as it sounds – find oneself, and find the things they want to write about.  One big thing authors must do is experience life, and I hope to do that before entering into an MFA program.  Of course, I have to figure out just exactly where I will be experiencing life at and how I will be funding my life experiences.  What a task.

However, as daunting as it is, I take comfort in the fact that I don’t have to expect anything out of myself for a long while.  I still have a lot of time to figure myself out before entering into a career.  So many kids my age will get their bachelor’s degree and then directly enter the work force in their chosen field (well, if they’re lucky).  Then, they will probably work in that field for the rest of their lives.  I’m pretty glad I don’t have to do that.  There’s still a lot of things to figure out, but I’m great at thinking (and overthinking) things through.