Can a master’s degree in writing benefit your future? Although we have access to the sum of human knowledge at our fingertips in the form of Google and (God forbid) AI, writing classes can do more for you overall. And some of the benefits go beyond writing books.
Of course, I’m a strong proponent of education in any degree, so I am a bit biased. However, I can point out all kinds of opportunities that come with having that piece of paper hanging on your wall.
In my case, I’m setting plans in motion to acquire a PhD, but that’s a blog post for another time.
7 Reasons to Focus on a Master’s in Writing
Raw talent is helpful, but there is so much more you can do after earning a master’s degree. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who made a career out of Googling everything I needed to know about become a successful freelance writer.
There are things that you won’t think to Google, which is often presented in proper education. For instance, I learned a lot about properly structuring books thanks to the Reedsy masterclass of How to Write a Novel.
Imagine what you’ll learn from a college education.
1. Improving Your Writing Overall
The purpose of any educational institution is to inform and give you the knowledge necessary to complete any task. At least, that’s what they’re supposed to do. Depending on what school or program you use, you might not get everything you need.
In any case, taking classes, either online or in person, can help improve your writing overall. This means better books for your audience that may perform better during reviews. The caveat to success, though, is to write something people want to read.
Speaking from experience, I’ve had a lot of compliments on the manuscript for Shadows of Atlantic City compared to Kingmaker. Shadows was a much better-written book thanks to the masterclass I took while writing it.
My point is that education in any form is going to improve your writing in profound ways. Go all-in and get the most out of what is provided in the classes.
2. Expanding Career Opportunities
A lot of us will work toward a master’s degree in writing to improve how we convey a story. However, that degree can open a lot of career paths you can pursue while writing that best-selling novel.
Yes, there are some jobs out there requiring a master’s degree that are only paying minimum wage. I’m not talking about those bottom feeders who are merely taking advantage of college students to save a buck.
That degree can help you land all kinds of jobs relevant to writing, and many of them will pay six figures. Even in the age of AI-generated slop, there are a lot of companies that will throw good money at someone who is authentic, personable, and has a good sense of style in their craft.
This isn’t to mention the potential of becoming a professor at a college yourself, teaching the very thing you love. That’s part of why I am working toward a PhD, to be honest.
3. Improving Personal Projects Beyond Books
So, writing a book is a great goal for those working on a master’s degree in Creative Writing. However, an education can help you improve projects that are beyond writing books.
For instance, I am a firm believer that all writers should have a blog. An education can help put together a well-received website that generates a lot of interest and income.
What if you don’t want to maintain a blog? You can take your writing skills and expertise to sites like Medium, Vocal, or even Hubpages. Perhaps you can submit articles to a myriad of news outlets and informative websites. Even the emails you send will be influenced by what you’ve learned.
As a writer, what you’ll gain from a master’s degree can affect a lot of elements in your life.
4. Improving Communication, Both Professional and Personal
Miscommunications happen a lot. And what you’ll gain from some college courses may improve how you convey ideas to others, whether it’s in the general public or in your private life.
For example, the English Composition core class I am in right now has opened my eyes to a lot of miscommunication problems I had in my relationship.
Nonetheless, keeping an open mind in your classes can impact a wide range of things in your life. It might be easier to communicate with your family while being able to speak to your supervisor without causing a rift.
Knowledge is key to success. And the more you learn across the board, the better off you’ll be in the real world.
5. Pride In Yourself for the Achievement
Earning that piece of paper builds a great deal of self-confidence. It’s accolades such as a certificate that reinforce that you accomplished something that roughly 14.4% of adults in the US have achieved.
Take the Reedsy master class I mentioned earlier. I’m exceptionally proud of completing that course, and I plan on printing out the certificate to hang on my wall as soon as I get some color ink.
It takes a lot of effort, time, and dedication to yourself to earn a master’s degree in writing. It’s an investment in yourself with great potential to improve a lot of facets of your life.
Considering the hurdles that college students have to jump over, you’ll look back at where you came from with awe and amazement.
6. Expanding Your General Knowledge
As I mentioned earlier, working toward your master’s degree does more than just improve your writing. You’ll also have to take a lot of other classes to graduate. And if you go into those classes with equal gusto, you’ll walk away with a lot of knowledge in different industries.
For example, I plan on taking ALL of the anthropology classes at the University of Colorado, despite only needing one. The reason is that I am highly interested in anthropology, and I feel it would provide a wealth of ideas for future stories.
Sure, it’ll take longer to earn my degree. But the potential of these classes is worth it to me to continue my studies.
I’ve also considered a few science classes, especially those related to astrophysics. That’s because I do enjoy writing sci-fi, and I’m sure they would offer some great ideas and insights as well.
My point here is that there is so much potential in college courses as an author. And I believe you should take advantage of them to fuel your drive and understanding to write better and realistic books.
7. Building Credibility
Having a degree or certificate next to your name delivers an instant high level of clout. In fact, I had a client side with an SEO professional over me because of that certificate, despite the fact that I was right and told my client, “I told you so” six months later, when the plan failed.
Anyway, my point is that you are more likely to gain attention because of the degree.
What would you trust more, that I:
- Have 13 years of experience as a freelance writer
or - Have 13 years of experience as a successful freelance writer and hold a master’s degree in Creative Writing
Just adding “and hold a degree in” at the end of your introductory bio sentence profoundly boosts your reputation. If you’re managing a personal blog, even Google will acknowledge the fact of your achievements, as it will boost signals for authority, expertise, and trustworthiness.
Despite college getting a bit of a negative stigma over the years and being overly expensive, that degree still holds a lot of weight for most people. It can open doors, improve networking, and provide a wealth of opportunities you may not even realize.
Picking the Right School for a Master’s Degree
The hardest part about earning a degree, aside from financial hoops, is making sure you’re choosing a good college that will let you transfer credits in the event things go wrong. Not all schools are created equal, and you could wind up being on the hook for classes you can’t even utilize.
For instance, I went to Westwood College of Technology in 2002. Well, after I lost my job and the financial department wrapped up screwing me, I had to quit. In 2016 (I think it was), the college went under and had to distribute refunds. It’s a bit of a long story, but the bottom line is that I already had 27% of my bachelor’s degree completed by 2002.
Unfortunately, Westwood College wasn’t regionally accredited. That means I couldn’t transfer my credits over to the University of Colorado. More than a quarter of my credits were essentially flushed down the toilet. I have to retake all of my core classes, costing me both time and money.
The moral of the story is to ensure you’re going to a college that is accredited and easy to transfer.
It’s always worth the time to look into a school and its accreditation standings. You don’t want to fork over a lot of cash and time for something that isn’t going to be all that helpful later on.
Yes, some companies will see any certification or degree in a positive light while offering you a job. But it’s those accreditations that will mean the most when applying for higher-paying careers or greater opportunities, such as teaching at the college level.
It’s akin to having a greater prestigious standing in social circles.
I’m not saying that anything less than a degree from a university is bad, though. As I mentioned earlier, the online masterclass from Reedsy tremendously influenced my novel. However, I want more than just insights into writing a great book.
I’m seriously excited about taking the anthropology and science classes for more story ideas.
What About College Loan Debt?
College is expensive, and it is getting even more so every year. In my case, it was easy enough to take out school loans as I am capable of paying them off after the fact with the job I currently have.
Unfortunately, not everyone has access to the same people or opportunities. So, is building college debt worth getting a master’s degree in writing?
Absolutely, especially if you use your knowledge from the jump.
In most cases, you won’t need to start paying off those school loans until after you graduate and are done with college. In some cases, you can move on to the master’s program from a bachelor’s program and still benefit from no monthly payments. This means you have plenty of time to do something with what you’re learning.
For instance, you can build a blog centered around your interests and practice what you learn while in college. If you properly monetize the site as you progress, the blog could generate enough to make those monthly payments after you graduate.
You could write a few books and make some money on the side while going to college. Well, that is as long as you’re putting in the effort to market them well to your audience. No one is going to buy the book if they don’t know it exists.
My point is that there are a lot of ways you can use your education immediately to potentially bring in enough money to pay for college. Not to mention the fact that you can easily find a better-paying job during the course of your college studies.
The digital age has presented a slew of opportunities our parents never had. Take advantage of them to further yourself.
Are Online Courses a Good Alternative to a Master’s in Writing?
There’s no doubt that you’ll learn so much more going to college than you will simply taking an online course through something like Udemy or Reedsy. However, those online courses are usually hyper-focused on one specific purpose.
What this means is that those online courses could provide a detailed breakdown, perfect for what you’re trying to accomplish. And it will take far less time to accomplish those specific goals.
I’ve mentioned the Reedsy masterclass several times, but that’s because of how much knowledge I gained from the experience. Was it enough to help me write books? I believe so. But it wasn’t enough to satisfy my thirst for knowledge in general.
Besides, a master’s degree in Creative Writing sounds better overall than a certificate of completion from Reedsy. I’m not discrediting what I learned from the online course. But the degree from a University has more weight for what I want to do with my life.
For one thing, I would love to teach at the college level. You can’t do that without having a degree under your belt.
If you’re just looking for a class in a specific field of study, then yes, online courses are abundant that can get you started on a successful path. In reality, I’m working on setting up a few myself.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to what you want more. Do you want a course that focuses purely on writing books, or do you want a full-blown and expensive master’s degree to hang on your wall?
A Master’s Degree Does More Than Help with Writing a Book
I’m a proponent of education in any form. I’ve Googled plenty of things to help me write Kingmaker. I wrote Shadows of Atlantic City while taking the Reedsy masterclass, and I plan on using my college education to pump out a few more books.
But a proper education goes beyond being a novelist. All of the studies to get that degree can open your eyes to a plethora of opportunities, including a few you never really thought to embrace.
I mean, I didn’t truly consider being a professor until the first couple of weeks of class. Now, I’m pretty excited about the prospect.
Never underestimate the value of going to college to earn a master’s degree in writing. It’ll open your mind to new ideas and show you paths that were once hidden.
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