What is an MFA?
An MFA is a Master of Fine Arts. Getting an MFA in Creative Writing is often seen as a waste of time and money. Many people want their degree to help get them a job and if that’s what you’re looking for in an MFA, you’re looking in the wrong place. Having a masters can give you a small boost when applying to teaching jobs, but publication credentials are often preferred over education. So, what is an MFA good for? And what are the downfalls? Most importantly, if you want to take the leap and apply, how do you decide which school?
PROS
Validation
Getting into a writing school can feel like a validation of your talents and abilities. People who are actually involved in the writing profession have judged you to be a good enough writer to take on and teach. If you’re very confident in your writing ability already this may not be a good reason to apply to a school. But if you’re anything like my past self and doubted all the teachers and family that told you that you were talented, this can be a very nice aspect of being accepted.
Good Information
When you’re in a legitimate writing program, you know with reasonable certainty that you’re getting accurate information about the craft of writing and about the publishing industry. You don’t have to doubt so much about whether the person telling you the information is qualified or telling you the truth.
Networking
Depending on the school you go to, it can provide a great opportunity to network with other writers and with industry insiders. Networking can give you a boost if you want to be traditionally published. You can be referred to or introduced to agents, editors, and other publishing industry folks by your mentors/teachers.
Writing Community
You’ll have an opportunity to create a writing community with other students. Going to the same school and going through the same experience can create a long-lasting bond with other writers that’s a bit different from forming an online community. In addition, it’s a good way to find trust-worthy critique partners that you know, that are like-minded, and equally educated on writing.
Teaching Career
If you want to teach writing, it’s a nice credential to have under your belt, (although publication will get you a job faster than a degree). Some schools even offer teaching certifications—short programs that allow you to study the pedagogy of teaching creative writing. Keep in mind though that an MFA will not guarantee you a job— creative writing teaching jobs especially, are notoriously difficult to secure.
CONS
Lack of Diversity
Most writing schools are predominately white, both in staff and student body. It’s rare to have black, Asian, Hispanic, etc. mentors. (Luckily, this was not true for my school.) This can be a huge disadvantage to minority writers who are writing minority characters. Your teachers/mentors may have no idea of your culture or background and may invalidate your writing as a result. There can also be discrimination and a feeling of isolation. This may make it difficult to take advantage of the pros listed above such as networking and having a writing community. It even taints the notion of getting good information since a white mentor may not be able to give you accurate information regarding your writing when they don’t understand your culture or worse, are biased against it. They may also not be privy to the realities of being a person of color and trying to get traditionally published. The traditional publishing industry is tough to break into and especially difficult for people of color.
Low Writing Time
Depending on the school, you can end up spending more time reading and learning about writing rather than actually writing. If you’re going to spend all that money on an MFA in Creative Writing, you should be spending most of your time in the program writing. You should also be able to write on projects that mean something to you, not have two years of restricted writing assignments when all you really want to do is work on your book.
Genre Discrimination
Many schools are not friendly to genre writers. They don’t see it as on par with literary writing. This can be discouraging if your dream is to write mystery, romance, science-fiction, fantasy, or any other specific genre. You may go to school and not even get to practice writing in the genre you want to write professionally in. Which means you won’t be getting advice on how to be successful writing in those genres. (Not the case for my school, which was very friendly toward genre writers and had mentors specializing in different genres.)
Expense
It can be very expensive and doesn’t promise a career that will easily pay off those loans or be a return on your investment. Jobs where you can actually use the degree are scarce. If you decide to put money into it, you need to be realistic and realize that you may not get a decent return on your money. You have to love writing and do it solely for the knowledge and experience.
My experience with my school was absolutely worth every penny. It encouraged me and nurtured me in a way I don’t think I would have experienced by just finding critique partners. That’s very specific to my situation though— I was full of doubt about my writing skills and potential and really needed someone to hold my hand through the learning process. That was eight years ago now. I left the program a different person and with the confidence that I am a good writer and that I can be successful at it. The important thing is to do your research on potential schools and make sure it’ll be worth the money for you if you decide to go that route. Whether you decide to take the leap and go to school or choose to stick to writing on your own—good luck on your writing journey!
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