OMG!! o.m.g. O!M!G!: The Various Emotions of Life-Altering News

On Saturday, I got some life-altering news.

I know, your first thought is, "WTF, Heather? You got this news on Saturday. It's now Tuesday. You say you love your followers, and yet you waited three whole days to tell us this news?" But I do have a three-part defense for this:

1. I didn't check the mail on Saturday, which means I didn't actually get the news until about 11:30pm on Saturday, which is pretty much Sunday anyway.
2. Sunday was my one-year wedding anniversary. And that definitely can't be held against be.
3. Yesterday was a holiday.

So, you see, when you add it all up, I'm actually telling you the day I found out! Totally logical.

Anyway, my big news:

I got accepted into Vermont College of Fine Arts' Masters of Writing for Children and Young Adults Program!

Woot! This makes me so happy, I think it's time for a dance party:

Thanks, boys.

Anyway, when I first got the news that I'd been accepted, I literally squeed. I know that we use "squee" all the time on the Internet - I myself most recently used it over on Frankie's blog for reasons that are so awesome they are still blowing my mind. But I saw that big manila envelope from VCFA, and part of me knew - after all, the only reason that they would send a rejection letter to me in a big manila envelope is if they also included my MS sample with a huge red REJECTED stamp on each page (and that was definitely something I had nightmares about). But when I finally ripped open the package and saw all of the pages inside - the student handbook, the enrollment agreement, and finally, the congratulatory letter, I squeed.  This was my top-choice program, the only program I ended up applying to, and I was in. OMG!

Then I started thinking, and that always leads to trouble. I panicked. What am I getting myself into? Debt. Time spent doing homework. A week and a half in Vermont - in January. Not to mention being a full-time student while also being a full-time employee. Can I handle this? Am I ready? o.m.g.

But then I started thinking...again...and it led to awesome things this time. I would be attending five amazing residencies. I would get to learn how to be a better writer from some of the best children's and YA writers out there. And the alums have done some impressive things. Most importantly, I would get to spend the next two years getting feedback on my writing and focusing on my craft. O!M!G!

I imagine that this range of emotion must be a lot like what it feels like to find out your book is going to be published. (I admit this has never happened to me, so I'm totally guessing at emotions here.) Yes, it's pretty much the most amazing freaking thing to ever happen to you. But what if it's not successful? What if no one besides your mom and your weird Uncle Barney buys it? (Like what I did there?) But what if it is successful? And even if it's not - your name is going to be on the cover of a freaking BOOK! OMG! o.m.g. O!M!G!

In the end, every victory counts - no matter how big or small.