Diary of a D.I.Y. MFA - I published my first collection of poetry!

This is the 9th and final blog post in the series of Diary of a D.I.Y. MFA posts. These posts have spanned five years, from 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, to 2016, making it more like a D.I.Y. Ph.D. than an MFA program! 

In conclusion, here's what I got out of my D.I.Y. MFA; in addition to publishing my first collection of poetry, I met a lot of interesting writers from all different genres. I learned that as much as I enjoy reading fiction, I am not a fiction writer. I learned I can teach people the elements of writing good fiction and copy edit excerpts from short stories and novels for publication for setting, tone, character, plot, and ease of readability. 

I learned that poetry heals hurting hearts and brings the community together. 

I learned that the best personal essays are sparked by passion. 

I learned that marketing writing is greatly different than literary writing. I may never be a national book award-winning author, but damn, I can write some powerful words and invoke emotions. I am a copywriter, creative nonfiction writer, finder, and researcher extraordinaire, and I am more than okay with that. 

I learned how to hone my reading and writing skills on a much deeper level than I expected. I became less sensitive to feedback about my writing. 

In addition to the events referenced in my diary, I also attended as many NH Writers' Project Writers Night Out meetups as possible. As many Portsmouth Poet Laureate Program Poetry Hoots as I could, and as many Beat Nights at the Press Room as I could. 

Edit*: At the start of this experiment, I thought I had wanted to pursue a real MFA program and came close to applying for one in the Fall of 2016. What happened? Read my poem, “Flashes of Terror,” from Lunation to find out. It is a good thing the universe prevented me from taking that route because it wouldn't have been the right fit for me. My dream would be to get a Master's Degree in Copywriting from the Miami Ad School.  (*Edit: Added this paragraph on January 23, 2021).

If I were to include a list of thanks to everyone I met over the past 5 years, it would fill an entire entry alone. So I'll just say a heartfelt thank you to each of you; you know who you are. I appreciate you. 

July 2016 

I took a poetry workshop all month with Matt Miller and Sara Anderson at the Word Barn in Exeter, NH. 

I saw Matt Miller read at Beat Night at the Press Room. 

My first book, Metempsychosis: Poems, was published on House of Love and Pizza Press and available for sale in time for my reading at RiverRunBookstore at the end of the month. 

 

I organized the RiverRun Bookstore After Hours Poetry Series - featured readers were Brenna Lilly, Meaghan Gagnon, Tamara J. Collins. 

August 2016

I organized the RiverRun Bookstore After Hours Poetry Series - featured readers were Cyndle Plaiseted Riels, Sarah Anderson, and Jenna Baillargeon. 

September 2016

I organized the RiverRun Bookstore After Hours Poetry Series - featured readers 

were students from the poetry club at Portsmouth High School. 

October 2016 

RiverRun Bookstore After Hours Poetry Series - reading this month canceled, we will be back next month! 

November 2016

I organized the RiverRun Bookstore After Hours Poetry Series - featured readers 

were Kayla Wheeler and Daniel Haislet. 

December 2016 

The RiverRun Bookstore After Hours Poetry Series - no reading this month. Happy Holidays! 

About this Blog

Since graduating from college, I have been a full-time freelance writer. I've created my own D.I.Y. MFA program by attending as many literary events as possible in my community. My goal is to attend a diverse array of events and to keep an open mind and an open heart. 

This blogger account is where I log my literary events attended over the past six months. 

Check out my author and freelance writing page. Please visit: tamarajcollins.com

Need someone to help you with copywriting and marketing? Please visit: https://www.mapkeycreative.com/