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MFA Fiction Programs - Questions & Concerns

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pongo
Real men bake bread.

Jan 18, 2010, 5:35 PM

Post #301 of 313 (2872 views)
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Re: [Colder] MFAs and getting published [In reply to]	Can't Post

For what it's worth, I was a book editor and agent for a couple of decades in New York. I found that those who mentioned their MFA's were generally among the most insecure and untalented of the authors who sent me manuscripts.

It's just irrelevant to your qualifications as a writer; the manuscript is the only thing that counts, unless you're likely to show up on Page Six of the New York Post.

Poetry: It's not just for sissies any more.

Difficult Listening, Sundays from ten to noon (Central time), at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/.

http://home.comcast.net/~david.m.harris/site/

Aaron_Ecyrb

Oct 5, 2010, 5:27 PM

Post #302 of 313 (1992 views)
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Re: [MattElz] MFA Fiction Programs - Questions & Concerns [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'm curious about acceptances and how many schools everyone is applying to. I'm aware this is all subjective. I've had friends apply to 3 and get into 1 and apply to 12 and get into 1.

What do you think is a realistic number to apply to? The application fee aside, I'm willing to apply to 15 if I have to, and I know some great writers get denied the first round, maybe some of you would like to shed a little light for me on how many you applied to, and how many you got into, seeing the real numbers can be helpful. And did you apply to some of the top ten and then some lower tier ones or how did you do it so it worked out for your best interest? Thanks so much. -A

__________

Oct 5, 2010, 6:24 PM

Post #303 of 313 (1978 views)
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Re: [Aaron_Ecyrb] MFA Fiction Programs - Questions & Concerns [In reply to]	Can't Post

You'd do well to spend a few minutes browsing the archives. This is one of about ten standard questions for which nervous applicants and nervous applicant profiteers have hammered out one smooth answer, these last few years.

six five four three two one 0 ->

jala
Marie

Oct 6, 2010, 9:05 PM

Post #304 of 313 (1919 views)
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Re: [pongo] MFAs and getting published [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

It's just irrelevant to your qualifications as a writer; the manuscript is the only thing that counts, unless you're likely to show up on Page Six of the New York Post.

While this is certainly true for publishing sake, working toward an MFA, I think, shouldn't necessarily have anything to do with publishing, in and of itself. The MFA is a valuable way, albeit not the only way, to become immersed in writing and reading, to work closely with talented writers (ideally both teachers and students), to form connections and bonds that sustain writers for a lifetime once the degree is finished. Of course there are more affordable ways to glean these same things--online groups and such. A friend of mine recently began a wonderful program that will be organized like an MFA only without all of the added stress and school loans, at www.literaryliving.com.

pongo
Real men bake bread.

Oct 6, 2010, 9:39 PM

Post #305 of 313 (1912 views)
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Re: [cmastrangelo] MFAs and getting published [In reply to]	Can't Post

Christa, the discussion was whether or not to mention the MFA in your cover letters. I am clearly opposed to that, but also clearly in favor of getting the MFA (at least for some people), having gone to all the trouble of getting one for myself.

Poetry: It's not just for sissies any more.

Difficult Listening, Sundays from ten to noon (Central time), at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/.

http://home.comcast.net/~david.m.harris/site/

spamela

Oct 10, 2010, 8:09 PM

Post #306 of 313 (1841 views)
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Re: [pongo] MFAs and getting published [In reply to]	Can't Post

I don't know--I was a book editor in NYC too, and I had an MFA. I knew another editor, an assistant and an agent with MFAs (the agent went to the same program I did) and we liked to talk about our programs. I loved hearing when submitting writers had MFAs. Another non-writer agent I know says on her website that she likes to hear when people have MFAs. So I don't really think blanket statements about how editors and agents view MFAs are true. At least, not now, when lots of people are getting MFAs and some of them happen to work in publishing. It's an achievement--put it in your cover letter if you want. No one's going to reject you just for having an MFA, and in the meantime, you might connect with a reader because of it.

TonyB79
Tony Baker

Dec 10, 2012, 10:57 AM

Post #307 of 313 (838 views)
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Re: [pongo] Rosemont MFA [In reply to]	Can't Post

Anybody know anything about this school/MFA program? They seem to have a pretty cool curriculum, but I was a bit thrown that they only have 800 or so students. I'm a veteran of big community colleges and universities, LoL.

As far as teaching positions and the like, would a degree from such a small school carry less weight? I just ask because I know nothing about the politics of such things...

Mercy is the mark of a great man.

I guess I'm just a good man.

pongo
Real men bake bread.

Dec 10, 2012, 11:48 AM

Post #308 of 313 (835 views)
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Re: [TonyB79] Rosemont MFA [In reply to]	Can't Post

I think the most important factor in getting a tenure-track teaching job will be whether or not you have a book published. Where you got your MFA is nothing compared to that.

I happen to know a little about Rosemont. It's a pretty small school, with some interesting graduate programs, all of which is fine (if you want a bigger community, Rosemont is on the commuter line to Philadelphia), but if you want contact with the larger literary community, I don't think Rosemont will be your point of entry as much as some other schools.

Poetry: It's not just for sissies any more.

Difficult Listening, Sundays from ten to noon (Central time), at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/.

http://home.comcast.net/~david.m.harris/site/

TonyB79
Tony Baker

Dec 12, 2012, 10:19 PM

Post #309 of 313 (780 views)
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Re: [pongo] Rosemont MFA [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'm not concerned with getting a tenure track job, especially since most of what I've read seems to suggest they're becoming virtually nonexistent. I would just like to have the option of teaching, be it part-time or whatever else, as an alternate revenue stream. It's a way to bring in some extra money, and what the hell, it seems fun.

Between my bachelor's (which is in organizational communication, as opposed to creative writing or English) and the prospect of getting published, I feel fairly confident that I won't have to rely on teaching as a PRIMARY source of income. It would just be a nice option to have in my back pocket, so to speak.

Mercy is the mark of a great man.

I guess I'm just a good man.

pongo
Real men bake bread.

Dec 12, 2012, 10:34 PM

Post #310 of 313 (779 views)
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Re: [TonyB79] Rosemont MFA [In reply to]	Can't Post

You can get adjunct work with any MFA degree. Look for the program that will best meet your needs as a writer.

Poetry: It's not just for sissies any more.

Difficult Listening, Sundays from ten to noon (Central time), at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/.

http://home.comcast.net/~david.m.harris/site/

TonyB79
Tony Baker

Dec 12, 2012, 10:46 PM

Post #311 of 313 (776 views)
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Re: [pongo] Rosemont MFA [In reply to]	Can't Post

That's what I'm thinking. Rosemont looks like a good school, seems affordable if the aid I've been getting holds out, is close to a much, much bigger metropolitan area than what I'm used to (so I feel pretty confident about being able to find work), and I emailed them last night and again this afternoon and received some very friendly, prompt, and helpful replies. The director of the program says they're very open to genre fiction, and some of the workshops and lit courses they offer seem to reflect that (a mystery/horror writing workshop, lit courses on sci-fi, popular culture, and the depiction of witchcraft in literature, of all things, and courses dealing with how to write half-hour and hour-long television pilots). Their faculty don't seem to come from genre backgrounds, but the program director addressed that and said that they're still very open to working with different types of writers. So all in all I think it would be a good fit for me; I'm just concerned about how small it is, since as I've said, I'm used to 20,ooo students and above types of institutions. I wonder how different the atmosphere will be, and also wasn't sure if maybe smaller schools might be looked down upon by bigger ones, when hiring.

Mercy is the mark of a great man.

I guess I'm just a good man.

TonyB79
Tony Baker

Dec 12, 2012, 11:24 PM

Post #312 of 313 (775 views)
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MFA Fiction Programs - Rutgers Camden and Seton Hill [In reply to]	Can't Post

So I read a few encouraging things about Rutgers Camden in a post from a few years back - does anyone know how friendly they are toward genre fiction? Rosemont in PA and Rutgers are the main full residency programs I'm looking at right now - Stonecoast, Red Earth, UC Riverside, Seton Hill, and Western State CO, meanwhile, are the low res. programs that have caught my fancy.

Has anyone here been to Seton Hill? They offer a popular fiction track, which I like, and one of my creative writing professors from Sinclair Community College in Dayton actually teaches there part-time. But their site is very bare-bones, with not very much info about the program; gives the whole thing a bit of a fly-by-night feeling. Anybody have any thoughts?

Mercy is the mark of a great man.

I guess I'm just a good man.

pongo
Real men bake bread.

Dec 13, 2012, 7:49 AM

Post #313 of 313 (771 views)
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Re: [TonyB79] Rosemont MFA [In reply to]	Can't Post

I don't think the size of the program is much of a factor in hiring part-time faculty. I got my MFA at Goddard, which had about four hundred students at the time (in all programs), and I never had much trouble getting as much adjunct work as I could handle.

Poetry: It's not just for sissies any more.

Difficult Listening, Sundays from ten to noon (Central time), at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/.

http://home.comcast.net/~david.m.harris/site/

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