MFA Thesis Novel

by Ian M. Rogers

Creative ne’er-do-well Flip Montcalm isn’t cut out for office life, so he jumps at the chance to join an MFA program in the rural Midwest. Broke and infatuated with the 20th century literary canon, he alienates his writing workshop with five hundred pages of existential dread, can’t name a single player on the university football team, and is actively trying to steal a rival writer’s girlfriend.

Flip needs a new novel idea fast, so he turns to his cohorts for help: a career PhD student who hasn’t written in a decade, a professor with no opinions, a narcissist whose novels read like action movies, and a frat boy underplaying his suburban privilege. As he fights off academic conformity and obsessive football fans, Flip faces the challenge of writing a novel that’ll not only satisfy his artistic passions, but might even get him a better job.

A delicious romp through the smudged halls of academia, this book will make you laugh out loud, as pretenders, druggies, hapless romantics, and the slightly talented do battle in fiction, trying to invent a book that will save them from the fate of ordinary life.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Academia, Humor

286 pages, Paperback

Published April 19, 2022

About the author

Ian M. Rogers grew up in New Hampshire before studying literature at Bennington College in Vermont and creative writing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he learned to write short bios like this one. He has worked as a copy editor, a greenhouse assistant, a school secretary, a grocery clerk, an online test-grader, a housepainter, a gardener, and a teacher of English in Japan.

Reviews

[Lori Sinsel Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed out loud throughout the book! Anyone that is or was a MFA student or even just an English major will enjoy this witty, sarcastic jaunt through academia.

The protagonist, attends a writing workshop when he joins a MFA program in the mid-west. Expecting things to flow smoothly, Flip quickly learns that things are not as he expected and the novel he turns in bombs spectacularly. Looking towards some of his fellow writers for help and advice is a dead end street also,m so many unwritten, unspoken rules that everyone knows but him.

The interactions, conversations, critiques of writing, are often laugh-out-loud hilarious, and always witty. This is a in depth look at what to do when what you expect is not what happens, when you aren't sure the decision you made is right for you and when those you depended upon to share your ideals and values do anything but.

This is a charming, witty, entertaining novel. Anyone who has traversed the hallowed halls of academia will appreciate it.

Thank you to the author and publisher and to Booksirens for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

[Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredibly entertaining book that used the exploration of our protagonist's MFA program to serve as a microcosm of our daily lives.

The conversations between Flip and Jackson about what readers want seemed like Daniel Quinn's "Ishmael" where the main character has all this unknown wisdom provided and it's this great awakening. I really enjoyed Jackson's usage of Murakami's separate worlds to explain the difference between a person's ideal world where they act out of genuine desire compared to the materialistic world in which we work to obtain income to pay for our basic needs. It makes you really evaluate about own life and job situation in the context of do I do what I love or do I do what I have to in order to sustain a living?

The scene with Flip and Craig was hilarious. It was like how I envision your stereotypical frat bro explaining the basics of campus life to an incoming class of freshman (turns out that Brad is the fraternity guy, not Craig). Craig with his need for all books to start out with an eye grabbing ridiculous scene and his suggestions had me laughing so hard I was in tears.

I loved all the literary references which gave me a lot more reading material. However, it wasn't until later in the book when Kendall pointed out that none of the authors or books that Flip liked to reference were remotely contemporary.

My one criticism is that the book referenced the same scene (the taxi theft) from "Lucky Jim" three separate times and Uma Thurman's Pulp Fiction silence three times.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Paul Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to BookSirens and the publisher for the advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I must say, I absolutely loved this book. A writer going to a US grad school, attending writing workshops to help develop his own novel. The mix of inserting the stories the workshop were debating through their sessions, then back to the main story, worked very well.

The protagonist, an East Coast loner stuck in the mid-west, was well reflected in his own short stories - slightly aloof to others, thinking the weight of the world is on their shoulders, when in reality its first world problems.

The book is really well written, and you get a good sense of each of the characters. My only issue was that I couldn't really picture what the people looked like, but their behaviours came across perfectly.

[k · Rating 5 out of 5]

full disclosure: I received this book as an ARC from BookSirens, and I am so, so glad I did.

***

I absolutely adored everything about this book. I'm a writer and lit mag reader irl, and found myself relating to this incredibly niche and hyperspecific world of literature. (My fav literary period is also the 20th century, so I felt as though this was Tailor-Made Content Just For Me and Me Alone.)

This book was quietly witty throughout:

"You ever read Fahrenheit 451? Same book as Huckleberry Finn but with no slaves."
"How are those remotely the same?" Flip demanded.
"I'm telling you, man, same book," Craig said without explaining. "There's only like, four plots that have ever existed. Five, tops."

and quotes to turn over in my head like food in a microwave:

"The reality we live in is made up of two different worlds. One's the world you and I talk about where we value real human thoughts and interactions...That's the genuine world. Then there's another world where people do things for material gain." (Shoutout Jackson for Being a Purveyor of Wisdom.)

I consumed this book all at once—and I'm so happy to say that it got me out of a horrible reading slump. This was such an inexplicable joy to read—from its sheer realism and its naturalistic depictions of human relationships, to the Eternal Struggle of Being a Writer.

can't wait to read more of Ian M. Rogers' works! this was so so so so good and I'm definitely going to be rereading this.

[Daniel Robotham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each time I read MFA Thesis Novel, I found myself concentrating on the struggle of discovering yourself while living and working in an environment that is not what you expected nor wanted. In that sense, I felt as though I could relate to the experiences of Flip, though I was perhaps more connected to Jackson, as the person whose cynical outlook I found myself sharing at the end of my own graduate school experience. Overall, I thought the book was a good read, and it also allowed me to reflect on my own experiences as an"outsider" in a large midwestern university, whether I wanted to or not.

[Jenika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rogers gives a phenomenally funny look at grad school, strained work relationships, and the overall creative process. I was incredibly excited to read this as a current PhD student, but I feel like the characters in the book will seem like familiar faces no matter your history with academia, writing, or the midwest. I loved the detail of introducing each character with an author blurb, including fictional publishing credentials (my favorite of which was "cornHOLE").

[Gina Troisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

MFA Thesis Novel is a book like no other. This novel gripped me from the very beginning, and I found myself continuously rooting for Flip, the novel’s protagonist, as he navigates the ins and outs of grad school in a new part of the country, surrounded by strangers and cornfields. Flip is led to this writing program from the East Coast with the dream of completing his novel, but he is distracted by the various demands of the program, the differing opinions about great literature, and ultimately by love. This novel is incredibly funny, while also layered with the serious business of what it means to be an artist.

The characters are so real, so true to life, that this novel will indeed stay with me. The way Rogers intertwines the characters’ writing projects into this text is masterful. Even though I have finished the book, I will keep rooting for Flip, and for all who long to create art in a society that seldom supports it, hoping that they find a way to live their hearts’ desire. This is a brilliant novel. I look forward to future works by this author.

[Kaley McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm obligated to disclose that I received an advance copy of this book for free. That said, I can't wait to purchase a hard copy and reread it because it was a delight from start to finish. If you are a writer--perhaps particularly if you've spent time in programs like the one depicted here--this book is sure to strike a nerve: the competition, the pretension, the strange unwritten rules and unspoken hierarchies of such a setting, the absurd but oh-so-recognizable characters, the struggle to balance nurturing one's creative ambitions with meeting life's more practical demands… it all hits painfully (and hilariously) close to home. And the writing itself is wonderful… especially when we get to sample the various students' manuscripts: the author has a real flair for pastiche, and these sections provided multiple out-loud laughs. The text is littered with cheeky meta-humor and literary Easter eggs for the well-read reader (I'm sure I only picked up on half of them!), but you don't need to catch all the references in order to appreciate the humor of the setting and the characters; they just provide a fun extra layer of enjoyment. If you are or have ever been an English major or (god forbid) an MFA student, this is a must-read!

[Piper Tallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An east coast graduate student plunked down in America’s mid-west- what could go wrong? Ostensibly, the story revolves around the protagonist’s attempts to survive this confusing world he’s found himself in. The story is told with wry humor and warmth, although the protagonist largely reserves his kindness for others and rarely himself.
The overall theme of the book strikes much deeper than the surface story. It is about facing the highway of life’s decisions and the realization that no choice will be perfect- each comes with its own set of problems. Fortunately for us all, life doesn’t have to be perfect to be happy.
This story has a bit of something for everyone. A great read when curling up on the couch or laying stretched out on the beach.

[Audrey Shulman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the novel clever, relatable, and laugh out loud funny-- really a delight to read, (that left me feeling super grateful I never set my sights on an MFA!) I cheered for Flip -- and cringed for him -- in his struggle to have his lofty literary ambitions understood, looking for validation in an academic community full of pretension (and preoccupation with its college football team). I empathize with that same tug he has: the need to find just one person who gets who we are, and what we're trying to do with our "art", literary or not. For anyone that speaks to out there, Flip and his story should be welcome company. I was lucky enough to receive an advance review copy of this book for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ann Epstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meta-Lit Hit Job – Midway through MFA Thesis Novel by Ian Rogers, a graduate student says, “If you want original shit you’ve got to hit up small presses, the guys outside the mainstream who put out stuff that’s really good.” Reading this sentence, I instantly understood why this hilarious and irreverent book found a home with exactly the right indie venue. In literary grad speak, the book is a “meta novel,” that is, a novel about writing a novel which the protagonist, Flip, must do in order to earn his MFA in creative writing. The narrative is replete with winking allusions to literary books, journals, and organizations, some real, others snarky inventions of the author’s fertile imagination. It’s a double hoot when you’re not sure whether a reference belongs in the real or fictive category. Lest those who are not MFA candidates or English majors fear the book may he too erudite or esoteric for them, rest assured that the humor is broad — and shallow — enough for anyone to get in on the jokes. Beyond the wit, however, Rogers also grapples with a serious question: How do you produce creative work that pays the bills while also fulfilling your worthy ideals? As a writer myself (see my Goodreads author page https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...), I’m fortunate that I’ve never faced that quandary but, like other creative people, I must still resist pressure to churn out what’s “sellable” if it’s not authentic to my vision. I won’t spoil the book’s ending by revealing Flip’s answer to the earnings vs. art dilemma, but I will say that Ian Rogers has created a commercially viable novel that is also an entertaining and satisfying work of literature.

[Joe Panzica · Rating 5 out of 5]

You WILL laugh out loud.

You will even if you’ve never read Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 or Something Happened.

You’ll also be challenged.

You will even if you’ve never heard of Samuel Becket’s Murphy bound naked by scarfs to his rocking chair.

And you will be moved.

You will even if you are not or do not know someone who, like Flip Montcalm, is lost in a “material life” swirl of bad (and bland) influences with a tendency to be his own worst enemy.

Flip’s saving grace are images of the “ideal” offered by beacons that reach out to us from some creative representations of our human plight. (Or are these from the “real” world, hovering just out of sight for us?) And, as his (nick)name suggests, Flip has a sense of humor that preserves him from taking himself too seriously even if it risks alienating peers and potential supporters.

Be warned. This is a novel about writing and struggling to write. So not only is it laced with allusions to high and low literary culture, it is a send-up of the writing and publishing world. Poor Flip has a devil of a time coming up with a version of his own maiden novel that won’t be ignored or rejected by his writing group. Of course, he still finds plenty of time to craft devastatingly arch parodies of the personalities and writings of his fellow MFA candidates.

He’s also driven to try to “steal” the girlfriend of the alpha male in his program.

Let’s just say, some of this works out worse for Flip than the rest of it.

One vision hovers just above all the foolery Flip engages in to ward off the painful awkwardness of the creative struggle. It’s the image of the fig tree from Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. Today this image is more menacing than it would be if Plath had been able to spare herself, but Ian Rogers might manage to help us remember that Plath’s symbol was meant to convey more than dread and uncertainty. He might help us remember that, after all, the fig tree with all its tantalizing purple fruit is a vision of endless fertility, options, and creative inspirations.

Without giving away too much of the ending, we leave Flip somewhat battered and shaken, but I think we have a sense that he’s got too much going for him to ever give up. He even might have left us with another quote from The Bell Jar:

“There ought, I thought, to be a ritual for being born twice—patched, retreaded and approved for the road..."






(Read as a hard copy paperback)

[Michael Rushia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typically, when I read, it's pulpy stuff. After Ian let me read MFA Thesis Novel, my first critical thought was that I wish there were more spaceships, and in this book there are unfortunately NO spaceships. There are also a lot of literary references, most of which go over my head, but the book is still surprisingly easy to read and enjoy.

Ian Rogers has been my friend since third grade; together we watched countless hours of Letterman, The Simpsons, Monty Python and the like. We could go to the mall or grocery store, some completely ordinary setting, and with the nudge of an elbow, laugh it up over the mascot on a cereal box or an advertisement for perfume--any of the countless absurdities that hide in plain sight. This is why he's my friend: Ian treats us with such a remarkable wit.

Here is a satire where the protagonist Flip Montcalm is lost in the homogenous Midwest, struggling to craft the next Great American Novel--or more accurately, add some meaning or achievement to his uncertain life. In addition to the circuslike writing workshops, the story unfolds cleverly through trashed manuscripts, awkward emails and text messages.

The book is pretty funny and has something to say. You should pick it up.

[Lucy Lennox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most meta book I have ever read. As a satire of academia and contemporary publishing, it's deadly accurate and hilarious. I laughed out loud at the titles of the literary journals, the humble-brag bios and the painful writing excerpts. The novel sends up everything that is soul-crushing about graduate school, and all the worst aspects of contemporary literary fiction. But at its heart, this is a story of the artistic aspirations of a bunch of mediocre white men. There are several embarrassed asides about the whiteness and maleness of this MFA program, but it's dismissed with a shrug--the professor knows why they only get one kind of applicant but has no idea how to change that. Flip himself is mistakenly accepted as a diversity admit just because he used the word "diversity" in his application, another hilarious detail. But what knocked this book down one star for me was the unexamined sexism. While the male characters are all accurate parodies of the kinds of white men populating academia, the very few female characters don't ring true at all and have no identity beyond their attachment to their boyfriends. The love interest Derzen, a Sylvia Plath-worshiping aspiring poet, starts off as an intriguing, intellectual badass. But it's clear by the end that she is just the symbol of Flip's rivalry with the most high status guy in the department, the token of exchange in the argument between them about how to approach a writing career. It's a bit disappointing that a novel that tries so hard to get at something real can't really imagine the interiority of women. I wish Derzen would take a page from Sylvia and ditch both these dudes.

[Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

“An MFA program is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long wooden hallway where try-hards and sycophants run free, and creativity goes to die like a dog. There’s also a negative side.”

While that’s a radical re-working of a misquote of a misquote, the protagonist of Ian Roger’s MFA Thesis Novel, Flip Montcalm, would likely still be quick to agree. Flip is an east coast undergrad who has joined a mid-western college’s MFA program, expecting to be surrounded by like-minded creatives who want to do what writers do – tell stories, better their writing, and master their craft.

Instead, his first draft of an office novel bombs in his workshop, while his peers are all less than helpful, seemingly more interested in the college’s football team, masterminding their way into a tenured teaching job, or sucking up to Flip’s soon-to-be published chief rival. To compound matters, the closest thing to a friend and mentor he has seems to have already given up, while the shining light in his day-to-day on-campus is a clever poet who may share his beliefs about writing as art, but is also dating the previously mentioned rival.

Flip is floundering, with the halls of academia feeling as restrictive and as unconducive to writing as the nine-to-five drudgery of the real world he entered into the program to avoid.

MFA Thesis Novel is an unflinching send-up of academia that pulls from a wide array of traditions, and in many ways a love letter to the worldview of Heller, with a willingness to play with literary styles like Nabokov to reveal important insights into its complex characters. Sterne-esque descriptions of movement and body language, with its own unique narrative thrift makes for a highly readable novel, which wears its influences on its sleeve and notes them time and again, to establish setting, poke fun at its subjects, or draw out motivations.

It’s understandable at first glance some might see a book so entrenched in the trials of higher education as a niche experience, however I would caution anyone to overlook it because of this. Flip’s struggle is one of being where he needs to be, but not being sure if he’s actually getting what he needs from being there. And who can’t relate to finding themselves disappointed in a place, or with people, who they expected to share their values?

Full disclosure, I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and am leaving the review voluntarily, but you’ll still find me in line to buy it on the day of it’s release.

[Kathleen Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has ever written fiction, experienced MFA-land, or who simply reads a lot of fiction will find this novel highly entertaining, spot on, devastatingly funny, plain old devastating, astute, skewering, complex and honest. The innovative format and twists and turns were pure delight. Either Ian Rogers is a mind reader or fiction writers have pretty near universal experiences. I think he captured every thought that has ever entered my mind with regard to creative writing. I could relate to the good, bad and ugly parts of the characters - you've been warned! It's a fabulous ride.

[Marwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An educational, reflective, fun fiction about writing MFA thesis to become a published and successful writer. Academia is tough and writing is so hard!

I greatly enjoyed the characters (their convos) and writing, especially the excerpts from the characters' stories. I wish I had a "Jackson friend" in my life!

"There's more to a novel than just its entertainment value. It can say something about a particular time or place or way of life that's important even if it's not an enjoyable or stimulating read." It's exactly how I'd describe this book: enjoyable and stimulating.

For me, another real value was in it's reference to other interesting books to read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Crystal Hurd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me laugh out loud! I'm an English major and an MFA grad. Rogers NAILED it. The purpose of art, the reality of a "real" job, the anxieties of creative folks: it's all here and it's amazingly accurate. How have I just NOW found out about this book? I recommend it for ALL English majors and Creative Writing peeps.

[Vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

this started off a little bit too referential and wink wink nudge nudge-y for my taste but it quickly won me over. its not just satire, there's also genuine heart to the story that did manage to captivate. recommend to any poor author trying to get published

[Sarah Wrightsman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clever book with great writing! Meta and charming, like I was part of an inside joke. A book about writing a book is, of course, bound to be a bit meta!

I mostly listen to audio books, so this is one of the few fiction books I physically read, which I think in hindsight was the best way to read MFA Thesis Novel.

I have a deep appreciation for a complicated protagonist. I didn't particularly like Flip. At times, I hoped he would get his shit together and finally write the damn book. Other times, I found it impossible to root for him. But even when I didn't like him, I still felt like I understood him. I am still undecided whether he was a reliable narrator, but he was imperfect and complex and interesting.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one; it was clever and thought provoking, although I can’t say I laughed out loud.

“There’s no point in writing a book people won’t like, unless it’s a book people will think is important..”

I think this one is both - I liked the discussion around why you write, for whom, for what purpose … I can see this being a good one for a book club discussion

[Gary Devore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It was a hilarious take that satirizes both the literary writing process and critical writing grad programs, two things very ripe for commentary and ridicule. I did not mind the innovative way Rogers used several kinds of media to tell the story. I also recognized many of the character types from both grad school and my own writers' life. There were a lot of funny inside jokes that I appreciated, and even some meta ones for the benefit of the people reading the novel about the writing of a novel. It definitely made me feel smart when I caught a reference or a name drop that added an extra layer to the satire. I definitely recommend MFA Thesis Novel to any writer, aspiring writer, writing student, or anyone curious about the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to create something of value using words.

[Clare Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a fun read.

[Kelly Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

MFA Thesis Novel was selected for my local library’s book club. I was pleasantly surprised to really like this book. I learned about the struggles of aspiring writers through the eyes of the main character Flip, a first year grad student. The book has a good cast of characters that kept me engaged and looking for more. Very entertaining!

[Glynis Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and thoughtful book about trying to create something while keeping one's integrity. I'll always love a book that gives me interesting conversations about real topics (see "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"), especially with people who talk like people I know. Rogers' criticism of the fame-and-money literary mill, as exemplified by a fictional MFA program in the Midwest, is dead-on.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the hilarious, yet touching, story of a young man trying hard to become a great writer. But the harder he tries, and the more advice he gets from fellow colleagues in his Master of Fine Arts program at a Midwestern university, the less he writes and the more life — and love — take over.

Flip Montcalm is an East Coast guy who craves a creative life, yet has been stuck in dead-end office jobs due to a degree from a small liberal arts college. When he gets accepted into an MFA program at a university that will also provide funding, he snatches the opportunity, believing this will be the break he needs to finish his novel, which is about…a young man stuck in a dead-end office job.

With high hopes, he distributes a segment of his novel to be critiqued. When his fellow cohorts have less than enthusiastic things to say, Flip begins a tailspin that gains in speed. He starts seeking, and is barraged by, advice about how to change his book, his attitude, and his life. Does he have a chance of getting his thesis novel published after graduation? Should he enroll in a PhD program and try to snag a rare, but coveted professorship? Should he try harder to fit in with his sports-loving classmates?

All of which is complicated when he falls for the poet girlfriend of the most-published, yet condescending member of the program.

Such soul-searching sucks the life out of his writing, bringing him ever closer to the day he dreads and has delayed twice already, submission of pages from the novel he’s supposed to be rewriting.

The author has a wonderful sense of humor. Flip’s first novel draft is truly bad. The bios of his fellow classmates and authors are written as if by them for private purposes, like Flip’s, which reads, “He doesn’t have any awesome awards or publications yet, but when he does, they’re gonna rock your socks.” And the frustrated and awkward exchanges he has with his bro-type colleagues are poignant, beautifully written and perfectly depict Flip’s Jack Kerouac angst.

As a reader, I couldn’t help but hope for Flip’s success. Marvelous!

[Melanie Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a witty and warm take on grad-school life through the eyes of Flip Montcalm, an underdog and goes-with-his-heart protagonist. Flip expects one thing from the grad-school experience but receives quite another. This book made me laugh, smile, and nod my head at the wisdom. Navigating both the literary scene and the continual competition over careers and manuscripts-in-progress makes the school a landmine for Flip as he develops as an artist in his own right. I savored the amusing manuscript excerpts and/or author bios of Jackson Grant, William Stark, Kendall Warren, Craig Prescott, Lawrence Fairweather, Bradley Choude, and Derzen Draskovich. Speaking of Derzen, there’s a love triangle that winds its way through the novel and plays out poignantly in a text-message exchange that underscores the social what-ifs of the grad-school experience.

While many readers who have been in a writing and/or arts program will recognize numerous elements of this story, every reader will get a kick out of these well-developed characters doing their bumbling best to reach their life goals amidst pressure and misperceptions. The writing-workshop scene showdown between Flip and antagonist Kendall is a treat. Readers who especially enjoy humor, literary fiction, and novels about writers and/or art-making will not be able to put down this novel.

[Polly Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to be familiar with the world of MFA strivers to enjoy this book! Just having an interest in people jostling against one another to achieve in their own chosen field-- that's enough. It's a regular riot in parts. And for anyone who hasn't had the benefit of living in the Great Plains, it'll take you there!

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book follows Flip, a first year MFA student, as he tries to perfect his thesis novel with the help of his fellow classmates. There's a heavy dose of satire in this book and moments of great clarity the author speaks to when discussing the writing process. But overall, I felt this book wasn't for me. I think a lot of the humor was lost, though maybe it's better suited for someone in an MFA program. I received an advance review copy from BookSirens in exchange for my honest and voluntary feedback.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not go to grad school, study fine arts, or am particularly well read but I really enjoyed this book. I think anyone that has tried to make art or any creative pursuit and had a hard time getting anyone to care would recognize Flip's struggle to prove himself as a writer. The dream is to get paid to make the art you want but how?