How to Become a Writer in Michigan with a BFA, MFA or Similar Creative Writing Degree

Creative Writing Classes, Courses and Workshops in Michigan Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree

Writing may, at first, seem like a solitary pursuit, but gathering with, learning from, and being inspired by fellow writers is one of the best ways to refine and elevate your craft. Throughout Michigan, writers like you meet for good company and creative inspiration in writer’s workshops, poetry slams, open mic nights, writers conventions, and more. It’s not hard to land upon a group or event where your creative writing passion is welcome – all that’s needed is a love of writing and a desire to grow your skillset.

Michigan Writers, which operates out of Traverse City, is a community of writers, poets, critics, readers, and more who come together for networking, education, and publishing opportunities. Michigan Writers hosts regular events that include workshops, writers critique groups, and even potluck buffet dinners (what better way to get to know one another?), and they publish Dunes Review. You can stay in touch and keep current on their latest events through their website and email newsletter.

YpsiWrites is a nonprofit organization for writers in the Ypsilanti region. They support local writers through in-person workshops, one-on-one writing consultations, partner programming and events, and much more. Their outstanding network of volunteers keeps this organization up and running, and they always offer a nice selection of virtual writing workshops if time or geography makes it hard for you to attend in-person events.

Writing at the Ledges is a Mid-Michigan group of poets, novelists, children’s writers, and historians who come together to help one another improve and refine their writing. They regularly publish anthologies, and they host writers-in-residence who are excited to share their work and their creative process with others.

Rochester Writers is another lively group that hosts events, conferences, and contests for the area’s creative writers. Some of their events include an Author Fair, which welcomes published authors for readings and talks, and a Freelance Writers’ Group, which meets virtually each month to discuss the business of writing.

For 25 years, Poets’ Night Out has been supporting Northwest Michigan’s poetry community. They’re always interested in original poetry submissions for their annual Poets’ Night Out contest and for a chance to be published in the Poets’ Night Out chapbook. If you’re a winner, you’ll have the opportunity to read your work at their annual Poets’ Night Out event.

Looking for publishing opportunities? There are plenty of literary magazines in Michigan that are always in search of compelling submissions from aspiring writers like you.

Third Coast Magazine, a literary journal edited by students in the creative writing program of Western Michigan University, accepts fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama submissions.

Blueprint Literary Magazine is a student-produced literary magazine at the University of Michigan that welcomes unpublished poetry and fiction from writers in the Ann Arbor region.

Writing Colleges in Michigan Offering Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing Provide a Path to Becoming a Writer

Writing, like any other art form, takes time, patience, and an unwavering commitment to improving your craft. And while the simple act of picking up that pen (or opening the laptop) and getting the words out is the first step to success, there’s nothing that can replace the value of an education in creative writing.

A formal degree in creative writing through a BFA or MFA (or similar undergraduate or graduate degree) provides an outstanding foundation on which to build a career in creative writing. You’ll have the opportunity to become a reader and critic of literature and, in the process, elevate your creative skillset in one or more creative writing genres. You’ll also enjoy unmatched opportunities to study under and learn from published authors and scholars and participate in real-world, hands-on learning experiences.

You’re sure to be impressed by the sheer number of Michigan colleges and universities that offer creative writing programs, and the growing number of programs that are offered in either an online or low-residency format. Check out these programs to learn more about how a degree in creative writing can give you the tools that will help you take your writing from amateur status to bonafide pro.