How to Become a Writer in Florida with a BFA, MFA or Similar Creative Writing Degree

Creative Writing Classes, Courses, and Workshops in Florida Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree

Regardless of which area of Florida you call home, chances are there’s a writing workshop, poetry slam, or writing convention nearby. Florida’s eclectic culture has always inspired artists and encouraged them to pursue their craft, and today it’s no exception. Where and how you’ll get involved is up to you, but there’s never a shortage of opportunities awaiting you.

Daytona Area Fiction Writers is a great community of creative writers who gather every week to critique original works by fellow members. When it’s your turn, you’ll submit up to 20 pages of your writing to the other members, so they can read it and prepare to give you their feedback at the next meeting. All forms and genres of fiction are welcome here. It’s a little intimidating, at first, but you’ll appreciate the constructive feedback.

We Write Here Black and Women of Color Writing Group is a Tampa writers group that aims to help black women and other women of color reach their writing goals. It’s a popular group (they currently have more than 450 members), but they’re always open to new members with a creative voice and a love of the written word. Just make sure to register for a future writing group meeting to get in on the fun.

Wordier Than Thou Meetup for Writers and Book Lovers is a lively group based out of St. Petersburg. This supportive community of writers frequently gets together for workshops, open mic nights, and author readings. It’s a big group of more than 2,300 active members, but there’s always room for one more.

The Florida Gulf Coast chapter of Sisters in Crime is part of a nationwide writing group with more than 70 chapters across the country that’s focused on supporting women writers of crime fiction. Pop in on one of their monthly online meetings and then head to their regular community events like books festivals and workshops for an opportunity to get to know your fellow “sisters in crime.”

The Miami Dade College Miami Book Fair is home to a host of programs and events for emerging writers and artists. They offer non-credit creative writing workshops and host an annual creative writing conference that includes craft talks, a publishing seminar, workshops with bestselling authors, and even individual manuscript consultations with a literary agent. And if the thought of writing alongside fellow writers while taking advantage of happy hour cocktails sounds like a good time, they also host First Draft – a series of informal writing events that begin with an interesting writing prompt and a cold drink.

Not to be outdone by all the cool happenings in and around Florida, the state’s literary magazines are where you’ll find inspiration and a chance at publication.

Miami’s Gulf Stream Magazine is a popular publication that features the work of emerging and established writers and artists. They’re always on the lookout for unpublished fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and visual art.

Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art is a literary journal that’s produced by the MFA program at the University of South Florida. Whether you live in Florida or across the country, they want you to submit your original work of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction, as long as it’s Florida-themed.

The Southeast Review is a national literary magazine produced by the English Department of Florida State University and edited by grad students. They publish literary fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, book reviews, and art. This publication is available in print and online, and they offer four $500 awards annually in four categories: art, short story, nonfiction, and poetry.

Writing Colleges in Florida Offering Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing Provide a Path to Becoming a Writer

Writers write, and there may be no better place to do so than in Florida. Whether you’re meeting fellow writers for cocktails and writing workshops in Miami; having your work critiqued or critiquing the work of others through writers groups in Fort Lauderdale, or attending a writers conference in Kissimmee, there are more than enough options in Florida to keep you engaged in the writing community and working on your craft.

But when you’re ready to take the leap and make your writing not just a part-time pursuit but a full-time job, you’ll want to consider the value of earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) or Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing among other undergraduate and graduate degree options in the field. Fine arts degrees have become popular creative writing programs in Florida and across the nation, while a BA in English with a creative writing concentration will always deliver exactly what any writer needs.

Creative writing degree programs provide aspiring writers with a solid foundation in theory, unmatched hands-on learning experiences, and outstanding guidance and mentorship from dedicated instructors who are also often published writers.