Write the Book Already

When people find out that I’m a writer or that I teach writing, they often make a crack about watching their grammar around me. Others (you’d be surprised how many) tell me about a book they hope to someday write. I have never made an unsolicited correction to any adult’s grammar, so those folks are safe. It’s the second group that keeps me up: so many people have something to say, and they’re waiting for “someday” to say it. 

It’s certainly possible to write a book without an MFA in Writing, but our program does put that nebulous someday on the calendar. Over the course of two years (three if going part time), students read extensively in their chosen genre (poetry, fiction, or nonfiction). They get assignments to get them past their blocks. They get a workshop of supportive peers and many hours of one-on-one mentoring from professors. Most of us will even help with the grammar if that’s a concern. 

The Albertus MFA differs from other programs in a few key ways. For one, our curriculum includes a professional course (The Literary Marketplace) that addresses the practical and business sides of writing. We also take the unusual step of asking students to take more than one genre: your main squeeze may be fiction, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get to flirt with nonfiction or poetry while you’re here. The genres have a tendency to cross-pollinate. 

Writing a book takes more than just correct grammar and a dream. It happens with deadlines. It happens with support. It happens in community.  And we happen to think this community of faculty and students of Albertus Magnus College’s MFA in Writing can give almost any serious writer the structure and relationships they need to bring their book project to life. 

Contributed by: Sarah Wallman, MFA
Professor of English and Director, Master of Fine Arts in Writing