Operation Backlog Completion 2025
Jan 152016
 

Graduation photo 6It’s official. I now have a Master of Fine Arts degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University.

You may call me Master.

…or not.

It’s been a crazy journey since I first announced my acceptance into Seton Hill’s program. This journey included last summer’s cosplay and book signing.

(Not every graduate program gives you a legitimate opportunity to cosplay Martel.)

It also included the publication of “Rokurokubi,” a short story I first wrote for one of my Seton Hill classes.

And of course, the journey included the creation, development, and revision of Penteract of Blood, my dark fantasy thesis novel.

(Let me repeat, my graduate thesis was a dark fantasy novel.)

The past two and a half years have been a dream come true. I never imagined I’d find a graduate program for genre fiction, let alone one as amazing as Seton Hill.

I took classes on everything from creating villains to writing media tie-ins.

I wrote and polished Penteract of Blood under the guidance of my wonderful mentors, Scott Johnson and Albert Wendland.

I met a wonderful group of writers… and friends.

And I made many lasting connections that will support me in the years ahead. I approached graduation with both excitement about my degree and sadness that it was over. Now I’m ready to look to the future.

It’s time to send out queries for Penteract of Blood, revise my other novels with the knowledge I gained, and above all, press forward.

Being a writer can be a long, scary road, but it doesn’t have to be a lonely one.

Seton Hill taught me that.

  4 Responses to “Earning My MFA in Writing Popular Fiction”

  1. (I thought you’d somehow get an affiliate link for Seton Hill at the end.)

    Congrats, Samantha! Erm, Master.

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