Universities Weblog

Let's be honest: Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs in writing, which typically offer instruction in fiction and poetry, have never been considered terribly practical. Can a brief stint in graduate school really teach you how to write and master the creative process? Probably not, but that doesn't stop students from flocking to the nation's 250 MFA programs. Perhaps they're seeking inspiration and, more important, professional contacts.

For an inside look at the MFA experience, consider this diatribe from a recent dropout:

I was admitted to a prestigious program in the Northeast. On the first day of my workshop class, the instructor asked us one question. "What goals do you hope to obtain with your writing?" One by one, seated at the round table, my fellow writers spoke. "I want a big book deal." "I'm sick and tired of being poor." "When do I get my million dollars?"

I was dismayed. My experience in publishing had taught me that writing literary fiction did not lead to great financial wealth. While there are a few literary fiction writers who are rewarded with huge book deals, most are lucky if they receive a small advance and are able supplement their income teaching. The odds are extremely slim that you will get a big book deal, and if you are one of the lucky few to win that large advance, your book better sell real well, or you will be dropped by your publisher.

In addition to being disheartened by my fellow writers' "show me the money" attitude, over time it became increasingly clear to me that the core of the MFA experience, the workshop, was distorting the creative process.You can read more here, and see what others have to say about their MFA experiences here.

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