So you want an MFA, but you don’t want to go back to school? 

I get it. As a person with a lot of advanced degrees, the thought of enrolling in a traditional MFA program or even a hybrid writing program was not appealing to me. At all. I love writing. I have strong writing skills, but limited my work to non-fiction pieces like this one. Most of my creative writing was limited to what I did during the summer. I really wanted to get better at creative writing, so when PocketMFA crossed my path, I was intrigued. But what was I really getting myself into by applying to an online writing program?

An Online MFA Program? Explain.

I am a geriatric millennial living in a digital world, and I am still getting used to online learning. All of my learning happened pre-Covid. I know how in-person school works. I know the system and the rhythms, but everything has changed in education so I was open to the experience of a writing degree online. PocketMFA offered the structure I needed: the schedule was clear from the beginning. I worked with a mentor in a specific genre and I workshopped my work with my peers who are all working toward a common goal: to grow in the craft of writing. The main reason I enrolled was the start date, which worked with my teaching schedule, and my fiction writing mentor: Francesca Lia Block. 

Writing Mentors With Loads of Experience and Expertise 

I grew up enthralled with the works of Francesca Lia Block. Weetzie Bat was the coolest character I’d ever read and her uniqueness made me feel like I could also assign a nickname to literally everyone I encountered. It made sense to work on my creative writing with the person whose writing brought so much vibrancy to my teenage years. As my mentor, she ushered me through the awkward stages of becoming a writer. The online creative writing format made it easy to quell any embarrassment or vulnerability I was feeling about the process. 

Wait. Embarrassment and Vulnerability? 

Yes, AND the community of learners in my cohort also helped with the feelings that came along with sharing my art. Every weekend, we held each other’s works with tentative, but confident hands. Francesca structured the class and the workshops in such a way that had us constantly examining our choices as writers. The feedback I received – based on a trusted method that we were trained to use – was constructive, and extremely helpful. It was super helpful to have other people read my work and tell me the things I couldn’t see for myself. 

What Comes Next? 

I finished the program in September, and now am way more confident with my creative writing. My aim is to make writing a career and the pathway is clear. After the program ended, the PocketMFA assistant director, Lauren Davila, made time to answer my pressing questions about the publishing process. I also have life-long access to recorded workshops, and community resources, and I have the option to continue working with my cohort through the PocketMFA learning management system. My experience with PocketMFA far exceeded all of my expectations for a low-residency creative writing program. If you’re on the fence about applying like I was, I highly recommend taking a chance on a non-traditional route to an MFA; it might just be exactly what you’re looking for.