Damn near the end 26Oct17

It is, and I am acutely aware of this. Every drive across the river, every comment made in class, the faces. Everything, reminds me my schooling is near the end.

I completed the comprehensive exam Saturday and submitted my final manuscript yesterday. Al that's left is its defense, and a final paper,

I shelved the idea of a doctorate, I cannot read one more critical article or tear one more writers work apart. My goal all along was to understand the literary concept in order to become a better writer, not critic.

freedom is on the horizon,but  I've done the sitting at home thing. it can be maddening. The desire to teach isn't really there either. 

As in the past, all that's clear is I must keep writing. So that's the plan. I have the tools now. Time to apply them. I have many previously written works I always thought solid, idea wise, but poorly executed skill,wise . I'll fix them, then shop them.

Updates 07Oct17

Received feedback on my manuscript finally.

It was good overall which is nice, but I knew that. What I was really waiting on was her pointing out the little things I'd missed.

 As a writer you wouldn't complete the work if you didn't think it good.  I knew the story was solid enough. My concern was missing the little something that could be really big.

Shout outs to my professor Dr. Johanna Leake. Others questioned my choice but I know her,  Dr. Kuchta and dr. Bryant, to have the eye. They never sugar coated their critique of my previous work and more importantly, every instance pointed out they were correct about.

So, I'm about twenty pages into the rewrite and up against it. About a month to get it straight, study and pass the comprehensive, write a final paper and defend my manuscript. 

All that and I'm still confident, still determined.