"Studying" Creative Writing

Well of course it is a personal decision that nobody can make for you.

Are you me?

Seriously. CC in General Studies at the moment and wondering this also.


Here's what I've collected:

If you want to go to school for writing, good. There are a large number of people out there that will tell you to spend 4 years in a library instead of wasting $200,000 for college. But, hey, look: If YOU will like to learn more about writing, then learn it. Don't guess at what you're doing. Everyone, I mean everyone needs to learn more about writing. If you believe that you know everything there is about writing, then write the best selling novel in the history of humanity and become rich. If you haven't, you probably need to learn something.


Here's what I'm doing:

I'm finishing up General Studies with a slight twist of english and teaching.
Then moving on to a dual major of english and psychology to a masters.
After that, probably a Dr.Phil in psychology.

Sure it's a whole lot of more work. But those are the two biggest dumps of knowledge that my brain have. Writing is my freetime and psychology somehow working into my system.

I'm doing this because I want to study what I enjoy. I can see future jobs, but why bother?

If you go for a english degree, you're setting yourself up for a teaching job. There are not many jobs out there for a english masters and too many english masters to begun with. So the chances of working at what you studied is low.

Granted, there are some success stories out there and it's rare to happen. But it does happen.


Look at it this way:

Is college a problem for you to attend? Do you have to work and take loans out for college and room+board? If you do, you might want to go for a degree that will focus on a job.

If you're like me: Who lives with mommy and attends school full-time. (I'm preparing for a loan for university) And I don't have any big worries of my future. Look, I can live with my parents while attending school without any hard draw backs. So to study what I want is simple.


Advise to you:
Read "On writing" by Stephen King. He talks about how he hit the lottery. He also studied english and teaching and became a teacher.

And go for you current goals. If you want to write, do it. If you want to know more about writing, go to school, don't just read and write. Our elders aren't exiled anymore because they know more then us, understand?

And for advise for becoming a fulltime author (what a lot of people say): Many people can write, but only a select few can be writers.

And really, imo, that hand to mouth existence is not likely to change all that much if you don't make earning a good living a priority. You will probably make more than nothing, sure, but if you're like over 90% of guys out there, you will also have a family to take care of, so there you are back at just above nothing.

Here's a good place to start, the US labor department site (assuming you're in the US). And, if you looked into some of the jobs or took a career interest/aptitude test at your school's whatever office, you may be surprised at what strengths and interests fit more than you might be aware of. The first two years of college is mostly general studies anyway. You are asking good questions at the right time.

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2007/dec/wk5/art04.htm

KodyBoye said:

My thing is that I'm not living at home with family -- I'm living with friends. I'm not worrying about paying rent, as I do other work for the person I'm living with, but I'm forced to take out student loans because I can't get a job (and even if I could, I probably couldn't handle it even though I'm a part-time student, lots of issues there, etc.) My biggest issue at the moment is whether or not I'm going in the right direction being in college. At the current point in time, I feel like I'm just digging a pit for myself to lay down and die in. :/

Click to expand...

And what other direction do you see?
College is to further your learning. A degree in computer or networking will get you a job, but not something you would like. Who likes to listen to idiots curse at a computer because the CD drive won't take their floppy disk? (I've seen this in High School)

I'm going because I want to learn more and to say I have. You can always audit writing classes too. But you can't show that you have a degree in writing.

Fruitbat said:

And really, imo, that hand to mouth existence is not likely to change all that much if you don't put any emphasis on making a good living. You will probably make more than nothing, sure, but if you're like over 90% of guys out there, you will also have a family to take care of, so there you are back at just above nothing.

Here's a good place to start, the US labor department site (assuming you're in the US). And, if you looked into some of the jobs or took a career interest/aptitude test at your school's whatever office, you may be surprised at what strengths and interests fit more than you might be aware of. The first two years of college is mostly general studies anyway. You are asking good questions at the right time.

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2007/dec/wk5/art04.htm

Click to expand...

I saw something on the news about Astronomy masters will never be out of a job. Maybe I should study the stars then.

Sorry, had to bring that up.


To Kody, any degree will bring you a job. But no degree is guaranteed a job. You might study computers and earn a masters in it, but it won't stop you from working a BestBuy in the camera section.

If you really want a job, go study nursing. It's one of the most wanted jobs in the country and pretty easy to go for.

And where did I say he should do something he didn't like? I didn't. Please read before you post.

KodyBoye said:

No way in hell you could ever get me to go to school for nursing, haha. As to 'pretty easy to go for,' I'd have to disagree with you on that. I have two friends who are in school for nursing, one of whom is constantly consumed with it, the other of which is suffering from severe anxiety and bipolar issues due to the amount of stress it places on him. (I myself am bipolar and don't need any added negative stimuli.)

Click to expand...

My mom is a nurse. I don't recommend it if you don't manage stress well.

What do you write about?

Study that.

KodyBoye said:

No way in hell you could ever get me to go to school for nursing, haha. As to 'pretty easy to go for,' I'd have to disagree with you on that. I have two friends who are in school for nursing, one of whom is constantly consumed with it, the other of which is suffering from severe anxiety and bipolar issues due to the amount of stress it places on him. (I myself am bipolar and don't need any added negative stimuli.)

Click to expand...

I know a guy about 6'2'' 235lbs all muscle and is attending college for a nursing degree. He's done lumber, trucking and the marines and now he's going for nursing.

Well, nursing was just something I threw out there. I wouldn't go for it though, I'm bad with names and numbers.


I think you should also talk to a counselor. Most colleges have mentors from the staff and the professors themselves will give you good advise.

Going for a writing degree is almost like saying: Let's waste a lot of time. But we will have fun too.

I audited a semester of creative writing and really enjoyed it. Probably was the most productive 3 months I had in a LONG time.

I always find it funny when people cite nursing and teaching etc as guaranteed jobs. Right now, the reality is there is no such thing. Governments are slashing budgets, which -guess what- means fewer public sector jobs. This means teaching and nursing staff. I spent the summer working in McD's. You want to know how many qualifed teachers and nurses are flipping burgers for minimum wage?

I have just graduated from Scottish Literature, currently studying Classical Studies and I am applying for post-graduate study in Roman Frontier Studies. Work wise I have two applications out for librarian jobs and as a Operations Manager for Hadrian's Wall. When I started my degree I thought I would get a job in Publishing, Tourism wasn't something I would have even considered!

I love it.

OnlyStones said:

What do you write about?

Study that.

Click to expand...

It's a good idea. But for the fiction, you need experience more than anything.

Some people also say to attend college for writing, but also look into classes you wouldn't normally take.

I took a african studies call. Loved it. And then I add some ideas I gained there to my writing.

A lot of my writing is action and fighting. So I took a lot, still am, taking classes in martial arts. I have two classes every weekend in fencing and boxing. Last year it was judo and MMA

gothicangel said:

I always find it funny when people cite nursing and teaching etc as guaranteed jobs. Right now, the reality is there is no such thing. Governments are slashing budgets, which -guess what- means fewer public sector jobs. This means teaching and nursing staff. I spent the summer working in McD's. You want to know how many qualifed teachers and nurses are flipping burgers for minimum wage?

I have just graduated from Scottish Literature, currently studying Classical Studies and I am applying for post-graduate study in Roman Frontier Studies. Work wise I have two applications out for librarian jobs and as a Operations Manager for Hadrian's Wall. When I started my degree I thought I would get a job in Publishing, Tourism wasn't something I would have even considered!

I love it.

Click to expand...

Wait until all the people going for nursing get out of school and raid the hospitals for jobs. I can see the unemployment now...

Sorry, but I can't see any jobs for Scottish Literature. Sounds interesting though. But you're also a example of what you wanted to study and went for it.

BotByte said:

Sorry, but I can't see any jobs for Scottish Literature.

Click to expand...

I worked for The Sir Walter Scott Trust who promote the life and works of Sir Walter Scott. I've moved back to Northumberland because I want to study Roman History at PG level, and find work within the Hadrian's Wall heritage locations here.

Scottish Literature is just another arm of English Studies, just like American Literature, Post Colonial Literature or The Gothic Imagination etc . . .

An English degree is a good degree to have, and transferable.

If you want to stay in the writing world, you could pursue technical writing or instructional design. Both can pay well, depending on your experience and where you live.

In this economy, I wouldn't pursue a degree that wouldn't help me get a job later. The job market will be bad enough without making yourself less employable. That said, do what you enjoy. If you don't know what that is, maybe you need to stop racking up student loan bills and drop out of school until you have a better plan.

KodyBoye said:

Is it wrong that I love you for saying that?

You're the first person I've talked to out of dozens of friends who's said anything remotely like this.

Click to expand...

If you feel that way, look at 90 day job training and get it over with. The pell grant will pay for that.


But taking a year out or whatnot seems useless and time wasted to me.

At Gothicangel. It's the reason why I'm going for English Master rather than creative writing. I get a more well-rounded title to my degree.

I'm glad no one has turned this into their personal soap box about MFA versus non-MFA, as tends to happen sometimes.

Here's my future plans and how I came to reach them, perhaps I can give you some insight. Perhaps not. But hopefully...

Okay, so I started out as a business major though I'd always been especially good at writing (excelled at written assignments, SUCK at math, like, a monkey with a calculator could do better). At the time I was in bands and figured I could open a music store. Then I realized opening a music store had little to nothing to do with music, and everything to do with, well, running a business. All the stuffy suit stuff I hate. I did horrible in classes, became disinfranchised and turned to writing.

I switched to technical/professional writing because I was tricking myself into "getting a job." I knew I could get a job after four years with the degree. But once again it seemed to slip into that pencil-pusher business area that I hate. Presentations. Grunt work. Nothing wrong with it, now, I don't mean to say anything against those working these jobs, but this was my sentiment at the time. I was strongly pushed toward creative writing, because that was what I really wanted to do. I decided not to cut my heart off from what it wanted any longer.

Now, please consider that I've never been practical. Life is so stupidly random that I find being practical and living unhappily is a mistake you only get to make once and then you're dead. So this may not be the same path for someone looking for financial stability or to stay out of debt.

I've been a creative writing major for quite a few years now and I have loved every class, every minute of it. The people I've met at conferences, books I've read, caring faculty. Sure, colleges have this odd literary fiction boner but I have learned so much and have also discovered you can check the lit fic stuff at the door and write whatever you want. A lot of stuff I've learned from some very brilliant and prolific published writers/professors can be applied spanning various genres. You just have to accept that lit fic is the world most of them live in so they're going to push that style.

I am going to apply for an MFA next fall. Now, MFAs are difficult, cost a lot, and about the only career opportunity for you out there is Stephanie Meyer or University Professor, it seems. But I'm taking it to learn to write. Is it stupid to spend that much money on one? I don't know. You'd have to make that decision on your own. But depending on where you go it gives you the opportunity to work directly with published and still publishing authors. By the time you get out you should have a GOOD novel-length project ready for publication (thesis). And it does give you job prospects in academia, though it seems more and more colleges want you to go for a doctor in comp/ret or something if you ever want to become permanent faculty.

All that said, my wife is going for a doctor of audiology in grad school. I won't have to work, though I'd go for the MFA anyway, but it will certainly allow me to, if I'd like, put everything I've got into writing the way I want to write.

I spent three years as a crime journalist and hated it profusely by the end. I had panic attacks every day from the amount of anguish and trauma and anger (a fair share toward me) I encountered. I felt you had to really have no emotions to do the job well. You had to think about the competition papers and not the victims of a crime and their deep and incurable hurts.

The moral of my story is I want to write fiction, or at any rate creative writing, and I could never settle. I kept trying, trust me, but it doesn't work for me.

The rest is up to you. Seems like you have some time to decide and a bright future ahead no matter what. I'm not going to say screw the safe stuff and go for what you need to fuel your passion, because that ain't up to me to say. But I can wish you the best of luck and allow you to take my story any way you'd like, if in fact I've been any help at all.

Or set to doing those things that will help you decide, career counselor, online resources, and pick a degree. I would go for that degree while you can, not stop, for several reasons. As I said, the first two years are general anyway. Time does not often give an answer by itself. You won't make good money most likely until you have that degree. And life has a way of getting in the way and making it harder to finish later. It's a time of life with a lot of decisions that can weigh heavily later on. Keep us posted.

The Lonely One said:

I'm glad no one has turned this into their personal soap box about MFA versus non-MFA, as tends to happen sometimes.

Click to expand...

I just realized my post DOES kind of look like an MFA soap box.

Wanted to qualify, my story is just sort of the thoughts that occurred to me as I came further and further down this path. I'm not totally advocating an MFA for everyone because it isn't right for everyone. Plus anyone who says you can teach yourself writing at the library is right. It just takes a lot of self-motivation and drive and ability.

I also no longer get grants, am completely on loans, plus I don't get assistance from anyone and am married. So I didn't want anyone to think this is going to be an easier path for me. Certainly, when it comes to money, it isn't. But it is the path I want for me.

I wouldn't shy away from college this early in the game, if I were you, because I was really undecided much later into college than you are now.

But again it's up to you what you do with your life and no one has the right to judge you but you. Again, best of luck I do hope you find the right path to follow.