Teach Yourself to Write...Without Getting an MFA

[@simranlageju]

that website idea is good

[@EmilyButler]

My new poetry collection, GHOST HOUSE: amzn.to/3qLs5xM

[@memmiwrites3927]

I'm in my last year of sixth form (high school) - I decided not to do a creative writing undergraduate degree for similar reasons. It seemed like the right choice for a while as writing was my main hobby and I guess the thing I'm best at, but when I reflected on how much I'd learned from just reading books and consuming free writing advice (Ellen Brock is the best!), and when I considered that writing groups exist... it didn't seem worth the money, considering what the opportunity cost and, sadly, career prospects would be. (And also not having family that can help out with the finance side much was a bit of a push, too..). Cool to have my choice validated a bit :)

[@EmilyButler]

I'm sad that you're in the position of having to make this choice! I wish it were easier to simply pursue an education because you want to learn. But universities will always be there if your situation ever changes, and you can definitely still learn a lot by writing and reading on your own. Hopefully you can make some writing friends to encourage you along the way, if you don't already. Good luck to you!

[@Christina-zs2qc]

Keep up the great work- you’re not alone! ☺️

[@authorgreene]

My advice for those who want the real MFA experience but can't afford to pay for classes is to only apply to fully funded MFA programs. You'll likely get teaching experience (it's part of how you pay at a lot of places) and you'll still have to buy books and figure out a way to feed yourself while taking classes, but it's a lot cheaper and these programs tend to be robust with lots of famous faculty writers.

[@thisisritzy]

Hey Randal, great insight! I only know of one such programme, the one at Cornell. Could you name some more?

[@Jessie-i9j]

I have a problem with commas and basic grammar yet I write great I am 50 years old I want to write my first book and I can’t learn easily