Figuring out what to include in your MBA personal statement can be tough. But you can write an impressive MBA essay if you read successful goal statements that have followed the correct format.

In this article, Dorian Martins guides business school applicants on:

• how to write an MBA application essay,
• what to include in an MBA Personal Statement
• and what essay format to follow.

Each point features MBA essay examples that impressed the admissions committees of various business schools. 

Ready to learn how to write an MBA personal statement?

Read on.

This resource starts with a definition of an MBA personal statement.

An MBA personal statement is the gateway to your goal. In some schools, it is referred to as a goal statement or a statement of purpose. It is a document that convinces members of an admission committee of your suitability as a candidate in a Department of Business Administration and therefore able to pursue your MBA or Related MBA dual degree.

A poorly written MBA essay will only make the ad coms reject you. The first step in writing the personal statement for business school, would be discovering what to include in the personal statement and what the professors expect your MBA essay to say.

Here’s a tip from an expert:

Without further ado, let’s dive into the nitty gritty of writing a kickass personal statement for your MBA application.

Conduct A Research On the Business School and the MBA Program 

Why this program? What motivated you to apply to this business school?

To explain why you are a good fit, you need to do a great deal of research.

Every Business School is different in one way or another. They have unique missions, values, and goals. Understanding that will help you hit the sweet spot.

You need to reason the motivation behind your application. Self-reflection is one part of it. The other one is research.

Doing research is the foundation for good writing. It is the first step to take in learning how to write an MBA personal statement.

You need to find out what these schools seek in candidates. Also, get acquainted with the goals of their programs.

Typically, students apply to 2-3 schools the least. Cover every school and program you will apply for.

When you know their goals, you can detail how you can contribute. That’s what schools want. They want to see how you fit in the picture.

Get to know more about the school culture. It would help in your MBA personal statement. Use that information to show that you belong there.

Here’s an example of what good research can do. This essay is packed with Harvard-specific information.

Source

Conducting Research

But how do you approach the research? You’re probably wondering. Listed below are some research suggestions that will help you use the right MBA essay format:

• Reach out to department heads for insights
• Check out the school’s website
• Find about events conducted by Business Schools
• Look into previous or current students’ profiles
• Get in touch with current or previous MBA students
• Learn about special opportunities that a school offers (entrepreneurship training, startup funding, great summer job options, etc.)
• Head to the school’s online communities such as forums and social media groups

It can help if you outline specifics for each program. Create bullet points that you find useful. This can be your preparation for writing.

Look at the bigger picture rather than the numbers. Remember that you don’t need to reflect every virtue they want. This is just for inspiration.

The research can help you see yourself as an asset. It can bring you closer to the school you desire. Thus, you’ll feel more confident when you start writing.

Focus on Specific Question when writing your MBA Personal Statement. 

The most beautiful MBA personal statement can be worthless if it’s not specific. The admission committee needs an answer, not an autobiography.

Make sure that you address the question at hand in your MBA application essay.  Don’t waste space and time on non-related information.

The need to present yourself in the best light can do damage. It can get you to take the wrong path.

Sample A MBA Personal Statement

This Sample MBA Personal Statement by written Sandra Onah does a good job of this.

The information on in your statement of purpose must focus on the specific question you intend to answer.Yes, it ‘s important to write about your strengths and positive experiences. But even then, your essay must be focused on the theme and question you intend to explore. If an information isn’t related to the lead question you intend to answer, skip it.

Resist the urge to ramble. You have a limited word count. Use it wisely.

Sample B MBA Personal Statement

Take a look at another MBA Essay example. The student jumps straight to the point. That’s how it should be done.

Source

Writing an MBA personal statement can seem easy at the start, but the truth is, the introduction is where you hook the readers. The point where students tend to break away is the introduction. They have the need to set the tone. However, it’s better to start strong with a suitable topic.

You don’t need an elaborate introduction. Begin with specifics right away. The less irrelevant information you include, there’ll be more room for examples.

To ensure that you aren’t beating around the bush, ask yourself this:

Is this sentence relevant?

Repeat this question for every sentence you write. If the answer is no, delete it.

Pay attention to lengthy sentences. They often consist of excess words or information. You can use a proofreading and editing tool that will point them out.

Be Yourself in your MBA Personal Statement.

Show what makes you unique. Don’t just aim to tick all the boxes.

There will be hundreds of others who will try to fit in. They’ll list everything that the school wants.

But there’s nothing special there. Nothing that will make them stand out.

Don’t write what the committee wants to hear. That is a mistake. There’s no original value in trying to mimic them.

Schools want character. They want unique personalities that can add to the diversity.

Innovators and entrepreneurs are always considered to be different. People that can be noticed in the crowd are the leaders.

Give your MBA personal statement something special by showing who you are. Don’t be scared to open up and break the mold.

Your experiences and life path can ensure originality. Put the focus on that.

No one else has had the same life as you. There lies your advantage. Think about what makes you non-traditional.

Do you want an example? This is an sample MBA personal statement from a student applying to Stanford. The story he shared is memorable and different.

Source

You can also show your vulnerabilities or express your humor. Don’t hide your humanity.

Think about how your experience ties to the MBA program. What made you go in this direction?

Show who you are and you won’t risk blending in. You don’t need to be driven by world peace. The only thing you need is to be yourself.

Write about Your Passions in your MBA Statement of Purpose.

“You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out.”

― Steve Jobs.

Show the business school admissions committee that you can stick it out. Tell them how passionate you are.

Passion tends to ignite us. It can light that fire within you and fill you with inspiration. Use your passion to create a compelling MBA personal statement.

People without passions are usually people without enthusiasm. No Business School wants that. They aim to shape future leaders – and future leaders need to be driven.

If you opted for an MBA program, you probably have a business goal. What do you want to accomplish?

Do you see yourself as a startup owner? Do you want to run a sustainable business? Tell the admission committee where your interests lie.

Mrs. Amaka F. Onyeabor does this very well, Not only does she show that she’s a good business leader, she uses storytelling to demonstrate her passion for her field of study.

Here’s how she made the most of this MFA Essay format:

By applying to a business school, you are pursuing your dream. Which only shows that you are a person of action. You dare to take charge of your circumstances.

Writing about what excites you will make the essay more impressionable. Passion can give your MBA essay some power.

However, you need to find the right question that can handle this topic. For example, “Introduce yourself.”

Sample C MBA Personal Statement

Here’s a sample MBA personal statement and how you can introduce yourself through your passion:

Source

Learn from this example how to approach the topic. You want to go back to the roots. Explain what planted the seed that grew into this devotion.

The origin of passion is always thrilling to read about. It helps the readers understand your aspirations better. What’s more, it helps them see potential in you to write just the perfect MBA essay.

Tell Your Story, Not Your Resume.

Every piece of the admission puzzle has its role. What you wrote in the resume and cover letter is behind you. You can’t retell the same information over and over again.

Now, it is time to focus on your story.

Forget about methodology and chronology. It’s time to get personal.

The purpose of the essay is to get to know the candidates. Praising your GPA and listing your work experience won’t help. You need to make the essay captivating.

Take on the role of a storyteller and draw the readers in. This is your chance to let your personality shine through.

Use vivid language and descriptions. Illustrate situations and emotions that were present at the time. Bring your story to life.

Here’s another sample MBA personal statement that shows the impact of storytelling. This MBA letter of intent or application essay captures your attention with the very first sentence. It takes you on a journey.

To prepare yourself, read some books for inspiration. Observe how good storytellers do it. Read articles on how to write an MBA essay. You could even read previous samples of MBA personal statement to draw inspiration on how to write yours.

The success stories of entrepreneurs can stimulate your ideas. You can learn from their story and their writing style.

Here are a few more methods for telling a story effectively:

• Choose a central message or the moral of the story.
• Progress the story towards central moral.
• Build compelling plots on obstacles and conflict.
• Stick to the clear structure: introduction, action, climax, and resolution.
• Don’t’ complicate it. Eliminate unnecessary backstory.
• Use your own voice and writing style.

Your MBA Statement Of Purpose Must Reflect Your Leadership Qualities

Leaders build companies from the ground up. Leaders inspire people. They take proper actions in the present for a better future.

Business schools want leaders. Show them that you are one.

But stating “I am a leader” won’t do. Nor will the statement “I want to be a successful leader” help. Your MBA statement of purpose needs to show that you have what it takes.

Give insight into your motivations, capabilities, and strengths. Emphasize experiences that present you as a proactive person. When was the time when you took charge?

Don’t stress if you can’t spot such an experience right away. Think harder.

You don’t need to be the team captain to prove your leadership skills. They can be seen in many ordinary situations.

Let’s say that you organized painting the benches in your neighborhood.

You gathered people together and led them to a set goal. You made a change in your community. This portrays you as a leader.

Leadership can be found everywhere. Just closely look at what you’ve done. Where can your progressiveness be noticed?

Observe the following sample MBA personal statement. It’s a story of a boy, a dream, and an action. A simple story that demonstrates leadership.

Source

The whole essay doesn’t need to revolve around leadership. Slip in an example that hints at your proactive capabilities. You can do this in any type of essay question.

Your MBA Personal Statement Should Back Up Claims with Examples.

Are you ready to rock that university term? Prove it. Better yet, show that you are ready through examples.

There’s nothing like examples to illustrate the point. The claims can seem empty if you can’t prove them.

Back up your statements with real-life examples. Use plenty of them.

If you want a winning essay, you can’t go around specific anecdotes. Broad summaries can never make an impact like details do.

Your character, the best traits, and work ethic are best seen in different situations.

Do you know what’s best about examples? You can lift yourself up without bragging.

Don’t say that you are resourceful. Tell a story that proves it. Share how you started Business A or freelancing or volunteering. How did your experience sharpen yor business acumen?

Don’t list your best traits. Share stories that put them in focus.

Real-life examples are interesting and edifying. They won’t be interpreted as personal praise.

Pay attention to the sample MBA personal statement you are about to see. It shows how examples make the essay more vivid.

Source

Instead of listing what he/she learned, the student told a story. This made the essay more fun to read. Moreover, it still answered the question perfectly.

Stories and examples are more memorable. They stick into the readers’ minds. General statements don’t have that effect.

Whatever question you have, supply the answer with examples. There is always something in your life that you can use.

What’s more, examples show that you memorize your lessons. You take notice of what happens to you. Present yourself as the person who values what life teaches you.

Wrap Up On MBA Personal Statement Examples

You Got This!

Turn the MBA application essay into your golden ticket for the interview. This piece of writing will help the committee understand who you are. Therefore, approach it with care.

Take your time. Do your research. Reflect on your uniqueness.

Resist the temptation to be under a lot of pressure. Especially if you don’t know how or where to start.

The question that puzzles many is: How do you write an MBA personal statement that stands outs?

Now you have your answer.

“Let’s get it over it” attitude won’t get you far. You need patience. You need to take a deep look inside yourself.

For starters, let go of the pressure. Simply focus on the question. That’s the only thing you should think about right now.

Now, sit at your desk, turn on the computer, and get to work. Embrace your authenticity and remember: you are worthy.

I hope this article guide on how to write an MBA application essay was helpful. You might want to learn how to write an MFA Personal Statement too.

Dorian Martin is a writer, editor, and proofreader. He studied computer science and continued to develop his knowledge in the fields of academic writing and content writing. Currently, Dorian works as a senior writer at a thesis writing service GetGoodGrade and educational expert at digital marketing conferences. Along with all of that, Dorian runs his personal blog.

The post 10 MBA Personal Statement Examples: How To Write An Application Essay That Will Impress Ivy League Business School Admissions Committees. {Tips + Samples} appeared first on Creative Writing News.

Like in Most of Literatures of the Empires there is Racism in Joseph Conrad’s  Heart of Darkness

 The Saturday Nation in Nairobi has been intermittently publishing discourses about Joseph Conrad the author of Heart of Darkness. On 15^th January 2017, it published a page-long article about Chinua Achebe and Joseph Conrad, the article was written by Mr. Ilosa, the article pointed out that Chinua Achebe conned the world by misleading his readers to  believe that Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is all about European racism against Africa.

The writer, Mr. Ilosa was writing about Achebe’s paper under the title, An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, published in the literary Journal of Massachusetts Review in 1977.Unfortunately, this Ilosa only reacted against the title of Achebe’s paper without careful reading of the paper as well as the book Heart of Darkness which Achebe was writing about. The fact is that there is palpable racism in Conrad’s heart of Darkness. This is a fact which Dr. Suindu has pointed out even though Caroline Mwende in her recent rejoinder contradicts by saying that Conrad was a friend of black people only writing to show the colonial brutality that Europe visited on Africa. No, Mwende was not right.

A proper Analysis of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

First, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a collection of four short Stories-Outs Post of Progress, Karain, Youth and then Heart of Darkness. All these stories share common themes and style of language. The most common themes are-European imperialism, European chauvinism, white superiority, racism against non Europeans,poverty,savagery,forced labour,slavery poaching of wood and elephant tusks, steam-shipping, superiority of the English race, violence, brutality, river Congo, Indian ocean and so forth.

Out of all, Conrad was so much keen on using his characters like Kurtz and Marlow to communicate the idea of European Superiority over other races and superiority of English culture over other European cultures.

When you read an introduction to the Heart of Darkness by Cedric Watts, cases of racism in the book are clearly pointed out. Watts show that Conrad uses his characters to perpetrate English racial insolence on other Europeans as at the same he justifies colonial violence and rampage by the Europeans against other races. In fact Watts makes a remark about Conrad in the Introduction to the Heart of Darkness by saying that Rudyard Kipling justified colonialism in a polite way, but Conrad did it in a cruel way.

Understanding Conrad’s Writing

The reason why Conrad took this offensive and artistic position is attributed to three misfortunes in his childhood life-Russian brutality on Poland where Conrad was born, absence of formal learning given that Conrad taught himself English, living as well as working as a migrant labourer in London. These three demeaning social experiences shaped Conrad into intellectual sycophancy to English culture and capital by attacking other cultures that would compete with Britain in an imperial-cum-colonial scramble for world resources. This is so because Josef Conrad was born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski to polish parents in Poland. Russia annexed Poland, and then his family ran to Britain as refugees. He joined the British merchant marine and later was granted British nationality in 1886. Though he did not speak English fluently until his twenties, he was a master prose stylist who brought a non-English sensibility into English literature. The virtue which earned him recognition as a British writer.

It is not only Conrad that is unique to this social problem of being an intellectual migrant, literary history show that  there are also very many other writers that have been affected by migration into intellectual sycophancy to the host culture and capital. For example, Gunter Grass was born in Danzig-Poland and Frantz Kafka was born in Czech both succumbed to Teutonic intellectual culture, Just the same way V S Naipaul and Salman Rushdie both born in India are now recognized as British writers, or the way Olaudah Equaiano the author of Equaiano’s Travel was taken as a slave from Igbo in Nigeria but now included as a British writer in the Longman Anthology of British Literature.

Conrad’s Heart of Darkness as an Influence to Literary Personas such as Chinua Achebe

It is true Achebe accepted to be over-influenced intellectually by Conrad to an extent of adapting the title of his book Arrow of God by playing around with the title of Conrad’s book Arrow of Gold. Criticism against Achebe in this regard has it that as a professor of literature he was not to degenerate himself to this extent of compromising originality of thought and creativity. However, Achebe argued away this perceived failing in his paper about Conrad by arguing that  his focus was not about Conrad as a writer but about Conrad as a capon copy of European attitude towards other societies during the heydays of imperialism. Similar arguments are made by Achebe in his later works like Hopes and Impediments; The Education of a British Educated Child, Troubles with Nigeria, There was a Country and also in his collection of essays under the title Morning Yet of Creation Day.

However, it is not only Achebe that got over-influenced by Conrad but many other good writers in the likes of; F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, André Malraux, Eric Blair alias George Orwell, Graham Greene, Gabriel Garcia Márquez, John le Carré, V. S. Naipaul, Philip Roth and J. M. Coetzee. Evidently, the themes addressed by all these writers touch on racism, imperialism and brutality of man in power over a man in powerless station.

It is acceptable that, Achebe in his paper was able to show the actual pockets of racism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. This paper is free online and can be read against the text of Conrad as presented in the Out Post of Progress and also in the novella Under Western Eyes to establish Conrad’s proclivity towards worship of the British brutality over other societies. Thus Mr. Ilosa was technically wrong; I encourage him to read Achebe’s paper, Conrad’s short Stories and Novels again.

It is also important to note that it is not only Conrad that ridiculed humanity of black people. Most of the literatures of the empires denigrated black people. Some did it intentionally as a way of justifying colonialism, but others were doing so out of ignorance. Rudyard Kipling is known for his theory of black people as a Whiteman’s burden, V S Naipaul has been openly irritated by Africa and black men even though he comes from Trinidad a country which has black and Indian citizens. His books; In a Free State, Mimic Men and Islamic journey are a testimony of his dislike for black people. In Sir Vidia’s Shadow, a biographical novel about V S Naipaul  by Paul Theroux, it is narrated that when Wole Soyinka won Literature Nobel Prize in 1986 V S Naipaul condemned the Swedish Academy for pissing on literature. It is also narrated in the same book that Naipaul’s detest for black people made Dereck Walcott to react by scowling at him as ‘V S Nightfall’ given the evidence of darkness in Naipaul’s heart as evinced in his writtings that openly derogate black people. Conrad, Forster, Naipaul and Rushdie share same emotional weakness when it comes to use of a novel as a tool of good inter-racial relations. Their writtings did not recognize the natives of Africa. For example, there is short story written by Salman Rushdie in the Longman Anthology of British Literature under the title Zulu and Chekov. The story is plainly open that a black man is slow, not mentally gifted, a potential home-sexual, relying on the brawn, having no language but instead ever breaking English language.

Literature and Culture

Historically, Western or European intellectual heritage has to be forgiven for its failure to understand a Black man. It was Aristotle who said that slavery is the gift of Nature. Reading Alexander Pushkin’s biographies by Hughes Bareness and Henri Troyat confirms that the Grandfathers of Leo Tolstoy is the one who bought an Ethiopian slave from Turkey who was to become grandfather of Alexander Pushkin. And of course this is the key message in Pushkin’s Boris Godunov. Karl Marx looked at Africans as savages that benefitted from blessings of colonialism. In his Meinekempf Adolf Hitler declared Africans as sub-humans, Gunter Grass presented a witch as a black person in the Tin Drum.

Prophet Muhammed owned Bilal a black man as his slave, even though Bilal had converted to Islam. James Watson is on record for declaring an African as not intelligent. In the Memoirs an auto-biography of Barbara Bush, it is narrated that Barbara and George Bush once shared an apartment with a black man and his wife.  The black man and his wife were qualified oil mining engineers. They were that type of black people that are somehow brown in the skin. When Bush’s mother paid a visit, she wondered what was going on, she was told that the black neighbors are a couple and qualified engineers. Bush’s mother was not convinced. She only rationalized it away that let Bush and Barbara stay there for a while before moving, furthermore those two blacks are a little bit brown like Indians.

Edward Said in both the Orientalism as well as Culture and Imperialism argues that a novel is not a peasant affair, that it is a bourgeoisie creation. It is meant for preserving bourgeoisies culture as it perpetrates bourgeoisie culture over the subaltern cultures.  And of course it is true, going by a simple historical analogy, you find that the British society has produced more novels than any other society and it is the most imperial society given the number of domestic and overseas colonies it held. Charles Dickens as often given this British picture. In the Little Dorit, even also in the Great Expectations.

Because Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was written  under the influence of the broad culture of European imperialism, it befits a digression for this paper to make a pique at wiles of imperialism as crusaded through literature. This pique is hinged on the reality that knowledge of the novel as an imperial outfit can also give victims the idea of using the novel as a counter-imperialist outfit. This is the knowledge which inspired Nuala Ni Dhomnail to take a cultural front in attempt to save Irish Culture from claws and spurs of Cultural Darwinism. She writes poems in Irish, she helped to establish a publishing firm for Irish literature, she has talked of Irish Software and Irish Orthographies as the basic requirements for survival of Irish Literature. Reading her Pharaoh’s Daughter and also the Corpse Who Sat up and Talked back you get implication that literature has a community it serves and a community it betrays. All communities have moral duties to appreciate and uphold their literatures.

By; Alexander Opicho,

(From Lodwar, Kenya).

The post A Literary Analysis of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness And Its Influence On Chinua Achebe. appeared first on Creative Writing News.

The Commonwealth Foundation is the Commonwealth’s agency for civil society. They support people’s participation in democracy and development. In this article, Alexander Opicho, intends to suggest more the foundation can do, for the betterment of all.

The London based Commonwealth Foundation has enticing leadership programs. 

This year, the Foundation held a critical conversation on how the Commonwealth Foundation can empower youths in Commonwealth countries, so that these youths can:

• hold positions of political leadership,
• earn corporate headship
• and attain professional prosperity. 

The Commonwealth Foundation Conference 

The conference is set to take place through virtual platforms from during the first two weeks of December 2020 .These arrangements are usually done through the sub-departments like the Queen’s foundation on youths & leadership, and the Commonwealth Foundation Youth Council.

For this year, the foundation invites online participation from all the youths in the Commonwealth countries. 

Thus, the writer of this article is among the invited participants hence these arguments trumpeting for the long overdue Commonwealth political commitment to support youths in professional and corporate headship through enterprise formation and oversight.

What is Commonwealth Foundation?

Before I make my suggestions on what is to be done, let me first explain to my young readers what the Commonwealth is and what its social connotations and are:

The Commonwealth refers to all the countries that are former colonies of Britain. 

These countries use English as an official language. Kenya is one of them. Some other Countries are in Asia and in Caribbean Islands. The current demographic survey by the same Commonwealth Foundation has revealed that there are 2.4 billion people in the Commonwealth countries. 

The statistics also show that 70% of the Commonwealth population are the youths, substantially educated and unemployed.

Technically, this means that the Commonwealth has the best human resource potential for entrepreneurs, if not the reverse will be the best potential for massive poverty.

Coincidentally, the Commonwealth Foundation is carrying this critical conversations with its members when Britain is on the Brexit path, a moment which nudges conscious minds to be wary of quality of honesty that is guiding the entire process of institutionalizing the Commonwealth political relationships. 

This is a fact to guide all the peripheral players participating in the formation of the Commonwealth political and economic institutions.

A fact which gathers gravitas from Samir Amin’s postulations that ‘historical experience of slavery, colonialism and neocolonialism blended to form injurious affections on the texture of self-esteem among entrepreneurs and corporate headships in the Post colonies,’. The same experience informs present and future social decisions both for the former colonized and the former colonizer.

Suggestions for the Commonwealth Foundation

Having reckoned with that, it is also imperative to realize that if at all these critical conversations are genuine, honest and driven by a win-win spirit then some basic Commonwealth institutions like the English Monarchy have to be liberalized towards racial inclusivity and tolerance to human diversity.

This position is eked on the fact that the Monarchy of England is founded on the strong economic substructure which got its strength from material and labour resources looted from India and Africa during the colonial times. 

Thus, it is logical in the present times for the Commonwealth Institutions to move away from the outdated culture of preserving the Monarchy of England for the English royal blood. Economic history of the Commonwealth and the English Monarchy justifies an Indian as well as an African to serve as a King or Queen of England . All these have both implicit and explicit leadership and entrepreneurial implications on the youths and the institutions within the Commonwealth.

Commomwealth as a weapon for youth empowerment 

The above has been just the preamble, but coming to the gist of the matter ; – about what is to be done so that the Commonwealth Foundation can enable the youths in the Commonwealth countries to achieve progress and then developed status in business and leadership is a social process whose dynamics are contingent to the specific region in the Commonwealth. However, arguments by Bjorn Lomborg in the book, ‘How to Spend 50 Billion Dollars on Solving World Problems,’ are worth our while in this juncture. 

And it is evidently true, Youths of India and Africa can not prosper in business and professional adventures unless these two regions have control on the matters identified in this book.

The facts are that putting the Commonwealth youths in the better economic and social positions through educational and some entrepreneurial adventure can only be possible if the Commonwealth countries have internal capacity to manage climate change, capacity to control domestic health care , have capacity to manage spread of communicable diseases, have capacity to manage food and nutritional intake, have the capacity to provide good quality education to their youths, have capacity to provide good governance at corporate and political levels , have internal capacity to manage armed conflicts, have internal capacity to give clean water to the local populations , have internal capacity to manage stable financial systems geared towards local borrowers, have internal capacity to add value to what they produce to export, have capacity to manage local agricultural systems and also have the internal capacity to execute South-south dialogic communications among themselves on various economic and cultural subjects without suffering interruptive policing of the mind from the former colonial masters.

Further suggestions 

These are also the same issues raised by Ali A. Mazrui in his book ‘the African Conditions’. These ideas look so radical but they are the basic minimums upon which the Commonwealth countries can stand on to achieve their capacity to create wealth internally through net profits.

Western policy intervention has never been productive for Africa and other subaltern Commonwealth countries. Like the structural adjustment programs of the last century were nothing else other overt intellectual malice aimed at fatal poisoning of African enterprise. This is also the same case when it comes to social front.

In most cases, some Western policy makers give priority to cosmetic matters like gender and sexuality when discussing social challenges to development through businesses in Africa, but this has never been an issue.Africa’s philosophy about a family as an economic unit is clear that both monogamous and polygamous families can work well with the labour intensive production environment in Africa.

This is more logical compared to the Anglo-American pressure on Africa to discard polygamy and accept self – defeating family models like voluntary or non biologically founded but commercially instigated homosexuality.

Alexander Opicho

(From Lodwar, Kenya)

Mail-opichoalexander@gmail.com

The post “Commonwealth Foundation Should Focus on Putting the Youths in Professional and Enterprise Leadership Positions,” Says Alexander Opicho appeared first on Creative Writing News.

Serious poets want to be better writers of poetry. Also, they want to learn how to edit poetry.

Many poets understand that editing is as important as the actual writing. It’s your opportunity to examine and refine your work into a better and more developed piece worthy of awards. It makes sense to learn how to edit poetry. Who knows where your reputation as a poetry editor might take you?

Editing can seem daunting, and it’s also quite exciting. So take some time to experiment and find the techniques and processes that best work for you and your poetry.  Yes, you’ll have to learn to edit your poems first.

Here’s a guide on how to edit poetry. This guide includes poetry editing strategies guaranteed to help you become a great poetry editor. One strategy is to use poem editing tools like AI PoemGenerator to help you create and edit poems in a blink of an eye.

Take a Break From The Poem. 

Writing poetry can be difficult and consuming. After completing your poem, take a break from the creative process. Let your brain relax. Reapproach your poem with a fresh mind. You want to be able to read the line with fresh eyes.

This technique works when you’re editing your own poem and when you’re editing another writer’s poetry.

You’ll do a better job of assessing and editing the poem more objectively if you implement this technique.

Save the First Draft Of The Poem.

One of the reasons editing can feel intimidating is because of the idea that you’re “killing your darlings.”

Keep your unedited first draft, so the poetry editing process doesn’t feel like you’re cutting and discarding your own precious lines of poetry.

If your poem is typed, it can be helpful to print it out. Your unedited draft will remain on your computer, and editing is often easier when you physically highlight and make notes on the poem.

This way, instead of killing your darlings, you’re still letting them hang around, and the unused ones can be used in other poems.

In addition, your edits will be reversible, and you can compare your unedited and edited versions for even more improvements. All the best poetry editors use this strategy. It’s a good tactic for anyone who’s still learning how to edit poetry.

Read your Poem Like a Reader Would.

Read your poem in its entirety. Don’t make edits or think about adjustments. Let yourself enjoy the words and experience your poem like a reader would. After a complete read, note down your immediate thoughts and impressions. 

• Do any words or lines feel strange? 
• Which parts could use reinforcement? 
• Do some areas seem choppy or cramped? 

Think about the reader’s perspective. 

• Is the writing clear or confusing? 
• Is the theme or message of your poem coming across?

It can also be helpful to read your poem aloud so you can pick up on how it sounds. 

• How is the rhythm and flow? Is your writing eloquent enough?

Reading through your poem and breaking down what exactly needs to be fixed will result in more productive and efficient editing. Now you’re prepared to make your first level of edits.

Enhance the Style

After making the first round of adjustments, begin focusing on style edits. The style of a poem is all the choices that are made to create the poem’s meaning. Coleridge’s The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner is a good example of a well edited poem.

This can range from literary devices to punctuation to rhythm to mood. Examine your style elements and how they contribute to the poem; they should enhance your writing and complement the themes and meaning of your poem.

That being said, you should also make sure that your poem isn’t crowded with style elements. Poetry is a form that operates by the “less is more” policy, so sometimes it can be helpful to remove excess.

• Does your style complement your poem?
• What elements could be enhanced to contribute to a more developed piece?
• What elements could be taken out to clear unnecessary crowding and confusion?

Assess the Language Of The Poem.

Carefully study your word choice. Every word should be contributing to the theme, structure, and rhythm of your poem. Also examine your diction and what it is implying. 

• Does the diction match your theme and style? 
• Are there ways to maximize the effect?
• What is one way to revise for word choice?
• Is this poem good enough for oral reading?

This is a good time to take out your thesaurus and experiment with word choice. Also, poetry usually isn’t as word-heavy as other forms of writing. Keep that in mind while editing; it’s better to remove unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. Additionally, make sure you are beginning and ending with powerful lines for a stronger poem and greater impact.

Reorder and Restructure

Once you’ve done all your writing-based edits, give your poem another read. Assess the order and structure of your poem. Experiment with different stanza and line orders to find which sounds and flows the best. This will help you to learn how to edit poetry.

Poetry also involves an aesthetic element; try altering your lines to make your poem look better on the page. If your poem is typed up, a helpful tip is to change the font.

Your brain gets accustomed to observing the same text; changing the font will let you assess it with fresh eyes and assess the structure better. As a bonus, grammar and spelling errors are easier to detect with a font change.

• Can your stanzas be reordered to flow better and make a better poem?
• Could your lines be rearranged within the individual stanzas to emphasize meaning?
• Could your lines be shortened, lengthened, or combined to create a better structure?

Ask Others for Feedback

After you’ve made all your edits, it can be helpful to ask others for their suggestions. Share your poems with trusted friends, family, or other writers and ask them for feedback.

A good practice is to ask others what they think the poem is about. You may get some interesting poetry analyses that can indicate whether your poem is being understood the way you want it to or not.

Keep in mind that you get to decide what to do with the feedback you receive. If you found it insightful you could use it to do another level of edits. You could also choose not to act upon the feedback; it’s your poem, edit it as you see fit. 

You can also seek feedback on the behalf of the writer whose poem you’re editing. The feedback you’ll get will help you do a better job of editing the poem. With time, you’ll figure out everything you need to learn about how to edit poetry.

Rewrite Your Poetry.

Every poet has heard this saying, ‘the first draft is always trash.’

While editing a poem, be prepared to revise some lines. Writing experts advice poets to edit until your poem says what you want it to say. Writing experts advice poets to edit until your poem says what you want it to say before getting it published.

Edit the poem until it sings. If you’re still learning how to edit poetry, don’t be in a haste to rewrite ‘imperfect’ sentences. Be careful to avoid editing out the writer’s voice. Strike a balance between maintaining the writer’s voice and improving the lines of the poem.

Read The Poem Out Loud.

After a few rounds of revision, read the poem aloud. This will help you to spot errors you might have missed.

Read the poem to a small audience, and listen to their opinion. Good poems are often good for oral reading.

Also, ask yourself if you’re satisfied with the edited poem. If you aren’t, revise the part that require some improvement.

Congratulations on completing your poem, if you feel satisfied with the completed poem!

If you aren’t happy with the finished work, no worries! You can always return to the editing process and write as many drafts as you need.

Use A Grammar And Spell Checker Like Every Good Poem Editor.

Every poet who’s still figuring out how to write a poem must use a grammar checker or a spell checker. This will go a long way to help you to correct small grammatical and spelling errors.

Wrap Up On How To Edit Poetry.

Poetry editing isn’t a small feat. It requires a lot of writing and reading, as well as a ot of practicing. You have to learn to take a break from the poem with the aim of backing back to the poem with fresh eyes. Other strategies include:

• rewriting the poem
• Getting feedback from seasoned poetry critics or writers
• Restructure your poem
• Read the poem aloud to yourself and them to a small group of cohorts.
• Using a grammar checker
• Take a break from the poem.
• Using a thesaurus or a dictionary. 

It’s standard practice for every editor to use a dictionary or a thesaurus. This ensures that only the apt and concise words make it into the final draft.

While figuring out how to edit a poem, strive to choose the best words in the poem you’re editing. Many editor poets often wonder, “what is one way to revise for word choice?” My answer: revise awkward-sounding lines and use a thesaurus or a dictionary.

Did you ever have to actively learn how to revise a poem? What lessons have you learned from your experience? Please share your story in the comments section below. There are thousands of poets who want to learn how to edit a poem.

You can find more poetry writing tips in this article.

The post How To Edit Poetry: A Guide On How To Become One Of The Best Poem Editors In The World. appeared first on Creative Writing News.

Ben Peter,an internationally known business executive and leadership scholar, has just released two inspirational non-fiction titles. His new books are titled, Get Set, March and Clearing Your Mental Deck.

Both books are a must-read for everyone who wants to excel in business, and life as a whole. This prolific author, and business development expert outperformed himself. If you’ve read many of Ben Peter’s works, you’ll definitely agree.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading business strategists, Ben Peter has helped countless people to reignite their passion for life through:

• health products,
• live events,
• personal mentoring,
• and coaching.

He is a Professor of Management and also the Chairman and CEO of five privately held companies. Ben Peter has a Ph.D. and an MBA in Business Management, and over fifteen years’ experience in the financial services, motivational speaking and coaching, pharmaceutical, healthcare, education, and direct selling industries.

Ben’s personal life story has been a source of immense inspiration to so many people. He believes that working hard is not enough. You have got to work smart with a high dose of discipline and willingness to be intentional with every goal and vision of greatness you have. His books also carry that same philosophy.

Enough About The Author. Let’s Discuss Get Set March and Clearing Your Mental Deck.What Are They About?

Book Description Of Get Set, March By Ben Peter.

This book was written to help readers understand the importance of building a thought process, which is an essential foundation for successfully executing a winning strategy for your vision. Success in any feat is usually a thought away.

The quality of your thoughts ultimately becomes a guiding path for your actions and eventual outcome. It is vital you pause at the end of each chapter to reflect on the nuggets of truth learned while reading this book.

Get Set March will teach you how to:

• apply these principles practically to your organization or any organized system
• see how these principles will be instrumental to your progress,
• focus on the process of creating a vision of what you want,
• accomplish your vision.

The goal of this book is to help you simplify every crucial part of your project, from the conception phase to the execution phase. Too much complexity can also hamper the success of a good project plan.

The entire process of strategic implementation, from the conception stage to the project closure, is made up of critical stages that must be appropriately implemented with caution. Every step has its unique methods.

Get Set, March! is available on Amazon  and Okadabooks

A Synopsis Of Clearing Your Mental Deck

Many people are constantly on a quest to find the secret to achieving self-actualization, which is a term synonymous with success in life. The reality is that,success in life is firstly, a product of how you think and then secondly, of what you do.

Your thoughts determine your actions. We become what we think about. We manifest physically and constantly behold our minds.  

That is why this book, Clearing Your Mental Deck, has been put together to help you truly concentrate on arriving at the most important attributes that help every human attain their greatest desires. These attributes are considered by many people as the most important qualities that help us, not only to become successful, but also to attain self-actualization.

This book is currently available on Okadabooks

 Want to read more from Ben Peter. Here’s a list of books authored by Ben Peter:

• Build Up.
• The Money Cook Book.
• Principles of the Top.
• Money Code (co-authored with Charles E. Eromosele)

 If you have inquiries about the author or his works, send a DM to his publishers, Purple Shelves Publishing House. Their twitter handle is: @PurpleShelves.

I’m off to purchase my own copies of Get Set March and Clearing Your Mental Deck.

How about you? You can post your reviews of the books in the comments section. Or you can email them to CWN. We’ll be glad to publish them.

The post Everything You Need To Know About Ben Peter’s New Titles, Get Set, March And Clearing Your Mental Deck appeared first on Creative Writing News.

Society for Book and Magazine Editors of Nigeria (SBMEN) is proud to announce its Virtual Creative Writing Workshop for young female writers.  

The aim of the SBMEN Creative Writing Workshop For Women  is to:

• enhance the skills and talent of female writers;
• explore the literary works of inspiring female writers
• and provide a platform for female writers to creatively express themselves.

No enrollment fee or application fee is required is required.

Eligibility Guidelines and Target Audience for the SBMEN Creative Writing Workshop For Women

They are interested in enrolling 20 female writers who are willing to hone their craft.

You can apply:

• If you’re female.
• If you’re between the ages of 18 and 30 years,
• If you write fiction, non-fiction, and cover culture journalism and new media.
• If you’ll be available to participate in the literary workshop.
• There are no geographical restrictions.

Everything You Need To Know About The SBMEN Women’s Creative Writing Workshop.

The workshop will hold over four days from Monday 23 November to 26 November 2020.

It will consist of several sessions with the facilitators online. The workshop will be delivered through:

• discussions,
• writing exercises,
• and guided readings.

The last session will be the guest session with an accomplished writer or publisher from Africa.

Submission Guidelines for the SBMEN Writing Workshop 

To qualify to join the workshop:

• Submit an unpublished 1000-word flash fiction or nonfiction piece for consideration.
• Submission deadline is Saturday 7 November 2020.
• Successful applicants will be notified by Wednesday 11 November 2020

Submission Guidelines For The SBMEN Women’s Creative Writing Workshop:

• Please send the following materials in a MS WORD document to womenwriting@sbmen.org.ng.
•  Ensure that the subject head is: Workshop Writing Submission:
• Your writing sample should be an unpublished work in fiction and nonfiction, but not children’s fiction. 
• Include at the top of the Word document your name, contact address, email and phone number.
• Manuscript Formatting Guidelines: Times New Roman size 12 font, black, 2.0 spacing.
• Include a biography of not more than 100 words.
• Include a 200-word personal statement on why you want to participate in this workshop.

Facilitators for the SBMEN Women’s Creative Writing Workshop.

• Dzekashu Macviban, writer and publisher of the award-winning magazine, Bakwa and Bakwa Books from Cameroon.
• Zukiswa Wanner, award winning novelist, journalist and editor from South Africa
• Enajite Efemuaye, writer and managing editor of Farafina books from Lagos.

Awards for Writers Who Participate In This Creative Writing Workshop:

Participants will be awarded:

• a “Certificate of Attendance” after the writing workshop.
• Also, next year, they will receive a free published “SBMEN Writer’s Handbook” a culmination of the workshop courses that will contain lessons and exercises to help with their continuous education to improve their writing.

This workshop is supported by Ford Foundation.

To increase your chances of getting into this highly selective workshop,

• read some interesting short stories online. We reviewed some by Howard Maximus, Simbiat Haroun , Nneka Lesley Arimah , Helon Habila and Others.
• Learn how to write a short story that publishers can’t reject.
• Get inspired by the amazing stories in these recommended podcasts for storytellers.
• Write eloquently.
• Give it your best.

The post SBMEN’s 2020 Creative Writing Workshop For Women Is Supported By Ford Foundation / How To Apply appeared first on Creative Writing News.

Are you a writer who wants to upskill? Completing a course and getting a writing certification can bring you one step closer to landing the writing job of your dreams. 

Choosing the right writing course can be very daunting for both early career and established writers. In this article, Haley shares tips on how writers can upskill using edtech tools and platforms. She also shares the best ed tech tools for writers and writing certifications that can open up visitas of opportunities..

Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Upskilling And Getting  Writing Certifications

Technology plays a big role in how we interact with others and the society around us. As it continues to advance, it’s important that we use technology to our advantage, especially when it comes to upskilling . 

Educational technology, in particular, can make a tremendous difference when it comes to building better writing students and employees. This way of learning creative writing reframes how we approach career advancement and prepare ourselves for the future.

As a writer, you can use Edtech to your benefit by completing online writing certifications. With any position in the writing industry, part of our job is constantly learning. 

Not only will certifications develop your writing skills, but they can also distinguish you from other candidates when applying for positions. Down below we cover how Edtech can boost your career, and how writing certifications can be of benefit to you.

What is Edtech?

Edtech is software material designed to develop the skills of individuals in a particular field of interest. Most of us were introduced to Edtech in the classroom at a young age but may have never noticed it.

For instance, playing with computer games as a child is a perfect example of educational technology at play. Reading on your phone, tablet or PC? That’s edtech too.

A Writing Course Is Worth The Time and Effort: Here’s Why.

An Edtech-AcquireD Writing Certification Improves Your Resume:

Nowadays, most people use Edtech to build out their resumes and further deepen their knowledge of a subject matter. If you’re looking to acquire more writing certificates, then perhaps you need to sign up on some edtech platforms.

Writing Courses Provide Opportunities For You To Upskill.

With Edtech tools, writers can conveniently learn new skills and hone their craft. Take a writing course if you want to excel as a writer. 

Improves your chances of getting writing jobs and creative writing scholarships and grants.

A growing body of evidence suggests that human resource managers prefer to hire writers who have writing certifications. In fact, grad school admissions committee members are likely to admit students who have attended writing workshops and writing courses. So if you want the gatekeepers to take you seriously, complete some writing courses. Get some writing certifications.

How Edtech Can Advance Your Writing Career 

Provides A Great Opportunity To Beef Up Your Resume.

If you’ve been laid off due to the pandemic or are just an upcoming writer with little experience, you may be looking for ways to flesh out your resume.

Helps You Maximize Your Time As A Writer.

Now more than ever we are limited in the ways we can connect with others and learn new skills. As a result, more writers are using their free time to complete writing certifications. 

Gives You A Chance To Make A Good Impression On Employers.

These certifications work great for filling in the empty spaces in your resume. As mentioned, going the extra step with Edtech will distinguish you from other candidates when applying for jobs.

This happens because:

• employers will see that you are taking the extra time out of your busy schedule to advance your career as a writer.
• It’s a reflection of self-discipline.
• It shows dedication  to your writing craft.

The Best Writing Courses On Edtech Platforms.

There are many different options you can choose from when looking for writing classes or writing certifications.

Are you confused about where to begin? Don’t worry. We are here to help. You can start from any of the following are five paths.

Microlearning 

Microlearning is a great option for those with busy schedules ahead of them. This style of Edtech focuses on smaller sized lessons to learn different kinds of skills. The lessons you engage in are typically interactive and enjoyable.

Many microlearning platforms come in mobile applications, making the course easily accessible to you. This way, you can simply pick up another lesson when you find yourself waiting around or with nothing to do. 

For example, Duolingo is an application that uses microlearning to teach people different languages. This platform may be of interest to you if you are considering writing in a different language or to a different audience.

Massive Open Online Courses (Or MooCs)

Completing massive open online courses is one of the best ways to achieve a writing certification. These courses are designed by both universities and Fortune 500 corporations.

Some examples of companies that offer these kinds of courses include Google and Linkedin. They are also usually offered to the public for free, which is great if you are looking to stay under a budget. 

The University of Iowa’s International Writing Program has some free MOOCs you might want to explore.

While these courses are administered by external organizations, there is no added pressure to complete the course under a specific time frame. They are designed for you to work through them at your own pace and own schedule.

Also, there are hundreds of different course options to choose from. You can either further develop your skills in one area, or branch out into other aspects of writing.

Here are some massive open online course platforms for you to dig deeper in:

• Coursera 
• Udemy  
• Khan Academy  
• Canvas Network 

Multidirectional Training

Multidirectional training is a more popular route for once you are already working in the writing industry. When you join a company or team, the training you receive is often only pertinent to what you are responsible for in your position.

You may be excelling in your current field, but lacking in other areas of writing unknown to you. For instance, a play writer’s work may not provide training or knowledge on how to write blog posts. These are two completely different areas of writing.

With Edtech, individuals can bridge this gap between what they do know and what they want to know on their own time. This can help with moving up in the workplace, or also facilitate an easier transition between two different areas of writing. Some workplaces are also becoming more aware of the benefits of multidirectional training, and are beginning to offer it to employees.

Blended Learning

Blended learning is a combination of in-person learning with extra online supplementation. This is a great option for those who learn better in more than one learning environment.

Due to the recent pandemic, many schools have already started adopting blended learning into their framework. Classrooms were transitioned to operate primarily online, with the option of some being in person if needed.

This style of learning can be adopted in the workplace as well. You may be able to write for your company from home, but need to go into the office every once in a while for meetings and training.

Companies are also becoming much more favorable to this because it saves them a lot of money.

Having an office space can get quite expensive, so having your team operate remotely can save a lot of rent costs.

Career Development

When it comes to using Edtech to advance your writing career, you are the one in control of your learning. You can take these courses at your own pace and from the comfort of your own home.

In the workplace or the classroom, everything is structured with a designated deadline. Learning is less personalized and more structured to the group as a whole.

Learning with Edtech can also help prioritize your goals more efficiently. What’s great about this form of learning is that you can pick skills that you want to work on and develop yourself.

This can help you and your writing stand out from the rest of your colleagues. 

Expand Your Horizons

You can use online writing certifications to expand your knowledge into different industries as well. For example, writing poetry is very different from writing short stories.

There are different techniques and styles associated with both types of writing. Take some time to think about different genres of writing you have been interested in over the years.

It’s never too late to learn something new. You may even be surprised that it can help you with your writing as a whole. 

Some writers also use Edtech to help them become much more knowledgeable on topics they write about. Writing can be extremely difficult if you aren’t too familiar with the topic at hand.

It may even decrease your credibility with your audience when they are reading your piece. If you are writing about how people make decisions, consider picking up an online writing course dealing with psychology or human behavior.

This will help flesh out your writing at a much faster pace than if you weren’t to take the course.

You may even find yourself interested in applying for a specific brand that is very focused on one area. Take the fashion industry for instance.

You can be an amazing writer, but not know very much about clothes or upcoming fashion trends. This will most likely make you appear as not the best candidate for this particular position.

Before applying or going into the interview, take a free online course on fashion. This way, you have material you can pull out in front of your potential employer to show your background in the industry. 

How is Edtech Growing?

Edtech is continuously growing and developing at a rapid pace. The way we approach learning and career advancement also change as a result.

The Edtech industry is increasing in revenue as more organizations adopt it into their teaching techniques. Likewise, higher amounts of people are predicted to be using Edtech in the coming years. As the industry increases in popularity, many people won’t want to be left behind.

The rise in educational technology has led to the adoption of gamification techniques when learning. Gamification style courses are structured with rewards as you progress throughout the writing course.

This can keep you motivated at times where you don’t want to continue. In some instances, hitting specific benchmarks has been known to lead to higher productivity rates when learning.

Distanced learning has also become the new norm for many of us in school and at work. This abrupt need for change has caused the world to learn how to adapt very quickly.

As a result, more technology has been developed to fit the needs of our new way of learning. While distanced learning may be a battle for some, it can be very beneficial to other students.

Not everyone is fully capable of coming into the classroom or workplace for their own personal reasons. Distanced learning and Edtech have shown us that education can be available from anywhere and anytime. 

5 Best Edtech Platforms Every Writer Should Take Seriously.

It can be of your benefit to keep up with how the Edtech industry is growing. This can help you find more opportunities to benefit you in your writing.

The following are a few Edtech blogs you can subscribe to if of any interest to you:

• Edtech Center
• Skillshare
• Edtech Digest
• NovoEd
• eLearning Industry    

Wrap Up On Upskilling and Getting Writing Certifications With Edtech Tools.

Educational technology is reframing the way we look at learning. More opportunities are right at our fingertips to help us advance throughout our careers. As a writer, you can benefit extremely from completing online writing certifications. 

• This can work to flesh out your resume,
• develop your writing skills,
• and give you an extra edge against the competition.
• it can also help you in writing about certain topics you may know very little about.

Employers have wholeheartedly adopted technology in their teaching efforts because :

• it’s much more cost-effective and efficient.
• Employees can facilitate learning at their own pace and schedule. 

People are busy and often struggle with fitting more into their schedules. This is why many employers are transitioning their in-person orientation meetings into online module courses. 

The post Upskilling With Edtech Tools: All You Need To Know About  Writing Certifications appeared first on Creative Writing News.

From a notable flash fiction writer, Nancy Stohlman, comes a book on the craft of flash fiction, Going Short: An Invitation to Flash Fiction. The book, which drops October 15, 2020, is a magical thing, packed with smart tips on doing flash fiction well.

So, What’s Going Short About:

From the press release: “Flash fiction is changing the way we tell stories. Carving away the excess, eliminating all but the most essential, flash fiction is putting the story through a literary dehydrator, leaving the meat without the fat. And it only looks easy.”

What would you like to know about flash fiction writing? Nancy Stohlman in Going Short answers some of the very basic but important questions on flash fiction writing. 

Starting with an introduction to what flash fiction is, she takes us through the process of writing flash fiction (confronting a blank page and crafting wonder from the void), as well as the process of sculpting flash fiction, and in the middle of it all, she writes about flash fiction books. 

In a chapter titled “The Story Is Dead! Long Live the Story!”, Nancy writes about the Flash Revolution, drawing examples of revolutions in music and art generally – from France’s rejection of impressionists exhibition in the country in 1873, to the public’s reception of Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” when it was first performed. 

To wrap things up, Nancy drops hundred flash fiction prompts.

In Going Short, Nancy shows and not just tells: each chapter is a practice, a flash piece.

What You Should Know About the Author:

Nancy Stohlman has been a writer, editor, publisher, and professor for more than a decade. She’s published multiple books of flash fiction and flash novels including  The Vixen Scream and Other Bible Stories and  Madam  Velvet’s  Cabaret  of  Oddities, a finalist for a 2019 Colorado Book Award. Her work has been anthologized widely, appearing in the W.W. Norton New Micro: Exceptionally Short Fiction, Macmillan’s T he  Practice  of  Fiction, and  The  Best Small Fictions 2019, as well as adapted for the stage. She teaches at the University of Colorado Boulder. 

To inquire about booking Ms. Stohlman for a speaking engagement, please contact her directly: nancystohlman.com, Facebook.com/nancy.stohlman, Twitter: @nancystohlman.

You can preorder the book here.

Also, check out this book.

The post New Awesome Book Alert: Going Short, An Invitation to Flash Fiction by Nancy Stohlman appeared first on Creative Writing News.

Have you been struggling to write your personal statement or SOP? Reading some good statement of purpose examples and MFA personal statement samples can make your application season easier and less stressful. Also, it helps to read practical advice by professors who have sat on MFA in Creative Writing Admissions Committees, particularly professors who know what makes a good MFA personal statement.

This article will take you through the process of writing an SOP. Attached, herein, are 10 statement of purpose examples (or 10 MFA Personal Statement examples, if you like), contributed by writers who gained admission into fully-funded MFA in Creative Writing programs. We’ve also shared tips from creative writing professors on how to write a personal statement. 

The purpose of this article is to help you write a personal statement that will wow the admission committee members in the English, Literature and Creative Writing programs you’re applying to. 

What is a Statement of Purpose or a Personal Statement?

A statement of purpose, in the context of applying to a graduate writing program, tells an admission committee about who you are, what your work focuses on, why you are applying to their program, and what you will do in the future.

Writing a statement of purpose is akin to attending an audition or an interview or a workshop. You need to stamp your suitability and prospects as best as you can.

Owing to this, a statement of purpose or personal statement should do more than what it is called. It has to show your purpose.

Before you start the process of writing your graduate school essay, take note of the following:

Focus on your Interest.

Know what you are interested in as a creative person, or what your work focuses on. For example, if you are interested in Memoir writing, Travel writing, or Speculative Fiction, or Historical fiction or Ancient Greek poetry, you should be able to write a few words regarding your approach to that area. 

Many writers cannot really point a finger to what they are interested in because of their fecundity. And that’s okay.

In fact, writing tutor, Daniel Galef, with his untrammeled imagination wrote in his SOP:

“It’s difficult to describe what kind of fiction I write, because I’m not sure there is a kind of fiction I write. No two stories I’ve written have been alike. One of them is alike, but none of the others are.”

Research the Programs you are Applying to.

Read widely about the programs you are applying to and note your findings systematically. There is no escaping from this exercise because you need to know about the schools of your interest. In turn, that knowledge needs to reflect on the pages of your SOP.   

This will tell the admission committee that you care about their creative writing program and that your SOP is not generic.

For instance,

• Who is on the faculty of XYZ arts program?
• What are their specializations?
• Have the faculty members published any books or stories or poetry collections?
• If yes, what works have they published?
• What fascinates you about their English and creative writing program?
• What are their acceptance rates of this MFA or PhD in Creative Writing Program?
• How does their funding work? Does the MFA or PhD program provide full-funding for students who want to study creative writing? 
• How many years will it take to complete the MFA program? Do they allow students to run an MFA and PhD joint program?
• What is the workload like?
• Where are they located?
• What are your general thoughts of their Creative Writing program?

Knowing these will help you decide whether a grad school program is best for you.

This article has been broken into four parts with headings of no consequence.

(Note: The headings mean nothing. They are just to stimulate understanding. You should not break your SOP into headings. Very few, if any, creative writing programs will be impressed with a segmented statement of purpose or personal statement.)

We’ll Call The First Part ‘The Open Window’

The initial part of your SOP should make a commanding entry with the essence of your being. It should offer little windows into you, and reveal profoundly what you are about as a person, and as a creative, taking into consideration where you are from.

This is that place you afford the admission committee a brief uncensored moment about your ‘who’. It should be so transparent that they can look through it and see your world.

One of the most transparent “window” statements I think I have heard about oneself is from Shane Patton in the movie ‘Lone Survivor’. At the tail end of his speech, Shane, while trying to join a band of war brothers, says with gusto,

”

Pardon the asterisks. Your SOP does not have to be Shane-Pattonesque. However, it has to have some art-mosphere. It must be written in a style and voice that are unique to you. However, your SOP should employ the ‘story approach’.

Important Questions These Statement Of Purpose Samples Address.

This guide will help you to address the following questions in your personal statement or letter of intent:

• What kind of a storyteller or poet are you?
• Where are you coming from?
• How has your socialization/environment/formative years/job experience informed the way you view the world?
• What are your motivations?
• Also, what feeds your imaginations?
• More importantly, what inspired you to start writing in the first place?
• What has sustained it? 

Here, Okwudili Nebolisa gives us a perfect window statement in this sample statement of purpose. Here’s how he opens his grad school essay:

It’s one of the most insightful MFA personal statement examples I’ve read in a while.

From the foregoing, Okwudili created a short background of himself and gave an idea why he had first chosen a path outside the art. It’s one detail many Creative Writing admission committees would be interested in.

He went further (though, not included in this article) to tell the committee how he found his way into the arms of poetry.

Here is another statement of purpose example that has a compelling window ‘personal’ statement:

Simply put, this MFA applicant talks about her approach to writing fiction, speaks of how it has become a tool in her hand against societal norms, mentions her writing influences, and states what draws her to them.

Note: You should be able to say who and what influences you, and clearly express the ways in which they do.

This sample statement of purpose opens with a vivid and memorable story.

Here’s another opening statement from another MFA personal statement example or letter of intent. It also exemplifies the important point I was trying to make. It says:

We’ll call the second part ‘the Briefcase’

Here, you supply the gist of your educational experience. You may add your professional interest and inform the admission committee about relevant activities you have been engaged with recently.

Assuming you work as a content writer/creator, how has it helped your craft? The same thing applies if you work in any other endeavor outside the literary sphere.

For example, an applicant says in this MFA in creative writing personal statement sample:

Note: Non-writing related jobs and experiences are important. Think about the many ways they can give you insight about your craft. They are worth the mention in the sense that they set you apart because of the experience you must have had, and add to what your craft can gain.

Here’s how a teacher explained her experience in her MFA statement of purpose example. It can also work in a teaching statement:

Going further, you may emphasize on your literary achievement and recognition here. Here’s another good example of a statement of purpose. Here’s how this MFAyer stated his/her literary achievement:

Note: you may say one or two things about your publishing history.

Let’s call the third part “the Knock”

You must exemplify clear-headedness here in talking about why you are seeking this degree now.

In one of the grad school statement of purpose examples we received , one MFA in Creative Writing applicant wrote:  

.

Another sample statement of purpose for an MFA in Creative Writing Application put it this way:

Write About Your Dreams, Hope and Intentions

Next is to inform the graduate committee on why you are knocking on their doors.

Are there members of the faculty you want to work with? If yes, state why. Is it something about their academic tradition or vision? Does the school’s location appeal to you? Or is it about their commitment to diversity?

You should end this part of the statement of purpose with an idea of the project you hope to write during your time on the program. This will inform the professors that you already have an idea of what kind of book your thesis will be.

It shows seriousness. Also it shows that you’re more likely to begin once you arrive. We have more statement of purpose examples to illustrate how this can be done in your MFA portfolio.

Note: Your intended project should contain the promise of presenting something fundamentally new and important to the literary world.

For example, in her statement of purpose, this MFA in Creative Writing applicant wrote:

Here’s an excerpt from another sample statement of purpose for a graduate school (MFA) application:

We’ll Call The Last Part The Telescope

Here you have to be futuristic. Talk about the big picture. What do you intend to do with the knowledge and network you would have acquired in the MFA program? 

Do you want to go on to teach creative writing professionally, (If yes, where do you have eyes one?) Do you want to start a publishing outfit or a literary magazine?

What other career plans do you have? Do you want to go back to your job? (If yes, how would the degree help in making you better at your job?)

Note: Ensure you close your grad school statement of purpose on a hopeful note. Show preparedness to start. Exude confidence. Express anticipation on getting in. 

Hopefully, these statement of purpose examples have given you a clear idea of what a successful personal statement looks like.

But that’s not all. Some MFA Admission Committee members have shared a couple of tips on Twitter. So we’ll share more of them alongside tips sent in by some generous past and current MFA students..

Tips For Writing A Good Statement of Purpose or Letter Of Intent .

If you’re applying to graduate creative writing programs, pay attention to your writing samples first. More on this later in this article. Be sure to craft your SOP with the following tips in mind.

There Are No Hard and Fast Rules To Writing An SOP.

There is no hard and fast rule in writing an SOP. Just ensure that yours is well-knit, with flowing ideas and a fantastic rhythm. Keep it organized and clear. Stick to the manuscript formatting guidelines. As with everything else, make your submissions error free.

Here’s what MFA Admission committee member has to say:

Now, on to our next point.

Ensure That Your Writing Samples and SOPs Are Creative, Well-written and Workshopped.

Your writing sample largely pre-determines the success of your SOP. The admission committee may not open your SOP if your samples aren’t any good.

So, ensure your writing samples matter and are on the verge of saying new things. The renowned writer and professor Alexander Chee had the following to say about writing samples:

If you’re eligible, you may apply to get feedback from volunteer MFAyers at the MFA App Review.

And if you’re lucky, the MFA App Review might match you with a reviewer who will send you more unique statement of purpose examples.

More from Elizabeth McCracken who, if you don’t already know, has been a longstanding member of the admission committee at the University of Texas’ MFA in Creative Writing program.

Be Original.

Resist the temptation to copy other writers’ personal statements or statement of purpose examples and samples you might find online.

Trust your story, your style and voice. The adcoms can tell when everyone sounds the same. And they don’t like it. Here’s a quote from Elizabeth McCracken’s Twitter page:

Consider Starting With a Story 

“While your personal statement can’t be wildly creative, it is important to show your storytelling skills if you want to get into a creative writing program,” advises Elyse Hauser.

“One way to do this is to open with a story, giving you a chance to “show, not tell” your writing abilities. This also helps your personal statement stand out from the rest. [Also] admissions staff are likely to keep reading a statement of purpose that has a unique and exciting beginning.” 

Don’t Be Afraid To Assert Yourself. In Your Statement Of Purpose.

MFA programs are avant-garde compared with other university grad school and undergrad programs so feel free to assert yourself even if you feel you are without the “right” credential and publishing history.

Another tip from Matt Bell Of making your statement of purpose stellar.

What you think serve as your ‘shortcomings’ can work for you if you stir them properly. It matters so much that you have the right motive and that you show promise. Do not play small. Play confident. 

More from Matt Bell.

Employ A Memorable Tone.

“The standard Personal Essay Voice, like the droning and soporific Poetry Reading Voice, is forgettable and undermines its own content,” says Daniel Galef. “Trying for a different tone is a gamble—nothing is so unfunny as someone trying to be funny and failing—but if you can pull it off it makes you stand out.”

Comply With The Creative Writing Program’s Submission Guidelines.

Check for specific information required by the English and creative writing program you are applying to and ensure you stay within the shores of their requirement.

Get Feedback From Current and Past Students.

It is important to get feedback from people who may be on writing programs or who have extensive knowledge of graduate school application processes.

A couple of MFA groups on Facebook offer beneficial company. For example, join the MFA Draft ’25 if you intend to apply this Fall. This Facebook group offers support and advice to anyone applying to get into a writing program next year.

Wrap Up On Statement of Purpose Examples, Samples and Tips:

At this point, you’re no longer asking questions like: what is a statement of purpose? How can I write a good MFA or PhD statement of purpose that will earn me a spot in that fully-funded Creative Writing program.

The aforementioned grad school statement of purpose examples will guide you in your journey. As one of the professors advised, take a deep breath. 

The next step is to start writing that personal statement or letter of intent, because quite frankly, it won’t write itself. You can always edit your SOP. 

Please edit it. Remember, the admission committee members are also accomplished writers and writing teachers. They’re primed for spotting and frowning at grammatical errors.

While writing and editing your personal statement, take note of the admission committee’s advice above. What are they often looking for in a good statement of purpose for graduate school? If in doubt, you can always return to the great statement of purpose examples we’ve published above.

More Ressources For MFA in Creative Writing Applicants.

Wondering if you need an MFA in Creative Writing to be a writer? Then you should definitely read our take on the topic. Also, you can simply click to find the ultimate guide to understnding creative writing scholarships .

Still feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry. Here’s a compiled a list of essential resources tailored to MFA in creative writing applicants like you. You’ll definitely find all you need to craft an outstanding application for the upcoming admission cycle.

If you’ve written a successful statement of purpose for a creatIve writing program in the past, please leave a comment below. MFA applicats are always open to adding more tips to their toolkits.

Authors’ Bios: 

Tega Oghenechovwen has published work in  Longreads, The Rumpus,  Black Sun Lit, Litro UK, and other venues. He tweets @tega­_chovwen.

Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam is a lecturer in Cornell University’s MFA in Creative Writing Program. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Mukana Press Anthology of African Writing, MTLS, Fiction 365, Asterix Journal and elsewhere. She tweets at @chiomaiwunze_

Interested in writing for Creative Writing News? See our Write for Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

The post 10 Statement Of Purpose Examples: How To Wow The Admission Committees Of Fully-Funded MFA Programs With Your Personal Statement (Guide + Samples +Tips) appeared first on Creative Writing News.

Book Title: Mmirinzo

Author: Achalugo Chioma Ezekobe

Length: 283

Genre: African Speculative Fiction

Publisher/ Year: Winepress/ 2020

Source: Got a copy from a friend

Reviewed by: Ernest O. Ògúnyẹmí

Mmirinzo by Achalugo begins simply. Olivia will be twenty-eight in a few months. She has bucket lists to tick before her twenty-eight birthday, and her younger sister, Nwanneka’s wedding, is just around the corner.

Things are going well until she starts dropping unconscious anytime she sees moving water, and her very fantastical dreams keep getting intense. The fainting and the dreams become so serious that she realizes she needs answers.

That sets us up for an interesting novel, one that would be difficult to put down. And, yes, Achalugo does not disappoint. Her writing is fast-paced enough. 

However, the strength of this novel lies in how it juxtaposes – like a juggler juggling two oranges, to borrow an analogy from Robert Louis Stevenson – the plain ordinary and the intense magical, without focusing on one at the detriment of the other. Or we might say: To the writer, Mmirinzo isn’t a work of speculative fiction; it is a work of realism. This is because, while this might read to a foreigner (by this I mean, a person not familiar with Igbo metaphysics) as speculative fiction, to a person who is familiar with Igbo worldview and spirituality, this is a realistic work.

Olivia, like the reader, wants answers and she seeks it. Thankfully, she finds answers. However, while finding answers, her relationship with Sir Leo, a colleague, begins to blossom. (Again, the power of Achalugo to balance the ordinary and the magical.) In Olivia’s quest for answers, she has to go back to the village where she must perform some rites and be initiated.

Here is where I must give Achalugo her due as a brilliant, brilliant writer. She unveils the rites of the initiation and the whole process, showing the reader everything it entails in clear prose, so that the reader, like Olivia (who is almost like the reader in every sense), might make their decision about what is being done.

How do I mean?

Turn on your TV and tune in to African Magic Igbo. Almost all the movies you’ll be shown portrays Igbo Spirituality as demonic and show the priests as bloodthirsty and human-flesh-hungry people. However, Achalugo shows us that this is very untrue. That Igbo priests and those who accept the calling of Chukwu, which she writes that each individual chose in the premortal world, are not in anyway bloodthirsty or human-flesh-hungry. 

As Onyeka Nwelue wrote in his blurb, reading Achalugo is like “listening to an old woman tell stories.”

“You are not being forced against your will…, yours is a predestined choice, it is what you chose when you stood between the place Chukwu carves us and the wall to the birth canal of your mother.”

“Yes. Just before we are born, we say what we are going to earth to be or do.”

In Mmirinzo by Achalugo, we meet a whole cast of characters who have accepted their callings and are doing what they promised to do in the premortal world, as well as living their normal, every day life.

There is Amaoge, a young, energetic woman who works in Lagos and follows Odinani; Eloka, a priest who lives with his family and works in Abuja; Aunty Afulenu, Olivia’s guide, who is a teacher and an Mmirinzo; and Nosakhare, who runs a corporate business of rain holders and makers. Will Olivia join the list?

By showing these characters who have their normal lives and who still perform their callings, Achalugo adds another one to the two balls she was juggling: defence. She deftly makes a defence for the Igbo (can I say African?) Spirituality, without pushing it. This, in fact, is where her power lies, and, yes, this makes her a writer to watch carefully. She possesses wisdom. As Onyeka Nwelue wrote in his blurb, reading Achalugo is like “listening to an old woman tell stories.”

“Everything you need is primarily in you, for the rest, you can move around with what you need. I set up a place for my Chi where I stay the most, and even at that, I believe I can commune with my Creator, ancestral and guiding spirits, anywhere and anytime.”

Olivia struggled with comprehension.

“Where is God?” Eloka asked.

“Everywhere,” Olivia answered.

“It is there you have your answers.”

She nodded and asked again, “Why did this mmirinzo thing, come to only me? Will it come to my siblings later?”

“I strongly doubt.”

“But we are siblings.”

“That is not enough, ofu nne na amu, ofu chi adighi eke. You can find siblings from the same mother and father and far in behaviour or destinies from one another.”

There is wisdom in Mmirinzo by Achalugo

One thing I also really liked about this book is how Achalugo portrayed Leonard. We meet a guy who doesn’t take the consent of a drunk lady to be consent, because she is drunk. That was a brilliant portrayal, I must say, for, in a way, it is opening up room for conversation about consent.

This novel made me think of Chigozie Obioma‘s most recent novel, An Orchestra of Minorities.

While there are some minor punctuation errors, Mmirinzo is an important contribution to the African speculative fiction canon, especially those that engage with the Igbo worldview. This novel made me think of Chigozie Obioma‘s most recent novel, An Orchestra of Minorities. While Mmirinzo does not have the range of Chigozie Obioma’s book, it comes close in its case for the relevance of the Igbo worldview. 

Mmirinzo by Achalugo is an important debut.

The post Juggling Three Balls: A Review of Mmirinzo by Achalugo appeared first on Creative Writing News.