{"id":3507,"date":"2023-08-23T15:25:27","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T15:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/?p=3507"},"modified":"2023-08-23T15:27:43","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T15:27:43","slug":"creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/","title":{"rendered":"Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n
\"Daven<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Daven McQueen, current MFA candidate in Emerson’s Creative Writing program<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

If you\u2019re looking into Creative Writing MFAs, you\u2019re probably researching the thesis requirements of different programs. Today we\u2019re interviewing Daven McQueen, a current student in Emerson\u2019s Creative Writing MFA<\/strong><\/a> program, about their experience with the creative writing thesis. We\u2019ll get a glimpse of the typical thesis timeline, what Daven\u2019s thesis is about, and how completing a thesis will give them a leg up following graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What led you to Emerson\u2019s Creative Writing MFA?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI studied creative writing and economics in undergrad at Brown,\u201d Daven says. After graduating, they started looking for Creative Writing MFAs. \u201cI knew Emerson had a really good writing program, plus I liked that their MFA had a focus on how the publishing industry works.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another reason they decided to come to Emerson was location. Already living in Boston, Daven knew Emerson was within commuting distance from them. This meant they wouldn\u2019t have to relocate for graduate school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the creative writing thesis process like at Emerson?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All students in the Creative Writing MFA complete a thesis, which is a near publishable manuscript students write in the program. A student\u2019s thesis can be a poetry collection, short story collection, novel, or work of creative nonfiction.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the spring of their second year, students receive an email listing all the faculty available to supervise a thesis. Students fill out a form indicating which faculty members they would most like to work with. Alternatively, students may directly email faculty who they\u2019ve worked with in the past, asking the faculty member to serve as their thesis advisor. Daven\u2019s thesis advisor is Jabari Asim<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> former director of the MFA program.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once students establish their thesis advisor, they begin writing their thesis. Students may begin drafting their thesis in the fall of their third year in the program. During this semester, they are still in workshops and classes. The majority of the thesis is completed in the spring of their third year, during which students typically don\u2019t take any workshops or classes and devote their focus solely to thesis work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students meet periodically with their thesis advisor to discuss progress on their manuscript and workshop their writing. By the end of their third year, students graduate with a polished, well-edited manuscript that is nearly ready for publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your creative writing thesis?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m in the fiction track, so I could either write a novel or a collection of short stories for my thesis,\u201d Daven explains. \u201cI\u2019m writing a novel that\u2019s part climate fiction, part speculative fiction.\u201d Daven\u2019s novel centers around a sea monster, boat driver, and marine biologist. They add, \u201cIt has a lot to do with marine life, which has been a big part of my life growing up in Los Angeles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is the inspiration behind your novel?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought of the title before anything else, which is usually how I work.\u201d Daven recalls watching the X Files <\/em>during the height of the pandemic and getting the inspiration for their novel’s title. In an episode of the show, a character explains that on old maps, travelers would write \u201chere be monsters\u201d to mark dangerous parts of the sea. \u201cI looked it up, and that\u2019s not actually true; they just made it up for the show. But I loved the phrase, so Here Be Monsters <\/em>became the title of my thesis,\u201d Daven explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once they knew the book\u2019s title, Daven started brainstorming the plot and eventually decided to focus the novel on a sea monster. \u201cI\u2019ve always been interested in monster stories in general and interpreting monsters beyond something evil, so that\u2019s what I wanted to explore in this novel.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Blue<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo by Annie Spratt<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The novel\u2019s marine biologist character is also heavily influenced by Daven\u2019s childhood in California. \u201cGrowing up by the ocean, I\u2019ve always been interested in deep sea animals,\u201d they add. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"Glasses,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo by Annie Spratt<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

What have been the best and worst parts of writing your thesis?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe best part was finishing the first few chapters of my novel last semester,\u201d Daven says. They took a novel writing workshop in the spring, which helped them start the manuscript. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, Daven says the most difficult part of the thesis process has been finding a routine. \u201cIt\u2019s been hard to actually sit down and write on a regular basis,\u201d they say.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is the benefit of completing a creative writing thesis?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor most of us, the goal is to get published and make a career as writers.\u201d Daven explains that graduating with a polished manuscript gives graduates material they can use after graduation. Students can use their thesis work to query agents or submit their work to literary journals and publishers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

What\u2019s next for you?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Daven is hoping to finish their novel before graduating in the spring of 2024. After graduating, as they work to publish Here Be Monsters<\/em>, Daven hopes to continue teaching in higher education. Currently, they teach two freshman writing classes at Emerson, and they would love to continue teaching at Emerson as an adjunct professor. In the long term, Daven plans to teach writing at a community college, sharing their expertise with others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can people keep up with your work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Daven currently has a published book available for purchase. The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is a young adult historical fiction about two children who come together as outcasts in a small Alabama town. A commentary on identity, race, friendship, and growing up, The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones<\/em> is an excellent debut novel that showcases Daven\u2019s skill as an author. To keep up with Daven\u2019s future publications, be sure to follow them on Instagram<\/strong><\/a>!<\/strong>
We hope this post has given you a taste of what the thesis process in Emerson\u2019s Creative Writing MFA<\/strong><\/a> is like. For more information about the Creative Writing program, schedule a call <\/strong><\/a>with an admissions counselor. Or, to get an idea of what it\u2019s like to be a student in the program, check out our student spotlight<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>featuring a current student.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"The<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones<\/a>, Daven’s debut novel<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Daven McQueen, current MFA candidate in Emerson’s Creative Writing program If you\u2019re looking into Creative Writing MFAs, you\u2019re probably researching the thesis requirements of different programs. Today we\u2019re interviewing Daven McQueen, a current student in Emerson\u2019s Creative Writing MFA program, … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2788,"featured_media":3508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"kt_blocks_editor_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,20],"tags":[44,461,271,456,457,68,381,462,121,459,136,458,460],"class_list":["post-3507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-creative-writing","category-project-spotlight","tag-boston","tag-climate-fiction","tag-creative-writing-mfa","tag-creative-writing-thesis","tag-daven-mcqueen","tag-emerson-college","tag-graduate-thesis","tag-marine-biology","tag-mfa","tag-novel-writing","tag-publishing","tag-sea-monsters","tag-speculative-fiction"],"yoast_head":"\nCreative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel - The Emerson Grad Life Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Today we\u2019re interviewing Daven McQueen about their experience with the creative writing thesis. We\u2019ll get a glimpse of...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel - The Emerson Grad Life Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Today we\u2019re interviewing Daven McQueen about their experience with the creative writing thesis. We\u2019ll get a glimpse of...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Emerson Grad Life Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/emersongradprograms\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/olivia.wachtel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-23T15:25:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-23T15:27:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/Daven-headshot.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1333\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Olivia Wachtel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@emersongradlife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@emersongradlife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Olivia Wachtel\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Olivia Wachtel\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8572396a171d2987e2ff99ab795ab283\"},\"headline\":\"Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-23T15:25:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-23T15:27:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1067,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/37\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/Daven-headshot.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Boston\",\"Climate Fiction\",\"Creative Writing MFA\",\"Creative Writing Thesis\",\"Daven McQueen\",\"Emerson College\",\"Graduate thesis\",\"Marine biology\",\"MFA\",\"Novel writing\",\"publishing\",\"Sea monsters\",\"Speculative Fiction\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Creative Writing\",\"Project Spotlight\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/\",\"name\":\"Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel - The Emerson Grad Life Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/37\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/Daven-headshot.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-23T15:25:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-23T15:27:43+00:00\",\"description\":\"Today we\u2019re interviewing Daven McQueen about their experience with the creative writing thesis. We\u2019ll get a glimpse of...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/37\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/Daven-headshot.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/37\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/Daven-headshot.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1333,\"caption\":\"Daven Mcqueen, current Creative Writing MFA student, sitting outside in a yellow turtleneck with trees in the background\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Emerson Grad Life Blog\",\"description\":\"Graduate Programs in Arts and Communications\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Emerson College Graduate Programs\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/37\\\/2022\\\/02\\\/CollegeLockupStacked-2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/37\\\/2022\\\/02\\\/CollegeLockupStacked-2.png\",\"width\":2400,\"height\":1500,\"caption\":\"Emerson College Graduate Programs\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/emersongradprograms\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/emersongradlife\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/emersongradprograms\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/emerson-college-graduate-programs\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/EmersonCollege\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8572396a171d2987e2ff99ab795ab283\",\"name\":\"Olivia Wachtel\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fe25a472a2364dfaf009901720ef2e22ddf863e5d995b6ccf1d79fef20d4c116?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fe25a472a2364dfaf009901720ef2e22ddf863e5d995b6ccf1d79fef20d4c116?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fe25a472a2364dfaf009901720ef2e22ddf863e5d995b6ccf1d79fef20d4c116?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Olivia Wachtel\"},\"description\":\"Olivia is a second-year student in Emerson's Communication Disorders MS program. Originally from Ohio, she is loving Emerson and city life. When she's not writing for the Grad Life blog, she loves to read, bake, and crochet.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/olivia.wachtel\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/owachtel\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/olivia-wachtel\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/websites.emerson.edu\\\/grad-life\\\/author\\\/olivia_wachtel\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel - The Emerson Grad Life Blog","description":"Today we\u2019re interviewing Daven McQueen about their experience with the creative writing thesis. We\u2019ll get a glimpse of...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel - The Emerson Grad Life Blog","og_description":"Today we\u2019re interviewing Daven McQueen about their experience with the creative writing thesis. We\u2019ll get a glimpse of...","og_url":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/","og_site_name":"The Emerson Grad Life Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/emersongradprograms\/","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/olivia.wachtel","article_published_time":"2023-08-23T15:25:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-23T15:27:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":1333,"url":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/Daven-headshot.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Olivia Wachtel","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@emersongradlife","twitter_site":"@emersongradlife","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Olivia Wachtel","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/"},"author":{"name":"Olivia Wachtel","@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/#\/schema\/person\/8572396a171d2987e2ff99ab795ab283"},"headline":"Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel","datePublished":"2023-08-23T15:25:27+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-23T15:27:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/"},"wordCount":1067,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/Daven-headshot.jpg","keywords":["Boston","Climate Fiction","Creative Writing MFA","Creative Writing Thesis","Daven McQueen","Emerson College","Graduate thesis","Marine biology","MFA","Novel writing","publishing","Sea monsters","Speculative Fiction"],"articleSection":["Creative Writing","Project Spotlight"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/","url":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/","name":"Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel - The Emerson Grad Life Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/Daven-headshot.jpg","datePublished":"2023-08-23T15:25:27+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-23T15:27:43+00:00","description":"Today we\u2019re interviewing Daven McQueen about their experience with the creative writing thesis. We\u2019ll get a glimpse of...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/Daven-headshot.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/Daven-headshot.jpg","width":1000,"height":1333,"caption":"Daven Mcqueen, current Creative Writing MFA student, sitting outside in a yellow turtleneck with trees in the background"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2023\/08\/23\/creative-writing-thesis-spotlight-mfa-candidate-explores-monsters-and-deep-sea-with-their-novel\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/#website","url":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/","name":"The Emerson Grad Life Blog","description":"Graduate Programs in Arts and Communications","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/#organization","name":"Emerson College Graduate Programs","url":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/02\/CollegeLockupStacked-2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/02\/CollegeLockupStacked-2.png","width":2400,"height":1500,"caption":"Emerson College Graduate Programs"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/emersongradprograms\/","https:\/\/x.com\/emersongradlife","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/emersongradprograms\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/emerson-college-graduate-programs","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/EmersonCollege"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/#\/schema\/person\/8572396a171d2987e2ff99ab795ab283","name":"Olivia Wachtel","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe25a472a2364dfaf009901720ef2e22ddf863e5d995b6ccf1d79fef20d4c116?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe25a472a2364dfaf009901720ef2e22ddf863e5d995b6ccf1d79fef20d4c116?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe25a472a2364dfaf009901720ef2e22ddf863e5d995b6ccf1d79fef20d4c116?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Olivia Wachtel"},"description":"Olivia is a second-year student in Emerson's Communication Disorders MS program. Originally from Ohio, she is loving Emerson and city life. When she's not writing for the Grad Life blog, she loves to read, bake, and crochet.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/olivia.wachtel","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/owachtel\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/olivia-wachtel\/"],"url":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/author\/olivia_wachtel\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2788"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3507"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3507\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3526,"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3507\/revisions\/3526"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}