Do I need an MFA to write a novel?

Well, do I?

Surprise!  If you came to this blog post looking for an answer to this particular question.... then you came to the wrong place.  Sorry!  This is just a question that's been plaguing me for awhile and I thought it would be a fun way to title the blog post.

Currently, I'm in the middle of writing the first draft for my second novel.  It's uber tedious and wonderfully fulfilling all at the same time.  I'm getting better at riding the twists and turns of the creative process, but questions like this always creep in...

Am I good enough?
Do I know enough about the English language to convey what I truly want to convey?

I'll bet I'm not alone in feeling this way.

Recently I've just been battling those belittling voices with a new mantra:  Fake it till I make it.  Who cares if I'm good enough?  Who cares if my grammar is horrible? Who cares if my characters suck?  I write because I enjoy it. I enjoy the challenge.  I enjoy fleshing out characters and I love seeing how they interact and develop (and fall in love- ooh la la!)

I'm a writer because I write.  That's it.  Plain and simple.

Plus, even if I'm the very worst writer in the whole world...  (Ooh, wouldn't that make another eye-catching blog post title?) ... the only place that I can go is up!  Yup.  The more that I write, the better I'll get.  It's a rule in life that I'm always trying to drill into my son- practice doesn't always make perfect, but it does make things better!

And so I encourage you too, dear reader (and closeted writer as well?) to keep going.  Let's keep writing, making mistakes, and learning.

But Ginger, learning?  How can I learn how to write better?  I don't have the money or time to get a second degree.

I get you and here's my response:
Attend YouTube University with me!

Currently, I'm watching a whole video series on writing by author Chris Fox.  It's on YouTube and totally FREE!   While I would love to set aside a whole bunch of money and time to get a writing degree or take writing courses or even go to a lovely writer's conference, it's just not possible for me right now at this stage of life.  So free resources like the above video series (and any Jenna Moreci Video- she's snarky and hilarious!)  are super helpful right now.  In between naps or pickups, I just put one on and learn as much as I can.

Ok, let's get back to writing!
Have a wonderful week, friends!