For Writers of Books for Children and Young Adults 


The MFA:
 are YOU 
ready to make...   the leap?

Getting the MFA requires a sacrifice of both time and money. Even if you choose a low-residency program, your family’s schedule will change. Dramatically change.

So how close are you to jumping off the cliff?

First step:

It’s the process!

Getting an MFA is not about PRODUCT. It’s not a guarantee of future publication. I worked on four novels during my time at Vermont College. With each new project, I learned something new about craft—and these lessons are helping me now so that I can create more stories. During your studies, you will also have to write many critical essays. Bottom line: you should not apply unless you want to study the craft.

Second crucial step:

You like to read. A lot. You have 25 hours a week to spend working on the craft of writing. Carrie Jones (VC 07) writes, “You don’t want to do anything else BUT write.” You are willing to go to “the basement” to find the emotional core of your story. You are willing to share your most personal thoughts with others.

Still walking?

Spend some time seriously writing. Write and revise manuscripts in your chosen genre. Experiment. Take risks.

Stephanie Greene, (VC 07), and author of many middle grade novels including the Owen Foote series, writes: Actually, as a writer who'd sold some books without one, I wasn't 100% convinced it was a great idea, but boy, was I wrong. It was a terrific idea. It brought together everything I knew about writing for children, things I thought I knew but couldn't express, and things I never knew, and wrapped them up for me in one big, effective, cohesive, coherent package.

Tip-toeing closer:

You take criticism well. If someone tells you something is not working, you are open to change. This is great practice for when you have an editor! (Practice the following reply: “Okay. I can do that.”) One of my advisors describes the first packet this way: “It’s like showing up for a blind date. . . naked.”

Shuffle Step:

You love SCBWI events, and you want more! Tami Lewis Brown, (VC 06), writes: I knew I was ready to get an MFA when I went to a conference and an editor told me to study Nancy Drew novels to learn the only proper way to write a mystery. At first I thought she was joking. Once I picked myself up off the floor I realized I was on a completely different journey than she and many others had in mind. I'd never met anyone with an MFA but I ran (almost literally) to the Vermont College table and grabbed an application. I guess I read over 300 children's books while I was in the program- none written by Carolyn Keene. Tami’s first book, Soar, Elinor, will be published by Melanie Kroupa Books, Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.

Hatsy McGraw, (VC 05), adds, “I decided on an MFA because I was feeling stale with my life, my job and, particularly, my writing. I'd been going to weekend workshops and author talks but that just wasn't enough. I needed more focus and discipline. And I wanted to become a better writer.

Almost to the edge:

You want to spend two years thinking about writing more deeply than you ever have before and ever will again. You want to explore your writing with a group of people who will support and encourage that exploration. You have the unconditional support of your family and friends. You can get away. You support the work of other writers and are ready to critique them with honesty.

JUMP!

Get ready to write!

Getting an MFA is one of the most rewarding gifts you can give yourself. You will make great friends. You will learn about yourself. You will become a better writer.

Sharon Darrow, chair of the Vermont College MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, offers some hints to prospective applicants:

In the sample critical essay, I like to see that the applicants are looking at a piece of literature as writers rather than as readers, that they are analyzing some aspect of the craft of writing. In the creative sample, I look for spark, voice, life. I know that's hard to pin down, but good writing shines on the page. In fact, like many editors I've heard about, I put a great deal of stock in whether the piece grabs me right away. First pages are all important, though I do read the whole submission--just in case. The informal personal essay about why the writer wants to get the MFA is also key. It's a place to just be yourself, not too chatty or perky, not too serious, just yourself. Let your personality come through.