I’m Going Back to School (Maybe)!

As I detailed in an earlier post, I have been floundering around for several years chasing money.  I’ve run a successful business that I really don’t like, and I’ve started another business that has the potential to be very profitable, but which I have no passion for.  Rather than continuing to chase the money, I’ve decided to do something I’ve wanted to do my whole life.  I’ve decided to write.

As with most things in my life, I am not content to simply dip my toe in the water.  When I decided that I was going to make writing a priority in my life, I wasn’t content to take things slowly.  Instead, I am jumping in with both feet.

My first order of business is to actually write.  It seems pretty basic, but it’s something that a lot of wannabe writers miss.  If you want to be a writer, you have to write.  So that’s what I’m doing.

Even though I’m writing, I can’t completely put my entrepreneurial side on hold.  In fact, now more than ever, it is imperative for a writer who wants to sell as many books as possible to be engaged in the marketing of their work.  The days of going on a book tour arranged by the publisher and nothing else are over.  The author needs to be fully engaged, pushing their work.  To that end, I am working on a project to display my writing and ultimately sell more books.  More on this project in the future.

But here’s the really big news.  I’ve decided to return to school to pursue a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing…maybe.  Why maybe?  Because it’s not completely up to me.  I can apply to the various schools I have chosen, but I can’t make them accept me.  They still have a big say in the matter.

Honestly, me getting into an MFA program is a long shot.  First, every program I will be applying to gets several hundred applications every year.  I think the program that accepts the most new students only accepts 12 per year.  So the odds are not exactly in my favor.  Plus, I’m not exactly your traditional MFA applicant.  I’m about twice as old as most of the applicants and I did not receive an English degree, which is common among applicants, although not mandatory.

Even so, I’m approaching this with a positive attitude.  If I get accepted into any of the programs I am applying to, great!  That’s what I want.  But if I don’t, oh well.  I won’t be any worse off than I am now and I’ll actually have more time to write.

I guess the big question is, why do I want to bother with obtaining an MFA degree?  It’s a fair question.  After all, having an MFA is not a prerequisite to writing fiction.  However, there are two big reasons I’d like to obtain an MFA.  First, I think my writing can really benefit from the courses that are part of the MFA program.  I’m sure my writing will improve and my exposure to literature I’m not currently familar with will be really valuable.

Also, in addition to writing, I’d like to teach writing at the college level.  As much as I like owning my own business, writing and teaching writing is my calling.  I have squelched the urge to do it in the past.  But not any more.  The urge is going to be indulged.

One of the things I enjoyed most when I worked in a corporate setting was helping others realize their career goals.  Working with someone to get a promotion and then seeing them get it was a kick.  That’s one of the big reasons I want to teach.  I want to help others realize their writing goals.  I really look forward to the opportunity. 

Preparing to apply to the various MFA programs brought to mind an experience I had in high school.  I was not a particularly good student, but I did have the ambition to accomplish something with my life.  I had shown a talent for writing (dating all the way back to first grade), and I knew I wanted to make a career out of writing.

Toward the end of my senior year I had a meeting with my guidance counselor to discuss my future.  It was a meeting that every student was supposed to have before they graduated.  I explained to the guidance counselor that I planned to attend college the following year (I didn’t know which one) and I eventually wanted to become a motorsports journalist.  When I told the counselor my plans, she laughed at me.  Seriously.  She actually laughed in my face.  She went on to tell me that I was not cut out for college.  She also encouraged me to give up any hope of being a writer and just get a job.  Can you imagine a high school guidance counselor giving that advice to a impressionable teenager?

To my shame, I accepted my guidance counselor’s judgment on my value to the world.  Instead of applying to go to college, I got a job and gave up on my plans.  Fortunately, the father of a friend of mine encouraged me to go to college the next year.  The decision changed my life.  Unfortunately, I continued to accept my counselor’s view that “responsible adults don’t write for a living.”  That’s how I ended up going to law school, going to grad school, and eventually winding up working for a big insurance company instead of becoming a writer.

It’s been a long time coming, but I’m finally realizing my dream.  Applying to get my MFA in Creative Writing is another step along the journey.  And I have to tell you, just thinking about it makes me feel good.