The notion that one should not understand too much about how to write is very common in writing workshops across the country. The refrain is that one should only write. I don’t think that attitude is helpful. We value experiment in science; we respect practice and rehearsal in theater and music; yet many fiction writers… Read more »
Today’s episode is all about what happens when your characters start getting ideas and do something completely unexpected. Scary as it may seem, these moments are gold, and you’ve got to run with them. By allowing your character to act in a manner exactly opposite of what is expected, you give a new dimension to… Read more »
Okay! I wrote a bunch of short stories—now what do I do with them? – The Next Jane Austen Congrats! You’ve put on your silvery boxing pants, got your boxing gloves on, stuck that plastic guard between your teeth. Finishing something is no small accomplishment. (Pumping “Eye of the Tiger” at full blast during the… Read more »
People think creativity exists only when options are endless. The truth is that infinite possibilities can be paralyzing. There’s research to support this: that when people have too many options, they’re much less likely to take decisive action. But setting limits for your writing can be a good thing. It’s only in limiting your choices… Read more »
Thanks so much for listening to DIY MFA Radio! This weekly show offers tips and techniques that you can apply to your writing practice right now. In today’s episode, I’ll show you a simple three-step process to help you pump up your writing with prompts. When I first started writing in earnest, I didn’t know what to… Read more »
Inspiration is for sissies. If you have to wait for inspiration to write, you’re in trouble. This is because you’re at the mercy of your muse, who may or may not choose to take the occasional day (or month) off. To combat this problem, you need to build your writing practice and learn to write even… Read more »
Welcome to the first episode of DIY MFA Radio, our new podcast! I’m so happy to share this creative adventure with you. This weekly show will offer tips and techniques that you can apply to your writing practice right now. My goal is to help you get those words on the page and finish that book… Read more »
DIY MFA is launching a podcast! OMG, right? Here at DIY MFA we are so excited to share this with you because it’s been secretly in the works for the last six months at least. Honestly, I don’t know if I could have kept the secret much longer. We’re scheduled to launch our first episode next… Read more »
Conquer the Craft in 29 Days (#CTC29) is off to a fantastic start! Already we have over 500 writers participating in this DIY MFA writing challenge, and Twitter is a-buzz with people sharing updates and progress. I’ve had a few people email me with questions and I’ve noticed a few that have come up again… Read more »
Our new writing challenge Conquer the Craft in 29 Days (#CTC29) starts today. During this challenge, writers do one prompt per day for 29 days. I’ve handpicked the prompts so that they cover all the important topics in the craft of fiction and structured the challenge so that by the end of 29 days, writers will… Read more »
