I tend to look back immediately on decisions with an Ebert-like thumbs up/thumbs down approach. Especially decisions involving both money and time or that require me to carve out a whole chunk of my life. Right from the beginning, I’m checking the gauge, crossing my fingers, and hoping I was right.

StoryStudio was like that for me. Deciding to do the certificate program, while not the commitment of an MFA—in time or money—was a personal pledge to writing. I was going to get serious about writing once and for all.

I am already confident I made the perfect decision. I have not regretted a moment of class time spent at the Studio. Working toward completion of the certificate helps me to shift the pressure created by a major thorn of the craft: our work is never done. There is more to revise, tweak, write—always more. Setting specific objectives outlined partially by the program helps me through accountability beyond myself. Having promised myself completion of this program, I am driven to produce and revise more work than I’d otherwise create. A with the feedback and support of an excellent network of writers , to boot. Thumbs up, indeed.