Creative Writing

Are there any recommended free online creative writing courses?

That's like getting a masters to try and play the piano. Sure someone can teach you to do it but it's something you can EASILY learn on your own. As with every other skill all you gotta do is learn the basics and then practice. In this case what I'm saying is go fucking write something to the best of your ability. It will probably be shit. Bring it to /lit/ for critique and listen to the people who actually take you seriously. Repeat.

Question is, do you read often? If not go read a book goddamn. How could one write music if they'd never heard any before?

>>7679273
Well, my bachelor degree is on literature. I dropped it a while ago, I had some issues about what it meant to study literature... then I just went back to finish it.
The point is, I actually think the same as you, but I also think publishing is more about social skills than writing abilities... I am pretty biased since I left my work on a publishing house and reality fucked my little pampered ego.

>>7679303
You'd make a bunch of contacts in the masters program

>>7679322
Well, that's true.

>>7679191
I'm applying to MFA's right now. My serious advice is, unless you've got money to throw away, never pay for these things. If your writing is any good, you can get into one of the fully funded programs (check them out here http://www.pw.org/files/topfifty_secured.pdf). And if you're not good enough to get into one of those, then you have no business paying for such a program.

There's two types of MFA's: the cash-cows and the serious ones. Columbia is a cash-cow program, they accept maybe 100 students per year, most of whom pay really good money to hear a Nobel Prize once or twice a year spouting some bullshit on craft. Iowa, on the other hand, accepts about the same ammount of students, only they give ALL of them a tuition waiver and a stipend.

I met a girl who got her MFA from Columbia. She can't write for shit, and in the 4 years since she graduated, she's published one story in a sub-par online magazine.

Do some research, put in the required effort and go through the application process this year. But don't, I'd suggest, throw your money away on a worthless degree.

Just my $0.02.