Write the novel you’ve always carried with you.
NotMFA offers the rigor of graduate-level instruction without the gatekeeping. Our mentors are published authors who'll guide you from blank page to finished manuscript, at your pace and on your terms.
A proven framework for writers everywhere
Every writer starts with a blank page. At NotMFA, we’ve developed a practical, supportive approach to transform your initial idea into a finished novel. Here’s how NotMFA works:
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Craft-Driven Courses
Learn proven techniques and best practices, helping you develop the skills you need to write consistently, with confidence, and without relying on a “muse.”
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Live Workshops
Improve your craft with weekly sessions with constructive feedback and shared momentum.
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Dedicated Mentorship
Your mentor will invest in your vision and guide you through the creative process, helping you strengthen your story at every stage.
Testimonials
“Whenever Matt Cricchio critiques my writing, I listen. He’s an incredible writer and extremely well-read, but what sets him apart is his ability to not only see what’s there but what could be there. In workshops, we love to shun prescriptive feedback, but I’m telling you—if Matt prescribes something, it’s probably just what you need.”
— Rachel Beanland, author of Florence Adler Swims Forever
“Fiction writing is a commitment, a craft, an art and a profession, and in my life and career I've met very few writers as passionate and savvy about each of those things as Matt Criccho or with both the talent and the temperament to understand and master them all. The man was born to launch a venture like NotMFA.”
— Tom De Haven, novelist and Fiction Professor for over 30 years
“Matt Cricchio’s no-nonsense pick-up-your-bootstraps approach to writing is both accessible and efficient. He pursues the novel with laser focus and sets goals that are realistic and always rewarding. In short, he knows what it takes to become a successful writer, and he wastes no time getting you there.”
— Chad Luibl, Literary Agent at Janklow&Nesbit Associates
Meet your mentor, Matt
After teaching hundreds of students as a creative writing professor, I started NotMFA to demystify fiction writing for busy professionals, with tried and true processes that turn your rough draft dreams into final draft reality.
MFA in Fiction
Published author
100+ students
