The truth is, most writers don’t have advanced degrees in creative writing and most probably don’t need one. That is not to say there aren’t advantages to attending a writing program. For one thing, you have a structured literary space to work out the kinks in your writing. If you are mostly self-educated writer, a writing program will expose you to methods and ideas that you may not discover on your own. Most importantly, you meet and are mentored by experienced, professional writers.
But not all writing programs are necessarily equal. While, in reality, you learn pretty much the same thing book-wise, prestige and the quality of professional connections, sadly, often mean more for the career-oriented scribe, and attending the Iowa Writer’s Workshop carried more weight than attending a program at Podunk University with a less well-known faculty. Although, attending Podunk University will matter more than perhaps getting an Online masters from an unaccredited institution. Such online programs are usually fine for business administration or similar fields where you’re already established in your career and you’re just looking to add some educational/training achievements to your resume to make that next promotion more likely. For writers, however, you have to be mindful of your goals. If you just want a little feedback an social opportunities with other writers, join a writer’s group and save yourself a lot of money. If you’ve written a novel you think has bestseller potential, attend a few writing conferences and press the flesh with as many industry insiders, agents, editors you can. However, if you are looking to break into print in prestige literary journals and also want to teach writing, attend the best writing program you can get into and don’t look back.
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