A few days ago
Terras

Degree for a Novelist?

My buddy in high school is trying to decide what he wants to do in college. Ultimately, he wants to be a novelist, but he’s not sure what degree he should take to do that. Just a generic English degree? Something more specific? He came to me, and now I come before you: any suggestions?

Top 5 Answers
A few days ago
CherryCheri

Favorite Answer

It depends – He does not need a masters in English Lit to succeed in being a novelist. I would have him major in his second career choice and pursue the writing as well.
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A few days ago
some female
There are no educational requirements to becoming a novelist. Unless he’s independently wealthy, he’s going to need a job. What kind of job does he want? It’s important that he take a major that interests him. It doesn’t have to be English, it could be Biochemistry if he wanted.
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A few days ago
jannsody
He could major in either english as you’ve mentioned, communications, journalism, creative writing. Though as someone else suggested, he may benefit from instead minoring in one of those since the field is quite competitive, actually trying to make a nice living in the writing/publishing industry.

Here’s a website for general career info: www.bls.gov/oco and type into search ‘author’, ‘writer’, ‘journalist’ or such.

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4 years ago
?
Why not the two? even however i don’t think of that a level in literature will help for the two. The answerer above is stable approximately the two one among them being very stressful. My chum is a theater significant graduate. It qualifies him to only: act, show appearing and screenwriting/scripts, and write screenplays and scripts (which you do not prefer a level to do). he’s working at a e book place and complaining approximately having no notion and no motivation. I invited him to be a factor of a writing team i’m commencing and he suggested, “No, i don’t have time”. WTH????? It takes prepare and growth. Do what you love, yet undergo in concepts you ought to eat too. 🙂
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A few days ago
Jeanne B
Terras,

Tell your friend to go to UCDavis, in the Creative Writing major, with as many classes from Janet Papale as he can get. She is fantastic! She does very targeted classes, and researches them thoroughly so she can bring the best for her students.

Another thing to consider is to take classes in other areas so when your friend is finished, he has a broad introduction to many subjects he can use in his books.

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