On November 18 at SpaldingCon, as part of the Spalding University MFA in Writing program, I’ll be on a panel with Mary Knight, Katie Boyer, and Ashlee Clark Thompson. Our topic is “Keeping Competition in the Library.” Join us for the discussion!

Keeping the Competition in the Library

Beneath hard work and concerns of craft, writers at all levels face a psychological challenge: managing the nagging fear that others are more talented or will be more successful. The Spalding MFA has a unique way of confronting this anxiety in Sena’s insistence that program students are not rivals. Instead, as Sena has said, “your competition is in the library.” Spalding alums in various genres will discuss the importance of an energizing and supportive community through graduation and beyond, and will share strategies for keeping comparisons with other writers in perspective.