Creative Writing Links
Photo by Maria Lysenko on Unsplash
An MFA in Creative Writing can accelerate your development as a writer. It forces you to read with intention, write under pressure, and take feedback from people who won't let you off easy, but it isn't a prerequisite for writing well, and it never has been.
Plenty of the best fiction ever written came from people who never sat in a workshop. What you'll find below is every publicly available resource my program has assigned so far, collected in one place and organized by term. A reading list won't make you a writer any more than a library card will, but good resources, used deliberately, are part of the work. Consider this a starting point, not a shortcut.
I’ll add to it as I progress through the program.
First Term
Never Say You Can’t Survive: Imposter Syndrome Is Just Part of Being a Writer
Ultimate Guide: How To Navigate Genres and Subgenres Like A Pro
How to Apply Writing Feedback (And How to Know What You Can Ignore)
Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Not Accepting Feedback on Your Writing
How to Read Like a Writer: The Best Writers Are Readers First
25 Essential Notes on Craft from Matthew Salesses: Rethinking Popular Assumptions of Fiction Writing
Second Term
Hook the Reader and Hold Them: Why More Writers Should Study the Lessons of YA
2025 YA Trends: Bouncing Between the Dark and Light
Why YA? Authors Talk About the Joys and Challenges of Writing for Teens
The “Why” of YA: Why Read It, Why Write It—and Why It Gets Challenged
The Vital Difference Between Plot and Story—and Why You Need Both
Most Historical Romance Novels Feature White Characters. But Authors Are Bringing Color to the Genre
The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres, Explained
Understanding Our World: Speculative Fiction Through the Ages
The Art of Crafting Memorable Fictional Characters: An Essential Guide for Writers and Authors
Creating Proactive, Relatable, and Capable Characters: Brandon Sanderson’s Writing Lecture #5 (2025)
Character Development: How to Create Fan-Favorite Characters in 5 Steps
14 Popular Fantasy Tropes — And How to Make Them Feel New Again
Growing Your Iceberg: Crafting a Secondary World That Feels Ancient in 60 Minutes (or less)
16 Ways to Plot a Book: From Circles and Snowflakes to Pyramids and Point Graphs
How to Create Suspense in Your Writing (in 5 Thrilling Steps)
How to Start Writing Fiction: The Six Core Elements of Fiction Writing
The Differences Between a Crime, Mystery, and Thriller Novel
What Is a Psychological Thriller?
What Is Historical Fiction? Short History, Its Components and More
Give Your Women’s Fiction a Glow Up
What Is LGBTQ+ Fiction—And Does a Writer Have to Be Queer to Write It?
How to Avoid Overcorrecting After Receiving Feedback