Like the middle school girls I write, I am really into horoscopes. I love Susan Miller’s monthly forecasts on Astrology Zone. I read The Astro Twins on Elle.com for daily and weekly updates, and when that isn’t enough for me, I look at Frisky Scopes and Yahoo Shine.
I realize there are horoscope haters out there, and I get it. But even still, I want to know what’s written in the stars. I want to know the future. Don’t we all? At least a little? Especially when it comes to our careers as writers and our trajectory in publishing. With so many ups and downs, it helps sometimes to believe that it’s not completely in our control, and that even our greatest failures and our biggest mistakes happen for a reason — to teach us something, to push us further, to help us become better writers.
So, with The New School MFA program officially over and our diplomas in the mail (hopefully with squishy, faux-leather covers), I have been thinking a lot about the future and about fate — the opportunities we are given by chance and those we create for ourselves. When I think back on my own journey to this program and my experience over the past two years, there are so many things I would have done differently had I only known better — mistakes I could have avoided with a little more foresight. Mostly I feel lucky to have ended up in Writing for Children at The New School with such smart, talented, and motivated writers. I am hopeful for all of us, and I have no doubt we will continue to support each other. While I may not be an astrologer, I predict there is going to be an exciting journey up ahead and straight into the future.