5 Things I’ve Learned on the 1000 Day MFA So Far
Two weeks into the program designed by Shaunta Grimes
In the times which we find ourselves in, it’s little wonder I’ve seen so many more stories on Medium lately that contradict each other — especially in the personal development space.
“How to be super productive when working from home!” or “You don’t need to be super productive right now!” is the dichotomy I am witnessing. I think it’s just about getting to know yourself and how you want to remember these times when you look back on them in the future.
In light of that a little while back, since I had not much else to do, I thought I’d have a go at starting the 1000 Day MFA.
What is the 1000 Day MFA I hear you ask?
It’s a DIY program that was designed by the top writer Shaunta Grimes after completing her (official) MFA. Besides this one post that has pretty much changed my life, she has given so much to the writing community I’m only just scratching the surface. I’ll leave a link to the article here (believe me it’s worth a read if you have any hope of being a writer):
In a nutshell, the program asks you to do four major things:
1) Every day: read a short story, a poem and an essay
2) Every week: watch three movies and write a short story
3) Every month: read at least one novel and one book on the craft
4) Every year: write a novel
Before I continue, yes, it is hard. It has challenged me just like my own Master’s degree did, perhaps even more so because it’s self-directed. I’m discovering this — after only two weeks.
You’re probably laughing, I know. Two weeks is nothing. Even so, I’ve learned so much in those two weeks that if I gave up now (which I don’t want to), I’d be proud of my writing progress. Here’s a little list of things I’ve already learned which I hope will encourage you to give this challenge a go too!
1) Reading outside your area makes you smarter
Again, you’re probably laughing; oh stop you. In all seriousness, I do genuinely feel smarter. I attribute that to the first task in the challenge. I purposely decided to read (as Shaunta suggested) outside of my normal reading range.
For short stories and poems, I’ve picked up a writers magazine and raided my mother's collection of British and Wartime poetry anthologies. I also looked up famous literary writers’ stories and read through some of those.
However, the one with the most impact is the essays. So far, I’ve read some inspiring pieces like ‘Self Reliance’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson and ‘The Death of a Moth’ by Virginia Wolfe. I’ve also read essays which stretched the boundary of my knowledge like “How Life (and Death) Spring From Disorder” by Philip Ball.
The point of the exercise is to expose the hopeful writer to worlds and perspectives different to their own, but it’s also worth looking at them analytically. What makes them successful? What do I, or don’t I like about them? What have I learned by reading this?
I keep a log on Ulysses to track and make notes of the things I read.
2) Imagination is a muscle
Imagination, like any other muscle in the body, needs exercise. The 1000 Day MFA tasks are pretty much the equivalent of the Insanity workout for the brain. But I’ve found since starting this program I’m becoming more creative and imaginative than I have been in years.
If you follow me, you know that I write a lot about finance and personal development, so writing fiction was new territory for me. But writing the weekly short stories (even though I’ve only done two) have really opened my mind to receiving ideas on just about anything. It’s truly amazing.
3) Writing fiction is hard, but a lot of fun
It’s one thing to write about stuff you already know or can research what you need to supplement your knowledge. It’s another thing altogether to create that which does not exist, it’s a real craft in itself.
It’s difficult partly because my ability to create a story has waned since childhood, but also because I was afraid of judgement. When you create a story, you become the characters, your mind becomes enveloped in the world you design. It’s a terrifying prospect to think someone will come along and judge your creation.
But such is the nature of the arts. You can’t appeal to everyone. Realising that gave me the freedom to write whatever the heck I wanted, which is super fun.
4) Having structure is essential when you want to improve
I’ve only been on Medium since around mid-January, and it’s amazing how many articles I’ve seen and consumed about writing. Tips here and there I’ve picked up and implemented have been helpful, but they have nothing on the solid structure the 1000 Day MFA has provided for me.
I’m able to have a record of where I was in the beginning as well as clear direction on the path of improvement. I’m a worshipper of structure in nearly all other aspects of my life, so it’s not surprising that having a writing program has been helpful.
5) In contrast, it’s also important to be flexible
Having goals like the ones imposed in the program are excellent. But at the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, it’s not worth stressing over them, it’s okay to be flexible. I’ve had days where I’ve not read an essay or short stories, and in the first week, I only watched one movie! I didn’t realise I’d struggle to watch three a week.
What is important is keeping an eye on the north star and chipping away at the tasks whenever possible. I’ve not been totally successful in the reading aspect of the challenge, but I have been working well on the writing aspect, I’m quite proud of that.
So those are some things I’ve learned in only two weeks of trying out the 1000 Day MFA. I do intend on continuing, though it’s going to be a stretch when I get back into work and the possibility of also being accepted into a PhD program I’ve applied for.
I plan to write an updated version of this article in around six months to check on my progress. At this point, absolutely anything could happen in between now and then so it’ll be a fun exercise.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Shaunta Grimes for creating the program and providing much-needed inspiration for writers across the community.
