Last time on Speculations, we looked at your writing process and possible ways to improve it. This time around, I want to focus on where you ply your craft. It can have more of an impact than you think. A room of one’s own, literal or metaphorical, is critical to every writer’s success. Just like… Read more »
Many—perhaps most—people on social media try to build their platform by posting, posting, posting. But being truly social requires a bit more than this. Like in any relationship, building a social media platform requires engagement both ways. Social media is more than a megaphone. There are hundreds of conversations going on out there all the… Read more »
In my interviews with literary magazine editors, they tell me they want fresh, vital, and well-revised writing to publish. It’s probably clear to you how to revise your work well. (Hint: find a grammarian-friend.) And it’s also not that hard to figure out what an editor might think of as fresh. (Read journals to see… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today’s show is our last episode of 2018 so Happy New Year everybody! And this episode is an especially awesome one because it features three members of my awesome DIY MFA team. I am so excited to have DIY MFA columnists Melanie Marttila, Brenda Joyce Patterson, and Stacy Woodson on the… Read more »
It’s almost 2019, word nerds! Time to start thinking about what the new year is going to do for you and your writing career. In the past, I’ve written about setting goals, writing a mission statement, and seeking education. I’m a big believer in resolutions, and I like using the new year as a clean-slate opportunity… Read more »
“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” — Isaac Newton I’m a big believer that there is no need to reinvent the wheel, and there is no need to blaze your own trail when many others have successfully walked the path before you. That’s not to… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Caroline Donahue on the show! Caroline is an American writer living in Berlin, and the host of The Secret Library Podcast (where I’ve had the good fortune of being a guest!). She is also the co-editor, with Dal Kular, of the essay anthology I… Read more »
You have an idea for a story and you’re pretty sure this is an idea that would appeal to kids, be they tots or teens. But you haven’t been a kid yourself in . . . well, a long time. And if you don’t have kids yourself, or your kids aren’t the same age as… Read more »
Family has long been a cornerstone of humanity, regardless of time period, location, and culture. This is also true in the stories we read and write, as we discussed in this DIY MFA case study. However, what makes family such an important literary theme? Why do stories that focus on family sometimes lift our spirits… Read more »
Negative feedback and rejection are usually considered the worst parts of the writing journey. When your manuscript receives the dreaded form rejection letter from a literary agent or a publisher fails to respond to a pitch—it isn’t easy to view this feedback as “good”. In fact, you might be asking how a form rejection can… Read more »
