Me vs. The MFA

Ironically, what this writing program really has to offer me has very little to do with writing, with which I already feel secure. What it offers me is the next step: getting my work produced.

So, here is my list of the top four things this program can give me that, as of this moment, I cannot give myself:

1. FILMMAKING SKILLS.

When I was little, I would hear stories about writers struggling to get their work produced and think it was silly. It made perfect sense to me that a writer having a hard time getting picked up could just cut out the middle-man and learn how to film what he’d written himself.

            Apparently, Tisch thinks the same way I do, which is why their dramatic writing students have the option of taking two classes in the basics of filmmaking.

            GOAL. Within the year, to produce one short film (10 minutes), and to have a knowledge of filmmaking.

2. CONNECTIONS WITH ALUMNI AND OTHER INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS.

I’m going to rate this one as the toughest on the list. Tisch alum include more Oscar winners than any other program in the country. The teaching staff include Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights. However, being part of this prestigious alumni network doesn’t automatically guarantee that a person will reach these same heights, so spending all that money still doesn’t make much sense.

GOAL: Within the year, to develop a decent friend circle of people in the film and theater industries to help guide me in my career.

3. PITCHING YOUR SCRIPTS.

Tisch’s career center will do this for you. If you don’t know, pitching a script is presenting it to studios in the hopes that they will option it.

Let me just say that I’m skeptical. I can’t imagine that a career counselor with whom I have no real relationship is going to extend a ton of effort, love, or care in doing this for me.

GOAL. Develop pitches on my own and send them out on a daily basis.

4. SHEER TIME TO WRITE/COMPLETE MULTIPLE WORKS.

This last just states the obvious. A major advantage of entering an MFA program is the time in which to do nothing but learn and create.

            I never imagined just how difficult it would be to both hold down a full-time job and pursue my passion. But, when you get right down to it, if it’s something I really want, why on earth can’t I just make time to write?

GOAL. To develop a writing routine and keep track of the projects I complete in my new project-tracker section on this blog.

The Tisch program sounds incredible, but at the end of the day, when I look at what they can offer compared to the fact that I can probably closely approximate these things for free or for a very small price, I still think it’s worth it to see where I can get on my own.