Do you judge a book by the cover? Readers and booksellers often do. Having the right book package is one of the most important aspects of the publishing process. Over the past few months, our DIY MFA photographer Melinda VanLone took us through a series of posts about crafting the perfect book package–one that is not… Read more »
Two weekends ago we hosted our second DIY MFA Weekend Writing Sprint, a weekend writing extravaganza! Around 200 writers joined this virtual writing retreat from around the globe. It was EPIC, though I’ll admit by the end of the weekend I felt a bit like the sea lions pictured on the right. What impressed me… Read more »
If you’ve been a bookstore recently, there’s one thing you’re sure to have noticed. Young adult literature is on the rise. The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green, made waves when it topped the New York Times Bestseller list for 40 weeks, and it’s not alone. The Divergent series by Veronica Roth occupied spots… Read more »
I recently got a rejection saying that the agent was looking for a more “high-concept” story. What the heck does that mean, and how can I get a high concept of my very own? -Out of Ideas Here are some explanations of high concept that I’ve heard: “High concept is an old story with… Read more »
The world around you is a busy place, but as a writer you might also think of it as a feast. Your senses awake to a buffet of images every morning. Just take breakfast, for example: the steaming scrambled eggs awash with butter lounging on a bed of toast like fluffy yellow gods. These indignant… Read more »
The concept of writing buddies is kind of strange if you think about it. Last year, several of my writing friends and I checked in a hotel for President’s Day. We went to Jersey, where we knew we were guaranteed bad weather and unfriendly locals. While the rest of the country was sleeping in and… Read more »
Now that we’ve explored all the main genres and some off shoots, let’s take a look at them all together. Can you pick out which covers belong to which genres (hint: Paranormal Romance in the upper left, Mystery in the bottom right)? Can you see how some blend two genres together? (Hint: Deeply Odd, a… Read more »
As creative people, we look at the way our right brains work, and think we’re alone in that. We think we’re the only people who have certain ways of working or certain problems in our work. Believing you’re alone,that it’s “just you” and “just the way you work” can hold you back. When you understand what’s… Read more »
Have a writing project you’ve been dying to start, but can’t find the time, energy or motivation? Knee-deep in revision? Drowning in drafting? One of the best ways to get your writing back on track, or give yourself that extra boost and meet the next big challenge is to set aside a chunk of time,… Read more »
“How can I gain confidence as a writer?” – Wendy L. Your parents have been lying to you. There is a monster under the bed. And its name is Self-Doubt. Self-Doubt is sneaky. It starts out like a small, niggling sticky note with a week-old due date: I really should submit to that writing contest…. Read more »
