Is it necessary to have a degree, or a master’s degree, in creative writing in order to become a published author? No – I certainly don’t have a creative writing degree. All of my experience has been obtained on the job. Nevertheless, if a person decides that writing is the career they wish to pursue, but has no prior experience and needs a starting point, then a degree in creative writing might be the best option.
Personally, I like the idea of studying other subjects that can provide material for use in one’s writing career. Recently, I read an article in The Guardian about how the University of Exeter is now offering courses in Magic and Occult Science. That absolutely sounds like a course I would enjoy doing, as it relates to archaeology and folklore, as well as tying in my current occult horror interests (in case you didn’t know, I studied archaeology and palaeoecology at Queen’s University in Belfast, something that has inspired many of my stories and poems ever since).
I’m of the opinion that any kind of studies are beneficial for a writer. Technical skills gained from writing non-fiction can sharpen a novelist or poet’s craft, no matter what the subject.
Of course, these days, in between working full time, doing childcare full time, working on my novels and poetry collections and publishing and editing Bindweed, I don’t have any free time to study anything. Maybe someday, in theory, in a parallel universe somewhere, I might get myself some further qualifications. Maybe…
Leilanie Stewart 