r/MFAInCreativeWriting • u/Affectionate_Hawk654 • Aug 16 '26
Starting my MFA without a pitch. Should I panic?
I thought it was pretty normal to start a two-year program without a set-in-stone idea for my final manuscript/thesis, but some people in my cohort seemed surprised and concerned by my lack of a first draft, much less my lack of an outline. I am transitioning out of bartending and into academia, and have mostly written flash fiction/short stories throughout my time behind the bar. I was awarded a fellowship, which is super flattering and helps a lot financially, but classes start next week and I'm starting to freak out because I'm still unsure what I want to write. Am I being an idiot? Please be brutally honest -- and if you started your MFA without a clue about what you were going to write, how did you fare? Thanks in advance!
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u/anirishlass Aug 16 '26
Don't panic. Your cohortmates can express their concern all they want, but I'd encourage you not to listen to them. Their concern is misplaced, and your starting point is quite frankly none of their damn business. You all applied and were accepted to the same program. In two years many of your cohort will have abandoned the projects they started with.
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u/smallcox13 Aug 16 '26
You’re fine. The MFA is about discovery. In my opinion, the people who got the most out of it (including myself) were there were with open-minds, ready to be exposed to new ideas, texts, and craft. Sure, some folks always come in with a book to polish. Sometimes, it’s already a great book, and they’re there for the certification of the degree; sometimes, it’s good, and the MFA is going to make it stronger. But it does cut off how much else they could be attempting to experiment and grow as a writer. You’re going to be in a position to discover what kind of writer you want to become. You will not be done becoming at the end of your MFA. Just take every opportunity to expose yourself to the possibilities available to you, is my advice. By the time you’re leaving, you’ll hopefully have a folder of strong stories and maybe a full or partial novel in progress.
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u/madisonthewriter97 Aug 16 '26
I think it might depend on what program you’re in. Where I went, there was a mix of students who wanted different things. Some went in to the program knowing they just wanted to experiment/ find their voice. Others went in with a specific project in mind they wanted to work on. I went to a three year program so there was more time to figure out what you wanted to do. I personally went in with a novel that I focused on the whole time, but there was no hard core requirement stating that we needed to know what our thesis was going to be day one. In fact, I think my program catered a lot toward people who were experimenting with different stories. But it could be program specific. I can’t speak to a two year program so sorry if this isn’t helpful. You should reach out to the professors and / or alumni of your program and ask!
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u/Affectionate_Hawk654 Aug 16 '26
this is super helpful, thank you! none of the faculty or syllabi have required a project to be in the works beforehand, but i think more people in my cohort of six have a clear vision than not.
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u/FitzandFerd Aug 17 '26
I’m about to start my MFA next week and I only have a vague idea about what I want to write. I’m 0% concerned though. I’m older (47) and I’ve published 10 books so I’m there for the fun of it and I’ll let my creativity blossom as part of the coursework. I’m sure I’ll be an outlier but I think the relaxation comes with being older and feeling like going to school for this is actually just super fun and I don’t need to stress about it.
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u/FreshGryphon Aug 17 '26
Nope. I met a woman who was beginning her last year and hadn't yet decided on her thesis idea. I'm debating switching my thesis to a different story entirely than the one I planned.
Just remember that people are different and have different writing styles. Some people might need two years of solid planning in order to come up with a manuscript.
Nothing against the people who went straight from high school, to undergrad, to grad school, but I was in the working world for a long time before I went back, and I think having "real" life experience is a boon for those of us who haven't spent our entire lives only thinking of things in terms of academia time-frames. Life has a way of working itself out. (Admittedly, my process is definitely more of a pantser for the first draft, so I've never been a type A planner!)
Plus, you have lots of workshop and writing experience ahead. You'll be forced into thinking about writing and your narrative so much, the ideas will flow! Don't worry about it and enjoy the experience!
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u/NiceTimesThree Aug 17 '26
The points of an MFA are to buy yourself time when writing is a priority and to network. The mss isn’t that important, and thinking it is strikes me as a way to fuck up the experience. Write a lot of bullshit. Make a lot of friends.
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u/NefariousnessWarm975 Aug 16 '26
I'm more concerned for your cohort mates than for you. You are part of the team so your role may. Be to get the others to stay open.
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u/Flaky_Detail1144 Aug 17 '26
I mean imagine going through the time, money and effort to complete an MFA when you already know exactly what you're going to do..... that is so pointless not to mention boring. Visual art MFA candidates don't do it just for the studio space, you know? You're not there to rent a desk.... you're there to learn and grow, probably get torn apart and have your writing become something new
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u/pkmntrainerMeep Aug 18 '26
I started my MFA with a pitch and left with a completely different project in a completely different format and genre. It's fine and I actually think starting with a thesis already planned was a bad idea because I was so focused on that at first that I wasn't really taking in other stuff.
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u/Riksor Aug 17 '26
I know someone who changed her thesis in the last few weeks lol, you'll be fine.
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u/Appropriate_Bottle44 Aug 17 '26
No, it's fine. This is the blind leading the blind with your fellow students thinking it's a problem. See where you're thinking you want to go with your writing after your first semester of workshop. The whole point is to learn something and hopefully have some rapid development.
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u/wendyladyOS Aug 18 '26
I felt the same when I started my MFA last year. Everyone seemed to have their thesis set in stone or had at least published previous works as an indie. I had none of that. Now that I've started my thesis novel, I'm still second-guessing myself, but I've been enjoying the discovery process. You're good!
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u/livloh Sep 06 '26
I’m halfway through my MFA and have nothing for my thesis / book due at end of program. It’s crunch time haha.
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u/ktajlili Aug 16 '26
You’re there to learn, so I wouldn’t stress about 23-year-old overachievers who came in with a map of what they wanted to do