We are the fourth class of Drexel University’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. We graduated last Friday. It’s been a while since I heard “Pomp and Circumstance” played on my behalf.
It’s time to reflect. When I went online searching for some kind of writing program to help me get over the hump of writing a novel, I was unaware that there was such a thing as an MFA program. And that it was somewhat controversial (see below). Seriously, that’s how clueless I was. I just wanted some discipline to help me write a book, and I stumbled upon Drexel’s low-residency program. “Low-residency,” in Drexel’s case, meant three residencies of 4-5 days — two in Philadelphia and one in New York. I live in rural southern Delaware, but Philly is only an hour-plus drive to the Wilmington Amtrak station, then a 22-minute train ride from there.
I can do this, I thought. I started socking away the tuition money. (No more student loans after the MBA in 1999.) My biggest chunk of writing prior to my application was the Town of Laurel (Del.) Comprehensive Plan. I had a story swirling inside my head, though, so I managed to come up with two chapters for my application. And, lo, I was accepted.
I refer at the bottom to the excellent Substack piece by Lincoln Michel, published just last week, for a more general overview of MFAs. I am here to talk about this particular program; I don’t even know if you can extrapolate my reflections to other low-residency MFA programs.
Key takeaways
Have a concrete goal beyond the degree. Mine was to write a novel. And I am now querying “The Salt and Light Express,” 89,000 words. And starting to organize the next novel on paper. If you don’t have a definitive goal, you may flounder a bit and/or find it harder to focus.
Make a decision to commit to the program. This sounds like a no-brainer, but many of my fellow students were juggling jobs and families and, well, lives. I’m not judging, which would be easy for me to do as a retired person who was able to make the program a number-one priority for two entire years. As I have said before, I believe that I wrung every dollar and opportunity out of this program. To me, that meant showing up for optional Zoom classes, commenting thoughtfully (and on time) on fellow students’ threads, reading the materials, being responsive to instructors, and translating what I learned into words on the page.
You’re definitely not too old. I am 68, and there are a couple of other students in my age range. As I mentioned above, it is actually easier to make the commitment if you are retired and your kids are raised (and you have some disposable income). And, as I wrote in a previous post, you have accumulated more to write about.
Make the most of the packet exchange. This was probably the most invaluable part of the program for me. My mentor, author Aimie K. Runyan, offered everything from broad thematic commentary to line edits to practical business advice. We made it through the entire draft, and she even reread the beginning, ending and a key chapter after I revised them. So choose wisely.
Make sure any program pays attention to the business side. This is extremely important. We definitely discerned that other programs dealt only with craft, mostly literary fiction (and poetry), and not the practical side of actually getting people to publish and read what you wrote. We met agents and editors and published writers. We are prepared for how incredibly tough it will be to get published (I am already experiencing that, but at least I am not surprised).
Broaden your reading horizons. Admittedly, this was a mixed bag for me. Although we read many excellent (and some downright creepy) short stories, I learned that I am not a big fan of short fiction. I did come to that realization thoughtfully, though. The flip side is my exposure to wonderful, diverse authors and their novels. I had never read Ann Patchett, or Zadie Smith and many other authors of color, or genre fiction such as Mother-Daughter Murder Night. I had never read a lot of commercially successful novels such as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Hello Beautiful. You might wonder, she needed an MFA to realize that? Of course not, but I developed a general appreciation for craft, structure, and what makes a good story. I still don’t read more obscure literary fiction, mostly because I want to enjoy the experience of reading.
Maintain those contacts. One of my fears is that I will lose touch with this world. I live in a rural area, although there is a robust book-club community down at the beach. I have queried agents we met and asked a favorite professor for a paid consultation. I hope to show up for writing retreats and be a stellar literary citizen. I will plug into the alumni group; I really could use feedback on my next project as it progresses. We are very diverse and literally all over the map.
The director of the Drexel MFA program, published author Nomi Eve, is a relentless advocate for the program and her students and alumni. There is no ivory tower at Drexel. Recently, she put together a contest with Running Wild publishing founder Lisa Kastner. Get this: Running Wild will offer a book contract to the winner, and it is open to Drexel students and alumni only. Two years ago, I would not have appreciated what an incredible opportunity that represents, how it collapses the playing field or moves up the goalposts or lowers the basket or some other sports analogy. I sure do now.
Great summary!