Welcome to part two of our MFA series. If you’re just now joining us, check out part one where I breakdown three key benefits of getting an MFA in creative writing. Today, I’m outlining the three things I wish I knew going into my first semester.
Once again, it’s important to note that I did my first year at the University of San Francisco before transferring to the University of South Florida. This post will cover my experience at both programs. Let’s jump in.
What I Wish I Knew
1. Funding Means Less Debt, Not Less Work
I won’t get into the details in this post, but I basically transferred programs because of my financial situation. San Francisco is an unfunded program in one of the most expensive cities in the US. I was working three jobs while being a full-time student and trying to finish Lit by Burning. Needless to say, I was broke and exhausted, but I couldn’t drop out. I needed this degree to pursue a career in higher education, so I applied to transfer to a fully funded program in a more affordable city.
Luckily, I got into South Florida, and my parents happen to live outside of Tampa. I moved back home, thinking I could finish my degree and have more free time to focus on my book, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Even though I was technically only working one job as a college instructor, I was still working the same long hours. I did end up having more energy for writing though, because I didn’t have to context switch between my jobs. But in the end, I didn’t get more free time to write like I thought I would. Overall, I’m glad I had the opportunity to transfer since I graduated with significantly less debt than I would have otherwise. Still, I wish I fully understood that funding did not equate more time.
2. Diversity and Culture Matter
The best thing about San Francisco’s program is that the university is one of the most diverse universities in the country. In the MFA program itself, 50% of the student body are people of color, and (when I was a student) 45% of the faculty were people of color, mostly women of color. As an emerging Black writer, this exposure to diversity in a workshop setting was crucial to my growth, especially after studying creative writing in a predominantly white program for undergrad.
In addition to the diversity of the program, the SF Bay Area is my favorite place in the US because it aligns with my cultural values. All that said, I grew up in remote parts of North Carolina and Florida. More often than not, when I was a kid, I was the only person of color in my classes and after school activities. As a result, I thought I could get used to a lack of diversity again. But rejoining my family in rural Florida was a difficult adjustment. I didn’t realize how much I valued a diverse, metropolitan experience until I no longer had it.
3. Classes Outside of Your Concentration Are Good for You
My second semester at South Florida, I had a chip on my shoulder because I was required to take a Victorian Literature class with the literature PhD students. At this point in my writing life, all I wanted to do was talk about books in terms of craft, not in terms of literary criticism. As a result, I went into this class with a bad attitude, but to my surprise, the class was awesome. We focused on adaptations of Victorian novels. For the first half of the course, we read Great Expectations, watch film adaptations, and read reimaginings of Dickens’s story. In the second half of the course, we did the same thing with Jane Eyre. Studying adaptations was so much fun that I even left the class with my own adaptation of Great Expectations. In my retelling, Pip is a Black filmmaker in Seoul about to marry into a wealthy family. You can read this story online in Aquifer: The Florida Review.
All this is to say that everything we learn is useful. I wish I had gone into that class (and honestly every class) with a positive attitude. I recently watched one of Ali Abdaal’s videos, and he discussed the concept of approaching every activity with the thought: “This is going to be fun.” Since watching his video, I’ve kept this post-it on my desk to help me reframe my outlook whenever I’m taking on a difficult task. Is there any task or project you’re struggling with? Try sticking this reminder to your desk and let me know if it helps in the comments.
General MFA Pros and Cons
Pros
You will write a lot and get closer to obtaining 10,000 hours of writing practice.
If you’re a fiction writer, you’ll likely leave the program with a first draft of your novel or short story collection.
You will be qualified to teach at the university level.
You can potentially find a life-long community of writers who could support your work through beta reading and general encouragement.
Cons
Funded programs will waive tuition, but the stipend is often lower than minimum wage. Unless you’re independently wealthy, it’s difficult for most people to live on this stipend.
Teaching is hard all around. For some people, teaching is inspiring, and it gives them energy to write after class. For others, teaching drains their writing energy more than a normal 9-to-5 job would.
If you write genre or young adult, it can be difficult to find a program that is a strong match for your writing interests. This attitude is changing, but most fiction programs are best suited for literary writers. If you’re looking for a program that nourishes genre writers, San Francisco and South Florida are both genre-friendly.
Recap: Is an MFA Worth It?
You can learn how to write, teach, and build community outside of an MFA program.
I got an MFA in order to teach at the university level.
Here are the three most important things I learned during my degree:
Professional Development
Project Management Skills
Creative Writing Pedagogy
Here are the three things I wish I knew:
Funding means less debt, not less work.
Diversity and culture matter.
Classes outside of your concentration are valuable.
Got any questions about MFA programs? Leave a comment below!
What are everyone’s holiday plans? I recently tweeted that this month is No Fun December for me. I need to hunker down and make serious progress on my book this winter. But let me live vicariously through you! Tell me about all the fun activities you’re doing to recharge.
Looking ahead, next week’s post features a craft lesson on creating strong antagonists and building effective conflict. I’ll be taking a break on December 25th and coming back on January 1st. We’ll be starting the new year right with tips on overcoming imposter syndrome and getting out of our own way to become the writers we’re meant to be.
See you next week,
Kat