I frequently get questions about writing. They range from schools a beginning writer might attend to getting an MFA. If you search the term MFA, depending on which search engine you’re using, you get a mixture of results that might not be very helpful. The term MFA is the name for a graduate college degree. The letters translate to Masters of Fine Arts. Some universities also offer a BFA, Bachelor of Fine Arts. BFA programs are something I know very little about. I have an MFA from Western Michigan University.  MFA programs cover a wide range of categories, from painting to sculpture to writing. If you’re looking for a college that offers an MFA in writing, probably the best search term is “MFA programs in creative writing.” MFA programs are available in the following areas poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. Competition to get into MFA programs is tremendous. Some have asked me if a college degree is useful for a writer. It would depend upon what you intend to write. A college degree would probably prove more beneficial for a nonfiction writer. In getting a college degree, you will learn one of these three formats, MLA, APA, or Chicago. All three will teach you how to support your ideas with facts drawn from many sources. I have had a chance to teach all three at a couple of universities. I feel the discipline it enforces upon the writer is very important to someone in the nonfiction field. A college degree will undoubtedly broaden your view of the world as long as it’s not something in a narrow area such as electrical engineering. On the other hand, some of asked me if a college degree is essential. Isn’t there some other way to learn to write? Yes, the magazine Writer’s Digest magazine has evolved and now offers many courses directed at the beginning writer to someone who’s been writing for years. Their website is here. I have given their courses as presents to friends and family. There is one disadvantage to their classes. It is you are not day by day contact with other writers. I think that was a vital part of my MFA degree. Most of the people in the MFA program also taught writing. All of our offices were in one area. You might hear somebody say, “I think the way you killed him was too quick. You should’ve picked up a hammer and beat his head to a pulp because you were so angry.” Students who happen to be in the hallways listening to us sometimes took us as psychotic killers. However, on another day, we might be discussing a love scene and were very descriptive, making students blush. As you can see, if you want to be a writer, there are many ways to go about it. For instance, you might choose to do a Writer’s Digest course first to see if your talents are in that area. It has the further advantage that it will cost much less than an MFA. I think, but I do not know it is a fact that all MFA programs will require an undergraduate degree. I got caught in that trap. I had to go back and get an undergraduate degree in English. I had plenty of articles and other written items to my credit, but I didn’t have an undergraduate degree in English. It appeared to me that having an undergraduate English degree was probably the best platform for applying to an MFA program. I should warn you that it might not be true today. I found universities very willing to answer your questions by phone, and probably these days by email. Don’t be afraid to ask! I created this page the answer the many questions I get about “how do I become a writer?” These are my suggestions. They are not fixed in stone, but I hope they help you get your start in the writing field.