Aspiring writers sometimes ask me, “Should I get an MFA?” My initial reaction to this is always, “Hell no! Run away!”
It’s a little more complicated than that, of course.
A little background: I come from a family of academics. Both my parents have masters degrees in their fields, and one of my grandfathers was a biology professor for many years. In our family, it wasn’t just assumed that we kids would go to college — we were expected to go on for advanced degrees as well. I never even considered an MFA in creative writing, even though writing was my passion. This was because I’d already been burned by a college-level creative writing class. My masters is an MA in English literature. I didn’t write a lick of fiction for it and was very happy with my choice. (My brother on the other hand does have an MFA — in theatrical set design.)
I took creative writing as an undergraduate — of course I did! I couldn’t wait to take creative writing! Then, on the second day of class, the professor said, “Science fiction isn’t real literature.” She might as well have strangled a kitten in front of me. I loved literature. I loved science fiction. I loved books — all books. I’d never made a distinction before. Two of us in the class tried to write science fiction and fantasy and pretty much got reamed for it. I was 19 and impressionable, so I stopped writing science fiction and fantasy in order to make this professor happy. At the end of the semester, I’d done pretty well in the class, got an A, and I was absolutely miserable. I hated writing the introspective realism so fashionable in literary circles in the 90’s. I wanted to go back to writing about magic and unicorns and far-off future worlds. I wanted to have fun. I wanted my writing to be fun.
Time went on, I learned more about fiction writing classes at the university level, and figured out that that class and that professor were not isolated cases. Most college-level creative writing is geared toward a specific kind of writing. And genre writing ain’t it.
I tell people who want to write genre: most MFA programs are going to hate what you do, won’t be supportive of what you do, and you’ll be miserable. And really, writing is one field where you don’t need a degree, you don’t need a certificate saying that you’re qualified. You just have to write stories that other people want to read. An MFA by itself isn’t going to make you any more or less successful.
There are exceptions. There are MFA programs with faculty who are open and supportive of genre writing. But it’s important to make sure the program you’re applying to is one of these before you sign up. Also, especially in the last ten years or so, a number of MFA programs specifically designed for genre writers (the Seton Hill MFA program in writing popular fiction is probably the best known) have been developed. I know many writers who’ve gotten a lot out of these programs.
There’s another reason I decided not to take any more creative writing classes: I can write on my own. I didn’t need anyone telling me to write, and I didn’t need deadlines imposed on me in order to finish. I’ve talked to a lot of people who enter MFA programs because they need deadlines, they need someone telling them they have to finish. An MFA program gives them the structure they need.
My advice, however: if you’re writing a lot on your own, if you’re finishing what you write, if you have a good support network (first readers, critique group, etc.), then there’s probably nothing an MFA can get you that you don’t already have.
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This is so true.
I took one creative writing class in college, and the 1st thing I learned was that genre fiction is easy to write and easy to sell but it ain’t real writing.
It was a chore to churn out short stories in which everyone died a horrible death, but I managed. Never again.
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I had a teacher give me the same crap once. Being the contrarian I am, I pointed out that if sf wasn’t REAL literature, how come Jules Verne, George Orwell and H.G. Wells were on our required reading list.
I never knew the human face could turn such an interesting shade of purple.
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Glad to hear I wasn’t alone…
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Carrie, you raise a lot of good points, and I definately agree that MFAs are not for everyone, and not all programs are friendly to those who believe “genre” and “literature” are not mutually exclusive. However . . . I’m in an MFA program right now, and it’s been very useful. As you’ve pointed out, “if you’re writing a lot on your own, if you’re finishing what you write, if you have a good support network [. . .] then there’s probably nothing an MFA can get you that you don’t already have.” But what if you’re missing one or all of those things?
These are the benefits I believe that my MFA program (Minnesota State University, Mankato) has had for me: a captive audience of other writers who take words seriously; encouragement to experiment with new forms and subjects; financial support (not a lot, but some) that allows me to spend more time writing and reading; access to events that allow me to meet and talk to published fiction, nonfiction, and poetry writers; internship opportunities that will give me the skills to work in publishing or teaching; the opportunity to see others’ mistakes and learn from them; the opportunity to spend lots of time with people who are as crazy about the written word and making it their life as I am.
There are drawbacks to MFA programs. One is that most people do believe that “literature” is something that 400 highly intelligent people read, and mass-market fiction is something to look down on. I’ve talked in circles with people who have this view, but it’s not universal among students or professors. Another drawback is that it’s two or three years of your life that you’re working on writing, but not necessarily devoting your life to your manuscripts. If you’re already writing fiction that sells, that may be valuable time wasted. A futher drawback is that two or three years writing is two or three years that you’re not out in the world, doing interesting things that will then become the basis of your fiction.
Without turning this into a gigantic rant . . . MFA programs are not without value for everyone, and that includes SF/Fantasy writers. And I’ll leave it at that for now.
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Which is why I put the info in there about people who get a lot out of MFA programs and finding one that’s supportive…
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I never occurred to me to take writing classes. My experience is a lot of hit and miss (mostly missing
). I’ve always been leery of taking any type of creative class for just the reasons you pointed out.
Some great advice, Carrie. Thanx.
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Great post and discussion!
I think there can definitely be an advantage to doing an MFA program for writers who are interested in literary fiction. Having an MFA credit is likely to their advantage when submitting to university presses, etc. And I’m sure that some of the discussions about story structure and story analysis can be very helpful to any writer.
But none of the advantages would outweigh being surrounded by people who have a disdain for the type of work one is trying to write. And tailoring the work to please people who are not members of one’s target audience is likely going to take one further away from a book that will appeal to the target audience. (This can happen in a mixed critique group, too. The thriller writer’s suggestions might not work well in a contemporary romance or vice versa. One has to learn how to filter and analyze the comments.)
I do believe that there are places outside of MFA programs where genre-fiction writers can focus on their craft. Writers need to seek those places out as alternatives to MFA programs that are prejudiced against their storytelling.
I also thank you for sharing your experience as a nineteen-year-old. It’s a important reminder of how powerful and dangerous teachers can be to their students’ enthusiasm for learning a particular subject. I’m happy that the internet is available. So many young writers now have the opportunity to talk to the people who write their favorite books and to find support and encouragement which wasn’t always easily found in the past.
Warm wishes,
)
Kimberly Frost
(Who loves all types of books, but writes the genre kind.
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I think school depends on the person. I waited until my youngest was in college to return for my Masters. This fall is my first semester, but I decided not to go for an MFA. I’m working on a Masters in Humanities. I’d been burned by the creative writing classes too, but I wanted to continue my studies. The Humanities route gives me an opportunity to study mythology, anthropology, film, television and creative writing, all things that I’m interested in. The cool thing is, they don’t have a problem with someone who writes paranormal romance. In fact my project this semester is to find the key elements that made Twilight and the Harry Potter series so popular to see if they could be applied to my own work. My Professor told me he couldn’t wait to see what i found out.
I think if you are interested in going back to school, it’s important to do a lot of research on the school, professors and the program in general. I will say I sort of lucked into this whole thing with Tiffin, and that it’s been much harder than I expected, but I love it. It’s opening my mind and helping me to see things from different perspectives.