Washington’s Birthday is coming up and, in honor of that, I want to talk about American novels. There’s been a lot of debate about what constitutes the “Great American Novel.” With so many voices, and so many different experiences in American life, this list should be huge. Since we only do five books on a… Read more »
Writers choose to spend a considerable amount of time sitting alone at home staring at a computer screen. Whether we write at home or at our favorite coffee shop, the truth is these stories of ours don’t write themselves. I once left my computer alone for an entire week, and when I came back do… Read more »
Thanks for joining me for today’s episode of DIY MFA Radio. Today I’m excited to introduce Laura Backes, and she and I will be talking all about picture books, eBooks and how to turn a picture book idea into something that works in an eBook format. Laura is the publisher of Children’s Book Insider, the newsletter… Read more »
Trust is an essential aspect of relationships. By keeping promises and telling the truth, we prove that we honor our agreements and value the people in our lives. The confidence we win from others as a result can be life-changing. However, as we’ve witnessed in literature (and in daily life), we’re not always quick to… Read more »
Everyone knows the saying, “The book was better than the movie.” This is true in . . . well, just about every case. And this is not to say that movies adapted from books are bad by default. On the contrary, they’re often very good. After all, they have such great source material! And it’s such… Read more »
Hello and welcome to today’s episode of DIY MFA Radio! Today I’m thrilled to talk about social media for writers with Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick, co-authors of the book, The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users. In this interview, we discuss social media, how it specifically applies to writers and how we can use it to… Read more »
I love hanging out with writers. Sometimes in-person, sometimes online, and one of the best perks is that it’s not just social, it’s good for my writing too. Other writers aren’t just my friends, they’re my business colleagues. When I can, I’m writing with my local writing group, but when I can’t, I’m plugged in… Read more »
Give me a complicated anti-hero over a classic “good guy” any day! I love reading about anti-heroes and I love writing them. Of course, using an anti-hero as a protagonist is tricky and risky. Even the edgiest, darkest protagonists have to be likable, or the reader will put the book down. In Destruction the protagonist is man… Read more »
Hello and thank you for joining me at DIY MFA Radio! Today I want to talk about what you need to know to write your book in 2015. We’ll discuss three myths about being a writer, as well as the the formula for rocking your writing this year. I’ll also share with you a tool that changed… Read more »
The thing that writers most often say they love about DIY MFA 101 is the vibrant community. And I have to say that this is probably my favorite aspect of the class as well. Writers who join DIY MFA 101 are dedicated and independent, but also quick to share ideas and give each other support. It’s a combination… Read more »
