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

Twain and Woodrell aren’t the only notable authors to hail from Missouri. Gillian Flynn, author of “Gone Girl” made a name for herself in recent years. T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou have all called Missouri home.

So, what’s stopping you? Open up your notebook (or Word Doc, whichever), and start getting your story down. Like anybody, you may need a little guidance, of which you’ll find plenty in a creative writing degree program – whether you’re un undergraduate looking at BA and BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) options, or an eager grad student with your sights set on an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) program. A degree in creative writing requires intensive study and commitment, but they’ll help you become the best writer you can be.

Missouri’s Creative Writing Classes, Courses, and Workshops Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree

What can you do before pursuing a degree? You’ll hear it often, but it bears repeating: network. Join writers groups, seek other artists, and develop a community you can come to for feedback on your work.

Creative writing circles and workshops are good primers for a creative writing BFA or MFA. You’ll get used to hearing others’ work and offering critique.

Most importantly, you’ll learn how to be a studious recipient of that critique. It can be hard hearing what others think of your work, but if you act on it, the stories you produce will be that much stronger. No one produces a perfect story. You’ll throw some away, and change others so much that they don’t even resemble the original draft. That’s OK – it’s part of the practice.

The question is, where do you find other writers? Start out with local hangouts, preferably ones with more of an artsy feel (it’s not a prerequisite, but it helps). You need to go where writers work. In Missouri, a few such places come to mind: