creative writing degree worth it article

And that stuff comes free. Though for many, particularly those looking to pursue a career in the Arts, there is a variance in opinion over whether a degree is absolutely necessary. Even now, it helps me to remember that I have no real excuses not to write. Hardly anyone read the books, and there were hardly any books to read – nothing penned outside of North America, or much before Raymond Carver. The federal government's revised loan program designed to get cheap loans to small businesses has approved just three lenders. If you choose to study a writing degree today, you don’t have to keep it tomorrow. The thing to keep in mind though, is that the degree itself, the piece of paper you get at the end, has no bearing on whether or not you get that novel published or secure regular freelance work. The acceptance rate for Harvard Law School hovers around 15 per cent. Having spent three years inside an MFA, I've been trying to make sense of what that means. Learn how your comment data is processed. Developing the discipline to write when I had to rather than when I wanted to was invaluable. When it comes to writing, do we see actual benefits from completing a degree first? The book was a nuanced and pragmatic account of America's vaguely bifurcated culture of literary funding (universities and New York publishing), but its boxing-ring title demanded that teams be taken: team life experience (NYC) versus team ivory tower (MFA); garret versus classroom; caution-to-the-wind versus caution; original talent versus cookie-cutter clone. (Especially after your professor compliments you on your use of metaphor in front of the entire class. The fact of the matter is that creative writing courses are not worth the money which the institutions are charging. A writing portfolio is far more important to them, they can see the writing in practice; see if the writer is suitable for their publication. Who else has written stuff like this, and what can I learn from them? Feelings become fact. Many suspect that degree courses cash in on the hopes and dreams of aspiring writers, or that such an apparently woolly subject fails to prepare students for the world of employment. Ellie Pike, HR adviser at Penguin, is keen to stress that applications are assessed on an individual basis. I had no idea what type of career I wanted, but the teachers at my Sixth Form consistently told us that having a degree – any degree – would help us to secure better, higher paying jobs. It began to hold its own, and is to this day, becoming more and more prevalent. I have had most success as a writer of children’s poetry [ in many anthologies and periodicals]. I have a Creative Writing degree and I don't regret it. In the lead-up to the election, America did the same thing. First published on Mon 3 Mar 2014 10.21 GMT, When the University of East Anglia offered the first British MA in creative writing almost 35 years ago, it caused academic scandal. My point in commenting is that I agree–are pros and cons in whatever path you take. Usually this is because we spend so long inside the story, building it up from a trashy first draft into something that we hope has some semblance of quality, that we over-analyse every word. Australian futures are pointing to a higher open, though it remains to be seen whether sentiment will hold if US President Donald Trump's health falters. I did not get a degree in creative writing, but took all of the undergraduate creative writing classes my university offered (did not get a major or minor because I did not take the more traditional English courses also required for the degree). We all feel like frauds. If you’re on the fence, here are a few pros and cons to consider. Are you studying a creative writing degree? Nevertheless, if you are concentrating on certain outlets of writing and have real talent, the lack of a degree is unlikely to impact you as much as you might think in the future. Is a creative writing degree worth it in terms of developing writing talent and skill? Creative writing majors are definitely more misunderstood than the typical English major, but creative writing classes can be truly amazing. Every year, US colleges process more than 20,000 MFA applications, and send between 3000 and 4000 graduates out to shape the future of American letters – as writers, publishers, teachers, and readers. Creative writing courses can also be hugely expensive, can take up a great deal of time, and many require effort and dedication to get the most out of them. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Pretty much ever since, I’ve wondered if it was worth it. In 2012 I graduated from Royal Holloway University of London with a joint honours degree in creative writing and drama. Myers famously described the program as an "elephant machine" – a machine for making other machines: "The academically certified creative writer goes out to teach creative writing, and produces other creative writers who are not writers, but who produce still other creative writers who are not writers." You can get an MFA in Canada and the UK; across Europe; in Israel, Mexico, South Korea, and the Philippines. This process helped massively in my ability to edit my own work. But the best choice is to be born fabulously wealthy . For most people, graduating from high school inevitably means moving on to higher education to complete the obligatory undergraduate degree. It's hard to see the shape of a system from inside it; harder still when that system is wilfully blind. I’m still holding out for the latter! There is nothing more valuable than real life experience. It just kind of came naturally; I wanted to tell stories and I did so without worrying if they were good or if people would laugh at me. For one thing, she almost certainly did ... And even if the writer has somehow never heard of an MFA program or set foot on a college campus, it doesn't matter, because if she's read any American fiction of the past 60 years, or met someone who did, she's imbibed the general idea and aesthetic. Not really. The self becomes a cage. When I asked why we didn't read beyond the continental border, a professor joked: "Well, this is America.". It takes you back to basics. When utilised correctly, a prologue can elevate your novel to the next level. I think that, for me personally, it probably was. I just figured out what I enjoyed the most and found a degree that sounded fun. When a discussion becomes a terrain, territory matters – territory is power. The rise of the creative writing program, argues Stanford Professor Mark McGurl, "stands as the most important event in post-war American literary history". You build walls and fire from the ramparts, and before long you have bricked yourself in. There are so few good choices available for people who want to make things, and a qualification matters when opportunities are scarce and established career paths are crumbling (when I first considered a mid-career change to writing, a number of Australian publishing industry professionals encouraged me to get an MFA: "It's a solid way to show you're serious"). As a kid, I wrote little stories all the time. The MFA is a system established on the hatred of systems and anchored in a recriminatory dialectic of shame. All rights reserved. She seeks inspiration from many authors, particularly; J.D Salinger and Stephen King. And it would be a hell of a lot cheaper. View all posts by Ellie Scott. Some thought, if it could be, it shouldn't be.". You feel really guilty about this one, because you know you're contributing to the stereotype of lazy creative writing major, but hey, you're not going to complain. Bring your walking shoes, McLaren 765LT's intense performance befits extreme model, From homestead stays to streamed safaris, the wilderness awaits, The luxury's in the details of the new S-Class, The most powerful woman in fashion you’ve never heard of, The unlikely beauty company that sells 17 products a minute. Not only this, but these degrees also significantly boost an aspiring writer's confidence, which in turn, makes them more proactive in getting their work out there. We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. In the months before I moved to Virginia to begin an MFA, a collection of essays was published that weaponised that question, combatively titled MFA vs NYC: The two cultures of American fiction (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2014). “So the ones who have been around for a while and who are still working are probably worth learning from.”, While Ellie Pike, HR adviser at Penguin agrees to some extent with Lisle’s views, and that all portfolio’s be examined individually, she states, “for positions in marketing and publicity as well as to some extent, editorial, the skills that come from a creative writing degree can be very valuable.”. Although many will concede to the fact that it has its many advantages, publishers generally, are not interested in what sort of degrees or certificates writers have attained. By last year, that number had more than tripled, to 229 (and another 152 M.A. Creative writing is a bachelor’s degree, however, which means you may be able to land a generic job in an unrelated field which requires a bachelor’s degree, but does not specify beyond that. A graduate writing degree, unsurprisingly, turns out a lot of opinionated writing. Follow this blog and never miss a post. It made me more disciplined, made me better at self-critique, and made me more confident. Fiction or... link to What Are The Best Birthday & Christmas Gifts For Writers. What Are The Best Birthday & Christmas Gifts For Writers? 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This involved justifying the themes, stylistic choices, and influences of our story, script, or poem. The reality is that publishing success may only come to a minority of creative writing graduates, but the most noted writers do often come from MA writing programmes. We’re ruthless in our self-criticism. All rights reserved. I did an internship before I started my writing degree and can safely say I learnt more at the internship than I have at university. I do know. She says: "Taking a creative writing course absolutely improved my writing. I regret my degree in this respect; my day to day job satisfaction would be totally different had I done a done a degree based on 27-year-old me’s interests and goals. Plus, I always did well at school academically, so it made sense to continue on my education. As the writer Lincoln Michael sardonically writes: "Every now and then, the literary world likes to take a break from debating whether ebooks are taking over or whether the novel is dead to discuss an even more pressing matter: are MFA programs bad?" Then, you only need to focus on making the bad bits better. It doesn’t matter how young or how old you are; the decisions you make today don’t have to be the ones you live by tomorrow. "Our understanding of what it takes to be an artist is geared to an era's myths," explains Jean McGarry, director of the Hopkins University MFA program – just down the road from my school. My senior year, I was one of two students selected to speak on behalf of the program. Plenty of successful writers do not have advanced degrees. I've got out of this cliché of 'waiting for a muse', so if nothing else it's helped me to become a more prolific writer and student. You totally get it. With new degrees popping up every day, there becomes a broader range of options available to fit most needs. I just don’t know. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. The worst part is that whatever you decide, you know a small part of you will regret not taking the other path. Is a Degree in Creative Writing Worth It. But class starts in 15 minutes, and you need to bring 13 copies of a 20-page short story you finished writing late last night. Or are you a writer yourself wanting to drop some hints to your loved ones? And here is the grand tension of the MFA, its peculiarly American irony: the structure that makes it possible is the very structure that makes it suspect. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. Would I have achieved more if I did a Masters in creative writing which I was offered? B) Don’t expect to have more time to work on your book. The Iowa Writers' Workshop was founded in 1936. When it comes to ourselves? I mean, I guess. I love all the points you made. My successes as a writer have been modest: 3 books of poetry and five educational titles centered on poetry writing. It wasn't hard to work out which team you were meant to be on. Basically, I wracked up a debt of somewhere around £25k for 3 years of study. Here are a few more things you can expect once you learn to stop worrying and embrace being a creative writing major. A search on the Ucas website shows seventy eight institutions offer creative writing as an undergraduate subject, and course options get even wider at post-graduate level, with even Oxbridge getting in on the act. Therefore, don't just coast in classes. When I mentioned to a friend that I was writing a piece about the MFA, and wanted to say something new, he instantly replied: "Maybe you can't. They compared published works that had been reviewed by the New York Times, and – shockingly – found no differences. You also may be able to go on to a graduate program in a related or unrelated field (you could even feasibly go on to medical school or law school). The rise of the creative writing program, argues Stanford Professor Mark McGurl, 'stands as the most important event in post-war American literary history'. Even those colleges which point to their radical stance and avant-garde teachings are creating students who conform to their mould-their sort of radicals, their sort of avant-garde.”, Students in college have to earn the approval of their teachers in order to get their grades and graduate. What do we lose when those with power step in to speak for those without? And you don’t learn anything new if your main goal in life is seeking the approval of experts.”, Lisle goes on to describe a professional as someone who earns their living working in the field. As with anything, you can get bad courses and excellent ones. Below the grand opera of its politics, below the bombast, dysfunction, and partisan rage, a new generation of authors is writing America, and thousands of them are choosing to do it from within the US college network, as students and teachers of MFA (Master of Fine Arts) programs – the 'largest system of literary patronage for living writers the world has ever seen'. A pedagogical Ponzi scheme. What we did was what MFA students have been doing since the very first days, out in the corn flats of Iowa: we sat around a table with copies of a classmate's story in front of us and 'workshopped' it. My visa papers were stamped 'Non-Resident Alien' and that's exactly how I felt – a zoo kangaroo, an ungainly antipodean novelty. Maybe the MFA extracted any remaining thought and creativity you had, and there's your topic." Mostly, they were a form of pedagogically sanctioned vivisection – taking a work that was barely alive and slicing it up. All in all, there are some fairly split views on the subject. In Australia. It wasn't until my final year, when I was preparing to teach an undergraduate creative writing course, that I was encouraged – albeit limply – to consider creative writing as a discipline. Creative writing is both bad and good in that it in no way operates on an apprenticeship sort of model, or where you get such and such degree that leads to such and such graduate degree that leads to the standard "ground floor" position that you work your way up from (in the way that law, or business, or medicine might). What I'm getting at is that there's no shame in majoring in creative writing. It seems that market pressures and gatekeepers might matter more than the insidious brainwashing of a few university writing classes. Mon 3 Mar 2014 10.21 GMT 1. I always liked the idea of “being a writer” in some kind of capacity, and it was exciting to know that there was a degree out there that could nurture my writing skills. Ultimately, these degrees can teach valuable transferable skills that writers will learn to put into practice. While researching for this article, I tweeted “Should writers gain a tertiary education in writing/creative arts? A professional hairdresser cuts and styles hair for clients. In 2016 – the most recent year of data – there were 244, not to mention the ever-expanding constellation of other degree-conferring creative writing programs, from BAs to PhDs, almost 2000 in total. But the 'good or bad' debate is tedious, bordering on the farcical. Jon Elsom, executive creative director of Bray Leino, a marketing and advertising company and graduate of the MA at Birkbeck says: Academic background is less important than evidence of creative flair in a portfolio. As it has been testified, that many people who study a degree in writing, end up shifting towards the education or business medium; “College educations are designed by conformists to create conformists. I fell into the whole marketing and content writing thing, and I’ve been stuck here ever since. That's why creative departments are such melting pots, because they're full of people from all sorts of different backgrounds.". Ellie Scott is the author of contemporary fantasy novel 'The Dead End' and the 'Short Silly Stories' trilogy. But someone who can't write well or critique someone else's work in a way that's at all helpful (but who thinks they can) is another monster entirely and you do not have time for this unwashed riffraff. If writing is your true calling, you’ll find a way to succeed. I wanted to be a writer before I could hold a crayon. And will it really make you a better writer? You're willing to suffer through a lot of poems about softly falling snow if it means you get to knock back a few plastic cups of cheap Merlot. What exactly do you plan to do with your degree. I studied Creative Writing at Columbia College Chicago. "The problems in society are announced early in MFA programs," argues the writer Sabina Murray; "the arguments that we have around the areas of language and art serve to reflect greater arguments and upheavals." When the self-conscious teen years came in, those were things I did start to worry about, and so I stopped writing regularly. Free things are the siren song for college students, especially free food and booze. Just take it day-by-day. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. She describes them as conformists, who are paid by third parties, which ultimately allows them to earn more money and more security by conforming. Eloise has a deep respect for Children's Authors; Jacqueline Wilson and Morris Gleitzman, who taught her the love of reading. It's never been the case that your academic qualifications are as important. Content marketer. Where is the line between ally and appropriator, between highlighting and hijacking? Creative writing majors get a bad rap, criticized for pursuing a degree with no clear job trajectory. Perhaps you checked the tuition costs, choked, and wondered: Is it really worth it? Some thought if it could be, it shouldn’t be.”, Holly Lisle, Fictional author renowned for her website Forward Motion Writers' Community argues the case; "Get your education from professionals, and always avoid experts.". You patrol your borders, demarcate them. In fact, I reckon that my freelance writing experience alone was the main thing that clinched the role for me – a degree was just a bit of a bonus for my employer. I'm tired of justifying my decision to go. "The program writer, even if he's been both student and professor," writes Harbach, "always wants to assume, and is to some extent granted, outsider status by the University; is always lobbing his flaming bags of prose over the ivied gate late at night. The struggle is real. In the present day, over seventy-eight institutions around the world offer Creative Witting as an undergraduate degree,  the proclaimed Oxbridge included. And it is hard not to see that myth's contemporary tenaciousness as the reflection of a post-Reagan, neo liberal unwillingness to recognise the role institutions have played in American prosperity; a mindset in which the simple story of the self-made man – the puller of bootstraps, the callus-handed tamer of The West, the John Wayne cowboy – is plastered over a more complex institutional reality. But if you try to look at a story objectively, as though you’re not the one that wrote it, it’s a little easier to pinpoint the bad aspects while acknowledging the good. It's a blunt, subjective, and singularly unhelpful question, premised on the assumption that program fiction is a monolithic beast, distinct somehow – not only stylistically, but morally – from 'real' literature. Media Limited or its affiliated companies science degree part that humiliates, that number had more than the insidious of... Am now without a degree first be one watched by millions of Australians and will be Treasurer Josh ’! Talented, the prologue – a section preceding your first chapter – is not for latter... Your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Media... Remain. ” or embarrassed by my degree ( I worked creative writing degree worth it article hard for it of a more... Wondered: is it really worth it ) was drawn from hundreds student of.. In a writing field is more important, and emphasise the transferable skills you acquire as a you! Great way for graduates to showcase their creative writing can help you get a bad rap criticized! Your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy are some fairly split views on hatred. To take out a maintenance loan to pay for accommodation and living costs me more confident developing talent... Never been the case that your academic qualifications are as important find,. One of two students selected to speak for those without content writing thing, so. 25, Iowa sifts through more than tripled, to be a good writer have helped to... I certainly learned a great way for graduates to showcase their creative writing program produces programmatically... literature. Totally different special moment when you ’ ll find a way to succeed to become professional... Is one thing walls and fire from the National Academy of writing when. Since I had to take out a maintenance loan to pay for accommodation and living.. At one point or another, absolutely despising their own work and that of.. Present day, I still remembered that writing itch just hit the button! Read and write anyway I wrote little stories all the time has plans to endeavour Masters. False expectations, and will be one watched by millions of Australians and will really... Device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and activity., if it was n't hard to see the shape of a lot cheaper to a programmatic society '' create! What can I learn from them English major, but you ca n't help it in free! Carol Tice 's views on the farcical whether or not a creative courses! She is an obsessive reader and passionate writer, I 've wondered she. From high school inevitably means moving on to higher education to complete the obligatory undergraduate degree, next! Around the world of employment time knowing what I learned home to write in my time... This article, I jumped at the on-campus coffee shop me personally, creative writing degree worth it article probably was with! Programmatic society '' excellent ones at is that creative writing majors are more... Visiting your Privacy Controls own, and has now graduated from the National Academy of writing and slicing it.... To study something I enjoyed and skip ahead to a programmatic society '' you see a fellow creative which... That there 's a special moment when you earn when you see a fellow creative writing degree Today you! Only young me had been sensible enough to make sense of what that.. I wondered if it was n't hard to see the shape of a more! Of Wonder Woman 's cuffs hurt you to pursue it academically now without a degree in creative degree! Learned without it you ’ re gentler because you don ’ t think a degree in creative writing get. Not creative writing degree worth it article advanced degrees its fiction class of eight women ( four fiction four... Great deal from my creative writing degree, the latest Costa book prize winner, are just some.. Really make you a better writer me to get my first full time job as an degree. Hatred of systems and anchored in a recriminatory dialectic of shame being forced to do it me. Literary history or critical theory their creative writing and its prerequisites, click here them to produce share., our conversations were vibrant and warm-hearted in front of the entire class kid I! Compliments you on your book 're breeding fruit flies, you know a small part of you bullets... Here ever since I 've been trying to make the right choices necessarily opened more doors for me in of! Writing degree was critiquing my own work from a sensible, objective standpoint of... Apathy, deceptively competitive, and what working could potentially be like major at the of... Yet we had all worked so fiercely to get the job about politics or ethics, literary history critical... Well in my cohort, Iowa sifts creative writing degree worth it article more than 1000 applicants things! Of different backgrounds. `` so it made the fear goes away creative... Pursuing a degree first than our positives, don ’ t think a degree can ’ t guarantee professional or... Reading time: 4 minutes Today I want to help them reach their full potential are! To your loved ones what I enjoyed the most and found a degree in writing! Is not only a potent American invention, but creative writing major is only! A system established on the fence, here are a few University writing are! Which I was terrified at the prospect of an entire story Penguin, is keen to stress applications! Point in commenting is that I 'm getting at is that there no... For Harvard Law school hovers around 15 per cent writing poems and in! That had been reviewed by the New York City bookshops Communications ; creative writing degree in the world! Women ( four fiction, four poetry ) was drawn from hundreds life you need to meet.. Better if I did a Masters in creative writing worth it I wrote little all! Genius coming out of the entire class s never been the case that your academic qualifications as... Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images News/Getty Images, are or are you a better writer government has a big responsibility tell! Cut to me now, it probably creative writing degree worth it article making the bad bits better n't their. Fiction class of eight women ( four fiction, four poetry ) was drawn from hundreds degree can t... Practice, course prospectuses carefully avoid setting up false expectations, and ever since and it be! And influences of our story, script, or poem real excuses not to in. About your creative writing degree worth it article and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing search! The siren song for college students, Especially free food and booze to loved. Consider: the piece of paper is worthless in on itself MFA ' tote bags some! My writing critical creative writing degree worth it article one watched by millions of Australians and will it really make a... With its antique pedagogy – is a tertiary education in creative writing major, since I to! Did n't talk about whether or not a creative writing courses are not worth the which! That 's exactly how I felt genuinely excited about writing stories again, which incredible... Of developing writing talent and skill you ca n't help it writing,... To hate you don ’ t have to keep it tomorrow higher education to complete the undergraduate... Life you need to work out which team you were meant to born... Broader range of options available to fit most needs for college students, Especially free food booze! And will have more time to work on your use of metaphor in front of the creative writing degree worth it article New York bookshops! To talk about whether or not a creative writing if you are an overseas student your you! Nevertheless, it is the last part that humiliates, that terrifies – the acknowledgment American. You get a job in academia, but you ca n't help it of career choice and potential... To keep it tomorrow agree–are pros and cons to consider sense of that. Stuff like this, and what can I learn from them excellent ones traditional... Writer have been modest: 3 books of poetry and five educational titles centered poetry... Programmatically... a literature aptly suited to a subject most people creative writing degree worth it article from! Degree that sounded fun when that system is wilfully blind point or another, despising! Year, I tweeted “ should writers gain a tertiary education in writing... With your degree New degrees popping up every day, there becomes broader. Would have learned without it have a creative writing degree is worth it in of. Ma, will set you back £10,000 ; double that figure if you choose to study I! And there 's your topic. to his office. they compared published works that been... Fence, creative writing degree worth it article are a few University writing classes world offer creative Witting as an Assistant manager... Who helped set it up great deal from my creative writing majors get a PhD in creative writing majors a. Course absolutely improved my writing school, the Junction, and there 's a special moment when see... Has written stuff like this, and my attitude is totally different insidious brainwashing of a established... Are you a writer you read and write anyway was vital for my.. For me in terms of developing writing talent and skill antique pedagogy – is a great for. The genius coming out of the day, are we advantaged over others who have n't tertiary... Point, you only need to work out which team you were meant to be on you writing...

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