Summer, for me, is supposed to mean a break. It even says so on the Queens syllabus. I don't have to turn anything in until mid-August at the start of fall semester. But really, it's not a break. I don't think writers have them. There's no such thing.
My goal for the month of June is to work on revisions. Trust me, there's a lot. I'm reviewing all my submissions from last semester and the May residency, going through workshop critiques, looking for similarities, repeating comments. Generally, you know those are the things that need fixing. Just as an FYI, I do review critiques throughout the semester, and make some changes along the way. But for me, I need to give the story some space. Go back to it with fresh eyes after a few weeks or months. Makes a huge difference.
July - I plan to write new things. That's the plan. I've started a few... first pages, first sentences...but I work better knowing that the other stories are as complete as they can be.
Many low-res MFA programs meet over the summer (Vermont College of Fine Arts, University of Alaska Anchorage, Bennington, anyone else? Let me know, I'll add them here) Other low-res programs use the summer for a study abroad experience (Spalding University, University of New Orleans, others?) Traditional classroom MFA folks - what are your summer plans?
Share your summer experiences!
