Creative

Fourth Time Lucky…

0 199

By Ian Peek

We’re often told perseverance and tenacity are necessary attributes for aspiring writers to cultivate. I couldn’t have wished for a better object lesson in this than with my own application to the MA Creative Writing!

I’d become more serious about my own writing in early summer, and was quietly confident of securing a place on the MA Creative Writing course. I received my rejection letter with due devastation.

Yet, upon contacting the course tutors I learned there were still a few weeks to apply and assembled an entirely new portfolio. This earned me a phone interview where I avoided my second rejection; persuading an initial “no” to turn “yes”.

…This transpired to only be a conditional offer! I spent the weekend fulfilling the condition, attended a Welcome event for the course, and spoke enthusiastically with tutors and students alike.

The following week I sat in my first lesson, accepted the day the course began. I’d learned one lesson along the way already.
– Perseverance pays!

Ian is an MA Creative Writing Student. He loves words and trying to arrange them into an agreeable order. You can follow him on Twitter @IanPeek_Write

About the author / 

aAh!

aAh! Magazine is Manchester Metropolitan University's arts and culture magazine.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • Society Spotlight: Fashion Society – the creatives redefining Manchester’s fashion scene

    Featured image: Molly Goble and Anna Comerford aAh! Magazine fashion editor Imogen Burgess meets the Manchester fashion creatives rewriting the rules of the industry. Fashion has long been defined by its connection to exclusivity and elitism – an industry where “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” rings true. This phrase, also a…

  • Opinion: “There’s no replacement for third spaces”

    Featured image: Ciara Reynolds and Charle Mooney Every Tuesday, 91-year-old Joan walks from her flat to Turncroft Lane in Stockport to set up for the weekly ballroom dancing. Joan, a dedicated member of Woodbank Community Centre, has been attending ballroom classes for more than 20 years – and she has no plans to slow down anytime…

  • 5 places to live in Greater Manchester after you graduate

    Featured image: Aigerim Zhumabay Life comes at you fast once you leave uni. One of the biggest decisions you’ll make post-degree is where to set up home. If you plan on staying in Manchester, there’s so much more to the city’s suburbs than Chorlton or the familiar sights around the Oxford Road/Wilmslow Road corridor. Greater…

  • Beginner’s Guide to Sam Fender: 6 songs to turn you into a true fan

    Featured image: Georgina Hurdsfield Sam Fender has become impossible to ignore in the past year, from being crowned the Mercury Prize winner to releasing his best-selling album, selling out stadiums, and receiving four Brit Award nominations. The Geordie’s indie-pop anthems and addictive, rock-influenced tunes provide something for the masses to sing their hearts out to. If…