My goodness, is it Friday already?  Seriously, when you’re doing things like clearing your desk, getting school supplies, choosing the perfect writing music and getting your life ready for back-to-school, all of a sudden it’s Friday.  Where did the week go?

Not to mention that Mockingjay came out this week.  See, I thought I had this perfect plan.  I saved Catching Fire to read on the trip so it would last me to Mockingjay.  I knew if I read Catching Fire right after Hunger Games, I’d be in agony until Mockingjay came out so I thought this plan was foolproof.   Problem is, this perfect plan backfired because I got no reading done in Ireland and all of a sudden, I come back and I have two must-read books on my plate!  I’m halfway through Catching Fire (I’m a sloooooow reader…) and I’m reading Mockingjay right after so no spoilers, OK?  Seriously, or I just might die.  And then who will run iggi U?

Speaking of iggi U, can you believe that September starts next week?  Omigoodness, I can’t wait.  Starting tomorrow, I’ll be doing some pre-iggi U posts where we’ll talk about what you need to do to get prepared–don’t worry, it’s not too much–and give you all a sneak peek at what’s to come.

I also thought it might be fun to do a little twitter meet-n-greet for everyone who’s participating in DIY MFA.  Just tweet with the #diymfa hashtag and say hi!

One of the wonderful things about Ireland is how medieval or prehistoric monuments are just around.  For some there’s little more than a small sign saying what the monument is and a fence to keep the sheep out.

The first one is Kells Priory, which I’ve mentioned before, but simply had to write about again because it’s so striking.  This enormous medieval ruin sits at the bottom of a grassy hill and there’s nobody there.  Seriously.  When we visited, it we were the only tourists there and only when we were leaving did we run into some tourists who were just arriving.

This second photo is of Jerpoint Abbey, which is also astounding and beautiful, though a little more touristy than Kells Priory–I mean, it actually has a visitor center instead of a sheep gate at the entrance.

The last photo is of one of the Ahenny High Crosses, which date back to the 8th and 9th centuries.

These pictures don’t do any of these places justice, but they may give you a taste of how beautiful Ireland is.  Now I understand why faeries came from this part of the world: when you’re in a place that’s so mysterious and misty and green, you can’t help but see sprites and pixies everywhere.

Hello all,

I’m back from Ireland and wow, does it feel weird.  I’m a little discombobulated, mostly because of jet-lag but also I’m experiencing withdrawal from my morning dose of porridge with honey cream.  Note to self: microwaveable oatmeal with honey does not equal porridge with honey cream.

The photo on the left is from the Aran Isle of Inis Mor (Inishmore) off the west coast of Ireland, and one of my new favorite places in the world.  I’ll post more pictures once I’ve had a chance to sort through them all, but I thought I’d share this one because it’s one of my favorites.

So, today I thought I’d address some more questions regarding DIY MFA.

Question: 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?

Answer:  I see September as being a time to absorb information and start putting together your DIY MFA plan.  After each blog post, I’ll give one or two short assignments and people can either do them right away or come back to them later on as they build their DIY MFA.  For instance, when we talk about reading the literature, one assignment might be to assemble a reading list for yourself (we’ll talk about what sorts of books should go into that list when we cover that topic in Love of Literature).  In Craftivity, for instance, an assignment might be to try out a technique covered that day in the post.  You get the idea.

Unlike classes in a standard MFA, those in DIY MFA are more about absorbing information and putting together a plan.  Then, when you’re ready, you put the plan into action.  As I’ve mentioned before, the real work in DIY MFA happens after September.  iggi-U is just the preparation, after that, it’s all up to you.

Question: 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?

Answer:  Funny you should ask.  I’ve been using the hashtag #diymfa on twitter when I post updates about iggi U, figuring it would make it easier for iggi U tweeps to find the info.  That could certainly be a space where people can share their DIY MFA experiences and get in touch with each other.  I was also thinking we could use #diymfa after September to do twitter chats and such so people can give updates on how they’re doing, etc.  Sound good?

Thanks to Kerryn Angell for these great questions!

‘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