Lydia asks the following question to the Traveling Blog Sisters:
“What formal writing experience do you have? (classes, degrees, major/minors). Did it shape your writing?Have you ever considered getting an MFA?”
My easy answer?
I’m not edumacated in the formal sense…well, I went to medical school, but that doesn’t really count because that’s where we doctors learn how to use abbreviations and develop our wretched handwriting skills. (Am I right, Lydia? Yeah. Admit it. I’m right. * snarf * )
And I took a basic English class in my freshman year of college. But other than that, no I’ve never taken creative writing classes or anything. Nor am I interested in getting an MFA. I’m done with homework. DONE. 😉
Not that I’m against classes and such. I think that classes can be very good, even crucial to a writer’s development.
Tell me, friends, what classes, seminars, etc have you taken to develop your writing skill? What was helpful about it and why?
Stay tuned for next week, when Lydia answers her own question. 😉
Author Laura Diamond--Lucid Dreamer 
Sounds about right. I’ll talk more about my education for my post in a few weeks, but I totally sympathize with the “done with homework” sentiment. Except … oh, yeah, I’ve been up since 2am writing a psych eval. The homework never ends …
I’m with you. I’ve got my MA in Psych…not writing. Though since I graduated from the University of Iowa many think I attended their writing program. LOL. I took online writing classes, attended writers conferences, and learned from my crit partners. So, that’s more like on the job training, right? 😉
My degrees are in education. I took a lot of reading/writing courses because I taught English, so I have *some* background. I’d love to take some creative writing classes some day when I have time. I’m actually one of those perpetual student types who really enjoys school. I’m weird. 🙂
I went to the school of hard knocks (upside the head), and am still surviving! I got enough stories to last a lifetime. Mine anyway. =)
I thought of getting a degree in writing, but then I decided it might be better to get a degree where I could get a job and not starve to death.
Handwriting skills? *looks blankly, tries to read illegible progress note*
What handwriting skilz?
LOL.
I like to say that when it comes to writing, you went to Life University instead. 🙂
I have a Bachelor’s degree. It’s not exactly educated, but I make do.
I have taken poetry workshops and I’ve attended a couple of writer’s conferences but I don’t really know that any of it has influenced or affected my writing. I did consider an MFA for a time but I quickly realized that I do not write the way an MFA would want to train me or expect me to write and so it wouldn’t be a good fit. I’ve never done anything formal for writing fiction. I just write and practice my craft and learn by doing.
LOL! I can remember a time when I didn’t mind homework. At least, not too much. 😀
Just scrabbling up the writing hill (I think some guy named Sisyphus was there first, though). Undergrad and grad degrees not in writing. Best advice I ever got from an agent: join a good writing group. I did spend two years in a monthly novel writing workshop taught by a university creative writing prof., as well, and have to say I learned stuff there. It paid off in making me think more about the work and less about me as a writer, too. . . such a good thing! 🙂
I’ve just written. For a long, long time… :p Seriously, though. I worked FT as an editor for 10 years, then a freelance journalist for 7. And I read a lot… 😀
I don’t think you HAVE to have an MFA if you practice and engage critters/betas. 🙂