Hi
I am sure this question will have been asked many times but I keep mulling over whether to do a creative writing masters degree.
My undergrad is not creative writing or English so I might not even be eligible.
My main reason is that I want to be a better writer and to have professional guidance as well as peer support. I understand that at the end of it I will not necessarily be any closer to publication.
I wonder whether anyone who has done such a course or who teaches on one has any advice re the time/money involved/how to choose a course etc.
I am writing short stories at the moment and entering regular competitions. The best I've done is to be long-listed for the Mogford Prize in 2015.
Thanks in advance.
Sam
Well done for the short listing- this is a hard slog job and know your frustration. I have not done an MA myself but I have done a few more localised courses. Both run by ex-MA students who were trying to keep the wolf from the door. They were interesting and fun to do but I found most courses tend to focus on the same things and once you know them...
I know several people who have done the MA and only one of them was eventually published. I only know this because I once found her novel on the discount shelf in Tesco. I didn't even buy it- what does that say about me? (Or indeed, her?)
The truth is academia needs the money from these courses, and therefore they will be expensive as the market is aware of how much people want to see themselves in print, sometimes at any price. The tutor's themselves are not well-paid, therefore the quality is patchy.
Yes, some people will benefit from them and others won't- it 's a gamble like most things in life we have to invest our time in.
Christine has given you good advice and it is up to you whether or not you choose to improve your writing this way.
Meanwhile, keep working at it. Your writing will improve with practise, and read read read for fun as well. Writing although hard work, should give you immense pleasure too. Don't forget that. Keep entering the comps - this is a cheap and speedy way to get feedback and build up a body of work. Good luck.
Thanks Christine - It is good to hear from someone who has completed a Masters in CW. I had heard good things about Bath so it is interesting to hear your views and I totally get what you say about cost. It does seem a lot for a lot of self driven work which you could likely do by yourself with the right guidance.
I have looked at the OU Creative Writing Masters. They teach the course solely online with no face to face tutorials. BUT I could get a postgrad loan for the course which you can't do for other short courses/personal tuition.
Congratulations on being published :)
Sam
Hi Sam,
I did an MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa Uni in 2013. I didn't have a full degree, but was accepted after submitting samples of my writing and undergoing an interview - which wasn't very taxing. The course lasted a year and cost £4,000, but only consisted of 6 hours a week contact for the first six months, followed by 4 hour long tutorials in the last six months. This made it a very expensive hourly rate and the quality of tutoring varied greatly - from brilliant to appalling. If you don't actually need an MA qualification I would look to less expensive forms of tutoring.
The Open University's Creative Writing and Advanced Creative Courses are very good - they are much better value for money and will give you all the basics.
With hindsight I wish I'd spent my MA fees on the private mentoring I am paying for now - which is with a published author who has also taught MA. Although the rate works out at £40 per hour I learn far more in that hour than whole seminars on the MA - although I do miss the workshops.
I'm now a published author - with my MA manuscript forming the basis of my memoir 'Into the Valley' -which is being published by Mirror Books on the 28th September. I also do email tutoring for beginners :)
Chris Clement-Green