How to Think About the Value of a Creative Writing Degree

A writing degree’s worth lies in early readers met, sacred hours at the desk, life-changing books, and deep community.
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A writing degree’s worth lies in early readers met, sacred hours at the desk, life-changing books, and deep community.
Time well-spent in grad school means “learning to labor in language in such a way that you’ve made yourself worthy of the next labor.”
Carrying a stroller down the subway steps is a good use of your time; doomscrolling and social media are not. Fight for time for the things you love and put your writing at the top of that list.
The author of Restitution (Regal House Publishing, September 2025) recommends writers use time as a tool to shape the emotional stakes of novels.
“If you put the hours in, the work will work itself out.” —Shoshana von Blanckensee, author of Girls Girls Girls
“Everything will take longer than you feel like it should, and this is a gift.” —Rickey Fayne, author of The Devil Three Times
After years spent on frustrating, time-consuming drafts, creating visual models helped one writer to assess the current state of a manuscript, estimate a completion date, and build confidence.
The author of First Love: Essays on Friendship has advice for authors who’ve lost their literary momentum.
“There’s space for your story.” —E. M. Tran, author of Daughters of the New Year
The author of The Devoted recommends looking around the edges of a story to locate the unexpected places and times where drama can unfold.