The joys of an MFA program

I haven't been blogging as much as I could have been the last few months as a result of my participation in University of Washington's Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. I thought I would take this opportunity, at the end of my first quarter, to talk a little about why I think I made the best decision of my life by applying and attending an MFA program.

Surrounded by Brilliance.

Every since my first day I have been really impressed by my classmates. They are a talented and lively group, and they are a constant source of inspiration, encouragement, and good old fashioned competitive fire. The students in my cohort are also becoming an invaluable support group and editors that every writers needs.

Pushed to Improve.

With the program's emphasis on improvement, I have been forced to take stock of areas in my writing that are not as strong as they could be. Attacking these writing pressure points for the last three months has unearthed some extraordinary work that I would not have generated otherwise. Some of it is work that I am comfortable submitting to the ultra-competitive short fiction market.

Tangible Results

At the end of my first quarter, I have already generated a chapbook of writing that I completed and published in a limited-run booklet. While this may not seem like much of an accomplishment it is hard to articulate the pride you feel seeing tangible results that you can hold in your hand. It is a pride that I will never feel no matter how high the sales figures of my eBooks happen to climb.

For those who may be considering an MFA program but who may be on the fence because of the degree's uncertain value, I strongly encourage you to take the leap. My only regret is that I didn't start the program sooner.