Actually, before we get started, let’s jump to the end: PocketMFA will be so encouraging and productive that you’ll mourn when it’s over. Twelve weeks may seem like a long time commitment, but trust me, you’ll blink and realize it’s not. By the end of the program, you’ll be humming at peak productivity, writing drafts that excite you, and supporting the cohort members who have become a part of your weekly life. You’ll graduate into a strong, supportive alumni network, grateful to benefit from all you’ve invested into PocketMFA. 

But now, let’s jump back to the beginning: Is PocketMFA the right move for your writing career right now? At our first PocketMFA meeting, I cracked open a new writing notebook, ready for the first question tossed out to our group: What is the most important outcome you want from this program? I answered with a metaphor: Engine revved, oil changed, GPS programmed, and car snacks packed for the road trip ahead. I was both uncertain and optimistic about our 12-week journey with PocketMFA. Then came the training on peer feedback workshops. Taking a quote from George Saunders, we set an intention to identify “sites of future coolness” in our work and our cohort was given a mission: “Your job is to get the writer excited to draft again.” At PocketMFA, we learned that “failures” are really successes that lead to new opportunities.

Getting Started With PocketMFA

Throughout the program, I recommend you set your expectations high. The PocketMFA program will level up your writing, increase your confidence as a writer, and connect you with a cohort of likeminded, passionate people. Scheduling classes, meetings, readings, check-ins, and peer reviews can initially feel overwhelming. Sharing your works-in-progress with strangers can be unnerving. You might also wonder whether your mentor will delve deep into your work and adequately support your goals. But, instead of worrying about everything, cling to the tingles of excitement over “sites of future coolness.” While ambitious, the goals of PocketMFA are carefully structured with doable weekly assignments. Trust the process to lead you to that magic. 

Finding Success During the Program

Expect to be challenged with fresh perspectives. My mentor asked my cohort to read books in a genre different from the ones we were writing in. During our weekly meetings, we analyzed several texts for elements of craft. We then applied our discussions to our reading, master texts, and our own writing projects. This metacognition, or this constant thinking about thinking, rewired my brain. I’m still asking myself a question raised during my first cohort discussion as I work on my new novel: Where can I build tension in this scene? And now, as a reader, I stretch into genres I wouldn’t normally reach for first.

What I found to be the most challenging part of PocketMFA was the peer feedback workshops. It takes nerve-racking, palm-sweating, voice-cracking vulnerability to share your personal projects with other expert writers as they critique the pieces of your soul you’ve put into words. In return, you may wonder how to give meaningful feedback when you become a peer editor. Fortunately, PocketMFA provides excellent training on how to be an effective peer reviewer. Our cohort grew into this skill, and each of our writing pieces greatly benefitted as a result of our strengthened mutual trust.

With my cohort members and mentor, my vulnerability as a writer was always met with respect. As a result, I was able to recognize new “sites of coolness” in my writing. After feedback and revisions from the peer workshops, I had a short story accepted into one of my dream literary magazines. My confidence in my writing skills grew, and I’m now more comfortable providing meaningful feedback to other people’s writing.

Reflecting on the Experience

If you’re like me, someone juggling a career and family demands of raising busy teenagers, your writing life may feel as though it only occurs in the solitary margins. At best, we writers might be lucky enough to find a ragtag group of strangers who work at our local coffee shop. 

Joining PocketMFA will present you with the rare gift of solidarity. The PocketMFA community connected me to writers from California, Romania, and India. We found common ground in our stories set in Mexico, Uganda, and England. We explored fantasy worlds no one on this planet had ever heard of or experienced. With a skillful, empathetic mentor to guide us, my cohort bonded through a common focus and appreciation for each other’s differences.

The PocketMFA program for me has ended. As I reflect on my experience and look at the notebook I opened during my first PocketMFA meeting, I get nostalgic over the little details. My notebook has a green faux leather cover and a neon yellow bookmark. There’s a loop on the side to hold my ever-present pen. If you turn the page after the notes from my final PocketMFA meeting, you’ll see I’ve written a fresh heading at the top of the next page: Writing Ideas. That’s what comes after PocketMFA. A blank page ready to be filled with new ideas, unwavering energy, and a honed writing style. 

“Your job is to get the writer excited to draft again.” Are you ready to take on that challenge for yourself? Will you show up to uplift other writers who also care deeply about their writing? If you can answer yes to both, you’ll know what to do. The PocketMFA program is your program. And by the end of 12 productive, enlightening weeks, you’ll realize that your writing journey is only just beginning.