I could not possibly agree more, and don't think you're being too harsh at all in suggesting that MFA programs can go fuck themselves. It's like purchasing an anchor to chain around your neck before you even dive into the pool.
My advice to writers who want to go to college? Study anything BUT writing! That'll give you other things to write about in an informed and passionate manner.
Meanwhile, read and write like crazy on your own. You don't need a professor looking over your shoulder to find your own voice. And I've seen lots of writers lose theirs, in their desperate desire to conform. Which is the most heartbreaking outcome of all.
Working as a finance paralegal did far more to get me published than what is taught in a MFA program. My copywriting clients don't care if I can world build as much as they care that I know what I'm talking about in my posts about business, law, or finance. In this world, it's easier to get published if you've been working as a writer and already building a following than if you have an advanced degree.
I think MFAs can be useful to 1) find connections that could get you published (faster) and 2) find a job in the publishing industry that could eventually get you published (faster). And yeah, as you said, to be able to write more and have some sort of deadline. But in the end is not a breaking deal.
Go for it if you can afford and would enjoy it. But if you cannot afford it, it’s no biggie :)
I could not possibly agree more, and don't think you're being too harsh at all in suggesting that MFA programs can go fuck themselves. It's like purchasing an anchor to chain around your neck before you even dive into the pool.
My advice to writers who want to go to college? Study anything BUT writing! That'll give you other things to write about in an informed and passionate manner.
Meanwhile, read and write like crazy on your own. You don't need a professor looking over your shoulder to find your own voice. And I've seen lots of writers lose theirs, in their desperate desire to conform. Which is the most heartbreaking outcome of all.
Working as a finance paralegal did far more to get me published than what is taught in a MFA program. My copywriting clients don't care if I can world build as much as they care that I know what I'm talking about in my posts about business, law, or finance. In this world, it's easier to get published if you've been working as a writer and already building a following than if you have an advanced degree.
I think MFAs can be useful to 1) find connections that could get you published (faster) and 2) find a job in the publishing industry that could eventually get you published (faster). And yeah, as you said, to be able to write more and have some sort of deadline. But in the end is not a breaking deal.
Go for it if you can afford and would enjoy it. But if you cannot afford it, it’s no biggie :)
As someone with an MFA, this is the exact advice I give, too. Loved your thoughtful response and ideas!
That's good news. I have stubbornness in excess, but I don't have an MFA.