Bethany Coates asked Kendare Blake:

Do you feel that your Writing MA got you where you are today in your career or would you have got published without it? A lot of people say writing degrees are useless and hinder creativity, so I wanted to know what your opinion is as something with one who's an author and has one. Are they worth the student debt?

Kendare Blake My MA made me a better writer, because it let me have a full 13 months devoted to nothing but writing (and living in glorious London). It was during the course that my short stories started to sell, and I'm sure that was because the short stories I was writing then were better. But do I think it was necessary to get it? No. Creative writing courses are fun, and immersive, and put you in a very writerly headspace and a very collaborative environment with other writers, so they're great. But they're not necessary. Before I enrolled in the MA course I was prepared to repay the debt for the rest of my life. I sort of figured that's what would end up happening. But even if it had I don't think I'd regret it (yet). It was a hell of a year.

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