the path not taken: “MFA” ala carte?

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Before I decided to pursue an MFA in creative writing, I spent a couple of summers at writing conferences: Squaw Valley and Napa Valley Writers Conference, both of which I enjoyed. Squaw changed my life: it was after I spent a week in that community that I decided I HAD to spend the rest of my life writing fiction, somehow. Squaw was glamorous and chock full of information about publishing when I went. I was overwhelmed at times, but fell in love with the writing life. I loved Napa too; I had a more intimate relationship with my Famous Critically Acclaimed workshop leader and learned lots of new things about the craft of writing. There were moments at these conferences that felt purely social, and I often felt shy and retreated from the intensity of milling with strangers thrown together for a few days. But still, the information was a turn on for me.

It was enough for me to feel like I definitely ought to enroll in an MFA program. I wanted more of this workshopping thing, more of the writing community, more lectures on the craft of writing.

But what about people who do not want to or cannot enroll in an MFA program?

One of the other writers in my workshop at Napa Valley Writers Conference said she couldn’t afford the time or money to enroll in an MFA program. “So instead, I enroll in workshops at writing conferences every summer!” She was bright and perky and popular with everyone and I can now see her totally thriving in an MFA program somewhere, organizing readings and such. The summer writing conference/workshop was “affordable” to her: she could spare the week off from work, and the fees that average $1000.00 for room, board, and conference fees were much more manageable to her than the hefty tuition for a two year program.

I think that writing conferences are a good option–these days I’m satiated by what my MFA program has to offer me. I wonder if I’ll return to them once I graduate.

Before I enrolled in an MFA program, I also took writing classes offered by university extension and kept up with a writing group. Those too, have fallen to the wayside these days. After spending nearly a year workshopping at school AND participating in a writing group outside of school, I withdrew from the writing group. I just couldn’t workshop two times a week, every week (it was a very vigorous writing group).

But again, I wonder if I’ll startup and/or participate in a writing group again, once I graduate. Another good option for someone not enrolled in an MFA program.

I think it’s hard to replicate the MFA experience as a whole (and I’m not talking about low-residency MFA programs, they are a slightly different matter), but you can piece it together, ala carte. A writing conference here, a writing group there, lots of reading of books, lots of literary discussions, or maybe you’re blessed with a writing mentor. Not exactly an MFA program, but you can get close. As I sit here and write my novel/thesis…I often think, “Well shit. Hemingway didn’t have an MFA. J.D. Salinger didn’t have an MFA. Fyodor Dostoevsky didn’t have an MFA. Faulkner didn’t have an MFA. Murakami didn’t have an MFA. Sylvia Plath didn’t have an MFA. Toni Morrison didn’t have an MFA.” I have to really stop myself. An MFA is not a requirement to write, though I find this period of structured, “protected” time created by the MFA, precious. I needed it to stave off my other responsibilities and to explore my writing as unencumbered as possible. However, writing would not have been impossible otherwise. I know I would have continued to write, somehow, someway.

It would have been slower going, but I would have done it.

A Published Author who earned his MA in creative writing from Boston University once said that “You don’t have to enroll in an MFA program to write, but it helped accelerate things about 5 years.” I tend to agree.

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