All the Best Writer’s Have an MFA

I actively avoided getting an MFA for years. An MFA is one of the degrees that people tell you not to get while likely having one. I had considered it many times, but I didn’t really see the point. Most of the time, if you go read the consensus on getting an MFA, the answer is an affirmative “no” from a number of people who incidentally all have MFAs and seem to be working in the field. I bought The Pocket MFA and felt like I got all the information that I needed. However, it became obvious to me that if I wanted to survive within this field in the modern environment, that I needed a credential. So began my journey to getting an MFA.

Cameron Goes to School (again)

I began researching schools in my local area. I wanted to avoid having to travel to do a residency, and I preferred not to stop my life to teach. Low-residency was the model I was after. A few quick google searches left me with a couple of options. A school in Oregon (too far), the University of Washington (geared to English majors) and Goddard College. I decided to apply to Goddard. They seem geared toward the working person, had a low-residency, and as a bonus, it was local and self-directed. Seemed to check all the boxes. I began my application.

Why are you getting a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing?

The blank area of the application stared me right in the face. Fortunately, I was certain. I wanted to teach, and I wanted to do some big residencies. I knew that if I wanted to do this…