A master of fine arts in creative writing, or MFA, can make a huge difference in a writer’s career. 

First and foremost is the education itself—a yearslong, graduate-level degree focused on the art of creative writing can only make your work better. Whether or not you had the chance to take creative writing classes in high school or college, it will shock you how much the instruction from your professors, and even your fellow students, can change your work. When you can better understand and articulate what makes a piece of writing work, or not, you’ll be much better able to take the idea in your head and put it on to the page. 

Second of all is the opportunity to become a creative writing teacher yourself in the future. Unlike other kinds of college professors who need a full PhD, creative writing courses are usually taught by people who have an MFA. This is a great path for writers who prefer working outside the corporate world but don’t have the kinds of resources that would allow them to solely live off of their writing. 

And third is the connections. Not just with your classmates but with people in the publishing industry who might take a second look at your manuscript because they know someone who is an alum, a professor, or they’re just impressed by the program itself. 

But going out and getting an MFA isn’t for everyone. 

Cost

Graduate school is not cheap, even if you go to a public university. And it would almost make more sense for you to spend that money on lottery tickets than on betting your MFA will lead to Stephen King levels of fame and fortune in publishing. 

Some programs offer funding, from the university itself or easily accessible scholarships. But other than the cost of tuition, consider the cost of time—if you don’t have to pay money for classes but your program doesn’t offer part-time schedules so you have to quit your full-time job to enroll, you’re still spending a lot of money! 

Even if you have your heart set on being a creative writing professor—arguably the more practical reason to go for an MFA compared to trying to make it big with your own books—make sure you do a lot of research on the job market in your area before you take out any loans. 

Replicate the Environment

Possible outcomes aside, a great thing about MFA programs is that they help you carve out dedicated time for writing and provide a built-in group of fellow writers. 

But you don’t necessarily need a university classroom just for that. 

If you’re considering embarking on an MFA, then you are seriously thinking about taking time out of your schedule to write. What’s stopping you from simply taking that time now, without emailing old professors for letters of recommendation? The cost of spending enough time at a coffee shop to become a regular isn’t nothing, but it’s certainly less than tuition. To go completely cost free, go work at your local library. 

Either way, if you keep going back to a certain space to work, you might notice other people who keep going back. Even if they aren’t all writers, it’ll be great for your mental health to have that little bit of community. If you know you’re going to go see your “work” friends, you’re more likely to commit to your writing schedule the same way you would for an expensive workshop. 

If you’d rather have other writers to connect and share work with, it’s pretty easy to find those groups online. You could even post a link to a document on a social media website and leave it open to anyone (or maybe just a restricted group) who feels like reading it and giving you feedback. 

Take Individual Classes

Maybe you’re new to writing after having come from other artistic fields or maybe you’re newly discovering your artistic side later in life. Either way, if you weren’t a writer in high school or college, you may feel like you’re missing foundational instruction from a writing expert. 

If that’s the case, there are a lot of other resources for you to take formal literature and writing courses without completing an entire degree. Look for programming at your local library or YMCA, search online, and/or peruse social media for resources recommended by others. Lots of creative writing professors work for organizations like the Gotham Writers Workshop in New York, so you can essentially work with the same teacher without the hassle or price tag of an MFA program.

Depending on where you’re finding your class, there might be some cost, especially if it’s an in-person class or run by a teacher who is designing a syllabus and leading class discussions. However, it’s very unlikely that the cost of one class or workshop outside an MFA program is even close to the cost of a single MFA class.

Be Practical

MFA programs are easy to romanticize. Not just because writers tend to be the sort of people who like academia but also because it’s easy to think an MFA will solve all of your problems. Your self-doubt? Erased by the acceptance letter. Your lack of network? Replaced by an alumni group. Being unknown in the high-competition world of traditional publishing? Fixed by the prestige of a fancy program. 

But none of that is actually guaranteed to happen. Confidence, meaningful relationships, and career success aren’t handed out to MFA students as if they’ve joined a special club. But that doesn’t mean an MFA isn’t right for you; it just means you should prioritize what works on paper rather than just in your daydreams. 

Chelsea Ennen is a writer living in Brooklyn with her husband and her dog. When not writing or reading, she is a fiber and textile artist who sews, knits, crochets, weaves, and spins.