The Portable MFA in Creative Writing is a craft guide from the New York Writers Workshop, published by Writer's Digest Books in 2006. It packs the core of a graduate writing education into one paperback, covering fiction, memoir, personal essay, magazine articles, poetry and playwriting. Each section pairs instruction on craft with exercises, revision and productivity tips, and reading lists. It suits self-taught writers and workshop participants who want structured guidance without a degree program; it is broader but shallower than single-genre craft books and offers no workshop feedback or credential.
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Readers treat it as a solid, affordable sampler of MFA-level craft teaching, valued for its range and practical exercises. The common complaint is that the 2006 material feels dated and that each genre gets only a chapter's worth of depth.
The Portable MFA in Creative Writing is a guide that gathers the core material of an MFA program into one book. It is written by the New York Writers Workshop and is meant for writers who want that instruction without a degree program.
The book covers fiction, memoirs, personal essays, magazine articles, poetry, and playwriting. It includes advice on revision, stamina, and productivity, along with clear instruction on the craft behind the writing.
It also provides detailed reading lists to broaden a writer's literary horizons, and exercises to help improve writing.
