Hello, faithful readers. Earlier this week I graduated from Seton Hill University with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Writing Popular Fiction after two and a half years. It’s taken me a few days to unpack (physically and emotionally), but here it is.
I’m very thankful for the program – there’s no other program with a focus on genre writing exactly like it. The MFA at SHU teaches students how to write fiction that’s meant to be consumed by the public at large. We write the very books that we (and many others out there) love to read – for fun no less!
If you were one of the lucky attendees at my thesis reading, you’ve heard the thank yous, you’ve seen me demonstrate the lessons I’ve learned by reading part of my thesis novel, and you got the meet the most important people during my time in the program: my critique partners and mentors (shout out to Katie Catanzarite, David von Schlichten, Joy Held, Anne Lynch, and my dream team mentor duo – Heidi Ruby Miller and Paul Goat Allen.)
I recommend this program to anyone who wants to give novel writing their best effort. It undoubtedly changed my life and improved my work and mindset as a writer forever. For those who don’t want the soul-crushing student loans of a graduate education or just don’t quite “get it,” let me sum up some of my biggest lessons from the program.
- Build your tribe and keep them with you. I know it sounds cheesy, but this is a huge one. Over the course of your life, you’ll probably have many tribes small and large regardless of what your passions are. However, for writers, feedback from your peers is essential if you want to create market-ready material. I consider nearly all of the SHU WPF students and alum part of my family, and then I also have that special aforementioned smaller tribe comprised of teachers and writer friends I hold dear. I couldn’t have made it through the program without their support, and I will continue to harness and appreciate it as long as I can!
- READ READ READ. If you want to write great books, you need to read great books. It’s not always about studying or imitating the experts, but instead getting the flavor of as many books in your genre as you can – and some outside of your genre too. Read like your life depends on it. Know what’s hot, what’s not, and keep loving books the way you did before you considered yourself a writer, and you’ll become a better writer.
- Don’t stop learning. I may do another degree, or I may not. Either way, it would take many lifetimes to learn every tool of the trade and there are so so many ways I can pick up on these tools (besides formal schooling), and I can always add to my collection of writing skills and experiences. Every day I need to learn more about life and about writing, and I need to make the lessons count. I’m nowhere near done as a person or a writer.
- Network!!! I LOVED networking during this MFA program. I would talk about writing literally from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed (like 1am) in an effort to make connections in my industry. I feel like I know writers all over the country now and I’ll never be alone at conferences. I know so many impressive SHU alum (looking at you Hanna, Carrie, Suz, Cathy, Traci, and so many others) as well as guest speakers we’ve had, plus my teachers and classmates. It’s already been great to have these connections and I look forward to strengthening them and making more.
- It’s never done, and that’s okay. You could write, then rewrite, and rewrite again for your whole life. It’s hard, but this program taught me when to say “good enough” or “I’ll come back to this later.” I’m proud of my thesis and I’m ready to move on to something new as a pursue an agent’s representation for my work.
Next week I hope to blog again, and maybe even share some insider secrets I learned at this semester’s five day residency in Greensburg.
Drop a question in the comments about writing, my MFA, my thesis or anything else. I will gladly get back to you!
Kylie Peters, Author 