MFAs--What do you do?

[Dankar1208]

Since a lot of us apply for several years before we get in (or that's the impression I'm under) what have you guys done since undergrad? Are you still finding time to write? (or act or paint?) 

 

It looks like my first application cycle will be a bust, so I'm trying to brainstorm on what I should do. One of the MFA directors said I should travel (mature worldview and all that), my professor says I should just take a year off to write, but the little voice inside my head says I need to eat and should shoot for a full-time job. Any ideas?

[AwesomeBird]

I graduated three years ago and did not even consider going to grad school.  I have acted a lot since then. Plays, independent films, I've worked as a PA, assisted some A-listers on movie sets. I didn't really feel like I was getting anywhere and my feelings of boredom/ADD/unfulfillment led me to some soul searching that eventually kicked me in the head with the realization of "WHY THE HELL AREN'T TRYING TO GO BACK??" I loved school. Anyway, when I left undergrad what I really wanted to do was build my resume; something that's super important in this field. I did a pretty good job. Now it's time to take it to the next level. I'm still praying that's grad school... if not, I'm off to LA! My advice would be, no matter where you end up or what you end up doing, write every day. Or as often as you can at least. Keep working at it. It's important to know that just because you're not in school doesn't mean you are not in a place of learning. Be your own instructor, create your own assigments, and realize that it is our job as artists to be in constant progress. You'll do great; good luck!

Edited February 28, 2014 by AwesomeBird

[seeingeyeduck]

Are you in creative writing? I don't think you necessarily need to travel randomly but maybe it would be good to find some topics/themes that you love writing about and just churn out some work. I don't know if you already have but it seems to me grad schools like candidates who are focused about what they want to do.

Did you get any feedback on why the apps were a bust? If you did, spend some time shoring those weaknesses up?

Otherwise, why not just do some things that interest you? I think writing gets interesting when people are trying out and hunting down things that are a bit out of the ordinary...

[MoJuiced]

MFA Poetry candidate here, erm, candidate to be a candidate ;-)

 

I graduated 2012, took that whole year off working in a billing office. I used my free time to read, research, and write. Began my grad apps about a year ago. Now here I am. I still work in the billing office but since submitting my applications, I've given myself a moratorium on working actively on my writing. I subscribe to a theory that getting away from things is beneficial. Plus I can feel myself desiring to get back to it and that's only building.

 

If you have the ability to travel I would suggest that. Life experiences are invaluable. I want badly to just jaunt about, stashing things in my head for recollection later. 

 

I had taken time off in my undergrad (before I came across creative writing) and I find that my experiences in life away from academics--both the good and the bad--have been a reservoir I have drawn on since. (I began undergrad in 2002). I'm a big proponent of the 'crooked path', as my mentor termed it.

 

I'm also approaching the likelihood of busting on this go-around and I plan on applying again next year or teaching English in Korea... and I'm leaning towards Korea: travel, save money, meet people, see things, experience things, write, read, LIVE. After that I might pursue the MFA again or not. I ultimately want to teach creative writing at a college level, but I'd be happy doing so at another level or in another capacity. I'll get there one way or the other, and I'm primarily concerned with being experienced and knowledgeable -- the other stuff can sort itself out.

 

(I'm also turned off by the politics and sociology of academia)

[hj2012]

MFA Poetry candidate here, erm, candidate to be a candidate ;-)

 

I graduated 2012, took that whole year off working in a billing office. I used my free time to read, research, and write. Began my grad apps about a year ago. Now here I am. I still work in the billing office but since submitting my applications, I've given myself a moratorium on working actively on my writing. I subscribe to a theory that getting away from things is beneficial. Plus I can feel myself desiring to get back to it and that's only building.

 

If you have the ability to travel I would suggest that. Life experiences are invaluable. I want badly to just jaunt about, stashing things in my head for recollection later. 

 

I had taken time off in my undergrad (before I came across creative writing) and I find that my experiences in life away from academics--both the good and the bad--have been a reservoir I have drawn on since. (I began undergrad in 2002). I'm a big proponent of the 'crooked path', as my mentor termed it.

 

I'm also approaching the likelihood of busting on this go-around and I plan on applying again next year or teaching English in Korea... and I'm leaning towards Korea: travel, save money, meet people, see things, experience things, write, read, LIVE. After that I might pursue the MFA again or not. I ultimately want to teach creative writing at a college level, but I'd be happy doing so at another level or in another capacity. I'll get there one way or the other, and I'm primarily concerned with being experienced and knowledgeable -- the other stuff can sort itself out.

 

(I'm also turned off by the politics and sociology of academia)

 

I'm not an MFA applicant, but I've been living abroad in Korea for the past few years and I really enjoy it. And...even if you don't, you'll likely amass some interesting life experiences to write about. ^^

[MoJuiced]

Can you tell me a bit about the process of getting into the program in Korea?

[hj2012]

Can you tell me a bit about the process of getting into the program in Korea?

 

I'll PM you.

[seeingeyeduck]

Why not do part time? Full time would take a lot of energy but taking the whole year off might be hard to explain to employers later and like you said, how you gonna eat!

3 years out of school here, though I also took the, er, crooked path so I am older. Not creative writing but I have written some stuff as a result of traveling and I agree that it's a good way to put your normal paradigms in perspective. It can help you make some interesting connections. I only did it when it was affordable and would help me suss out existing ideas though. Since I need materials to make other art with just traveling for no reason takes away from my ability to pay for the rest of my practice.

For a year and a half out of school I freelanced but even though I got lucky and the company I worked with had constant work, I felt like I didn't have the energy or mind space to devote to much in the way of my own work and I eventually wound it down. I used savings and had help from my partner to do art full time for a bit and apply to schools. The time has been amazing and made a huge difference in pushing some ideas forward. I interned for some folks who were doing a seriously cool collaborative project, did a few group shows, wrote for an indie publication and took lots of photos on four long trips over two years, but this all overlaps with the freelancing too. I also wrote some vaguely poetic lyrics but am deathly afraid of trying to set them to music. I also just read a lot as research and looked at a lot of other people's work. Somehow met some likeminded folks through blogging and that's been a good sounding board, source of inspiration.

This year I'm working on a new project and trying to make some headway before fall when I start school. It kind of scares me that I will have to have complete work for the first year show when I have been on my own schedule for so long.

Edited March 4, 2014 by seeingeyeduck

[spearmo]

When I finished my undergraduate degree, I told myself that I would purposely take a year off and I tried applying to programs where I would teach abroad. I applied to a program in Korea, but the plans fell through because I applied late and there's some mix-up with my application.
 

My plans for getting teaching experience and traveling were then off and I did volunteer teaching for an ESL program (unpaid and I ended up living with my parents). Then I tried my hand at substitute teaching, but that lasted for a day and it's actually more competitive than you might think. I ended up back in fast-food with a BA and ended up moving up to Wisconsin for a girl and lived there for nine months. 

Despite the set-backs, in the back of mind, I knew I would still apply to an MFA program and so while in Wisconsin, I applied to the schools nearby due to my relationship, but only one accepted me and fortunately it was the one I wanted all along and I'm grateful, (Sarah Lawrence College). Many people people in my year did take the crooked path and had experience doing odd jobs or had decided to go back to school later in life, some had even traveled abroad at some point. Some actually came straight from undergrad too, but I guess they made it somehow. But what matters is writing and reading and hoping eventually you'll be happy with what you write. 

 

[roguesenna]

I went straight out of school because 2009 SUCKED for finding any kind of work at all as a new grad.

 

I would say do a lot of the stuff that will prepare you to take the greatest possible advantage of the MFA when you get there. Work on having a portfolio of at least three REALLY polished pieces. For dramatic writing I'd say you'd want some combination of a feature film, a short film, a pilot, a spec, a short play and a full-length play depending on what your goals are. For creative prose writing or poetry writing, I would try a few pieces (or for poetry, a collection of pieces) that really showcase the forms and themes you like to explore. e.g., I am female in a male-dominated industry and I didn't want to get pigeonholed as a romantic comedy writer so my portfolio (when completely finished) includes a couple of dramatic shorts, a spec script for The Good Wife, a pilot for an epic-in-scale science fiction show (think a modern-day Game of Thrones) and a feature-length historical fantasy film. So anyway yeah. #1: Work on portfolio.

 

#2: Start a writing group or get involved in one. Try meetup.com if you can't find anyone locally, but one of the most important things for a writer is to have people giving feedback. Writing groups are great for that. If you're in dramatic writing, they're especially nice because you get to hear your work out loud which is crucial (you never know when something looks good on the page, but an actor just can't say it). But even if you're not, just getting other eyeballs on your work is great. If you start the group yourself, then you can put it on your resume and that will make you look *extra* good.

 

#3 Work as little as possible to meet your needs and dedicate the rest of your time to education and practice. It'll suck to be broke but then if you can't afford to go out, buy a six pack and sit down to write!

 

#4 Travel is great, but expensive if you can afford to travel, do it. Traveling almost always encourages new perspectives, which are great for writing! But if you can't afford it, don't do it. Nothing is more miserable than being in a strange place with no money.

 

anyway, that's what I would recommend. Oh, also #5 Consume as much of what you're aspiring to as possible. i.e. if you're a playwright, read and watch plays. if you're a novelist, read novels. as many as you can. aim for one a week or one every two weeks. If you can afford and they're available, go see artists speak, even if you have no idea who they are.