The workshop—if you’ve had the pleasure of participating in one before, it’s the thing writers love to hate. If you’re unfamiliar with a workshop setting, allow me to set up a scene.

Imagine, you’re sitting around a circular table with fifteen other creative writing students. You turned in your story last week, and now it’s time for it to be workshopped. You are filled with a feeling of pure, existential dread at the thought of people discussing and critiquing something that you toiled, sweat and cried (or maybe that’s just me) over. You are forced to sit in silence as a twenty year old guy in a tweed sweater points out every inconsistency with your characters and plot. You wonder why he’s wearing a sweater when it’s 91 degrees outside. You sit in agony as the girl next to you suggests that you change the entire story to first person. I did that for a reason Angela, jeez. However, it’s not the painful process of a workshop that raises controversy in the community of creative writers—it’s the outcome that the structure allegedly has on a writer’s developing craft. It’s an age-old debate, and many writers from all levels of expertise have put in their two cents on the subject.

I, personally, love the workshop setting. It not only forces me to get over my crippling fear of criticism, but also gives me the opportunity to get my writing seen by others who might know a thing or two about the subject. I’ve always left workshops with valuable (and some not-so-valuable) feedback that has helped me immensely in future revisions. Alison Gerber, in her article “The MFA in Creative Writing: The Uses of a ‘Useless’ Credential,” agrees with me (or, better said, I agree with her) that the workshop is an unpleasant, but overall helpful method of enhancing a writer’s craft. She writes that the workshop does not attempt to “teach” a student in the traditional way, but rather gives them a space in which they can use to exercise and enhance their own skills in an environment filled with individuals who also value the craft of creative writing. Kelly Ritler, in his article, “Comments on the Issue Creative Writing in the Twenty-First Century,” claims that the workshop is not, in fact, “a monolith,” but rather “the varied practice that exists across [a particular MFA program’s] courses.”

However, not everyone shares this point of view.

In an article from The Guardian, it’s expressed that renowned author and professor Hanif Kureishi believes that “creative writing courses are a waste of time.” and that the people he has encountered in workshops are largely “talentless” (ouch). He suggests that “the best things [he] learned, [he] learned outside of university: going to poetry open mic nights, bouncing ideas off friends, getting in touch with writers [he] admired and asking for their advice.”

While these things are a great supplement to a young writer’s education, I don’t exactly means that should deem a workshop worthless–it’s merely another form of “bouncing ideas off friends,” except your peers in workshops are much less likely to sugar coat things for you.

Oh! And here’s another article slandering my beloved workshop class! Goody!

John Warner writes in his aptly-named article, “Questioning the Undergraduate Creative Writing Workshop,” actually makes some good points. He doesn’t go as far as to say the workshop is completely ineffective, but rather points out the flaws in a system that could work better. He claims that he is “a product of the workshop, and [he has] achieved more success as a writer than [he] ever would’ve dreamed,” but still has criticisms toward the structure. He claims that the creative writing workshop, particularly that at an undergraduate level, provides validation more than anything–which can be harmful to someone who just doesn’t possess the writing chops it might take to be successful in the publishing world. This makes sense to me, as I’ve witnessed firsthand as terribly underdeveloped, or just poorly written stories have been lauded as masterpieces for the sake of preserving people’s feelings. This doesn’t do anything for the writer except for set them up to be embarrassed in the professional world.

It’s not at all my place, or my purpose in writing this blog, to say that these opinions are wrong or that mine are right. The thing about workshops is that not everyone can thrive in that setting, which is completely understanding. Some people would rather pull a Stephen King and isolate themselves in a cabin for months at a time, and that’s completely respectable. However, I do hope that these different perspectives on the debate can help you decide if you’d like to pursue a structured creative writing course, or whether a workshop might help you develop your own writing (which, in the end, is all that matters).

This is one of the most common questions people are going to ask you—and one of the most common questions you’re going to ask yourself as you navigate through the world of MFA’s, writing, editing, editing again and (hopefully) publishing. Here are two ideas to get you started:

1: Journalism

This is a pretty broad category in and of itself—there are myriad pathways to choose from, all depending on your particular interests and specializations. There’s investigative journalism, print journalism, broadcast journalism…The moral of the story is, there are a lot of options. If you’re considering a career on journalism, there are a few steps that you need to take beforehand:

I: Earn your bachelor’s degree

If you’re reading this right now, I assume you’re already pursuing (or considering pursuing) your bachelor’s degree, maybe even your master’s. Depending on the type of journalism you’re interested in, I’d recommend taking on a minor, or even a double major (if you’re prepared for the workload). This is useful for those of you who might be interested in politics, science, technology or another broader field of journalism, so that you’ll have a more extensive knowledge of the subject you’d eventually like to report on.

II: Practice, Practice, Practice

This one might be self-explanatory, bur developing your skills as a writer is a crucial step in the pathway toward becoming a journalist. Without the necessary writing chops, a degree doesn’t mean much in the world of journalism. There are many ways you can do this, beyond the creative writing workshops you’ll already be taking during the course of your higher education. You can start a blog (something I highly recommend, no bias), freelance by submitting and pitching your articles to different news sources, journals and websites. If your work is accepted and published, then you’ll gain networking opportunities as well as experience to add to your portfolio.

III: Internships and Networking

While networking is an important practice in any field, it’s essential in the world of journalism, and writing in general. You could write the most incredible, newsworthy article known to man, but if you don’t have the communication skills or broad network of people who can help you get it attention, then it’s only going to fall flat (unless you get a lucky break). Reach out to local reporters, journalists and news sources for advice and internship opportunities. This way, you can gain beneficial exposure and experience in the field so you’re not going in blindly.

Social Media & Marketing

Social Media plays a huge role in the success of businesses in this modern day of technology and a general shift to primarily online networking. It’s a market that’s expanding rapidly, and one that probably won’t be going anytime soon. Here are some tips for those considering a career in Social Media Marketing:

I: Join and be Active on Social Media Networks

Perhaps an obvious one, but nonetheless, a crucial piece of advice. If you’re not familiar with the various logistics and audiences of different social media platforms, then how are you going to create content that resonates with that specific audience? This is also your greatest opportunity for networking. You’re probably well-versed in the old axiom—it’s not always what you know, but rather who you know. Join social media clubs and involve yourself in forums. One that I recommend is Social Media Club.

II: Build Your Resume

There are plenty of people in the world who could be considered experts in the field of social media, ranging from trained professionals to teenage Twitter prodigies. In order to make yourself stand out among the competition, it helps to have a hefty resume. Look for marketing internships, submit your work to literary magazines and social media sites. This is another situation where higher education comes in handy as well, as you’ll appear more credible if you have your bachelor’s or master’s in a subject that relies heavily on writing (creative writing, hello!). It will also provide you with the skills necessary to write effectively and toward an audience. When it comes to social media, in the end, it’s about creating something that is both professional enough to be taken seriously, yet friendly enough to appeal to your audience.

III: Stay Updated

If there’s one thing I know about social media, it’s that trends come and go at an alarming rate. If a business finds themselves one day behind on what is popular, then their strategies will be considered irrelevant, or in the worst cases, mocked by the more up-to-date user base.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton