Grad School - How To Know Where To Go

            So, you're well on your way to graduating with your BA, but then the question dreaded by undergrads everywhere is raised: What next?

            If you're anything like me, you likely have no sweet clue what you're doing or where you're going after graduation. However, that's no reason to despair! If you want to follow your aspirations as a writer, but don't feel your work is strong enough to make it in the world of publishing just yet, you can always look into taking a masters in creative writing at grad school. Grad school offers not only the chance to improve the skills required by a professional writer, but also to make contacts within the industry. That being said, if you're simply trying to stave off having to make any actual decisions in what you're doing with your life by hiding in school for another few years, I'd recommend against it. Grad school will run you hard in order to make sure you're up to snuff. If you're just trying to avoid responsibility, this should not be your plan.

            If you're still interested though, the first step is clearly to start looking around for universities that offer creative writing programs. A simple google search will turn up plenty of results, and you can find lists of potential schools all over the place. Now, chances are, your initial search will look something like this, which will prove to be utterly useless unless you filter through it. You'll want to look through articles like this, this, and maybe this, which are far more helpful. However, it's worth noting that these sorts of articles often only consider American universities. Not only are American schools generally fairly pricey, but there's also the issue of travel. For those of us who don't want to abandon our maple syrup and free healthcare to go and live in the sweltering southern heat of Boston or New York, it helps to look into Canadian options as well. This handy list shows us the options for schools north of the border.

            One of the most promising schools on the list (in my opinion, anyways) is UNB. Not only is it just down the hill from where you're currently studying, but the testimonies we've received from graduates of the program have spoken very highly of it. Besides, Andrew Titus took it when he was in school. You want to be like Titus, right? Of course you do. As you can see in the description of the program on the UNB website (scroll down a bit to find it), the program offers small, focused workshops of your peers and respected writers, as well the opportunity to help edit for The Fiddlehead and QWERTY, providing both skill-building and professional experience.

            While this is only a brief overview of options for grad school, hopefully it should serve as an excellent starting-off point for prospective students looking to find the right school for their needs.

Writer Interview: Vanessa Moeller

Vanessa Moeller is a very talented New Brunswick writer. She graduated from the University of New Brunswick with an MA in Creative Writing. Over her career her writinghas been published in multiple periodicals including Qwerty, The Fiddlehead, Prism International, The Antagonish Review, The Pottersfield Portfolio, and CV2. Also, she has received numerous awards for her writing. On top of her already great success, in 2009 she published her poetry collection entitled Our Extraordinary Monsters.

Vanessa Moeller

When did you decide that you wanted to be a writer?

I first realized I was a writer on Feb. 13, 1994. I was in grade eleven and we had been asked to answer that age old question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" so we could choose university programs, etc. So I went home and wrestled with that question for a few days since I had so many interests. Finally, lying in bed, I asked myself, "What do you REALLY love? What can you imagine doing for the rest of your life?" And the answers were reading and telling myself stories. And then I realized, "I'm a writer." It came in a flash and nothing in my life has ever felt so right. That's when I knew and that's when the really hard work began. (I've loved every minute of it). Now I tend to joke that I am "thought architect, metaphor designer and word choreographer" because that feels more correct than saying "writer" or "poet".

How did you choose the title for Our Extraordinary Monsters?

The title of my book isn't the original title of my book. Originally it was called "Sane Love's Realm" which is an anagram of "Vanessa Moeller" but my publisher dubbed to be "too Harlequin" and I had to come up with a new one. While on the hunt, I came across a quote by Alberto Manguel that I felt tied together my collection: "We are ourselves but we are also that extraordinary monster made up of bits of someone else's longings, memories, dreams, fears, needs, experiences and hopes." I put that quote at the front of the book and the title was born from it.

How long did it take you to write Our Extraordinary Monsters?

It took me about 3 years to complete the collection. And I suspect that will be the fastest I ever write a book as most of Monsters was written while I was doing my MA and had dedicated writing time every day. I have my next three projects lined up and I know one of them could take years to get exactly the way I want it. 

 What was the hardest part of writing Our Extraordinary Monsters? How did you overcome this?

The hardest part about writing a book is writing it! It's sitting down day after day after day and putting in the time. It's dealing with the disappointment when an idea you had collapses, when you second guess yourself. Most of the time you question why you do it at all but when the writing is going well, it's the most beautiful thing in the world. Time stops. I'm a bit of a masochist as well so I really like the editing process, which can take a long time and requires a lot of patience and often a lot of distance from your work.

 What books and/or pieces of writing have influenced your life and/or your writing?

It's January 15th, 2013 and since the start of the year I have already read some pulp fiction, magazines, 13 poetry books and countless articles on websites. I'm influenced by it all. You have to stay extremely open and curious and read whatever catches your fancy. As for specifics, I have the "oh-I'd-like-to-punch-you" barometer - which means that the work is so good that when I am done with it, I want to hit the writer (but in a good way). A few books that have done that for me lately are Jeramy Dodds' "Crabwise to the Hounds" (poetry), Mark Z Danielewski's enhanced digital copy of "Fifty Year Sword" (fiction) and I just stared Jeannette Winterson's "Art Objects" (non-fiction). But really I think we are all influenced by everything we've ever read, good and bad, to varying degrees.

Who is your favorite author? How have they inspired you?

One favourite, no. Many, yes. For poetry early on it was Michael Ondaatje, Anne Carson, Federico Garcia Lorca, Pablo Neruda and Karen Connelly. Now I'd say it is Jeramy Dodds, Jessica Hiemstra and a large handful of younger poets that are doing really interesting work - it's a rich time. Fiction wise: Mark Z Danielewski, Madeleine Thien, Michael Ondaatje (again), Jeannette Winterson, Steven Hall, David Mitchell to name a few. But I also read a lot of non-fiction work not to mention fairytales and myths. They've all inspired me in different ways, naturally, mostly by showing me startling new ways to write. By challenging me in some way.

Do you ever experience writer’s block? How do you overcome this?

I don't really experience writer's block per se. I do encounter ideas that don't work and frustrate me. The best advice about overcoming blocks was from Erin Moure who made us do word games to make us play with language. Sometimes you just have to come to the page without expectations and see where it goes. I start every writing session like that now and the results are always interesting. I think your subconscious is always working on your idea whether you realize it or not. You just have to give it the freedom to come out and play.

Where do you find inspiration?

Everywhere. I love weird facts and I make sure I am exposed to many, many forms of art - not just literature. 

 How do you go about writing? Do you set specific times for yourself, or do you just wait until inspiration strikes? What about a specific work place?

 I used to be very structured but my current lifestyle makes that more difficult. I find structure works for me though. I have a dedicated space both here and when I am in Moncton where I can work and a partner who is also an artist and therefore very supportive. This means that when I do have time, I can make the most of it and I have someone who will call me out on procrastinating. When I start working, I will do an exercise where I use an app into which I input words I find interesting. This app shuffles the words and I write down the first 10-15 it randomly spits out. I then use those words as my jumping off point to write a few lines. Those lines may have nothing to do with what I am working on but doing the exercise inevitably leads me into ideas that lead to the work I am doing. It's almost like doing stretches before a workout - it warms me up to get going. That said, I always have something with me to catch any ideas that pop into my head an inopportune times.

What is your favorite/least favorite part about writing?

I love the process - playing with ideas and words. I love sitting down at my desk, going into the space in your mind you go to write and how the world can melt away. I love when the words come and fall perfectly onto the page but I also like when you have to fight with them a bit. Find out what choreography is needed to get the alchemy you want, what structures you need to hold up your ideas. Really the only thing I don't like about writing is giving readings.

Do you have any advice to aspiring writers?

My advice to aspiring writers would be: write, write, write; read, read, read; stay fiercely curious in all directions and don't forget to play!

Find out more about Vanessa and her writing:
Salty Ink
Arts Link

The cover of Our Extraordinary Monsters By Vanessa Moeller