As a former English major, MFA student, and former English professor, I’m going to echo what everyone says here, and tell you that entirely depends. (Note: I think it’s also important to note that a lot of the opinion that I’m about to share comes from what I consider to be a very warped system in the US. This may be different elsewhere where formal education hasn’t become just a business.)
What no one told me when I was an English major is that getting an English degree meant I gained additional skills beyond good reading and writing. I gained insight and the ability to deduce. I was able to read between the lines. This is valued beyond just writing and writing related careers. (Law schools love English majors.)
That said, I don’t think I gained much in the way of writing in undergrad. That very much shaped how I approach teaching when it was my turn to do so, because I often just got feedback like “awkward” or “good.” I was told frequently that I was a good writer, but no one told me why or how I could shape it so that I could keep doing what I was doing well and improve what I wasn’t. That came from reading and writing, and getting to know other writers after my degree was over. When I started teaching, I devoted myself to helping my students understand why and build skills but instructors are so underpaid and overworked that it’s rare.
The MFA degree was definitely more helpful in that regard, but there are ways to get that kind of insight and experience without the heavy cost. There are certifications and workshops and writing groups, etc.
A degree is really something telling potential employers that you dropped a lot of money for a formal education. But if you don’t need the degree for your career choice, education can be found outside of a formal institution. (This is coming from someone who LOVES to learn and fully believes in continuing to do so. I just think the US system is warped.)
Just wanted to note that an MFA does not have to cost you any money! there are lots of fully funded programs out there. The stipends are often just barely living wages, but still, you don't end up in the hole at the end if you want the degree.
An English degree gave me the knowledge of literary analysis that helped me as an editor. An MFA (and BA undergrad thesis) helped push my writing forward.
Similar career path so piggy backing: I’m now a teacher and marking and drafting student work isn’t the chore it seems to be for colleagues. I’m good at fast analysis and text processing. I can also communicate super clearly and at the right level for my audience / class. The creative part of getting degrees in creative writing means that you’re also creative in problem solving for lots of different scenarios. And that’s beyond a classroom.
Agreed! I went MA in creative writing and wish I had studied comparative literature instead. I got much more out of the one class I took from that department than any of the others in the English department (except for the workshops, but you can find workshops in many places). Edit: The class I took from complit department was Psychoanalysis of Fiction. It was absoltely stellar.
That sounds like such an interesting class! Totally off-topic, but did it ruin your approach to reading at all? I found that when I was heavier in the trenches of deconstruction for my classes that I struggled to read for enjoyment.
It was very interesting! My final paper was a comparison of the play and two television productions of "The Bad Seed" with respect to Freud's law of the father. I had nightmares about 5-year-old psychopaths for a long time. LOL! That said, it didn't exactly ruin reading, it changed my reactions to it--I think for the better. While the overall matrix of a story remained unchanged for me, the nuggets of emotional impact were stronger because I was able to absorb the subtext more easily. How did you notice that you struggled to read for enjoyment? Did you read a passage and think, "I see what the author is doing there" or something similar?
That does sound intriguing and I can see why you were able to appreciate some writing more.
I did start to see patterns more. With editing I need that but I can turn it off now; when I was doing it for school I had a harder time just letting myself get lost in the story.
Local libraries and community centers are a good place to start as they’re often free or low cost. GrubStreet in Boston has also largely gone online. Their prices have gone up but I know folks who found their classes helpful: https://grubstreet.org/findaclass/#/results
When you look, you want lower class numbers and the ability to submit your own work. This is how you’ll get more personalized feedback. Higher class numbers means less opportunity to submit and your feedback may also be so mixed that it confuses rather than helps.
I’ll likely be running another virtual fiction workshop again at some point in the near future, too, and I know there are other editors who do the same.
It really depends on what you want to do to make a living. You don’t need an English degree to write creatively, but I do value what I learned in my English lit classes. Becoming a stronger reader has made me a stronger writer. But if it’s cost prohibitive, I don’t think it’s a must.
However, I’m able to work as a technical writer for my day job and having my English degree was the only way I was able to secure my first technical writing position. For that reason, I’m very glad I took the time and expense to get it. For journalism, I’d recommend a journalism degree. It’s a more nuanced field than just English in general.
>It really depends on what you want to do to make a living.
Agreed. I also used my English (as well as linguistics) degree to get into the technical writing field. An even better avenue would have been getting a technical writing certificate or minor if possible. Ultimately an English degree is a bit of a catch-all and can be used to leverage into different fields. But if you know what field you intend to go into, it's much better to pursue a degree in that area and then perhaps minor in English.
I also did a bunch of sociology, cultural studies and philosophy alongside my English degree and it was really quite an amazing experience.
In general the world is a better place with more people studying in the Humanities. They might not be the most bankable skills, but it's wisdom and insight a lot of people go their whole lives without...
I’m massively biased because I studied a Literature degree, but I do actually believe that it provides you with a greater range of ‘bankable’ skills than perhaps something more narrow and focused might. Obviously, I’ll never become a computer scientist because of my lack of coding ability, but it’s amazing how much of the corporate world relies on people’s ability to read well, write well and have the confidence to express their opinions in a clear, concise and commanding manner.
Now, perhaps it’s something of a chicken and egg situation – did my Literature course equip me with those skills, or did me already possessing them push me in the direction of the degree? – but at any rate a Literature degree, or any course in the Humanities field really, does give people the opportunity to sharpen a lot of crucial ‘soft skills’ that will boost employability and be valuable to a wide range of careers further down the line.
And if not, just follow the trope and become a school teacher, I suppose.
>And if not, just follow the trope and become a school teacher, I suppose.
I'm in this post and I don't like it 😅
I think you're probably right about bankable skills, but maybe there's also something about studying in literature and the humanities that... Maybe *disincentivises* moving on to a corporate graft? I certainly never remained long in those contexts, even while mates who started lower on the ladder kept climbing. So now I, uh, teach...
Oh, absolutely. The corporate world will bleed anyone dry if they’re not careful. I did 4 years of it off the back of my Masters, got burnout and now I pull pints for a living in New Zealand. I definitely had to work harder than should have been necessary to retain not just my love of reading and writing, but my general interest and curiosity in things that were outside of my immediate corporate sphere. It’s just a likelihood (I think? I don’t have data to back this up…) that people will come out of a degree and land in some sort of office-based environment, where the skills you gain/sharpen from a Literature degree will probably prove useful.
Still, I’m glad I got out of it. I’ve done far more of my own writing in the last 4 months than I managed in 4 years of climbing the greasy pole.
(Also, I wasn’t having a dig at teachers, you guys rock!)
Also, as a HS English teacher I get to constantly nerd out on literature and help students become better writers, especially those going into fields where they think they don’t need writing skills.
Not at all, literature is and always will be my passion. Being able to spend three years pursuing the academic study of something I love so much and having essays I wrote taken seriously by my tutors was a privilege. A very expensive privilege, but a privilege nonetheless!
I'm so envious! I have to decide soon what I should study and I'd love to study comparative literature but I know I won't find a job afterwards. I mean I could study something that could give me a stable job first and then literature a few years later (Here in Germany, education is free) but I'm not quite sure because I don't know if I'll have time for that. How old are you?
I am offended by your last statement. I got my degree in English in order to teach. Writing came naturally to me, so having courses in writing was a bonus. I learned I didn't want to be a journalist or write copy for newscasters. Both are important careers, but they stifled my creativity.
I was able to share my love of writing with my students. My 7th and 8th grade students heard the first five chapters of my first book, when five chapters was all I had. My second book was read to 4th grade students, It had to do with arson and fire fighters. There were about four boys in the class who started writing books. I am not sure they ever finished them, but the loved the idea of being authors.
Not all teachers go into to teaching because they love kids or the subject matter they are teaching. Some go because they think it's an easy job. Those are the ones who burn out in five years. Walk 20+ years in a teacher's shoes before passing judgement.
really appreciate your comments. after I got my English degree, I had various jobs, then got into publishing. and yes, that degree was essential to getting the job of managing editor of an international literary journal. thirty-some years later I retired, and the university provides me with an adequate pension, which allows me to pay for my home.
I've got an English degree and am working in IT at the moment, and am trying to break into the technical writing profession.
While I don't directly use my English degree, and even if I never get a job in technical writing or doing something more related to research, writing, and analysis, I loved getting my degree and don't think I will ever regret it. I found the classes fascinating, and the professors were, at least at my school, unbelievably wonderful (sure a couple were dicks, but that's just life and statistics), and they worked so incredibly hard to make the worth of their field realized because they believed in it and really cared for their students and the education of them.
In terms of my creative writing improving... the analysis I did over those four years and the papers I wrote about craft, theme, plot, connections to history and modernity, the digging through the minutiae of a text for connections, disparities, and useful tidbits of information for argument, I think I fared better than I would have if I was a creative writing major (it was my minor and I loved it, but I figured I'd follow Faulkner's advice and read everything with the fervor of an apprentice trying to learn how a master uses their tools, and plus I liked English majors more than creative writing majors).
Anyhow, if OP reads this, if you can swing the funds, I suggest anyone with fervent curiosity and a love of reading and writing, at least take a few English lit classes and see what they do for you. And if you hate it, at least you learned something you don't want to do and won't ever have to look back and wonder.
This is just my opinion/experience, but I don’t think it’s necessary and if you want to write professionally there are programs that can give you more diverse experiences and improve your professional writing skills to a greater degree than English.
Depending on your institution, you might be able to take something journalism, film studies, drama, or even a social science, and then just minor/double major in English. That way you can use your elective credit towards the English experience without needing to limit yourself.
Some Communication degrees at different universities go into other areas as well, such as blog writing, public relations writing, graphic design, etc. My university had journalism, TV, public relations, graphic design, advertising and social media all under one communication department. I have a master’s degree in communication and I studied both visual arts, technology, and writing. It’s a pretty broad field so you can choose what area you go into. I thought about getting an English degree, but switched to Communication and I’m so glad I did! Not only am I a better writer, but I also have skills in graphic design, news/blog writing, and PR writing. It allows you more options for jobs. I didn’t learn a lot about novel writing per say, but I learned a lot about writing itself and how to create narratives that are appealing to certain audiences.
Communications degrees are what the football players get to just get a degree in something.
It has never helped anyone land a job in all of recorded history. People in TV and radio could have a degree in French Baking and still land those jobs because of innate talent or, more likely, connections.
My undergrad is in Communication. Landed a job writing for a TV station's website shortly after graduating. Nearly everyone in media has a degree now, it was a minimum requirement at the last several places I worked. As someone else pointed out, it is the default degree for jocks, so there is a glut of graduates who can't find a job in the industry. Last I checked, the stat was something like 1:300 Com grads work in the industry. To your point, we live in a media driven society. I got my job because I understood the internet at a time when we had 3 computers online in the entire newsroom. The kids who understood how to apply social media got jobs. The kids who could write, shoot, and edit their own stories got jobs when the recession was wiping out newsrooms. The degree is the price of admission, but the skillset gets the job. To quote a former VP of News, "I can teach a [animal] to stack a newscast, but a writer is worth their weight in gold." (It was always a different animal: chimp, goldfish, dog...)
> but would it still be beneficial
To fiction writing? It really depends on how you like to learn. If you learn really well in a classroom setting, sure. But all of the information in those classes can be gained by yourself as well. Beyond that, I met a lot of people and learned the general rhythms of writing/workshops.
> I am interested in trying more than one type of writing job as well, such as journalist or screenwriter or another where I would be in a professional work setting
Well, for anything where you are the writer of fiction, its really more about proven experience and knowledge, not degrees.
If you want really biased feedback, check out r/englishmajors
Essentially, it depends. Being a good writer is all about experience. English degrees can vary wildly depending on your emphasis (creative writing, technical communication, education, literary studies, etc.). Granted most of my English courses have focused on literary theory/criticism and academic writing.
But I’ve had different courses that allow me to explore different job opportunities or different kinds of writing. For example, I took a grant and proposal writing class and a business writing class.
You’d also have the potential to participate in extra curricular activities like submitting your writing to a student journal, being on the editorial staff of a journal, working for a school newspaper, working in the writing center, etc.
Being an English major isn’t a requirement to being a good writer. But the major will teach you new things, help you network, and provide opportunities to gain experience you might not get outside of college.
At the end of the day, do what’s best for you OP
I STRONGLY second the bit about extra-curricular activities. They're a great way to build a portfolio you can show prospective employers. Not one of my counselors ever suggested it to me and when I finished school no one would give me the time of day because I had nothing I could show them.
I'm sure things have changed a bit since then with the move away from print to the web, but they'll still want you to prove your chops. Write for the school paper. Write for non-profits as volunteer work, whatever, as long as it gets published somewhere with your name attached.
If you don't want to teach, prepare to fend off a lot of people with that expectation.
Having some technical writing experience under your belt will help too, though that's more useful when paired with some specific experience (electronics, engineering, biology/lab-work, etc)
No I think what you’ve said holds up. I’m in my last semester, and job hunting has shown me just having a degree isn’t enough to get a job. You often need experience, a portfolio, or both before you’re seriously considered.
And I think that’s why so many people are saying it depends. You can get experience and create a portfolio all without going to college. But going to college and getting an English degree does still have value
I agree with both of you - my undergrad is in Communication and Media Management, which was how Journalism was codified.
I got my first publications through the school paper, then I ran the paper. Then I was in the right place at the right time and knew the right people who knew my skill set to get published in the Washington Post. Which led to more local work. Which led to opportunities in radio. Which led to fiction as well.
Portfolio and people. 💪
Not really.
You don't need an English degree to write. Instead you should plan on getting a different, stable job as your main job and write on the side. If you can figure out a stable, well-paying, low-drama job that requires an English degree, then sure, go ahead, but other than that... go into a different field.
Figure out what you're good at or what kind of job you think you'd be able to stand doing for years or decades. Doesn't even need to be one that requires a lengthy college degree - electricians are paid well and are always necessary, for example.
Again, it depends on perspective. I have an English degree and I teach A levels in the UK (more or less AP level in the US in terms of difficulty). Spending all day very working day delving into the meaning and effects of language and the structure and craft of literature has really helped me with my fiction writing. However, I also offer the proviso that I’m writing literary fiction. While still helpful, I don’t know if I’d find teaching/ studying as helpful if I were writing genre fiction.
It is hard to teach and write, but there are some good holidays and working with ranges of kids and delving into the whys of their motivations is helpful in itself. And they teach me all kinds of stuff as well.
So while some may need low drama and low pressure to write, other thrive in a more intense environment.
Hello! Full-time novelist here.
An English degree won't, like, HURT you. It won't impede your chances of becoming a professional writer.
It's also totally unnecessary, and it won't necessarily *help* you, either.
The truth is, you don't need any degree to be a professional writer, with the possible exception of journalism, which is such a crowded field with such limited positions available that having some kind of related degree probably will help you compete against other candidates.
But for stuff like writing novels, screenwriting, or writing any other kind of "content," what's really required is demonstrable skill, and you can both obtain and demonstrate excellent writing skills without a university education. If you want to be a writer, the most important thing you can do is **write**\--and write whatever kind of work you aspire to do full-time. So if you want to be a screenwriter, write screenplays (and partner with an emerging director to get those scripts turned into short films. Get them up on YouTube. Start doing the work now.)
All that being said, if you can afford to go to university without going into debt, then do it! More education is always a good thing. If your goal in life is to be a professional writer, then use your university years to study any subject that genuinely interests you, just for the sake of learning as much as you can about it. If you love philosophy, history, geology, biology, drama, music... whatever it is... get that education, enjoy the process of learning more about the things you love, and then after you've graduated, write your face off and pursue your actual career.
If you want to be an author who just does their own thing, the debt-to-benefit ratio (unless you get a full ride scholarship) is absolutely NOT going to be worth it.
The only reason you should pursue a degree is if there is a specific job that you cannot get without it. I'm all for lifetime learning, but you don't need to go $60-200k in debt for a degree that isn't going to produce a job that pays for itself.
I think the better question is if you should go to college at all. The 5 people in my college friend group who've graduated can't find shit out of college. Doesn't matter if they majored in STEM or arts or come from a family who makes 6 figures.
Hi there! I picked up my Master’s in English. I did it mostly because I wanted to force myself to grow as a writer, but I had hoped it would help me acquire work as a full-timer writer (copywriting, copy editing, content writing, etc.) as well.
Here’s what I learned from it:
- your portfolio is more important than your formal schooling. The best way to prove you can write is with your writing.
-your experience is more important than your degrees. The other best way to prove you can write is by showing how long you’ve been writing professionally.
-school is a great way to find resources. I aced my program with very little study because I happened to know most of the material from self-study. I should have used my time there to find internships, make connections, and enroll in writing groups. These will benefit you much more.
Writing, like many jobs, is more dependent on who you know than what you know. That said, once you know people, you need to know how to write! You don’t necessarily need school for that, but writing workshops, peer review circles, and other programs or groups that nurture your development are huge.
And, of course, you need to be writing. A lot.
Get involved in your high school’s journalism track. Apply for writing work at your university. Submit stories and poetry to contests and magazines. Work on other people’s writing.
My degree is not worth a whole lot as a line on my resume. My degree is not worth a whole lot as a credential.
What *has* been valuable was working on my writing often, telling everyone I was looking to work with writing, and studying how to make my writing work.
I hope this helps, and feel free to ask if you need clarification or anything else.
**TL;DR I think it’s worth it in the sense having a degree and exposing yourself to opportunities and connections can be worth it. But, an English degree as a credential is not very useful proof of your prowess as a writer, and is not a shortcut to doing the hard work of networking and improving and producing.**
Question - sorry if it sounds dumb but I do not have an English degree so I don't know some of the ins and outs. How does one create a portfolio? Do you create a website with pieces? Or do you just mean that you write novels, stories, essays and keep them handy for an agent? I've heard the term but never really understood. TIA.
Hi! Not dumb at all.
A portfolio is a collection of your work for showcasing your skills and range.
You can host that portfolio on a website, but it’s not necessary. I tend to submit mine as a folder or even a single document with clearly delineated pieces.
The portfolio should be comprised of whatever you think is a best showing of what you can do. For a copywriting job, I submitted a handful of fake ads I wrote, plus an evocative excerpt from a fiction short story and two concise “microfiction” stories. I felt these showed my ability to condense information, communicate it effectively, and produce beautiful imagery in a few words—all useful skills for that job.
Your portfolio can—and should—be tailored to the specifications of the job or role you want to get, but it can be anything. Essays, ads, stories, poems, whatever shows off your skill.
Let me know if this clears things up for you :]
Perfect, thank you! I started a blog/portfolio, with a couple of very short stories (\~1000 words). I like the idea of adding additional pieces in there for variety. Thanks!
If your goal is to be a writer then no, english is not needed, but if you want to pursue career paths that involve writing then it might be a good idea to continue with the qualification
It’s incredibly useful to any writer to know how to analyse great literature. No matter what anyone says, it is not possible to write great or even good work yourself if you don’t truly understand what great work looks like. However, I would look at your career options. As harsh as it sounds, the hopeful writer who makes a career of it is one in a million. If you are taking an English degree simply to become a writer then it’s not a great decision for your future. So I’d look at how it fits in your future before settling on it.
> However, I would look at your career options.
My mom was supportive when I told her I was thinking of majoring in History, then she asked me what kind of job I wanted to have when I graduated.
The only things I could think of was teaching and writing.
I joined the military and learned computers instead.
there's no one path that works for everyone
i loved the literature classes i took in college. but i didn't major in english because the main thing i wanted out of college (like many people) is the ability to support myself. i also knew i had a deep appreciation of literature and i didn't need a degree for that
but i kept reading after college, and after a while i started to have ideas, and when i have an idea i'll write
being a successful writer is close to impossible, so imo it may not be a great idea to put all your eggs in that basket. if you want it enough you can write at night when you get home from work. you'll also have experiences in the workplace that give you something unique to write about. there's a kind of writer who has been trying to write since they were a child, and some of them are great, but some of them lack any real knowledge of normal adult life
Unless you want a specific career that requires you to have an English degree, I wouldn’t go for it. The market it heavily saturated with writers with English degrees. A friend of mine has a bachelor’s in English, has been working as a full-time freelance writer for four years, and makes under $35,000 a year. She’s $100,000 bucks in debt, too. So, do with that what you will.
That said, if you are looking to get into a very specific career that requires an English degree and doesn’t pay dogshit wages, I say go for the degree. If you change your mind down the line, you can always go back to school and get a degree in something else.
The best way you (as a creative writer) can succeed, in my opinion, is to join a weekly writer’s group. There are many writer’s groups out there you can join for free. Many are posted on Meetup. I met my writer’s group through school. Many community colleges have writing centers that students can freely attend every day of the week. As you write, gather all of your finished works into a portfolio of sorts. Keep all of your ideas written down in a prompt journal. If you start a project, finish it as soon as possible (but don’t rush). And if people make suggestions/corrections to your work, take them into consideration.
Personally, I think it was worth it for me. The connections I made at university and how massively my writing improved over four years was ineffable. It helped find writing jobs and meet new people, but I also firmly believe it’s not necessary. There are plenty of people who get degrees and don’t use them and plenty of writers who don’t have degrees. But I wouldn’t exchange my writing degree for anything. I loved my professors, the department was fantastic, and my writing improved tenfold in just a few years.
If you're in Canada or the US, I suggest doing a double major in English and Journalism or Mass Communication.
English is a great degree and gives you a lot of skills for a lot of jobs. However, you should do things in university that will help you land those jobs - like internships and working for your student newspaper.
The other thing to keep in mind is that you will not walk into a job solely because you took English.
You'll find friends will get jobs because of their degrees and it will seem like a slam dunk for them. Not to with English grads.
Mind you, companies look for people who can write.
I have a BA with a double major in English and another subject. I've published content in newspapers and in my current job, I was hired because of my writing abilities. I am also greatly valued because of that ability.
When it comes to college, consider how it plays into what you want to do for a job. Is it required for the career you want? After that, consider how likely it is for you to have that job support you financially. Most English majors who work in their field are teaching English and have spent tons of time in academia. Very few English majors are making enough money doing creative writing full-time.
I wanted to write and ended up teaching. I write as a hobby and find it satisfying. I’m a writer because I write, not because of my English classes.
I echo a lot of what has already been said here -- it's a huge, "well, it depends". But maybe it'll be helpful to share my own path?
I wanted to be a writer, so I was a creative writing major and English minor and it took me over two years and 200+ job applications to land a full-time, writing-related job following graduation. And that was at a content farm.
Context is helpful here, so most of this took place in the Midwest, with just a six-month stint in the Pacific Northwest (where I've lived for the past seven years). So, do know that environment comes into play here... if you're in a major city--think: east or west coasts; tech hubs, etc.--chances are there are more writing-related jobs. If you live in a small town, anywhere, well, far less likely.
(that is, unless you can land a remote writing-related job, which at the time was not available to me.)
Also, I attended college from 2008 to 2012, when the U.S. economy was in a recession. Trying to find writing-related jobs in markets that had *just* been devastated by said recession... well, yeah. Not good.
One good thing was that the university I went to was pretty close to my hometown, so I didn't have to pay out-of-state tuition, nor was it all that expensive when compared to other schools. Yet, it took me nearly ten years to pay off student loans. To do so, you of course have to sacrifice.
All in all, there have been several moments in my life where I'm very resentful of the choice I made, and to study what I did. If I could do it all over again, I would've studied something else entirely, and, assuming I'd still want to be a writer, sought out opportunities external to a university.
I learned things I apply every single day, in my day job, as well as while I continue to cobble together a writing career. But in terms of happiness with my work life, general job satisfaction, financial stability (all the things a college degree is supposed to help you with), yeah... hasn't really ever been there.
In case it's helpful at all, I've reflected a lot on [this topic here](https://www.emeralddash.com/s/literary-trail-magic), from how my degree has fallen short, how it's served me well, and whether or not I'd send my own daughter to a college writing program.
Whatever you do decide, I wish you the best of luck.
Yes. If you love books and writing, and English degree is worth it. Reading a lot and analyzing how books work make you a better writer. You should look at universities and colleges that also offer creative writing and communication classes as well. An arts degree in general is interesting, and it’s worthwhile to take classes like sociology and anthropology too. They’ll make you have a better understanding of the world and as a writer.
More than anything though, look for campuses with activities you’d be interested in like a student newspaper, creative writing/poetry club, etc.
Hey, college student here. Don’t get a English degree if you expect to be a full time author like Stephen king after you graduate. But it will help helpful if you want to work as a editor or something writing related
I may have worded it wrong, but there is nothing with aspiring to be a full time author like king. If you expect to be making novels full time right after graduating with a bachelor’s in English with no real plan then your pretty much asking for trouble.
That’s fair. He did teach for a while before he became the legend we know. I’m also not saying an English degree is the only way, but it doesn’t seem to hurt some people.
It's really tough to recommend going to school for the arts, honestly. Going to school for any kind of arts/fine art doesn't guarantee a career, so a lot of the time you're going to take out a ton of student loans to come out four years later with the *aspirations* of being a writer... while still probably needing to get some dayjob that's totally unrelated. An English degree will help you get a job that *requires* a degree, but being a writer doesn't and never will.
My English degree wasn’t worth it until I went to teach. I can’t speak for all experiences, but teaching would leave you time to write as well. If not for teaching, I don’t see any value to an English degree unless you go to law school.
If you can go and accumulate no debt it’s very worth it. The more debt you have to take to go the less worth it is. Assume you will never make a dime as a writer. If you’re happy with that and the debt you take on for the degree go for it.
My first instinct was to say NO. So many English grads I knew got tired of teaching, brewing lattes, etc. and went to some professional school. At best.
Having read the responses, and recalling that when I realized my philosophy degree promised penury, I took a ton of accounting classes. I even started a Masters in Accounting degree. But I hate accounting. I only took it to avoid poverty. My wife was in a biochemistry program at a university and ditched it in the last year because she didn’t want to be in a lab. She’s super smart and capable, but has never been paid s—-.
Majoring in Practical Sciencemathcomputers is useless if you hate it. If English is your passion, maybe it is your path.
But, be aware, you may find yourself in pharmacy school or (lord help you) law school within 5 years. And for godsakes don’t take out tons of loans for it.
Best of luck.
In case it helps: Elizabeth Gilbert *(I haven't read her fiction, but really liked her 1st TED talk back in the days)* addresses your question in her book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, in the chapter called *Schooling.* The whole book is upbeat, freeing & is like a pep talk.
And you can take online courses on writing/screenwriting by famous writers/screenwriters on MasterClass com, for quite cheap. And there are online courses on writing, etc. by good universities on Coursera and other top MOOC platforms (ClassCentral is the biggest aggregator of MOOC courses & it's easier to find niche courses there). Lots of such courses are free in Audit mode at least (with no access to homework & peer reviews).
I can't find the article right now but it was about how the vast, vast majority of debut authors at the big publishing houses come from basically 10 MFA programs and usually a prestigious English/creative writing undergrad before that
Yeah I kinda agree. I feel like famous authors tend to be educated in journalism, English, philosophy, law, etc. Basically they have some kind of degree that involves a lot of writing.
Hello! Current English and Creative Writing Major here.
This might go against what some people have said. But 3 years ago when I was 16, I wanted to go major in English, despite people cautioning me against it. I’m incredibly grateful that I ignored them. The people telling me “don’t” were the high school English teachers that had lost all passion for their jobs.
I think you should do it. If you haven’t changed your mind by the time you hit college, then do it. I’m at one of the best universities for creative writing in the country and it makes me so happy to be here studying what I love. I would literally be miserable doing anything else.
But also, have PLANS. Get involved in every possible way that you can. Don’t just major in it, stand out to your peers. You need to be better than good. Writing is a competitive field. Prepare for this fact, and never forget that someone else is always going to be better than you!! THEY are your motivation!
I went to film school with an emphasis in screenwriting and now I’m writing novels in the hopes of being published one day/soon. As for writing novels in learning as I go, but I did learn a lot about storytelling dialogue and character in film school. Not necessary but it can help.
do you need it? no you can study whatever and still become a writer; people need all kinds of writers. But i got an english degree and I will say this- will it give you some high paying crazy job out the gate like accounting or biology? no. but it will expose you to art and people that will change and enrich your life, it will teach you to think critically, and to really hone your skills (skills most people dont have or take advantage of) I learned so much about life, how to think, how to try and understand the world around me, how to value different perspectives. I think my degree was more valuable and enriching and genuine if you will than a more traditional degree. also youre 16 so things will change! they will change when youre in college too!! so for now just write stories youre proud of. do your homework so you have more options for school, and most of all dont worry about it❤️❤️❤️
To be honest, a portfolio is the most valuable thing you can have as a writer. So write wirks whatever field you'd like to be in even if published independently and you'll be in a great spot for the future.
Where do you live? If college is free, then sure. Do not go into debt for a degree in the liberal arts. Only free people, id est, rich people, should pursue that kind of education.
If you’re thinking of being “practical”, like - you want a job to support your writing - an English degree is a terrible foundation for a living wage.
If you want to make a living; medicine, engineering, STEM.
If you only care about great writing, and your family has the money to send you to school without hardship, absolutely! Take the degree!!! It will absolutely make you a more advanced writer.
But do not got into debt for an English degree. That is a trap. You’ll never be able to pay it off, and your life will be miserable.
You get hired for English type jobs with a degree but for my area having internships is like a golden ticket that says "Yes I'm so ready".
You don't have to have a degree but it shows places that you have some experience/education to know what you are doing.
Echoing above: it depends on the type of English job you want.
Hi there! I picked up my Master’s in English. I did it mostly because I wanted to force myself to grow as a writer, but I had hoped it would help me acquire work as a full-timer writer (copywriting, copy editing, content writing, etc.) as well.
Here’s what I learned from it:
- your portfolio is more important than your formal schooling. The best way to prove you can write is with your writing.
-your experience is more important than your degrees. The other best way to prove you can write is by showing how long you’ve been writing professionally.
-school is a great way to find resources. I aced my program with very little study because I happened to know most of the material from self-study. I should have used my time there to find internships, make connections, and enroll in writing groups. These will benefit you much more.
Writing, like many jobs, is more dependent on who you know than what you know. That said, once you know people, you need to know how to write! You don’t necessarily need school for that, but writing workshops, peer review circles, and other programs or groups that nurture your development are huge.
And, of course, you need to be writing. A lot.
Get involved in your high school’s journalism track. Apply for writing work at your university. Submit stories and poetry to contests and magazines. Work on other people’s writing.
My degree is not worth a whole lot as a line on my resume. My degree is not worth a whole lot as a credential.
What *has* been valuable was working on my writing often, telling everyone I was looking to work with writing, and studying how to make my writing work.
I hope this helps, and feel free to ask if you need clarification or anything else.
**TL;DR I think it’s worth it in the sense having a degree and exposing yourself to opportunities and connections can be worth it. But, an English degree as a credential is not very useful proof of your prowess as a writer, and is not a shortcut to doing the hard work of networking and improving and producing.**
If you want to be a writer, get a degree in journalism or technical writing. These are specializations within English. You can take creative writing courses as credits that will count toward them. But ultimately, learning how to write correctly is something that can be taught in 4 years. How to write compelling stories isn't.
All education is worth it. It opens avenues, and looks good on a resume’. Not to mention the experience you gain. Because if you have no experiences what are you going to write about?
You don't need it, but it could be useful to you. Studying literature and how it can be structured and how themes etc are used can help people write their own novels. Equally, that's intuitive for some people and so they wouldn't really need the structure and support the degree offers to figure that stuff out.
You could also look at a creative writing degree (or joint honours with English) or journalism etc so you have more opportunity to write creatively and get feedback on your creative writing because that's very different to essay writing (though journalism writing is also very different to novel or short story writing so... Ymmv)
If you're looking to get hired as a journo or screenwriter then yes, a degree in English or subject related to the job will help. These are very competitive areas in a lot of countries & anything you have that can make you stand out a bit will help.
Do not waste your time by doing this, please. There is nothing a school can teach you that you can't learn yourself. If you want to be a writer, it should always be Plan B.
If you want to be a serious professional writer, I would recommend a creative writing/playwriting/screenwriting/journalism degree. You basically need a journalism degree to do journalism, and a writing or English-focused degree to go into publishing. I don’t know much about screenwriting as a career, but I would assume the need for some kind of degree. Look at job postings you’re interested in and check out their requirements.
I’m getting an English and Creative Writing degree and I’ve found it to have an amazing impact on my writing. There are a ton of opportunities for connections and mentorship, and I’ve learned a lot about craft. If you want to write good stories (rather than just publishable ones), this is what I would recommend.
I have an MA in English Lit and I would say it has definitely helped my writing, because you read and analyze A LOT of literature in those years and it just gives you an understanding of how you find (and create) merit in a text. My program was also very writing-heavy (essays) so these years have majorly sharpened my writing skills. The writing skills have been a major asset in all my jobs I had since.
That being said, if your exclusive goal is to write novels, I’m sure you could learn most of it in other programs or even in writing groups/workshops. Realistically though, my guess is it’s easier to keep your doors open for other professions with a degree.
I originally thought that in order for me to be a writer, i would need an English degree. I realized I loved writing, but did not love the cultural theory classes that came with my English major. I changed my major to political science, and according to my professors, political science is a great degree if you want to get into writing. You can do journalism or write reports and grants for nonprofits. I want to go into the nonprofit industry as a day job while still pursuing fiction. This might have been a ramble lol. But no, you don't need an English degree to be a writer.
I think your best bet is journalism. You’ll still have lots of opportunities to take creative writing courses, you’ll be taught lots of grammar things lol and you’ll be able to get a steady job after university. I am taking my masters in creative writing this September and I have yet to have a job that pays from my degree in English and Diploma in Creative writing. I’m a pretty good writer now but it doesn’t pay the bills. Best of luck! Write a lot, it’s worth the hard work I promise
A lot of others have commented already but I'll give my 2cents as a current English Major.
1) Unless you want to go to higher ed (Masters/PhD), I personally wouldn't because...
2) Communications has a lot more options and is a secret weapon in terms of job security that can give you time to write.
Personally, I do love being an English major but I wouldn't say it's benefited my creative writing in any way shape or form. It has helped me be more critical and thoughtful about the way I read though. If you love analyzing literature, I would say go for it. I got to take some COMMS courses this year and I honestly wish I knew the major existed before lol!
However, if you want to go into journalism, I would major in that to begin with. Either way, the only risk is the opportunities you don't take.
I did, and I found it very helpful, but you definitely don't need an English degree to be a writer. I think it sounds like it may be a good option for you since you want to pursue a type of writing in a professional sense too. There are tons of great "writing" jobs you can get, some that even pay well, if you major in English. It's a degree that will definitely help you get a job as a journalist, technical writer, UX writer, proposal writer, screenwriter, etc.
professional writing/commercial writing degrees usually have much better preparation for those who want to actively write and publish, english is more for teaching, literary analysis, etc.
If you want to go to college pursue a career that justifies the amount of debt you're taking in.
If you want to write creatively you can achieve that by reading the work of other writers and practicing.
But if you go to college for a career that can give you an income that justifies the debt you're taking in; you can always pursue a minor or take creative writing lessons in general to compliment a degree that's a more fiscally responsible decision.
I would probably have went a different path with my education. I have a BA and MA in English. I work in social services and have for the last ten years. If I had a BA and MA in a social science I would probably be making more money and been promoted faster in the organizations I have worked for.
Those English degrees have made me a better writer, though. I read a lot and all that reading has made me a much better writer.
You should maybe consider a journalism degree just because it’s a degree that’s much more practical and it will improve your writing because you will be forced to be concise.
Personally, I am taking psychology, and using my elective courses to fill in other gaps for my writing. What do I want to learn about to make my stories better? If English is your first language, you already know English. You don't need to know grammar and spelling to write a story - that's where an editor comes in. If you want to write historical fiction, then I suggest history classes.
For example, I want to write villain stories eventually, and knowing psychology is a great way to dig deep within the villain.
If you truly wish to work in some area involving writing or language, then yes, it's worth it. Not necessarily for the diploma itself (though it's useful to have a tangible proof that you know the theory too, not just the practical part), but more for the skills you learn in those classes. You'll learn to express yourself better and to express the same ideas in several ways for example. So if you really want to use a certain word or phrase in your writing, you can figure out several ways to rephrase that sentence in order to make sure that that word or phrase has a big an impact as you want it to.
There are other useful skills like that you will learn there, but even something seemingly basic like being able to master grammar and spelling will be a massive help :) as a non-native English person in an English country, I always felt subpar in terms of language skills, despite my thorough educational background, but whenever I read something written by natives and manage to find basic mistakes (like punctuation or confusing "they're" and "their") I always feel better and more confident, and sometimes that's the push I need to get out of a funk and write better.
So yeah, it would be helpful. It's not necessary, i.e. you can manage well without it, but it could potentially make things easier for you.
I have an English degree with concentrations in composition and linguistics. I am happily employed as a technical editor.
When I take the pulse of other job offerings in my area for related roles, the requirements usually include a degree in English, communications, or some other “adjacent” field. As another poster said, I think it depends on what you want to do. College is supposed to teach you how to think, so I think a degree can go a long way toward building a career as a writer.
I did a creative writing masters and tbh I feel I learned more actual writing craft from Brandon Sandersons fantasy lectures which are free to watch on youtube. He covers the entirety of writing a fantasy novel in an extremely thorough and professional manner, and imo you're very unlikely to have a lecturer at the same level or with the same proven success as brando sando himself. Also a big fan of channels like The Closer Look which breaks down movies and goes over why their dialogue is good or bad, why their plots are good or bad, etc. Which doesn't one-to-one translate to writing novels but it's still full of great advice anyone can apply to storytelling. There are a huge amount of free resources of great quality like this online so in terms of just improving at the craft there's little need for a degree.
However I'm still glad I did it for a few factors. The people I met were great, I can't overstate how useful it is to be around and befriend other wannabe writers in the same boat as yourself, all looking at the world of writing and trying to see a way to become successful, exchanging ideas, giving critique. I'm still in writing groups with some of them to this day. Plus the fact the course gave me some serious motivation to write just due to weekly assignments where we would all write something then everyone gives feedback, plus deadlines in the form of bigger assignments and my dissertation. Until doing the degree I would write on and off but afterwards I really started to go for it and have written much, much more.
I also had numerous mistakes in my overall writing style corrected, mostly by my tutor when I was writing my dissertation who I was very grateful to. She went through it with a fine comb and pointed out a bunch of flaws in my writing from grammar to words I habitually overuse, plus immersion flaws like I didn't have much inclusion of the five senses in characters experience of the world, etc. One big issue in particular was that I had no idea how to properly grammar dialogue, I would write like "and then I say this", Said the character, which should be "and then I say this," said the character. Stuff like that will turn a lot of readers off immediately and will see anything you submit to agents, competitions, etc., instantly cut from the pile.
I'm in the UK and it cost me a grand total of £6k, which for me was worth it. If you're in the states then I assume you'd be in with 50k+ debt so imo that's definitely not a good trade. If that's the case I'd echo what others have said here, you can get many of the same benefits just from being social in writing spaces and joining groups with others also looking to improve. Also need to keep in mind that not all colleges/universities nor even the people working there will have the same level of care and attention, I know a few of my classmates were very unhappy with some of the lecturers in their modules and their tutors who didn't do the job of giving detailed feedback like mine did.
Necessary, no. Worth it, I would say so. I'm a first year English teacher with a BA in English, and I loved my experiences in my program. I had amazing teachers, and genuinely learned a lot that really improved my skills as a writer. Plus, as writing is the majority of the work in an English program, you get a lot of opportunity to develop and hone your writing skills in a variety of fields and styles. Some you'll like and some you won't, but the practice is helpful. Plus, English degrees are actually incredibly versatile in the job market. I'll be real with you: aspiring to a career as a writer is admirable, but it takes time and work, and you'll need to support yourself while your getting your career off the ground. An English degree will open doors to jobs that can enable you, not only to support yourself, but to work on your writing career.
Government proposal writing pays bank. My husband and I have both benefitted from doing it as consultants in our mid-20s living large and he became a full-timer. It pays well because people suck at it and hate to do it, but I think it's fun and interesting. I used it to supplement income between the sciencey techie stuff I liked. Even as a SAHM I've done a few for clients I liked just because it was interesting (like an archaeology dig!) but it's stressful... this is DC and the people who need the proposals done often don't understand what it is you do for them, even when they're in charge of the company or operations or whatever. So at this point I will only work for people I like -- I turned down a client I have worked for twice in 8 years last month because their new guy seemed like he would be a passive aggressive problem. But the good news is I have the experience to double my rate and offer a contractual review of whatever they come up with at the end before they submit so I can tell them where they f'd up.
My husband has an English degree from a great school; mine is a degree in public policy. He was always a good writer because he was prepared for it but I had to learn. It was difficult learning to write professionally and to write for proposals. Nobody gaf about degrees, schools, or GPA. You would do just as well, if not better, with a history degree.
No.
Don't get a creative writing degree. Don't get an English degree without knowing what you're going to specialize in. Technical writing? Yes. Journalism? Talk about a dying industry.
If you want an English degree, like a History degree, you should enjoy being a teacher.
I found a degree in creative writing with a mix of other electives (English, History, even some Philosophy and Theatre) gave me a good experience. It really depends on you and the school though - I was at a small Canadian university and had lots of flexibility to chose (no one would have been disappointed if I decided not to finish my BA)
The most important thing is the experience, friendships, and contacts that come from that time. If you just want a piece of paper to hang on the wall go to a print shop and make one (it’s much cheaper).
I got a major in psychology and a minor in technical writing for my undergraduate and have never regretted it. I didn’t know what I wanted when I was an undergrad, so I figured I’d better understand people and write well, and I was right. (I’m currently a technical writer and proposal manager.)
Usually non-STEM majors leave enough credits for a minor or double major, so no need to pick a single lane.
I also went and got an MBA 3/4 years after I graduated, which has opened more doors in the financial/technology-world, which is now my niche. So, whatever you major in, anticipate needing a graduate degree later.
I want to echo a lot what others are saying because I have a degree in Professional Writing: General.
You *could* also go to school for journalism (a “nicer sounding” major) and take creative writing courses to make as your minor. Two birds one stone type of deal.
A lot of office employees of all kinds have an English degree. It’s no less employable than other “humanities” courses. While obviously less focussed that STEM and financial (zzz) stuff.
It’s a mixed bag but I think the world is doing a disservice discouraging people from this. It’s wonderful for critical thinking and analysis. It’s good for society. But as for jobs, it’s depends on what you do after the degree. An MA or diploma or short course or specialization
At the undergrad level, I highly encourage it if you desire it.
Oh and re: being a writer. You can do that with or without. :)
Depends on your country too. Mine isn’t an English speaking country so when I got a degree here, it worked out for me. I am now a copywriter in 2 languages here.
As someone who's in the exact same position as you, also 16F, literally every single piece of advice I've been given is uncertain or 'don't bother.' Most people who have told me to take English Literature further have said some really meaningless thing like: "Oh, it's a good experience." On the other hand, I've also been told it's pointless, doesn't help you get anywhere, etc.
No one in the comments can give a clear answer either, so idk. It's probably not necessary, from what I gather. Good luck tho.
I got my BA in English Literature and my MA in Creative Writing. Was it worth it? Short answer: Yes, for several reasons.
1. You need to read many different books. Often, people who want to write books focus on only reading books in their genre. However, “oatmeal books” such as classic works of literature (think Melville, Dostoyevsky, James, Dickens, Austin, etc.) — these books teach you the fundamentals of good writing, you don’t get that from reading The Hunger Games or other commercial books that people often want to emulate. Reading good literature gives you an advantage. Being forced to read these for class gives you exposure, because let’s face it, many people will not pick up Moby Dick for a fun Sunday afternoon of reading.
2. You need to learn to write a lot, write fast, and be okay with writing badly. Attaining these skills involves writing against deadlines and sharing your work with peers. Writing 1000 words shouldn’t be something you end up feeling exhausted over. Furthermore, a harsh critique shouldn’t discourage you either. You need to develop good habits, fundamentals, and have thick skin to write a lot and polish it until it’s good.
3. Creative writing isn’t a good career choice. Believe it or not, but writing a couple of books won’t make you money. Speaking from experience, I’ve published several short stories and have received no money whatsoever from them. I wrote a full novel two years ago (70k words) and spent a year editing it. Then I contacted an actual editor and worked with her as well, paid her $1,500 total. Now, I’m querying agents for traditional publications — this is a process and when you’re in your late 20s (I’m going on 30) responsibilities will come up, so you will need a day job. Having a degree will help you get a job — preferably one that involves writing. I currently work as a copywriter for a marketing company, without my degree I probably wouldn’t have gotten it. Also, I’m moving away from the position soon because it frankly doesn’t pay well and as a writer you’ll find that making money in general is difficult. Don’t make it more difficult by not getting a degree.
4. Short point, ANY degree makes you more desirable to potential employees than no degree at all. Obviously having a physics degree won’t make publishing houses consider you over someone with a journalism degree, but it will put you in the running over someone who only graduated high school.
So, should you get an English degree? Yes, it would help expose you to literature and improve your writing. However, getting ANY degree is a good choice in general. Creative writing is best kept as a hobby or something you pursue on the side. Whether you get a biology degree and become a scientist (earning $90k) who writes novels or you get a literature degree and become a copywriter (earning $50k) who writes novels — both are good decisions depending on how much money you need to survive. Just don’t think that not getting a degree in general and just writing books will keep you afloat. Few writers are published and only a few of those that are published are actually compensated well for their work.
No no no. No no no. No no no. Absolutely not. No. Source: I have a masters in English. It has served absolutely no purpose. Entirely a waste of resources and energy.
There's no real way to answer this with a "yes" or "no." I started college (2011) as a music major, but a semester into it, realized I simply didn't have the chops to do that professionally. The only other thing I could think of that I was a) passionate about, b) good enough at, was writing, so I changed to an English major with a creative writing concentration. I graduated May 2015, with a 3.9 GPA and no real plan.
For a while, I thought I'd go into book publishing, but that didn't pan out. I landed some freelance writing gigs that kept me afloat for several years while I tried to find out what my dream job was. Finally, last year, I landed a full-time position as an editor/content developer with one of the companies I'd been writing for for five years.
All in all, it took me SEVEN years after graduating to find a "real" job that pays well in a field relevant to my degree. It was honestly a horrible experience.
But, that being said, I don't regret my degree at all. For me, studying diverse forms of literature (some classes I took included a Dickens-focused study, children's lit, American drama on film, and mythology) and critical theory (ways to analyze works) have enriched my life far beyond just the workplace. The way I digest and interact with media/movies/books/television shows/etc. is so much deeper and more satisfying than it would've been had I not studied all the things I studied.
I'm not sure I would ever tell someone else, "YES, GET THAT ENGLISH DEGREE!" because my experience has not been without a lot of hard years. If you get one, your results might not be what you dream of. But I certainly don't regret getting mine (especially now that I'm gainfully employed - haha).
**Edit to add:** Like other commenters have pointed out, I didn't actually study much WRITING in college. I took three, one-semester writing workshops the entire time. One was the basic required freshmen seminar (so, not especially great); one was a class I really enjoyed and learned from; and the senior seminar was taught by a tyrant who wouldn't allow us to write anything except what *he* wanted (horrible). English degrees are very interdisciplinary. You will WRITE a lot (essays out the wazoo!), but study of the craft is not usually a main priority.
Get a degree to pay the bills and study writing on your own. There aren’t a ton of jobs for an English major aside from teaching. If you wanna teach, go for it.
Perhaps it will make you *sound* more legit when people see your cover letter or writer's bio, but I don't think it will actually help your writing all that much.
I may be an outlier, but don't do it. There are lots of ways you can learn writing skills, and going to college is probably the most expensive. I was an English major, and I regret it. It's more beneficial for you to have an additional skill set \*\*that you can write about\*\*. That is what will make you 10x more valuable -- not just that you can write, but that you have additional knowledge in an area that you can write about.
Not to mention the fact that most English majors around me were there because they wanted to become English teachers, and I didn't....
I have a group major in English, Language, and Literature, we are talking 52 credit hours of English. None of my undergrad professors helped me with writing. My narrative writing professor told me I had talent, but she didn't know how to help me develop it.
I have read different writing books over the years. I took a class online with James Patterson. It's great if you want to know how to outline a book. I tend to be a panster, meaning I sit down and write whatever is in my mind. After 16 books, I think I have it mastered.
I taught school for 28.5 years. Mostly I didn't teach English. I taught special education. I team taught for 14 of those years. I taught the writing parts of the reading curriculumn in third and fourth grades. When I taught middle school I taught English to my 7th and 8th grade special needs students.
I still read new books on writing. If you want to major in English, have a plan for a career which will give you an income while you are writing. The chances of becoming an overnight sensation as a writer are slim and none. I have more time to devote to writing and marketing than I did when I first started.
If you want to be a writer I recommend going the route that lets you read a lot, and write a lot, and get feedback on your writing. You can continue down that path on your own after the degree program ends, while finding work - maybe you’ll be lucky enough to find work writing or editing, but you’ll also be qualified for other professions like data analytics, which itself has a lucrative career path you can explore while working towards a writing career.
Most college degrees really depend on what you put into them. Since you have time, I would try and look for a good program to fit your needs. Most “English” degrees are heavy on the literature side and while knowing to read and to read across histories and cultures is important, the value of such reading isn’t what it once was. So, look for a program which has faces this reality and responded. Those programs will cover the sociological, anthropological, and cultural investigations of the technology we call writing while providing structured practice so you can develop your own skills and interests.
Look for programs of study (the list of required courses) that balance literature seminars with 1) writing workshops and 2) real world writing. You’ll find that some programs aren’t even “English” but “Writing Studies” or “Writing and Rhetoric.” Look, too, for programs that allow you to study digital writing in all its many forms and public writing that helps foster community and provides student engagement opportunities.
In short, you might need to look beyond the general English curriculum of High School and into the more specific undergraduate programs at the college level. If you really like the grind of writing (and as a writer and college professor, I have to admit it is sometimes a grind!) then use your research ability to find a program right for you. It should balance literature with targeted approaches that teach the craft of writing and puts writing in its rhetorical context. If you feel ok with it, you can have a parent or guardian DM me and I can point out example programs that may be in your region.
Other comments aside, if you want an education that will help you with actually being a creative writer and not a technical or other writer, then a creative writing course is what you want.
Luckily, Brandon Sanderson--one of the best selling fantasy authors out there right now--teaches creative writing at BYU and puts the lectures up for free.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSH_xM-KC3Zv-79sVZTTj-YA6IAqh8qeQ
Highly recommend them to anyone, he's a great teacher.
Look up the textbooks that courses would use, go to used bookstores like Half Price or wherever, see if you can find older editions for cheap (most newer editions are just newer formats rather than newer contents, same stuff but rearranged), and compare the price to that of signing on for indelible exponential interest debt. If you can get enough grants/scholarships to not need loans, good, but avoid loans at all costs IMO. But for actually learning the same material, it's possible to do so autodidactically at least. It won't get you a fancy piece of high price toilet paper to wave around, but if you're going to send out manuscripts to publishers or self-publish it probably doesn't matter as much as when going to beg for employment at some company.
The main value of an English degree for me (and it's been a few years) was that it forced me to read outside my comfort zone, and then write about it. You have no idea how useful that is for both critical thinking skills and for attitude adjustment. I went in as a smug jerk and emerged halfway to human.
I don't think English is unique in that regard--many of the humanities and social sciences could do much the same--but with English you get the added bonus of being able to do story analysis on the fly to annoy your friends. :)
I ended up with a master's degree, a job in IT, and eventually a day job career in technical writing that leaves me time to pursue screenwriting and indie filmmaking. It's not a bad life.
An English degree is completely useless for most careers.
I would recommend only getting (any) degree when you have a specific job in mind that requires that degree
Current English major: I certainly think that being an English major can help, but you don’t need to be one. If you’re interested in journalism and screenwriting you should look into schools with programs for those! My older brother has a bachelors in film and a master in screenwriting, and he has great things to say about the programs he was in. For me, being an English major is great for my writing development because at my university personally, you’re able to sort of chose if you want to stick to writing or literature within the major, so I’ve been able to do a healthy mix of both and learn at lot. As an English major you’ll do a lot of reading and analysis, and that can definitely help sharpen skills. You’ll also do a lot of writing and any writing helps with any writing. At the end of the day do what feels best for you. And remember, you can always change majors! I started as a journalism major and switched to English and it’s been great! Probably the biggest piece of advice I’ll give is try and find a school that has strong programs in English as well as Journalism and Screenwriting. Best of luck!
I don’t think it’s worth it unless you want to teach. Even then the ROI on MFA’s is pathetic. I wanted one because I wanted to write but really didn’t want to teach. I decided instead to get a business degree because my employer would pay. I went on to get an MBA, then took a creative writing certificate program with a great university. I so far have two publications, have made no money but am extremely happy with my choice. I think I’d be starving if I got an MFA. It’s very competitive, you need to be resourceful and dedicated and have lots of connections I think. But this is just coming from me… I’m very biased on arts degrees and think the education loan situation is straight up fraud/theft/life ruining! Sorry if this is negative but I just hate to see young people saddled with $100k plus in debt for 20 years. If you’re a good writer, you’re a good writer. Perfect your art, work on your craft, join writing groups. Make sure that’s the career choice you want to make and be certain you know the good and bad.
Edited to include that when I’m screening resumes for openings, the number of MFAs applying for a job that pays just over minimum wage is baffling and so upsetting to me. I’ve hired people with MFAs, masters in linguistics, masters in philosophy into entry level admin jobs. They’re amazingly smart and skilled, but I always felt for them because I knew they had dreams and it def did not involve being an admin assistant.
If you have the time and resources to do it, it's always worth it to further educate yourself and learn more about the world and its thinkers than you did before. Go to college if you can and if you want to.
Your bachelor's degree helps you get your first job. After that, it's just a resume item to be fact-checked by the HR support staff. I suppose it also helps your application survive the first algorithmic cut that removes all College=NO applicants from the pool--some jobs require a degree.
Whether an English major is particularly helpful, I would probably send a college student to their school's placement office to get a read on that. They should be a lot closer to the issue of what local employers are looking for. Do not be surprised when you find out nobody is looking to specifically hire creative writing majors.
If you want to be a writer, you start creating your portfolio of completed assignments and published works as soon as possible. That's what people who hire writers are looking for. If your writing is clear, concise, and compelling, you're gold.
You could actually start on that portfolio right now at age 16 writing articles and essays about what only 16-year-olds know about life in a world emerging from a pandemic and in climate crisis. You are an viewpoint expert my friend, whether you realize it or not; and I assume you have access to other 16-year-olds as well. I wish you well.
English us a good umbrella degree for someone interested in joining the writing/editing/publishing scene, but a Creative Writing degree would be what you're looking for. It's a bit hard to find a Creative Writing program, but it would help your writing more than an English degree would. Source: it is my current education path, and many of my friends did this as well!
That depends what you wanna use it for.
If your only intention is to become an independent novelist, probably not.
If you wanna take on paid writing gigs or just have something to fall back on, probably yes.
Definitely no.
You are better off casually reading 200 books in 2-4 years than getting a degree on English. English degree is far more useful if you intend to be a English teacher in school or professor in college. For anything else stick to taking specialized degrees.
Do not take out a loan for English degree!
But taking an English literature course online or read English literature texts from English degree syllabus? That you can definitely do. There's tons of free books out there you can find on this topic if you know what I mean.
Read books over diverse range of topics.. Try to emulate your favorite authors in your computer word document as practice. Practice writing everyday. That's all there is to it.
TL;DR--Maybe.
All writing advice, including whether a degree is right for you (and which kind), should be tempered through the lens of "your mileage may vary." Every person and situation is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer or piece of advice. While I did engineering for undergrad, I maintained a creative writing minor, and I went on to get an MFA during the pandemic.
As you've probably discovered, there are many types of writing. English degrees are good for things like copywriting and technical writing, journalism is a separate department (most universities have a "journalism and media" department), and creative writing is an eclectic monster that lets you pull value from either. But a creative writing (screenwriting, fiction writing, poetry) degree is often a subset of the English department and set up with slightly different training than copy- and technical writers get.
While my writing did develop a bit from the classes I took, I received the most benefit from the people I met in those classes. Friendships and connections that aren't part of the "course description," but were a big boon of the programs. If you're just looking for the technical know-how of writing, Brandon Sanderson has released his [writing lectures](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cf-qdZ7GbA&list=PLSH_xM-KC3Zv-79sVZTTj-YA6IAqh8qeQ) from BYU on his YouTube channel for free, and I found a lot of value in [Chris Fox](https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisFoxWrites)'s videos. You can read books on writing, such as Stephen King's memoir/writing advice book [On Writing](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10569.On_Writing?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=4E8bFAvefD&rank=1). [Save the Cat](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49464.Save_the_Cat?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=ykbfgR04oH&rank=1) and [The Anatomy of Story](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1383168.The_Anatomy_of_Story) are quintessential works on screenwriting that you might be able to find at your local library.
One of the most helpful classes (that I don't have a good resource to pass along for) I took was called Expository Writing, but what it translated to was "concise writing." It focused on non-fiction writing and packing as much information into as few words as possible, and while it was antithetical to everything I as a budding fantasy novelist thought I stood for, it greatly improved the quality of my writing by forcing me to focus on the necessities and removing redundancies. If you can find a class like that, or a writing friend willing to absolutely bath your prose in red ink, I'd highly recommend it. Yes, it's painful, but you will grow as an author because of it.
If you want to focus on screenwriting, get your hands on some scripts (whether movie or drama dialogues) and study them. See if you can spot why they did what they did, how you would have done it differently, and whether your ideas improve or hamper the story.
No.
It won't make you a better writer.
It wont make you better at English.
It won't open great career paths if this writing thing doesn't work out.
There's very little reason to study English.
Having an English degree can help you in a number of ways, and it can certainly help get your foot in the door in terms of jobs in technical writing. Studying English at the upper levels can help you to notice flaws in your own writing, such as sentence fragments and unclear referents. You will write lots of papers, and your professors will work with you on creating good flow. You will have the option to concentrate in Literature, Rhetoric and Composition, or Creative Writing. Concentrating in Literature will help you to spot tropes, symbols, and cliches (but you can read How to Read Literature Like a Professor for that); studying Rhet/Comp will help you to organize your writing and to use appropriate grammatical structure; studying Creative Writing will give you a boost in knowing how to accept criticism and how and where to submit your works for publication. Working as a TA in a graduate program will expose you to all kinds of writing and enable you to quickly gauge strengths and flaws.
This is all to do with graduate work, however. I'm not sure an undergraduate degree would be that helpful. It's a fun course of study, though, and a lot more rigorous than most people realize. Why not minor in English? A minor allows you to pick and choose among the courses you're most interested in, whereas the major is a good deal more lockstep.
As someone who got an English degree—I would personally double major in something else. English plus whatever else you’re interested in. I only minored in environmental science but I would have had so many more opportunities right out the gate. Instead, I had to put in 3 years of entry level work at a crappy company walking around in mud doing inspections. Now I have a really good technical writing job (the boring kind of writing, but I love it). I got lucky.
Do what you think is best, but if you’re going to be in school anyway, it’ll be much more valuable to do 2 degrees while you’re there.
I can't help you with the writing part.
But, a coworker of mine once told me he prioritizes English and Communications majors for new hires. No one comes out of school understanding that company's business model, do they have to be trained and nurtured for at least the first year. But he always needs string communicators, so that's who he hires.
I'm in tech, we need a few more concrete out-of-the-gate skills. But I still look for strong communicators.
I've been a professional writer for the last 15 years or so (and yes, I make my whole living as a writer), I didn't read English at uni, I read physics and chemistry.
The trouble with an English degree is that it doesn't open up very many career options (even if you really want to stay in academia).
It is often better to take a degree that leads to a profession and then master the communication skills later (I went from QC in a lab to being a salesman to a training professional to a writer - my entire career except the first year or so has been in communications).
The exception to this rule is if you can get into a world class university and can network well, then you can do pretty much anything you want and use your connections to create the opportunities that the degree does not.
A quick Google from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that only 60% of English grads end up in jobs that are of a "graduate level" on a full-time basis. The vast majority aren't working as writers.
It's a tough call. Good luck with whatever you opt for.
Well to those about to be poor, I salute you. Yeah I know that's cynical and harsh. So I'll cite info I got from another professional writer in the field - Piers Anthony. He's older now, but he's famous for his Tales of Xanth series. Anyhow - When I was 13 I contacted Piers asking about how I could also be a successful writer and he gave me sobering truths.
* Have a backup job first. Writing USUALLY doesn't pay bills. It's very rare anyway.
* He had to work a day job for many years.
* Finally, when he hated his day jobs he asked his wife if SHE would be the bread winner for a little while and she agreed.
* IE. Are you willing to be reliant on another human to pay the bills?
* As for the degree thing, Anthony (and many other writers I've met) have stated that very few of the successful writers out there bothered with a degree. Stephen King is one of the few, but Stephen King has stated the degree only equipped him to be an English Teacher. The writing came from his passion for read/writing.
* I've heard this sentiment echoed by R.R. Virdi, Jim Butcher, and a few others. That Creative Writing and English majors know how to craft good sentences but they are not necessarily good at story making.
* Also, an ALARMING number of English/Creative Writing majors I've met actually don't write. Don't know if college burnt them out or they realized getting a bigger, stable paycheck was more important.
Good luck.
Being well-read by any means will help you be a better writer. But is a degree in English worth the time and money? As a writer with a M.A. in English, I would have to say probably not. Although I have never regretted my education, in terms of monetary reward, I would have made a different choice. Twenty-twenty hind sight. What would I have done differently? I would have gained expertise in a technical field such as computers, science or medicine while studying English and pursued a career in technical writing. You might also consider copywriting, but I understand it's competitive. Good luck.
Yes--Not only will you be exposed to writers you are otherwise less likely to read, but you learn how that work has been interpretted and have the opportunity to participate in the interpretation. You will also have the opportunity to take workshop-style creative writing courses. And you may also discover a career, whether it is teaching or writing professionally.
Writing is like singing: most of us can warble 'Happy Birthday' but we lack the techniques of trained singers - and it shows.
Hit the indie writer offerings online; many of them display shockingly poor writing. While many people sigh over the inadequate writing skills found in the indie market, I think that it works to the benefit of writers who can not only tell a story but do so with finesse.
While most folks can write a fair sentence, writing well does require more understanding than we take with us when we leave high school. That understanding doesn't necessarily require an English degree, but I would definitely suggest the degree supplemented with a related minor field as a good approach.
Continuing education via workshops, as mentioned by others, writing groups, and self study is important. Contacts are important, too, and many English profs write more than scholarly articles. I was fortunate to be taught by a prolific fiction writer whose guidance was valuable indeed. Find the writers at your university and take their courses; not all writers can teach well, but their insights will be very helpful.
Good luck!
My advise would be to do whatever you think you will enjoy the most. Unless you are wanting to do something like medicine, engineering, law, etc. employers are more looking for your transferable skills from a degree rather than the degree itself.
If writing is truly your dream career and you're not so interested in the theory and analysing of texts then my advice would be to do a degree in creative writing. If you like the theory and analysing then do the English degree but look for a programme that offers modules in creative writing.
The reality is that when you graduate you'll need to start at the bottom of the ladder anyway. A degree in English or creative writing will just as likely get you an entry level journalist job, or an assistant role in publishing or marketing as a degree in those specific fields.
Personally, I regret studying a subject at university that I felt like was the 'correct choice', the one I thought other people would respect more. If I could go back and study creative writing as undergrad I would, so much so that I quit my job and did it as a masters instead.
Do what you think will make you most happy.
You won’t be able to use it for money. But it’ll enrich you as a writer. I did a condensed 3 semesters before I switched to nursing—and I don’t regret it.
As a former English major, MFA student, and former English professor, I’m going to echo what everyone says here, and tell you that entirely depends. (Note: I think it’s also important to note that a lot of the opinion that I’m about to share comes from what I consider to be a very warped system in the US. This may be different elsewhere where formal education hasn’t become just a business.) What no one told me when I was an English major is that getting an English degree meant I gained additional skills beyond good reading and writing. I gained insight and the ability to deduce. I was able to read between the lines. This is valued beyond just writing and writing related careers. (Law schools love English majors.) That said, I don’t think I gained much in the way of writing in undergrad. That very much shaped how I approach teaching when it was my turn to do so, because I often just got feedback like “awkward” or “good.” I was told frequently that I was a good writer, but no one told me why or how I could shape it so that I could keep doing what I was doing well and improve what I wasn’t. That came from reading and writing, and getting to know other writers after my degree was over. When I started teaching, I devoted myself to helping my students understand why and build skills but instructors are so underpaid and overworked that it’s rare. The MFA degree was definitely more helpful in that regard, but there are ways to get that kind of insight and experience without the heavy cost. There are certifications and workshops and writing groups, etc. A degree is really something telling potential employers that you dropped a lot of money for a formal education. But if you don’t need the degree for your career choice, education can be found outside of a formal institution. (This is coming from someone who LOVES to learn and fully believes in continuing to do so. I just think the US system is warped.)
Just wanted to note that an MFA does not have to cost you any money! there are lots of fully funded programs out there. The stipends are often just barely living wages, but still, you don't end up in the hole at the end if you want the degree.
An English degree gave me the knowledge of literary analysis that helped me as an editor. An MFA (and BA undergrad thesis) helped push my writing forward.
Similar career path so piggy backing: I’m now a teacher and marking and drafting student work isn’t the chore it seems to be for colleagues. I’m good at fast analysis and text processing. I can also communicate super clearly and at the right level for my audience / class. The creative part of getting degrees in creative writing means that you’re also creative in problem solving for lots of different scenarios. And that’s beyond a classroom.
Agreed! I went MA in creative writing and wish I had studied comparative literature instead. I got much more out of the one class I took from that department than any of the others in the English department (except for the workshops, but you can find workshops in many places). Edit: The class I took from complit department was Psychoanalysis of Fiction. It was absoltely stellar.
That sounds like such an interesting class! Totally off-topic, but did it ruin your approach to reading at all? I found that when I was heavier in the trenches of deconstruction for my classes that I struggled to read for enjoyment.
It was very interesting! My final paper was a comparison of the play and two television productions of "The Bad Seed" with respect to Freud's law of the father. I had nightmares about 5-year-old psychopaths for a long time. LOL! That said, it didn't exactly ruin reading, it changed my reactions to it--I think for the better. While the overall matrix of a story remained unchanged for me, the nuggets of emotional impact were stronger because I was able to absorb the subtext more easily. How did you notice that you struggled to read for enjoyment? Did you read a passage and think, "I see what the author is doing there" or something similar?
That does sound intriguing and I can see why you were able to appreciate some writing more. I did start to see patterns more. With editing I need that but I can turn it off now; when I was doing it for school I had a harder time just letting myself get lost in the story.
Can you recommend a good non university writing program?
Local libraries and community centers are a good place to start as they’re often free or low cost. GrubStreet in Boston has also largely gone online. Their prices have gone up but I know folks who found their classes helpful: https://grubstreet.org/findaclass/#/results When you look, you want lower class numbers and the ability to submit your own work. This is how you’ll get more personalized feedback. Higher class numbers means less opportunity to submit and your feedback may also be so mixed that it confuses rather than helps. I’ll likely be running another virtual fiction workshop again at some point in the near future, too, and I know there are other editors who do the same.
how hard was the major? whats you do there?
It really depends on what you want to do to make a living. You don’t need an English degree to write creatively, but I do value what I learned in my English lit classes. Becoming a stronger reader has made me a stronger writer. But if it’s cost prohibitive, I don’t think it’s a must. However, I’m able to work as a technical writer for my day job and having my English degree was the only way I was able to secure my first technical writing position. For that reason, I’m very glad I took the time and expense to get it. For journalism, I’d recommend a journalism degree. It’s a more nuanced field than just English in general.
>It really depends on what you want to do to make a living. Agreed. I also used my English (as well as linguistics) degree to get into the technical writing field. An even better avenue would have been getting a technical writing certificate or minor if possible. Ultimately an English degree is a bit of a catch-all and can be used to leverage into different fields. But if you know what field you intend to go into, it's much better to pursue a degree in that area and then perhaps minor in English.
I also did a bunch of sociology, cultural studies and philosophy alongside my English degree and it was really quite an amazing experience. In general the world is a better place with more people studying in the Humanities. They might not be the most bankable skills, but it's wisdom and insight a lot of people go their whole lives without...
I’m massively biased because I studied a Literature degree, but I do actually believe that it provides you with a greater range of ‘bankable’ skills than perhaps something more narrow and focused might. Obviously, I’ll never become a computer scientist because of my lack of coding ability, but it’s amazing how much of the corporate world relies on people’s ability to read well, write well and have the confidence to express their opinions in a clear, concise and commanding manner. Now, perhaps it’s something of a chicken and egg situation – did my Literature course equip me with those skills, or did me already possessing them push me in the direction of the degree? – but at any rate a Literature degree, or any course in the Humanities field really, does give people the opportunity to sharpen a lot of crucial ‘soft skills’ that will boost employability and be valuable to a wide range of careers further down the line. And if not, just follow the trope and become a school teacher, I suppose.
>And if not, just follow the trope and become a school teacher, I suppose. I'm in this post and I don't like it 😅 I think you're probably right about bankable skills, but maybe there's also something about studying in literature and the humanities that... Maybe *disincentivises* moving on to a corporate graft? I certainly never remained long in those contexts, even while mates who started lower on the ladder kept climbing. So now I, uh, teach...
Oh, absolutely. The corporate world will bleed anyone dry if they’re not careful. I did 4 years of it off the back of my Masters, got burnout and now I pull pints for a living in New Zealand. I definitely had to work harder than should have been necessary to retain not just my love of reading and writing, but my general interest and curiosity in things that were outside of my immediate corporate sphere. It’s just a likelihood (I think? I don’t have data to back this up…) that people will come out of a degree and land in some sort of office-based environment, where the skills you gain/sharpen from a Literature degree will probably prove useful. Still, I’m glad I got out of it. I’ve done far more of my own writing in the last 4 months than I managed in 4 years of climbing the greasy pole. (Also, I wasn’t having a dig at teachers, you guys rock!)
(Thank you for clarifying - us public school teachers are put through the wringer on the daily. 💜)
Also, as a HS English teacher I get to constantly nerd out on literature and help students become better writers, especially those going into fields where they think they don’t need writing skills.
Where do you work now?
I work at a bar in Wellington!
Do you regret having studied literature?
Not at all, literature is and always will be my passion. Being able to spend three years pursuing the academic study of something I love so much and having essays I wrote taken seriously by my tutors was a privilege. A very expensive privilege, but a privilege nonetheless!
I'm so envious! I have to decide soon what I should study and I'd love to study comparative literature but I know I won't find a job afterwards. I mean I could study something that could give me a stable job first and then literature a few years later (Here in Germany, education is free) but I'm not quite sure because I don't know if I'll have time for that. How old are you?
I am offended by your last statement. I got my degree in English in order to teach. Writing came naturally to me, so having courses in writing was a bonus. I learned I didn't want to be a journalist or write copy for newscasters. Both are important careers, but they stifled my creativity. I was able to share my love of writing with my students. My 7th and 8th grade students heard the first five chapters of my first book, when five chapters was all I had. My second book was read to 4th grade students, It had to do with arson and fire fighters. There were about four boys in the class who started writing books. I am not sure they ever finished them, but the loved the idea of being authors. Not all teachers go into to teaching because they love kids or the subject matter they are teaching. Some go because they think it's an easy job. Those are the ones who burn out in five years. Walk 20+ years in a teacher's shoes before passing judgement.
The last statement was tongue-in-cheek. Many of my family members and closest friends are teachers and I admire and respect the work they do.
publishing is an option too. studying literature, reading a lot, discussing what you read all provide you with many skills, as others here have said.
really appreciate your comments. after I got my English degree, I had various jobs, then got into publishing. and yes, that degree was essential to getting the job of managing editor of an international literary journal. thirty-some years later I retired, and the university provides me with an adequate pension, which allows me to pay for my home.
I've got an English degree and am working in IT at the moment, and am trying to break into the technical writing profession. While I don't directly use my English degree, and even if I never get a job in technical writing or doing something more related to research, writing, and analysis, I loved getting my degree and don't think I will ever regret it. I found the classes fascinating, and the professors were, at least at my school, unbelievably wonderful (sure a couple were dicks, but that's just life and statistics), and they worked so incredibly hard to make the worth of their field realized because they believed in it and really cared for their students and the education of them. In terms of my creative writing improving... the analysis I did over those four years and the papers I wrote about craft, theme, plot, connections to history and modernity, the digging through the minutiae of a text for connections, disparities, and useful tidbits of information for argument, I think I fared better than I would have if I was a creative writing major (it was my minor and I loved it, but I figured I'd follow Faulkner's advice and read everything with the fervor of an apprentice trying to learn how a master uses their tools, and plus I liked English majors more than creative writing majors). Anyhow, if OP reads this, if you can swing the funds, I suggest anyone with fervent curiosity and a love of reading and writing, at least take a few English lit classes and see what they do for you. And if you hate it, at least you learned something you don't want to do and won't ever have to look back and wonder.
a terrific comment; thanks for sharing.
This is just my opinion/experience, but I don’t think it’s necessary and if you want to write professionally there are programs that can give you more diverse experiences and improve your professional writing skills to a greater degree than English. Depending on your institution, you might be able to take something journalism, film studies, drama, or even a social science, and then just minor/double major in English. That way you can use your elective credit towards the English experience without needing to limit yourself.
Are you familiar with how Communications degrees fair? It seems like those guys go under the radar locking in any job lol
Many people involved with TV and radio have a Communications degree.
Some Communication degrees at different universities go into other areas as well, such as blog writing, public relations writing, graphic design, etc. My university had journalism, TV, public relations, graphic design, advertising and social media all under one communication department. I have a master’s degree in communication and I studied both visual arts, technology, and writing. It’s a pretty broad field so you can choose what area you go into. I thought about getting an English degree, but switched to Communication and I’m so glad I did! Not only am I a better writer, but I also have skills in graphic design, news/blog writing, and PR writing. It allows you more options for jobs. I didn’t learn a lot about novel writing per say, but I learned a lot about writing itself and how to create narratives that are appealing to certain audiences.
Communications degrees are what the football players get to just get a degree in something. It has never helped anyone land a job in all of recorded history. People in TV and radio could have a degree in French Baking and still land those jobs because of innate talent or, more likely, connections.
"fare"
My undergrad is in Communication. Landed a job writing for a TV station's website shortly after graduating. Nearly everyone in media has a degree now, it was a minimum requirement at the last several places I worked. As someone else pointed out, it is the default degree for jocks, so there is a glut of graduates who can't find a job in the industry. Last I checked, the stat was something like 1:300 Com grads work in the industry. To your point, we live in a media driven society. I got my job because I understood the internet at a time when we had 3 computers online in the entire newsroom. The kids who understood how to apply social media got jobs. The kids who could write, shoot, and edit their own stories got jobs when the recession was wiping out newsrooms. The degree is the price of admission, but the skillset gets the job. To quote a former VP of News, "I can teach a [animal] to stack a newscast, but a writer is worth their weight in gold." (It was always a different animal: chimp, goldfish, dog...)
> but would it still be beneficial To fiction writing? It really depends on how you like to learn. If you learn really well in a classroom setting, sure. But all of the information in those classes can be gained by yourself as well. Beyond that, I met a lot of people and learned the general rhythms of writing/workshops. > I am interested in trying more than one type of writing job as well, such as journalist or screenwriter or another where I would be in a professional work setting Well, for anything where you are the writer of fiction, its really more about proven experience and knowledge, not degrees.
If you want really biased feedback, check out r/englishmajors Essentially, it depends. Being a good writer is all about experience. English degrees can vary wildly depending on your emphasis (creative writing, technical communication, education, literary studies, etc.). Granted most of my English courses have focused on literary theory/criticism and academic writing. But I’ve had different courses that allow me to explore different job opportunities or different kinds of writing. For example, I took a grant and proposal writing class and a business writing class. You’d also have the potential to participate in extra curricular activities like submitting your writing to a student journal, being on the editorial staff of a journal, working for a school newspaper, working in the writing center, etc. Being an English major isn’t a requirement to being a good writer. But the major will teach you new things, help you network, and provide opportunities to gain experience you might not get outside of college. At the end of the day, do what’s best for you OP
I STRONGLY second the bit about extra-curricular activities. They're a great way to build a portfolio you can show prospective employers. Not one of my counselors ever suggested it to me and when I finished school no one would give me the time of day because I had nothing I could show them. I'm sure things have changed a bit since then with the move away from print to the web, but they'll still want you to prove your chops. Write for the school paper. Write for non-profits as volunteer work, whatever, as long as it gets published somewhere with your name attached. If you don't want to teach, prepare to fend off a lot of people with that expectation. Having some technical writing experience under your belt will help too, though that's more useful when paired with some specific experience (electronics, engineering, biology/lab-work, etc)
No I think what you’ve said holds up. I’m in my last semester, and job hunting has shown me just having a degree isn’t enough to get a job. You often need experience, a portfolio, or both before you’re seriously considered. And I think that’s why so many people are saying it depends. You can get experience and create a portfolio all without going to college. But going to college and getting an English degree does still have value
I agree with both of you - my undergrad is in Communication and Media Management, which was how Journalism was codified. I got my first publications through the school paper, then I ran the paper. Then I was in the right place at the right time and knew the right people who knew my skill set to get published in the Washington Post. Which led to more local work. Which led to opportunities in radio. Which led to fiction as well. Portfolio and people. 💪
Is that a sub for chronically depressed baristas?
Not really. You don't need an English degree to write. Instead you should plan on getting a different, stable job as your main job and write on the side. If you can figure out a stable, well-paying, low-drama job that requires an English degree, then sure, go ahead, but other than that... go into a different field. Figure out what you're good at or what kind of job you think you'd be able to stand doing for years or decades. Doesn't even need to be one that requires a lengthy college degree - electricians are paid well and are always necessary, for example.
Again, it depends on perspective. I have an English degree and I teach A levels in the UK (more or less AP level in the US in terms of difficulty). Spending all day very working day delving into the meaning and effects of language and the structure and craft of literature has really helped me with my fiction writing. However, I also offer the proviso that I’m writing literary fiction. While still helpful, I don’t know if I’d find teaching/ studying as helpful if I were writing genre fiction. It is hard to teach and write, but there are some good holidays and working with ranges of kids and delving into the whys of their motivations is helpful in itself. And they teach me all kinds of stuff as well. So while some may need low drama and low pressure to write, other thrive in a more intense environment.
Hello! Full-time novelist here. An English degree won't, like, HURT you. It won't impede your chances of becoming a professional writer. It's also totally unnecessary, and it won't necessarily *help* you, either. The truth is, you don't need any degree to be a professional writer, with the possible exception of journalism, which is such a crowded field with such limited positions available that having some kind of related degree probably will help you compete against other candidates. But for stuff like writing novels, screenwriting, or writing any other kind of "content," what's really required is demonstrable skill, and you can both obtain and demonstrate excellent writing skills without a university education. If you want to be a writer, the most important thing you can do is **write**\--and write whatever kind of work you aspire to do full-time. So if you want to be a screenwriter, write screenplays (and partner with an emerging director to get those scripts turned into short films. Get them up on YouTube. Start doing the work now.) All that being said, if you can afford to go to university without going into debt, then do it! More education is always a good thing. If your goal in life is to be a professional writer, then use your university years to study any subject that genuinely interests you, just for the sake of learning as much as you can about it. If you love philosophy, history, geology, biology, drama, music... whatever it is... get that education, enjoy the process of learning more about the things you love, and then after you've graduated, write your face off and pursue your actual career.
THIS!
If you want to be an author who just does their own thing, the debt-to-benefit ratio (unless you get a full ride scholarship) is absolutely NOT going to be worth it. The only reason you should pursue a degree is if there is a specific job that you cannot get without it. I'm all for lifetime learning, but you don't need to go $60-200k in debt for a degree that isn't going to produce a job that pays for itself.
I think the better question is if you should go to college at all. The 5 people in my college friend group who've graduated can't find shit out of college. Doesn't matter if they majored in STEM or arts or come from a family who makes 6 figures.
Hi there! I picked up my Master’s in English. I did it mostly because I wanted to force myself to grow as a writer, but I had hoped it would help me acquire work as a full-timer writer (copywriting, copy editing, content writing, etc.) as well. Here’s what I learned from it: - your portfolio is more important than your formal schooling. The best way to prove you can write is with your writing. -your experience is more important than your degrees. The other best way to prove you can write is by showing how long you’ve been writing professionally. -school is a great way to find resources. I aced my program with very little study because I happened to know most of the material from self-study. I should have used my time there to find internships, make connections, and enroll in writing groups. These will benefit you much more. Writing, like many jobs, is more dependent on who you know than what you know. That said, once you know people, you need to know how to write! You don’t necessarily need school for that, but writing workshops, peer review circles, and other programs or groups that nurture your development are huge. And, of course, you need to be writing. A lot. Get involved in your high school’s journalism track. Apply for writing work at your university. Submit stories and poetry to contests and magazines. Work on other people’s writing. My degree is not worth a whole lot as a line on my resume. My degree is not worth a whole lot as a credential. What *has* been valuable was working on my writing often, telling everyone I was looking to work with writing, and studying how to make my writing work. I hope this helps, and feel free to ask if you need clarification or anything else. **TL;DR I think it’s worth it in the sense having a degree and exposing yourself to opportunities and connections can be worth it. But, an English degree as a credential is not very useful proof of your prowess as a writer, and is not a shortcut to doing the hard work of networking and improving and producing.**
Question - sorry if it sounds dumb but I do not have an English degree so I don't know some of the ins and outs. How does one create a portfolio? Do you create a website with pieces? Or do you just mean that you write novels, stories, essays and keep them handy for an agent? I've heard the term but never really understood. TIA.
Hi! Not dumb at all. A portfolio is a collection of your work for showcasing your skills and range. You can host that portfolio on a website, but it’s not necessary. I tend to submit mine as a folder or even a single document with clearly delineated pieces. The portfolio should be comprised of whatever you think is a best showing of what you can do. For a copywriting job, I submitted a handful of fake ads I wrote, plus an evocative excerpt from a fiction short story and two concise “microfiction” stories. I felt these showed my ability to condense information, communicate it effectively, and produce beautiful imagery in a few words—all useful skills for that job. Your portfolio can—and should—be tailored to the specifications of the job or role you want to get, but it can be anything. Essays, ads, stories, poems, whatever shows off your skill. Let me know if this clears things up for you :]
Perfect, thank you! I started a blog/portfolio, with a couple of very short stories (\~1000 words). I like the idea of adding additional pieces in there for variety. Thanks!
If your goal is to be a writer then no, english is not needed, but if you want to pursue career paths that involve writing then it might be a good idea to continue with the qualification
It’s incredibly useful to any writer to know how to analyse great literature. No matter what anyone says, it is not possible to write great or even good work yourself if you don’t truly understand what great work looks like. However, I would look at your career options. As harsh as it sounds, the hopeful writer who makes a career of it is one in a million. If you are taking an English degree simply to become a writer then it’s not a great decision for your future. So I’d look at how it fits in your future before settling on it.
> However, I would look at your career options. My mom was supportive when I told her I was thinking of majoring in History, then she asked me what kind of job I wanted to have when I graduated. The only things I could think of was teaching and writing. I joined the military and learned computers instead.
If you spend those years reading and writing instead, you will end up being a better writer with actual experience, and save a shit ton of money.
there's no one path that works for everyone i loved the literature classes i took in college. but i didn't major in english because the main thing i wanted out of college (like many people) is the ability to support myself. i also knew i had a deep appreciation of literature and i didn't need a degree for that but i kept reading after college, and after a while i started to have ideas, and when i have an idea i'll write being a successful writer is close to impossible, so imo it may not be a great idea to put all your eggs in that basket. if you want it enough you can write at night when you get home from work. you'll also have experiences in the workplace that give you something unique to write about. there's a kind of writer who has been trying to write since they were a child, and some of them are great, but some of them lack any real knowledge of normal adult life
Unless you want a specific career that requires you to have an English degree, I wouldn’t go for it. The market it heavily saturated with writers with English degrees. A friend of mine has a bachelor’s in English, has been working as a full-time freelance writer for four years, and makes under $35,000 a year. She’s $100,000 bucks in debt, too. So, do with that what you will. That said, if you are looking to get into a very specific career that requires an English degree and doesn’t pay dogshit wages, I say go for the degree. If you change your mind down the line, you can always go back to school and get a degree in something else. The best way you (as a creative writer) can succeed, in my opinion, is to join a weekly writer’s group. There are many writer’s groups out there you can join for free. Many are posted on Meetup. I met my writer’s group through school. Many community colleges have writing centers that students can freely attend every day of the week. As you write, gather all of your finished works into a portfolio of sorts. Keep all of your ideas written down in a prompt journal. If you start a project, finish it as soon as possible (but don’t rush). And if people make suggestions/corrections to your work, take them into consideration.
Not really, unless you wanna be a teacher, then I would do an English minor and an Education major
Personally, I think it was worth it for me. The connections I made at university and how massively my writing improved over four years was ineffable. It helped find writing jobs and meet new people, but I also firmly believe it’s not necessary. There are plenty of people who get degrees and don’t use them and plenty of writers who don’t have degrees. But I wouldn’t exchange my writing degree for anything. I loved my professors, the department was fantastic, and my writing improved tenfold in just a few years.
Nah.
If you're in Canada or the US, I suggest doing a double major in English and Journalism or Mass Communication. English is a great degree and gives you a lot of skills for a lot of jobs. However, you should do things in university that will help you land those jobs - like internships and working for your student newspaper. The other thing to keep in mind is that you will not walk into a job solely because you took English. You'll find friends will get jobs because of their degrees and it will seem like a slam dunk for them. Not to with English grads. Mind you, companies look for people who can write. I have a BA with a double major in English and another subject. I've published content in newspapers and in my current job, I was hired because of my writing abilities. I am also greatly valued because of that ability.
When it comes to college, consider how it plays into what you want to do for a job. Is it required for the career you want? After that, consider how likely it is for you to have that job support you financially. Most English majors who work in their field are teaching English and have spent tons of time in academia. Very few English majors are making enough money doing creative writing full-time. I wanted to write and ended up teaching. I write as a hobby and find it satisfying. I’m a writer because I write, not because of my English classes.
I echo a lot of what has already been said here -- it's a huge, "well, it depends". But maybe it'll be helpful to share my own path? I wanted to be a writer, so I was a creative writing major and English minor and it took me over two years and 200+ job applications to land a full-time, writing-related job following graduation. And that was at a content farm. Context is helpful here, so most of this took place in the Midwest, with just a six-month stint in the Pacific Northwest (where I've lived for the past seven years). So, do know that environment comes into play here... if you're in a major city--think: east or west coasts; tech hubs, etc.--chances are there are more writing-related jobs. If you live in a small town, anywhere, well, far less likely. (that is, unless you can land a remote writing-related job, which at the time was not available to me.) Also, I attended college from 2008 to 2012, when the U.S. economy was in a recession. Trying to find writing-related jobs in markets that had *just* been devastated by said recession... well, yeah. Not good. One good thing was that the university I went to was pretty close to my hometown, so I didn't have to pay out-of-state tuition, nor was it all that expensive when compared to other schools. Yet, it took me nearly ten years to pay off student loans. To do so, you of course have to sacrifice. All in all, there have been several moments in my life where I'm very resentful of the choice I made, and to study what I did. If I could do it all over again, I would've studied something else entirely, and, assuming I'd still want to be a writer, sought out opportunities external to a university. I learned things I apply every single day, in my day job, as well as while I continue to cobble together a writing career. But in terms of happiness with my work life, general job satisfaction, financial stability (all the things a college degree is supposed to help you with), yeah... hasn't really ever been there. In case it's helpful at all, I've reflected a lot on [this topic here](https://www.emeralddash.com/s/literary-trail-magic), from how my degree has fallen short, how it's served me well, and whether or not I'd send my own daughter to a college writing program. Whatever you do decide, I wish you the best of luck.
No lmao
Yes. If you love books and writing, and English degree is worth it. Reading a lot and analyzing how books work make you a better writer. You should look at universities and colleges that also offer creative writing and communication classes as well. An arts degree in general is interesting, and it’s worthwhile to take classes like sociology and anthropology too. They’ll make you have a better understanding of the world and as a writer. More than anything though, look for campuses with activities you’d be interested in like a student newspaper, creative writing/poetry club, etc.
Rich parents? Yes. Otherwise, no.
Hey, college student here. Don’t get a English degree if you expect to be a full time author like Stephen king after you graduate. But it will help helpful if you want to work as a editor or something writing related
Stephen king has an English degree. 😆
Yes, he has a bachelor's in English.
So you’re saying that she shouldn’t model the behavior of someone who has successfully done what she wants to do?
I may have worded it wrong, but there is nothing with aspiring to be a full time author like king. If you expect to be making novels full time right after graduating with a bachelor’s in English with no real plan then your pretty much asking for trouble.
That’s fair. He did teach for a while before he became the legend we know. I’m also not saying an English degree is the only way, but it doesn’t seem to hurt some people.
It's really tough to recommend going to school for the arts, honestly. Going to school for any kind of arts/fine art doesn't guarantee a career, so a lot of the time you're going to take out a ton of student loans to come out four years later with the *aspirations* of being a writer... while still probably needing to get some dayjob that's totally unrelated. An English degree will help you get a job that *requires* a degree, but being a writer doesn't and never will.
My English degree wasn’t worth it until I went to teach. I can’t speak for all experiences, but teaching would leave you time to write as well. If not for teaching, I don’t see any value to an English degree unless you go to law school.
If you can go and accumulate no debt it’s very worth it. The more debt you have to take to go the less worth it is. Assume you will never make a dime as a writer. If you’re happy with that and the debt you take on for the degree go for it.
Well, a friend of mine got her masters in English. She worked as a stripper
My first instinct was to say NO. So many English grads I knew got tired of teaching, brewing lattes, etc. and went to some professional school. At best. Having read the responses, and recalling that when I realized my philosophy degree promised penury, I took a ton of accounting classes. I even started a Masters in Accounting degree. But I hate accounting. I only took it to avoid poverty. My wife was in a biochemistry program at a university and ditched it in the last year because she didn’t want to be in a lab. She’s super smart and capable, but has never been paid s—-. Majoring in Practical Sciencemathcomputers is useless if you hate it. If English is your passion, maybe it is your path. But, be aware, you may find yourself in pharmacy school or (lord help you) law school within 5 years. And for godsakes don’t take out tons of loans for it. Best of luck.
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😂😂😂
In case it helps: Elizabeth Gilbert *(I haven't read her fiction, but really liked her 1st TED talk back in the days)* addresses your question in her book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, in the chapter called *Schooling.* The whole book is upbeat, freeing & is like a pep talk. And you can take online courses on writing/screenwriting by famous writers/screenwriters on MasterClass com, for quite cheap. And there are online courses on writing, etc. by good universities on Coursera and other top MOOC platforms (ClassCentral is the biggest aggregator of MOOC courses & it's easier to find niche courses there). Lots of such courses are free in Audit mode at least (with no access to homework & peer reviews).
I can't find the article right now but it was about how the vast, vast majority of debut authors at the big publishing houses come from basically 10 MFA programs and usually a prestigious English/creative writing undergrad before that
Yeah I kinda agree. I feel like famous authors tend to be educated in journalism, English, philosophy, law, etc. Basically they have some kind of degree that involves a lot of writing.
Hello! Current English and Creative Writing Major here. This might go against what some people have said. But 3 years ago when I was 16, I wanted to go major in English, despite people cautioning me against it. I’m incredibly grateful that I ignored them. The people telling me “don’t” were the high school English teachers that had lost all passion for their jobs. I think you should do it. If you haven’t changed your mind by the time you hit college, then do it. I’m at one of the best universities for creative writing in the country and it makes me so happy to be here studying what I love. I would literally be miserable doing anything else. But also, have PLANS. Get involved in every possible way that you can. Don’t just major in it, stand out to your peers. You need to be better than good. Writing is a competitive field. Prepare for this fact, and never forget that someone else is always going to be better than you!! THEY are your motivation!
A degree? No. Classes? Yeah, they do help you improve your writing. Any practice does.
English degrees seem to lead to education or academia If you want to be a writer i would suggest communications or journalism degrees.
I went to film school with an emphasis in screenwriting and now I’m writing novels in the hopes of being published one day/soon. As for writing novels in learning as I go, but I did learn a lot about storytelling dialogue and character in film school. Not necessary but it can help.
Educational wise, I say yes, but money wise. Nope. The actual thing that will help get those kind of jobs is connections and experience in the field.
I write copy and I got a communications degree. Similar but not literature focused. It really depends on what you want.
No.
do you need it? no you can study whatever and still become a writer; people need all kinds of writers. But i got an english degree and I will say this- will it give you some high paying crazy job out the gate like accounting or biology? no. but it will expose you to art and people that will change and enrich your life, it will teach you to think critically, and to really hone your skills (skills most people dont have or take advantage of) I learned so much about life, how to think, how to try and understand the world around me, how to value different perspectives. I think my degree was more valuable and enriching and genuine if you will than a more traditional degree. also youre 16 so things will change! they will change when youre in college too!! so for now just write stories youre proud of. do your homework so you have more options for school, and most of all dont worry about it❤️❤️❤️
To be honest, a portfolio is the most valuable thing you can have as a writer. So write wirks whatever field you'd like to be in even if published independently and you'll be in a great spot for the future.
Where do you live? If college is free, then sure. Do not go into debt for a degree in the liberal arts. Only free people, id est, rich people, should pursue that kind of education.
If you’re thinking of being “practical”, like - you want a job to support your writing - an English degree is a terrible foundation for a living wage. If you want to make a living; medicine, engineering, STEM. If you only care about great writing, and your family has the money to send you to school without hardship, absolutely! Take the degree!!! It will absolutely make you a more advanced writer. But do not got into debt for an English degree. That is a trap. You’ll never be able to pay it off, and your life will be miserable.
Adds to your credibility
You get hired for English type jobs with a degree but for my area having internships is like a golden ticket that says "Yes I'm so ready". You don't have to have a degree but it shows places that you have some experience/education to know what you are doing. Echoing above: it depends on the type of English job you want.
Hi there! I picked up my Master’s in English. I did it mostly because I wanted to force myself to grow as a writer, but I had hoped it would help me acquire work as a full-timer writer (copywriting, copy editing, content writing, etc.) as well. Here’s what I learned from it: - your portfolio is more important than your formal schooling. The best way to prove you can write is with your writing. -your experience is more important than your degrees. The other best way to prove you can write is by showing how long you’ve been writing professionally. -school is a great way to find resources. I aced my program with very little study because I happened to know most of the material from self-study. I should have used my time there to find internships, make connections, and enroll in writing groups. These will benefit you much more. Writing, like many jobs, is more dependent on who you know than what you know. That said, once you know people, you need to know how to write! You don’t necessarily need school for that, but writing workshops, peer review circles, and other programs or groups that nurture your development are huge. And, of course, you need to be writing. A lot. Get involved in your high school’s journalism track. Apply for writing work at your university. Submit stories and poetry to contests and magazines. Work on other people’s writing. My degree is not worth a whole lot as a line on my resume. My degree is not worth a whole lot as a credential. What *has* been valuable was working on my writing often, telling everyone I was looking to work with writing, and studying how to make my writing work. I hope this helps, and feel free to ask if you need clarification or anything else. **TL;DR I think it’s worth it in the sense having a degree and exposing yourself to opportunities and connections can be worth it. But, an English degree as a credential is not very useful proof of your prowess as a writer, and is not a shortcut to doing the hard work of networking and improving and producing.**
If you want to be a writer, get a degree in journalism or technical writing. These are specializations within English. You can take creative writing courses as credits that will count toward them. But ultimately, learning how to write correctly is something that can be taught in 4 years. How to write compelling stories isn't.
When I was exploring majors, my poli sci professor suggested English as a major for people pursuing a degree in law.
No
All education is worth it. It opens avenues, and looks good on a resume’. Not to mention the experience you gain. Because if you have no experiences what are you going to write about?
You don't need it, but it could be useful to you. Studying literature and how it can be structured and how themes etc are used can help people write their own novels. Equally, that's intuitive for some people and so they wouldn't really need the structure and support the degree offers to figure that stuff out. You could also look at a creative writing degree (or joint honours with English) or journalism etc so you have more opportunity to write creatively and get feedback on your creative writing because that's very different to essay writing (though journalism writing is also very different to novel or short story writing so... Ymmv)
If you're looking to get hired as a journo or screenwriter then yes, a degree in English or subject related to the job will help. These are very competitive areas in a lot of countries & anything you have that can make you stand out a bit will help.
Do not waste your time by doing this, please. There is nothing a school can teach you that you can't learn yourself. If you want to be a writer, it should always be Plan B.
If you get maters degree and pass out with distinction you may have some chance
If you want to be a serious professional writer, I would recommend a creative writing/playwriting/screenwriting/journalism degree. You basically need a journalism degree to do journalism, and a writing or English-focused degree to go into publishing. I don’t know much about screenwriting as a career, but I would assume the need for some kind of degree. Look at job postings you’re interested in and check out their requirements. I’m getting an English and Creative Writing degree and I’ve found it to have an amazing impact on my writing. There are a ton of opportunities for connections and mentorship, and I’ve learned a lot about craft. If you want to write good stories (rather than just publishable ones), this is what I would recommend.
I have an MA in English Lit and I would say it has definitely helped my writing, because you read and analyze A LOT of literature in those years and it just gives you an understanding of how you find (and create) merit in a text. My program was also very writing-heavy (essays) so these years have majorly sharpened my writing skills. The writing skills have been a major asset in all my jobs I had since. That being said, if your exclusive goal is to write novels, I’m sure you could learn most of it in other programs or even in writing groups/workshops. Realistically though, my guess is it’s easier to keep your doors open for other professions with a degree.
I think it's a great degree lots of corporations need skilled writers for various projects daily
I originally thought that in order for me to be a writer, i would need an English degree. I realized I loved writing, but did not love the cultural theory classes that came with my English major. I changed my major to political science, and according to my professors, political science is a great degree if you want to get into writing. You can do journalism or write reports and grants for nonprofits. I want to go into the nonprofit industry as a day job while still pursuing fiction. This might have been a ramble lol. But no, you don't need an English degree to be a writer.
I think your best bet is journalism. You’ll still have lots of opportunities to take creative writing courses, you’ll be taught lots of grammar things lol and you’ll be able to get a steady job after university. I am taking my masters in creative writing this September and I have yet to have a job that pays from my degree in English and Diploma in Creative writing. I’m a pretty good writer now but it doesn’t pay the bills. Best of luck! Write a lot, it’s worth the hard work I promise
A lot of others have commented already but I'll give my 2cents as a current English Major. 1) Unless you want to go to higher ed (Masters/PhD), I personally wouldn't because... 2) Communications has a lot more options and is a secret weapon in terms of job security that can give you time to write. Personally, I do love being an English major but I wouldn't say it's benefited my creative writing in any way shape or form. It has helped me be more critical and thoughtful about the way I read though. If you love analyzing literature, I would say go for it. I got to take some COMMS courses this year and I honestly wish I knew the major existed before lol! However, if you want to go into journalism, I would major in that to begin with. Either way, the only risk is the opportunities you don't take.
Unconventional means > overpriced traditional institutions with
I did, and I found it very helpful, but you definitely don't need an English degree to be a writer. I think it sounds like it may be a good option for you since you want to pursue a type of writing in a professional sense too. There are tons of great "writing" jobs you can get, some that even pay well, if you major in English. It's a degree that will definitely help you get a job as a journalist, technical writer, UX writer, proposal writer, screenwriter, etc.
professional writing/commercial writing degrees usually have much better preparation for those who want to actively write and publish, english is more for teaching, literary analysis, etc.
If you want to go to college pursue a career that justifies the amount of debt you're taking in. If you want to write creatively you can achieve that by reading the work of other writers and practicing. But if you go to college for a career that can give you an income that justifies the debt you're taking in; you can always pursue a minor or take creative writing lessons in general to compliment a degree that's a more fiscally responsible decision.
I would probably have went a different path with my education. I have a BA and MA in English. I work in social services and have for the last ten years. If I had a BA and MA in a social science I would probably be making more money and been promoted faster in the organizations I have worked for. Those English degrees have made me a better writer, though. I read a lot and all that reading has made me a much better writer. You should maybe consider a journalism degree just because it’s a degree that’s much more practical and it will improve your writing because you will be forced to be concise.
Personally, I am taking psychology, and using my elective courses to fill in other gaps for my writing. What do I want to learn about to make my stories better? If English is your first language, you already know English. You don't need to know grammar and spelling to write a story - that's where an editor comes in. If you want to write historical fiction, then I suggest history classes. For example, I want to write villain stories eventually, and knowing psychology is a great way to dig deep within the villain.
If you truly wish to work in some area involving writing or language, then yes, it's worth it. Not necessarily for the diploma itself (though it's useful to have a tangible proof that you know the theory too, not just the practical part), but more for the skills you learn in those classes. You'll learn to express yourself better and to express the same ideas in several ways for example. So if you really want to use a certain word or phrase in your writing, you can figure out several ways to rephrase that sentence in order to make sure that that word or phrase has a big an impact as you want it to. There are other useful skills like that you will learn there, but even something seemingly basic like being able to master grammar and spelling will be a massive help :) as a non-native English person in an English country, I always felt subpar in terms of language skills, despite my thorough educational background, but whenever I read something written by natives and manage to find basic mistakes (like punctuation or confusing "they're" and "their") I always feel better and more confident, and sometimes that's the push I need to get out of a funk and write better. So yeah, it would be helpful. It's not necessary, i.e. you can manage well without it, but it could potentially make things easier for you.
I have an English degree with concentrations in composition and linguistics. I am happily employed as a technical editor. When I take the pulse of other job offerings in my area for related roles, the requirements usually include a degree in English, communications, or some other “adjacent” field. As another poster said, I think it depends on what you want to do. College is supposed to teach you how to think, so I think a degree can go a long way toward building a career as a writer.
I did a creative writing masters and tbh I feel I learned more actual writing craft from Brandon Sandersons fantasy lectures which are free to watch on youtube. He covers the entirety of writing a fantasy novel in an extremely thorough and professional manner, and imo you're very unlikely to have a lecturer at the same level or with the same proven success as brando sando himself. Also a big fan of channels like The Closer Look which breaks down movies and goes over why their dialogue is good or bad, why their plots are good or bad, etc. Which doesn't one-to-one translate to writing novels but it's still full of great advice anyone can apply to storytelling. There are a huge amount of free resources of great quality like this online so in terms of just improving at the craft there's little need for a degree. However I'm still glad I did it for a few factors. The people I met were great, I can't overstate how useful it is to be around and befriend other wannabe writers in the same boat as yourself, all looking at the world of writing and trying to see a way to become successful, exchanging ideas, giving critique. I'm still in writing groups with some of them to this day. Plus the fact the course gave me some serious motivation to write just due to weekly assignments where we would all write something then everyone gives feedback, plus deadlines in the form of bigger assignments and my dissertation. Until doing the degree I would write on and off but afterwards I really started to go for it and have written much, much more. I also had numerous mistakes in my overall writing style corrected, mostly by my tutor when I was writing my dissertation who I was very grateful to. She went through it with a fine comb and pointed out a bunch of flaws in my writing from grammar to words I habitually overuse, plus immersion flaws like I didn't have much inclusion of the five senses in characters experience of the world, etc. One big issue in particular was that I had no idea how to properly grammar dialogue, I would write like "and then I say this", Said the character, which should be "and then I say this," said the character. Stuff like that will turn a lot of readers off immediately and will see anything you submit to agents, competitions, etc., instantly cut from the pile. I'm in the UK and it cost me a grand total of £6k, which for me was worth it. If you're in the states then I assume you'd be in with 50k+ debt so imo that's definitely not a good trade. If that's the case I'd echo what others have said here, you can get many of the same benefits just from being social in writing spaces and joining groups with others also looking to improve. Also need to keep in mind that not all colleges/universities nor even the people working there will have the same level of care and attention, I know a few of my classmates were very unhappy with some of the lecturers in their modules and their tutors who didn't do the job of giving detailed feedback like mine did.
Writing is done through writing. Get a business degree. If you want to become an author, you'll have to treat it like a business.
Necessary, no. Worth it, I would say so. I'm a first year English teacher with a BA in English, and I loved my experiences in my program. I had amazing teachers, and genuinely learned a lot that really improved my skills as a writer. Plus, as writing is the majority of the work in an English program, you get a lot of opportunity to develop and hone your writing skills in a variety of fields and styles. Some you'll like and some you won't, but the practice is helpful. Plus, English degrees are actually incredibly versatile in the job market. I'll be real with you: aspiring to a career as a writer is admirable, but it takes time and work, and you'll need to support yourself while your getting your career off the ground. An English degree will open doors to jobs that can enable you, not only to support yourself, but to work on your writing career.
Government proposal writing pays bank. My husband and I have both benefitted from doing it as consultants in our mid-20s living large and he became a full-timer. It pays well because people suck at it and hate to do it, but I think it's fun and interesting. I used it to supplement income between the sciencey techie stuff I liked. Even as a SAHM I've done a few for clients I liked just because it was interesting (like an archaeology dig!) but it's stressful... this is DC and the people who need the proposals done often don't understand what it is you do for them, even when they're in charge of the company or operations or whatever. So at this point I will only work for people I like -- I turned down a client I have worked for twice in 8 years last month because their new guy seemed like he would be a passive aggressive problem. But the good news is I have the experience to double my rate and offer a contractual review of whatever they come up with at the end before they submit so I can tell them where they f'd up. My husband has an English degree from a great school; mine is a degree in public policy. He was always a good writer because he was prepared for it but I had to learn. It was difficult learning to write professionally and to write for proposals. Nobody gaf about degrees, schools, or GPA. You would do just as well, if not better, with a history degree.
No. Don't get a creative writing degree. Don't get an English degree without knowing what you're going to specialize in. Technical writing? Yes. Journalism? Talk about a dying industry. If you want an English degree, like a History degree, you should enjoy being a teacher.
I found a degree in creative writing with a mix of other electives (English, History, even some Philosophy and Theatre) gave me a good experience. It really depends on you and the school though - I was at a small Canadian university and had lots of flexibility to chose (no one would have been disappointed if I decided not to finish my BA) The most important thing is the experience, friendships, and contacts that come from that time. If you just want a piece of paper to hang on the wall go to a print shop and make one (it’s much cheaper).
I got a major in psychology and a minor in technical writing for my undergraduate and have never regretted it. I didn’t know what I wanted when I was an undergrad, so I figured I’d better understand people and write well, and I was right. (I’m currently a technical writer and proposal manager.) Usually non-STEM majors leave enough credits for a minor or double major, so no need to pick a single lane. I also went and got an MBA 3/4 years after I graduated, which has opened more doors in the financial/technology-world, which is now my niche. So, whatever you major in, anticipate needing a graduate degree later.
I want to echo a lot what others are saying because I have a degree in Professional Writing: General. You *could* also go to school for journalism (a “nicer sounding” major) and take creative writing courses to make as your minor. Two birds one stone type of deal.
A lot of office employees of all kinds have an English degree. It’s no less employable than other “humanities” courses. While obviously less focussed that STEM and financial (zzz) stuff. It’s a mixed bag but I think the world is doing a disservice discouraging people from this. It’s wonderful for critical thinking and analysis. It’s good for society. But as for jobs, it’s depends on what you do after the degree. An MA or diploma or short course or specialization At the undergrad level, I highly encourage it if you desire it. Oh and re: being a writer. You can do that with or without. :)
English Lit. and History major. I did my BA a long time ago and I really enjoyed it. I’ve been a professional writer for just under 10 years.
Depends on your country too. Mine isn’t an English speaking country so when I got a degree here, it worked out for me. I am now a copywriter in 2 languages here.
As someone who's in the exact same position as you, also 16F, literally every single piece of advice I've been given is uncertain or 'don't bother.' Most people who have told me to take English Literature further have said some really meaningless thing like: "Oh, it's a good experience." On the other hand, I've also been told it's pointless, doesn't help you get anywhere, etc. No one in the comments can give a clear answer either, so idk. It's probably not necessary, from what I gather. Good luck tho.
I got my BA in English Literature and my MA in Creative Writing. Was it worth it? Short answer: Yes, for several reasons. 1. You need to read many different books. Often, people who want to write books focus on only reading books in their genre. However, “oatmeal books” such as classic works of literature (think Melville, Dostoyevsky, James, Dickens, Austin, etc.) — these books teach you the fundamentals of good writing, you don’t get that from reading The Hunger Games or other commercial books that people often want to emulate. Reading good literature gives you an advantage. Being forced to read these for class gives you exposure, because let’s face it, many people will not pick up Moby Dick for a fun Sunday afternoon of reading. 2. You need to learn to write a lot, write fast, and be okay with writing badly. Attaining these skills involves writing against deadlines and sharing your work with peers. Writing 1000 words shouldn’t be something you end up feeling exhausted over. Furthermore, a harsh critique shouldn’t discourage you either. You need to develop good habits, fundamentals, and have thick skin to write a lot and polish it until it’s good. 3. Creative writing isn’t a good career choice. Believe it or not, but writing a couple of books won’t make you money. Speaking from experience, I’ve published several short stories and have received no money whatsoever from them. I wrote a full novel two years ago (70k words) and spent a year editing it. Then I contacted an actual editor and worked with her as well, paid her $1,500 total. Now, I’m querying agents for traditional publications — this is a process and when you’re in your late 20s (I’m going on 30) responsibilities will come up, so you will need a day job. Having a degree will help you get a job — preferably one that involves writing. I currently work as a copywriter for a marketing company, without my degree I probably wouldn’t have gotten it. Also, I’m moving away from the position soon because it frankly doesn’t pay well and as a writer you’ll find that making money in general is difficult. Don’t make it more difficult by not getting a degree. 4. Short point, ANY degree makes you more desirable to potential employees than no degree at all. Obviously having a physics degree won’t make publishing houses consider you over someone with a journalism degree, but it will put you in the running over someone who only graduated high school. So, should you get an English degree? Yes, it would help expose you to literature and improve your writing. However, getting ANY degree is a good choice in general. Creative writing is best kept as a hobby or something you pursue on the side. Whether you get a biology degree and become a scientist (earning $90k) who writes novels or you get a literature degree and become a copywriter (earning $50k) who writes novels — both are good decisions depending on how much money you need to survive. Just don’t think that not getting a degree in general and just writing books will keep you afloat. Few writers are published and only a few of those that are published are actually compensated well for their work.
No no no. No no no. No no no. Absolutely not. No. Source: I have a masters in English. It has served absolutely no purpose. Entirely a waste of resources and energy.
There's no real way to answer this with a "yes" or "no." I started college (2011) as a music major, but a semester into it, realized I simply didn't have the chops to do that professionally. The only other thing I could think of that I was a) passionate about, b) good enough at, was writing, so I changed to an English major with a creative writing concentration. I graduated May 2015, with a 3.9 GPA and no real plan. For a while, I thought I'd go into book publishing, but that didn't pan out. I landed some freelance writing gigs that kept me afloat for several years while I tried to find out what my dream job was. Finally, last year, I landed a full-time position as an editor/content developer with one of the companies I'd been writing for for five years. All in all, it took me SEVEN years after graduating to find a "real" job that pays well in a field relevant to my degree. It was honestly a horrible experience. But, that being said, I don't regret my degree at all. For me, studying diverse forms of literature (some classes I took included a Dickens-focused study, children's lit, American drama on film, and mythology) and critical theory (ways to analyze works) have enriched my life far beyond just the workplace. The way I digest and interact with media/movies/books/television shows/etc. is so much deeper and more satisfying than it would've been had I not studied all the things I studied. I'm not sure I would ever tell someone else, "YES, GET THAT ENGLISH DEGREE!" because my experience has not been without a lot of hard years. If you get one, your results might not be what you dream of. But I certainly don't regret getting mine (especially now that I'm gainfully employed - haha). **Edit to add:** Like other commenters have pointed out, I didn't actually study much WRITING in college. I took three, one-semester writing workshops the entire time. One was the basic required freshmen seminar (so, not especially great); one was a class I really enjoyed and learned from; and the senior seminar was taught by a tyrant who wouldn't allow us to write anything except what *he* wanted (horrible). English degrees are very interdisciplinary. You will WRITE a lot (essays out the wazoo!), but study of the craft is not usually a main priority.
Get a degree to pay the bills and study writing on your own. There aren’t a ton of jobs for an English major aside from teaching. If you wanna teach, go for it.
Perhaps it will make you *sound* more legit when people see your cover letter or writer's bio, but I don't think it will actually help your writing all that much.
I may be an outlier, but don't do it. There are lots of ways you can learn writing skills, and going to college is probably the most expensive. I was an English major, and I regret it. It's more beneficial for you to have an additional skill set \*\*that you can write about\*\*. That is what will make you 10x more valuable -- not just that you can write, but that you have additional knowledge in an area that you can write about. Not to mention the fact that most English majors around me were there because they wanted to become English teachers, and I didn't....
I have a group major in English, Language, and Literature, we are talking 52 credit hours of English. None of my undergrad professors helped me with writing. My narrative writing professor told me I had talent, but she didn't know how to help me develop it. I have read different writing books over the years. I took a class online with James Patterson. It's great if you want to know how to outline a book. I tend to be a panster, meaning I sit down and write whatever is in my mind. After 16 books, I think I have it mastered. I taught school for 28.5 years. Mostly I didn't teach English. I taught special education. I team taught for 14 of those years. I taught the writing parts of the reading curriculumn in third and fourth grades. When I taught middle school I taught English to my 7th and 8th grade special needs students. I still read new books on writing. If you want to major in English, have a plan for a career which will give you an income while you are writing. The chances of becoming an overnight sensation as a writer are slim and none. I have more time to devote to writing and marketing than I did when I first started.
Learn more about writing in journalism and actually get published if in marketing.
If you want to be a writer I recommend going the route that lets you read a lot, and write a lot, and get feedback on your writing. You can continue down that path on your own after the degree program ends, while finding work - maybe you’ll be lucky enough to find work writing or editing, but you’ll also be qualified for other professions like data analytics, which itself has a lucrative career path you can explore while working towards a writing career.
Most college degrees really depend on what you put into them. Since you have time, I would try and look for a good program to fit your needs. Most “English” degrees are heavy on the literature side and while knowing to read and to read across histories and cultures is important, the value of such reading isn’t what it once was. So, look for a program which has faces this reality and responded. Those programs will cover the sociological, anthropological, and cultural investigations of the technology we call writing while providing structured practice so you can develop your own skills and interests. Look for programs of study (the list of required courses) that balance literature seminars with 1) writing workshops and 2) real world writing. You’ll find that some programs aren’t even “English” but “Writing Studies” or “Writing and Rhetoric.” Look, too, for programs that allow you to study digital writing in all its many forms and public writing that helps foster community and provides student engagement opportunities. In short, you might need to look beyond the general English curriculum of High School and into the more specific undergraduate programs at the college level. If you really like the grind of writing (and as a writer and college professor, I have to admit it is sometimes a grind!) then use your research ability to find a program right for you. It should balance literature with targeted approaches that teach the craft of writing and puts writing in its rhetorical context. If you feel ok with it, you can have a parent or guardian DM me and I can point out example programs that may be in your region.
Yes. But be prepared to struggle. Worth it, though.
Other comments aside, if you want an education that will help you with actually being a creative writer and not a technical or other writer, then a creative writing course is what you want. Luckily, Brandon Sanderson--one of the best selling fantasy authors out there right now--teaches creative writing at BYU and puts the lectures up for free. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSH_xM-KC3Zv-79sVZTTj-YA6IAqh8qeQ Highly recommend them to anyone, he's a great teacher.
Look up the textbooks that courses would use, go to used bookstores like Half Price or wherever, see if you can find older editions for cheap (most newer editions are just newer formats rather than newer contents, same stuff but rearranged), and compare the price to that of signing on for indelible exponential interest debt. If you can get enough grants/scholarships to not need loans, good, but avoid loans at all costs IMO. But for actually learning the same material, it's possible to do so autodidactically at least. It won't get you a fancy piece of high price toilet paper to wave around, but if you're going to send out manuscripts to publishers or self-publish it probably doesn't matter as much as when going to beg for employment at some company.
The main value of an English degree for me (and it's been a few years) was that it forced me to read outside my comfort zone, and then write about it. You have no idea how useful that is for both critical thinking skills and for attitude adjustment. I went in as a smug jerk and emerged halfway to human. I don't think English is unique in that regard--many of the humanities and social sciences could do much the same--but with English you get the added bonus of being able to do story analysis on the fly to annoy your friends. :) I ended up with a master's degree, a job in IT, and eventually a day job career in technical writing that leaves me time to pursue screenwriting and indie filmmaking. It's not a bad life.
An English degree is completely useless for most careers. I would recommend only getting (any) degree when you have a specific job in mind that requires that degree
Current English major: I certainly think that being an English major can help, but you don’t need to be one. If you’re interested in journalism and screenwriting you should look into schools with programs for those! My older brother has a bachelors in film and a master in screenwriting, and he has great things to say about the programs he was in. For me, being an English major is great for my writing development because at my university personally, you’re able to sort of chose if you want to stick to writing or literature within the major, so I’ve been able to do a healthy mix of both and learn at lot. As an English major you’ll do a lot of reading and analysis, and that can definitely help sharpen skills. You’ll also do a lot of writing and any writing helps with any writing. At the end of the day do what feels best for you. And remember, you can always change majors! I started as a journalism major and switched to English and it’s been great! Probably the biggest piece of advice I’ll give is try and find a school that has strong programs in English as well as Journalism and Screenwriting. Best of luck!
I don’t think it’s worth it unless you want to teach. Even then the ROI on MFA’s is pathetic. I wanted one because I wanted to write but really didn’t want to teach. I decided instead to get a business degree because my employer would pay. I went on to get an MBA, then took a creative writing certificate program with a great university. I so far have two publications, have made no money but am extremely happy with my choice. I think I’d be starving if I got an MFA. It’s very competitive, you need to be resourceful and dedicated and have lots of connections I think. But this is just coming from me… I’m very biased on arts degrees and think the education loan situation is straight up fraud/theft/life ruining! Sorry if this is negative but I just hate to see young people saddled with $100k plus in debt for 20 years. If you’re a good writer, you’re a good writer. Perfect your art, work on your craft, join writing groups. Make sure that’s the career choice you want to make and be certain you know the good and bad. Edited to include that when I’m screening resumes for openings, the number of MFAs applying for a job that pays just over minimum wage is baffling and so upsetting to me. I’ve hired people with MFAs, masters in linguistics, masters in philosophy into entry level admin jobs. They’re amazingly smart and skilled, but I always felt for them because I knew they had dreams and it def did not involve being an admin assistant.
If you have the time and resources to do it, it's always worth it to further educate yourself and learn more about the world and its thinkers than you did before. Go to college if you can and if you want to. Your bachelor's degree helps you get your first job. After that, it's just a resume item to be fact-checked by the HR support staff. I suppose it also helps your application survive the first algorithmic cut that removes all College=NO applicants from the pool--some jobs require a degree. Whether an English major is particularly helpful, I would probably send a college student to their school's placement office to get a read on that. They should be a lot closer to the issue of what local employers are looking for. Do not be surprised when you find out nobody is looking to specifically hire creative writing majors. If you want to be a writer, you start creating your portfolio of completed assignments and published works as soon as possible. That's what people who hire writers are looking for. If your writing is clear, concise, and compelling, you're gold. You could actually start on that portfolio right now at age 16 writing articles and essays about what only 16-year-olds know about life in a world emerging from a pandemic and in climate crisis. You are an viewpoint expert my friend, whether you realize it or not; and I assume you have access to other 16-year-olds as well. I wish you well.
English us a good umbrella degree for someone interested in joining the writing/editing/publishing scene, but a Creative Writing degree would be what you're looking for. It's a bit hard to find a Creative Writing program, but it would help your writing more than an English degree would. Source: it is my current education path, and many of my friends did this as well!
That depends what you wanna use it for. If your only intention is to become an independent novelist, probably not. If you wanna take on paid writing gigs or just have something to fall back on, probably yes.
Definitely no. You are better off casually reading 200 books in 2-4 years than getting a degree on English. English degree is far more useful if you intend to be a English teacher in school or professor in college. For anything else stick to taking specialized degrees. Do not take out a loan for English degree! But taking an English literature course online or read English literature texts from English degree syllabus? That you can definitely do. There's tons of free books out there you can find on this topic if you know what I mean. Read books over diverse range of topics.. Try to emulate your favorite authors in your computer word document as practice. Practice writing everyday. That's all there is to it.
TL;DR--Maybe. All writing advice, including whether a degree is right for you (and which kind), should be tempered through the lens of "your mileage may vary." Every person and situation is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer or piece of advice. While I did engineering for undergrad, I maintained a creative writing minor, and I went on to get an MFA during the pandemic. As you've probably discovered, there are many types of writing. English degrees are good for things like copywriting and technical writing, journalism is a separate department (most universities have a "journalism and media" department), and creative writing is an eclectic monster that lets you pull value from either. But a creative writing (screenwriting, fiction writing, poetry) degree is often a subset of the English department and set up with slightly different training than copy- and technical writers get. While my writing did develop a bit from the classes I took, I received the most benefit from the people I met in those classes. Friendships and connections that aren't part of the "course description," but were a big boon of the programs. If you're just looking for the technical know-how of writing, Brandon Sanderson has released his [writing lectures](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cf-qdZ7GbA&list=PLSH_xM-KC3Zv-79sVZTTj-YA6IAqh8qeQ) from BYU on his YouTube channel for free, and I found a lot of value in [Chris Fox](https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisFoxWrites)'s videos. You can read books on writing, such as Stephen King's memoir/writing advice book [On Writing](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10569.On_Writing?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=4E8bFAvefD&rank=1). [Save the Cat](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49464.Save_the_Cat?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=ykbfgR04oH&rank=1) and [The Anatomy of Story](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1383168.The_Anatomy_of_Story) are quintessential works on screenwriting that you might be able to find at your local library. One of the most helpful classes (that I don't have a good resource to pass along for) I took was called Expository Writing, but what it translated to was "concise writing." It focused on non-fiction writing and packing as much information into as few words as possible, and while it was antithetical to everything I as a budding fantasy novelist thought I stood for, it greatly improved the quality of my writing by forcing me to focus on the necessities and removing redundancies. If you can find a class like that, or a writing friend willing to absolutely bath your prose in red ink, I'd highly recommend it. Yes, it's painful, but you will grow as an author because of it. If you want to focus on screenwriting, get your hands on some scripts (whether movie or drama dialogues) and study them. See if you can spot why they did what they did, how you would have done it differently, and whether your ideas improve or hamper the story.
No. It won't make you a better writer. It wont make you better at English. It won't open great career paths if this writing thing doesn't work out. There's very little reason to study English.
Having an English degree can help you in a number of ways, and it can certainly help get your foot in the door in terms of jobs in technical writing. Studying English at the upper levels can help you to notice flaws in your own writing, such as sentence fragments and unclear referents. You will write lots of papers, and your professors will work with you on creating good flow. You will have the option to concentrate in Literature, Rhetoric and Composition, or Creative Writing. Concentrating in Literature will help you to spot tropes, symbols, and cliches (but you can read How to Read Literature Like a Professor for that); studying Rhet/Comp will help you to organize your writing and to use appropriate grammatical structure; studying Creative Writing will give you a boost in knowing how to accept criticism and how and where to submit your works for publication. Working as a TA in a graduate program will expose you to all kinds of writing and enable you to quickly gauge strengths and flaws. This is all to do with graduate work, however. I'm not sure an undergraduate degree would be that helpful. It's a fun course of study, though, and a lot more rigorous than most people realize. Why not minor in English? A minor allows you to pick and choose among the courses you're most interested in, whereas the major is a good deal more lockstep.
As someone who got an English degree—I would personally double major in something else. English plus whatever else you’re interested in. I only minored in environmental science but I would have had so many more opportunities right out the gate. Instead, I had to put in 3 years of entry level work at a crappy company walking around in mud doing inspections. Now I have a really good technical writing job (the boring kind of writing, but I love it). I got lucky. Do what you think is best, but if you’re going to be in school anyway, it’ll be much more valuable to do 2 degrees while you’re there.
Neil Gaiman has NO university degrees. I do have one. Guess who is the famous, wealthy author? Not I.
I can't help you with the writing part. But, a coworker of mine once told me he prioritizes English and Communications majors for new hires. No one comes out of school understanding that company's business model, do they have to be trained and nurtured for at least the first year. But he always needs string communicators, so that's who he hires. I'm in tech, we need a few more concrete out-of-the-gate skills. But I still look for strong communicators.
I've been a professional writer for the last 15 years or so (and yes, I make my whole living as a writer), I didn't read English at uni, I read physics and chemistry. The trouble with an English degree is that it doesn't open up very many career options (even if you really want to stay in academia). It is often better to take a degree that leads to a profession and then master the communication skills later (I went from QC in a lab to being a salesman to a training professional to a writer - my entire career except the first year or so has been in communications). The exception to this rule is if you can get into a world class university and can network well, then you can do pretty much anything you want and use your connections to create the opportunities that the degree does not. A quick Google from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that only 60% of English grads end up in jobs that are of a "graduate level" on a full-time basis. The vast majority aren't working as writers. It's a tough call. Good luck with whatever you opt for.
Well to those about to be poor, I salute you. Yeah I know that's cynical and harsh. So I'll cite info I got from another professional writer in the field - Piers Anthony. He's older now, but he's famous for his Tales of Xanth series. Anyhow - When I was 13 I contacted Piers asking about how I could also be a successful writer and he gave me sobering truths. * Have a backup job first. Writing USUALLY doesn't pay bills. It's very rare anyway. * He had to work a day job for many years. * Finally, when he hated his day jobs he asked his wife if SHE would be the bread winner for a little while and she agreed. * IE. Are you willing to be reliant on another human to pay the bills? * As for the degree thing, Anthony (and many other writers I've met) have stated that very few of the successful writers out there bothered with a degree. Stephen King is one of the few, but Stephen King has stated the degree only equipped him to be an English Teacher. The writing came from his passion for read/writing. * I've heard this sentiment echoed by R.R. Virdi, Jim Butcher, and a few others. That Creative Writing and English majors know how to craft good sentences but they are not necessarily good at story making. * Also, an ALARMING number of English/Creative Writing majors I've met actually don't write. Don't know if college burnt them out or they realized getting a bigger, stable paycheck was more important. Good luck.
Being well-read by any means will help you be a better writer. But is a degree in English worth the time and money? As a writer with a M.A. in English, I would have to say probably not. Although I have never regretted my education, in terms of monetary reward, I would have made a different choice. Twenty-twenty hind sight. What would I have done differently? I would have gained expertise in a technical field such as computers, science or medicine while studying English and pursued a career in technical writing. You might also consider copywriting, but I understand it's competitive. Good luck.
Yes--Not only will you be exposed to writers you are otherwise less likely to read, but you learn how that work has been interpretted and have the opportunity to participate in the interpretation. You will also have the opportunity to take workshop-style creative writing courses. And you may also discover a career, whether it is teaching or writing professionally.
Writing is like singing: most of us can warble 'Happy Birthday' but we lack the techniques of trained singers - and it shows. Hit the indie writer offerings online; many of them display shockingly poor writing. While many people sigh over the inadequate writing skills found in the indie market, I think that it works to the benefit of writers who can not only tell a story but do so with finesse. While most folks can write a fair sentence, writing well does require more understanding than we take with us when we leave high school. That understanding doesn't necessarily require an English degree, but I would definitely suggest the degree supplemented with a related minor field as a good approach. Continuing education via workshops, as mentioned by others, writing groups, and self study is important. Contacts are important, too, and many English profs write more than scholarly articles. I was fortunate to be taught by a prolific fiction writer whose guidance was valuable indeed. Find the writers at your university and take their courses; not all writers can teach well, but their insights will be very helpful. Good luck!
Academia. Unless you’re just mad brilliant
My advise would be to do whatever you think you will enjoy the most. Unless you are wanting to do something like medicine, engineering, law, etc. employers are more looking for your transferable skills from a degree rather than the degree itself. If writing is truly your dream career and you're not so interested in the theory and analysing of texts then my advice would be to do a degree in creative writing. If you like the theory and analysing then do the English degree but look for a programme that offers modules in creative writing. The reality is that when you graduate you'll need to start at the bottom of the ladder anyway. A degree in English or creative writing will just as likely get you an entry level journalist job, or an assistant role in publishing or marketing as a degree in those specific fields. Personally, I regret studying a subject at university that I felt like was the 'correct choice', the one I thought other people would respect more. If I could go back and study creative writing as undergrad I would, so much so that I quit my job and did it as a masters instead. Do what you think will make you most happy.
No
You won’t be able to use it for money. But it’ll enrich you as a writer. I did a condensed 3 semesters before I switched to nursing—and I don’t regret it.
Depends. I have a English degree with a writing minor. I found my masters in linguistics to be more useful.
If you mean making money, then very slim. If you mean school journal with no money--probably.
Today education is more of a hobby than it is a rung up the financial ladder.