Student Loans are NOT the only Answer (a rant)

I attended Geek Girl Con this past weekend, and enjoyed myself tremendously. I am very proud to be a geek girl. I have been playing table top RPGs (think Dungeons & Dragons) since I was in 3rd grade. I’ve played Magic, L5R, and the Star Trek collectible card games, and I watch, read, and write science fiction and fantasy.
Attending the con and buying a couple of items at it were planned into my allowance budget, because I knew this was something I wanted to be part of. (I really wanted to volunteer, but this summer’s schedule made that pretty much impossible.)
Still, you may be wondering why I’m writing about the con here instead of else where. Well, I do have some posts up on my daily blog, 100 Words On…, about the con, but there was a moment during one of the two panels I attended that grabbed me and made me want to shake a whole bunch of people. Because besides being a traditional geek, I’m also geeky about personal finance, and I hate hearing bad advice given by so called “experts”.
The panel was called “Writing Through Real Life” and the content was mostly tips on how to find time to write when you have a thing called a real life- a full time job, kids at home, etc. And most of that advice was solid- stuff I knew but needed to be reminded of. The problem came from the fact that all of the people on the panel went through the same MFA program- and not an inexpensive one at that.
Now, I have no issues with people getting MFAs. I seriously considered one myself, but decided to go with a couple writing certificate programs and then get an MBA, as it was more applicable to my every day life.
What I have an issue with is that when someone asks: What about those of us who are poor and can’t afford an MFA program (for learning skills, gaining mentors, critique groups, etc)? and the answer is: Student Loans. Go to FAFSA.gov and get your student loans. Then you’ll just be paying on them the rest of your life.
OR
Go to work for a company that will pay for your advanced degree and do it in the evenings/weekends.
Now the second isn’t a bad piece of advice, though most companies that pay for degrees want ones they believe will be applicable to the work you already do, and most would not categorize an MFA that way. And still, that is just not an option for a lot of people. I work for a great company, with amazing benefits, and they offer some tuition assistance, but not along the lines of paying for a full masters program.
As for the first answer to the question- my readers here are probably screaming at their computer screens the way I wanted to scream at the panelists. I mean really, your honest advice is that people get themselves $40k+ in debt and accept that they’ll just be paying on it the rest of their lives?
Why not suggest people attend a community college course on creative writing? Or look at extension or continuing education courses through the local university. There are also writer’s conferences that offer workshops. Or since we were at Geek Girl Con, there is NorWesCon (a sci-fi fantasy con also held in the Seattle area) where they host a major writing workshop, that is specifically geared to the genres the attendees of this panel are most likely to write.
Now, none of these are free, but they are less expensive than a full time, two year MFA program, and much easier to work in the budget. If you need free, try looking for writers’ groups on-line. MeetUp.com has all sorts of groups. Contact your local book store.
Here is Seattle, we have Hugo House, which is an amazing resource for local writers.
Or, just start talking to people. Every time I turn around, I meet another person who loves to write. Form your own writing community. Even if you can’t afford a class, you will learn simply from writing on a regular basis and getting feedback. If one person in your group attends a class or a conference, ask them to give a summary of it for the group (my writing group does this all the time).
The point is, whether it is writing or some other form of hobby you would like to be better at, perhaps even make a living at, while you may decide the best answer for you is to take out $40k in debt, that is not the only answer, nor should it ever be the first answer, especially when the person begins the question with: For those of us who are broke and can’t afford an MFA…
A lot went right for Geek Girl Con. This was the inaugural convention, and it sold out both days. I saw lines for just about all the panels and everyone seemed really engaged. I loved that. But there are some fixes that need to be done, and one is to make sure that the “selling” remains in the vendor rooms and doesn’t make its way onto the panels.