My question is for experienced writers, especially those who have a degree in creative writing or something similiar. Writing is my hobby which I truly enjoy, but I have never had anything published to date so I state that I am a true novice. However, I am at a point where I would like to delve further into the world of writing, with the hopes of becoming published one day. I see various, expensive programs for Masters Degrees in Writing (MFA degrees). My undergrad is in business, so while I am educated, my former courses have not been writing-oriented. To pursue my dream, I write as much as possible. But I see options, such as these Masters Degree programs in writing, and I wonder, can they really make a difference? I am close enough to many colleges that offer such programs, including Emerson College in Boston which has a strong program. My first question is, is it worth it? It's expensive, but can it really make a difference as opposed to not going; i.e. can they teach you things and get you the connections that you likely won't get anywhere else? Also, my undergrad is not in English or a more applicable field - would this be a hinderance, and is obtaining an undergrad in English first possibly a better idea? Lastly, I wonder if it could be a waste of money, in that I may get similiar information from the books I have read on writing, etc., and there is always opportunity to take short writing workshops.... Tough call, but I would love to hear from those with experience in this area.

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I heard this from an agent: A degree doesn't necessarily guarantee you ever get published. It can however help if you plan to supplement your writing income with a job in publishing or literary agent work. I usually think about the time someone told me that they read an author's work before and after the author went to college, the "after" being considerably better. "Worth it" is going to be a different definition for everybody. If you study about how to get published a little more, your decision will make itself. There are other ways to learn and network besides in class. There are ways to impress editors and agents besides with a degree. P.S. I'm a writer, unpublished, but ambitious.

I'm an English major. My area of emphasis was Writing until recently, but I changed it to Literature simply because I can graduate a bit earlier that way. I've had two papers published in academic journals, and seven short stories published. So, in short, I'm an unemployed woman who's worked really hard and made no money, rofl! The degree won't necessarily get you hired in the field, or make contacts for you. However, it truly can improve your writing. What about going back for a second Bachelor's degree? You can usually get a second one in about a year, and it's much cheaper than a Master's program. Depending on the school, going from a Business degree to a MFA in English might be tricky. It really depends on how many writing- and literature-oriented classes you took before (not counting required classes; we're talking upper-division courses). I would check with each school to see how flexible they are with students who want to cross areas. You could certainly save yourself the money and teach yourself. However, keep in mind that the two main benefits from an English degree are (a) having your writing workshopped/critiqued by reliable people, and (b) analyzing literature. If these are things you can accomplish outside of school, then fantastic; otherwise college would be worth the money. Emerson would indeed be a great college to get a MFA from! Talk to them, and see what they say. Good luck!

The thing is if you go to a writing class, your work might become very formulaic or filled with purple prose. Some people find that inspiration leaves them once they are under pressure to do the work.