A Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a degree that will further your career as a writer. While an undergraduate degree might teach you how to write, an MFA will give you the tools to be a skilled writer, capable of bringing your creative ideas to life on paper.
If you’re interested in becoming a writer, you might wonder how to get into an MFA in creative writing. In this article, we’ll discuss a few of the best ways to accomplish this feat. Let’s get started.
Decide What Type Of Writing You Want To Pursue
Writing is an incredibly broad field, encompassing a variety of genres and forms. Because of this, an MFA in creative writing will teach you how to be versatile as a writer, able to tackle any form or genre you decide to pursue. In this way, the program will give you a leg up over other applicants, as well as make you a more valuable employee.
If you’re not sure what type of writing you want to pursue, take some time to think about what makes you excited. For example, if you love to read and feel that your writing reflects this love, you might want to consider studying creative writing with a particular emphasis on prose.
Find A Concentration That You Can Pursue With Ease
An MFA in creative writing will require you to make a decision concerning your concentration. There are several options to choose from including fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Each of these areas has its perks, but if you’re looking for ease of study, you might want to consider a concentration in poetry. Furthermore, if you’re looking to further your career, the MFA in Creative Writing with a focus on fiction might be the route you want to go down. If you’re not sure which area to pursue, it might be best to consider discussing this with a career advisor or counselor. After all, the first step in any new career is to determine what you want to do and how you want to do it. An MFA in Creative Writing will give you a head start in the right direction.
Choosing a concentration in creative writing will also require you to decide how many years of education you need for the program. If you plan to pursue a career in fiction, you might want to consider a Master of Fine Arts with a concentration in Creative Writing and a Literature emphasis. This will give you the flexibility to become a published fiction author with ease. If you’re more interested in non-fiction, a Master of Fine Arts with a concentration in Creative Writing and a Journalism emphasis might be the right fit. Alternatively, you could go for the poetry slam and become a celebrated, published poet.
Get The Graduation Paper
Even though an MFA in creative writing is a terminal degree, you will still need to complete a graduation paper in order to graduate. This paper will review the key concepts that you’ve learned throughout your studies. If you’re interested in gaining employment in the field, the review of concepts might be the type of paper that gets you noticed. Furthermore, getting the paper done well could also lead to more opportunities. In the meantime, familiarize yourself with some of the professional organizations that represent writers. At the very least, participating in the groups will give you an opportunity to network and find out what’s going on in the literary world.
Get The Internships
An MFA in creative writing will also give you the opportunity to gain some practical experience by completing internships. In an internship, you will be placed in a professional setting where you will learn how to be a successful writer. It might not be possible for you to gain all of the experience you need in one place. Therefore, completing an internship might be the next best thing. Before you know it, you’ll be writing your master’s dissertation while getting paid to do it.
There are several places around the country where you can find well-known MFA creative writing programs. You might decide that you want to go to a campus that’s close to home. Regardless, no matter where you go, an MFA in Creative Writing will put you ahead of the competition.