Betty Hegerat on UBC's MFA in Creative Writing

Interview About the Low-Residency Writing Graduate Program at UBC

May 11, 2009 Bonnie Way

Canadian author and MFA graduate Betty Jane Hegerat shares her perspective on the low-residency creative writing graduate program at the University of British Columbia.

Betty Jane Hegerat a Canadian literary author who recently completed her master’s of fine arts degree in creative writing through the low-residency program at the University of British Columbia. She graciously agreed to answer a few questions about the program.

How did you find out about the low-residency graduate program at UBC?

I had been contemplating applying to MFA programs for several years but the ones that appealed to me would have required a move and full-time student status, neither of which was practical or possible. Distance learning seemed the way to go.

I looked at the possibilities, found several programs in the U.S. that seemed a good match, and was on the verge of deciding when I heard that UBC was establishing a low-residency option in their MFA Creative Writing program.

I applied in the first year, wasn’t accepted, but with the tenacity that is required in every step of a career in writing, applied again the second year and was delighted to be accepted.

What attracted you to this program?

The program at UBC has an excellent reputation of long standing. The faculty for the low-residency program included a number of writers with whom I was eager to study and the requirement to work in at least three genres appealed as well. I had been primarily a fiction writer but had a difficult non-fiction project in mind and knew that I would need help in crossing into that new territory.

How do you feel that the program impacted your writing?

The three genre requirement led me to take a poetry course, writing for children, and creative nonfiction in addition to the novel course. I really did broaden my scope.

The courses—apart from one independent study in nonfiction and the thesis—were are all writing workshops. Most of my fellow students had excellent critical skills and there was enormous value in their comments.

I ended up doing a novel as my thesis. I had a rough draft in hand before I began the program. My thesis advisor pushed me to go far deeper into that work than I had ever imagined and I find myself using the new and sharper tools I acquired in every new piece of fiction that I've begun since I finished the degree.

I also came out of two other courses with major projects well on the way to becoming book length manuscripts and a far greater confidence in my ability to work toward my vision for both those books.

What did you like the best and what did you like the least about the program?

I loved the interaction with other students from a wide span of age, experience, and geographical location. The summer residencies gave an opportunity to meet them and to talk with instructors. Ten days mid-summer on the UBC campus felt like a gift.

I was determined to push through the program in two years and did manage it, but the nature of online courses made the workload almost overwhelming at times. If there's anything I dislike about this fine program, I suppose it's the lack of real contact in the courses. Online communication is more fraught with risks that comments will be misinterpreted than if they were made in a regular classroom with the advantages of physical presence.

What advice would you give to potential applicants to the program?

There is stiff competition for the program and in the two summers residencies I was in awe of the range of student experience. The year I entered the program the age range spanned about 35 years; there were those who had books to their publishing credit and new writers with few publications. What was shared and common to all, though, was a fierce passion for writing.

So my very simple advice would be to let that passion (and the talent that I believe fuels an obsession with writing) shine in the portfolio. Send work that shows skill, curiosity, and creativity that is not bound by any tight constricts.

To those who are lucky enough to be accepted in the program, I would say take advantage of the amazing range of experience offered. Challenge yourself by taking the courses that push you out of your comfort zone. Many people enter the program convinced that they are best suited to a particular genre and emerge with a new passion.

Read a review of Betty Jane Hegerat's debut novel Running Toward Home.

The copyright of the article Betty Hegerat on UBC's MFA in Creative Writing in Academic Writing is owned by Bonnie Way. Permission to republish Betty Hegerat on UBC's MFA in Creative Writing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Betty Jane Hegerat, Creative Writing MFA

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