Short Forms: No Stepping Stone

I have done my beloved short forms an injustice. And I’ve led you, my readers, to believe that poems, short stories, and novellas are simply stops on the way to the writing world’s holy grail: novels. This column, Writing Small, is an exploration into this near-mystical thing called writing. My aim is to plumb others’… Read more »

New Columns at DIY MFA!

Hey there word nerds! You may have noticed that there are some new faces and names around here on Mondays and Tuesdays. We are SO excited to be launching these new columns, and bringing you more awesome advice and expertise to help you Write With Focus, Read With Purpose, and Build Your Community. One of… Read more »

#5onFri: Five Things To Include On Your Author Website

Snazzy author photo? Check. List of all your books? Check. Alright, you have everything you need for your author website. Time to go live, right? Not so fast! Having an author website is like owning your own little corner of the internet and it’s important to set it up in a way that showcases your… Read more »

A Kick in the Shins — Signpost Scene #6

If you read my last article on the Point of No Return Decision (Signpost Scene #5 in James Scott Bell’s Superstructure) you know that every Lead makes a HUGE decision that launches them into Act II. But what happens after that massive moment? For some weaker first drafts of a WIP, sometimes nothing. This is… Read more »