19 Aug

Talk to iggi

Posted in DIY MFA


‘Tis the season when kiddies start packing up their lunchboxes and rolling their wheelie-dealie book bags to the school bus.  ‘Tis also almost the season when iggi U will open its doors and kick off the DIY MFA extrabloganza.

A few days ago, I got an interesting question about DIY MFA and I thought I would share my answer in a post.

Question:  How long do classes go… is it just for month of September, or longer?

Answer:  Yes, “classes” will go only through September.  OK, if we don’t cover everything in September it might lop over into October for a day or two but really, the plan is to cram everything into one month.  Why hurry, you might ask?  Why not relax, take our time and do the whole iggi-U thing over a semester or a year?  I’ll tell you.

Really, iggi-U is only the first step.  During September we’ll be working on ways to set up your DIY MFA plan and get you started.  But when iggi-U is over, that’s when the fun begins.  See, the whole idea of DIY MFA is to help people set up a plan and then put it into action.  Unlike a school-based MFA that lasts a set amount of time, DIY MFA is all about implementing your writing plan for the long term.

The other thing is that one of the core principles of DIY MFA is that different writers have different needs and will work at a different pace.  If we made DIY MFA over a set time period, that pace might be too slow for some and too fast for others.  The whole idea of DIY MFA is that it’s about writers putting together a plan that works for them.

It all comes down to this: in September, we’ll give you the tools to put together your writing plan.  After that, it’s up to you.  See, that’s the whole point of the DIY part.  Since you’re doing it yourself, you’ll have the freedom to set your own goals and work at a pace that’s right for you.

Thank you to @kathanink for a great question!

This post got me thinking that one thing I really want is to hear from all of you and find out what questions you may have about this DIY MFA project.

So go ahead and tell iggi what’s on your mind.  Do you have a topic you’re dying to see covered at iggi U?  Do you have any burning questions about DIY MFA? Do you want to know what iggi’s favorite food is?  Ask away!

You can post questions in the comments section or, if you prefer, email iggi and me at:
iggingabi(at)gmail(dot)com

2 Comments »

Comments on this post

  1. Kerryn Angell says:

    Is there going to be a space for iggi-U grads to share their DIY MFAs as we put them together are then work through them?

    What sort of work will we need to do in September during the classes or is September the time to absorb information?

    How much time should we allow each week for each class?

    1. kathanink says:

      Thanks so much for answering my Q! I am actually glad it will be shorter, since as you say, the key is that I want to spend my time writing. But I do need more focus and I think the DIY MFA might be just what I need…I'll be signing up! 🙂

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