My MFA Experience, Part 1: Choosing a Program

The year I graduated from college, I decided that I wanted to get an MFA in creative writing . I knew that I wanted to go to grad school, and after debating between an MA in English literature and an MFA in creative writing, I chose the latter because I knew that what I really wanted to be was a writer. It was a difficult choice, because it is a lot of time, money, and effort to spend on a degree that won't help you much with finding a job or bettering your financial situation. But I was committed enough to the idea of being a writer that I knew that studying the craft further was something I wanted to do. I also worried (perhaps unnecessarily) that if I jumped straight into the working world after graduating from college, I might never get around to doing an MFA.

I had a hard time getting information about which programs to apply for. My professors generally recommended the Iowa Writers' Workshop, which is considered the best creative writing MFA program in the United States. They also recommended UC Irvine and the University of Virginia. But when it came to British universities, all I got were blank stares. So I ended up doing a lot of research online. I wasn't confident enough to apply for the best programs (though I did apply for a couple as "reach" schools), but I didn't want to be right at the bottom either.

Based on this experience, I've come up with a list of things to consider when choosing an MFA:

1) Money: How much can you afford to spend? What kind of financial aid will you realistically be able to get? Does the university offer scholarships or teaching assistantships?  How much student loan debt are you comfortable with getting yourself into?

2) The program itself: Look at the courses on offer for each program you are considering. Do they meet your requirements as a writer? If you're unsure, consider what you want to get out of the program. Some offer more practical courses on the publishing industry in addition to workshops and masterclasses. My program offered a day when we could all meet individually with either a literary agent or a publisher for feedback on our work. This was a huge factor in me choosing my univerisity. My program also had authorship theory classes, which focused on literary theory and the philosophies surrounding fiction. Some programs combine creative writing with critical writing, or with another related subject. Take your time in considering which kind of program would best suit your needs.

3) Location: Is the location of the university right for you? Would you be happy in a tiny town? A bustling metrpolis? Would you be bored/lonely/intimidated/overly distracted in the location you are considering? Is it near enough to your family and friends (or far enough away)? Being comfortable and happy in your new home can make a huge difference in your ability to work, which is what you've put all that effort into being able to do in the first place!

I ended up applying to several schools in the US and several in the UK. Many of the US schools rejected me. Looking back, this was because a) my portfolio at the time wasn't strong enough (I was great at characterization, but pretty clueless about plot and structure) and b) the competition is a LOT fiercer in the US, not just for MFAs but for graduate school in general.

In the end I decided to study in Brighton, England. In the UK, a master's degree generally lasts one year instead of two, so even though it is more expensive to study abroad, it being only half the time makes the cost actually a bit less:

Total international tuition for an MFA at a British university: $15-20K
Total tuition for an MFA at an American public university (in-state): $18-25K
Total tuition for an MFA at an American public university (out-of-state): $30-48K*

However, this doesn't take into account the fact that financial aid may be easier to acquire in the US (at least for US citizens), nor the fact that US universities tend to offer teaching assistantships, which can be a lot of help financially. Also, it doesn't factor in living expenses, which can make a huge difference in the overall cost of a program.

But the real reason I chose to study in the UK was pretty simple: I wanted an adventure. I had spent a year abroad in the UK during my junior year of college, and I had loved it. I wanted to return and continue to explore the UK and the rest of Europe while working on developing my writing skills. I had also heard and read a lot about Brighton, my chosen city, and I felt pretty confident that it was somewhere I would enjoy living.

With that in mind, I signed all the paperwork, sent off my housing deposit, and, nervous and excited, I boarded a plane one day in September with my laptop and my stuffed elephant in tow.

Next time: My MFA Experience, Part 2: Reality Check

*These costs are averages for a few different universities I looked into. Tuition fees can vary depending on the university and location, and may well fall outside these ranges.

Hallows and Horcruxes

Saturday night Big Chimp took me to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One. I don't normally enjoy the film versions of my favorite books, but the Harry Potter series has always been an exception. And while I've enjoyed all of the Harry Potter films, none have impressed me as much as Deathly Hallows: Part One.

The film for the most part stays true to the novel, capturing all of the darkness, the despair, the frustration, the hope, and the fear that the characters experience. It feels by far the most serious of the films, as it is the most serious of the novels in the series. It doesn't shy away from pain and loss, but still manages to remain wonderfully magical.

What I find particularly interesting is that the film delves more deeply into the relationships between the characters, especially between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. One particularly poignant scene shows Harry persuading a despairing Hermione to dance with him, alone in their tent in the woods. It's just such a great illustration of love between friends, especially between two who have been through so much together.

Another part I love in the film is the animation that plays as Hermione reads the story of the three brothers from The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The style of the drawing is just spot-on, and Emma Watson's voice complements it beautifully.

It's not often that a movie can make you actually laugh or cry, but I did both during this film. That's one of the things I love about this series: the perfect balance between humor and darkness, between gravity and whimsy.

Thank you JK Rowling, for writing the Harry Potter series. I sort of love you.

And thank you Warner Brothers for doing the story justice.

WIP update!

It's November 14, which means that NaNoWriMo is just about halfway over. Is anyone at 25,000 words yet?

As for me, I've written less than usual for the past couple of weeks while I've been making the adjustment to working five days a week (something I've never done before, ever). But despite being pretty tired, I'm happy with the progress I've made on my WIP, and I'm confident that I will have my zero draft finished before the end of the month. I only have two chapters to finish, and I'm about halfway through each one.

Someone (I can't remember who it was) posted a quote on Twitter recently that said something to the effect of, "Your first draft is for finding out what your book is about." I think that's very true. When I started writing this novel, I only had a vague sense of who my characters were and how they were going to reach their goal (finding their missing brother/friend and rescuing him from an evil magician). Now that I am at the end, I feel I know my characters—their personalities, their quirks, their fears, and their journey—so much better. Which means a lot of revising and rewriting is in store for the first half of the book. But very soon, for the first time, I will have something resembling a novel to edit, rather than just another unfinished manuscript. And I'm excited about that.