Lately, writing conferences have been buzzing with this idea of the author entrepreneur. Writer’s Digest Conference East earlier this month was no exception. One theme came up again and again and it was this idea of writers as entrepreneurs. Self-publishing is no longer a synonym for vanity publishing. Authors have more options than ever before… Read more »
Often when writers seek ways to gain that extra edge in the market, they look to the Internet to reach out to their target audience. One popular option is to create a blog. ThinkingtoInking is the group blog that fellow writer/bloggers Lauren Monahan, Triona Murphy, Stacy Stokes and I created to share our journey and… Read more »
One week ago, I head the pleasure of attending the Writer’s Digest Conference East (WDCE) in NYC. This is one of my favorite writing conferences of the year and it’s a great event writers in all stages of their careers. Novice writers can enjoy the inspirational keynote speakers and great lectures on writing craft and… Read more »
In January, I started my own short story zine. Ever since, I’ve been reading my way out of a steady pile of submissions. What’s more, I’m reading these stories with a new perspective—while I usually read for pleasure, as an editor, I now have to make judgments about each story. What makes a story good? Which will… Read more »
Today’s guest article comes from Dan Blank, Founder of WeGrowMedia.com. Dan was one of the people instrumental in helping me turn DIY MFA into what it is today. Dan especially helped me find my direction for DIY MFA and organize the online presence, including the blog. Dan works with writers at all stages of their… Read more »
It’s been a while since I’ve shown my face at DIY MFA, and that is because I have been full-time, honest-to-Zeus employed – as a writer. No, I’m not getting paid to spin tales of whimsy and fantasy (yet). I’m a content writer and editor for a small business in San Diego. Switching gears to business writing was… Read more »
One of my favorite things to do for DIY MFA is go to writing conferences. I love meeting other writers, connecting with industry professionals and learning new things about the business as well as the craft. These days, with so many writing conferences available, it can be tricky to figure out which ones you should… Read more »
In April of 2011, I hit a wall in my book. This was not a “I need a break” or “I’m tired” or “this is hard” wall. Writers don’t get breaks. We’re always tired. And writing is never not hard. This was a “this is not working” wall. There was a fundamental flaw in my… Read more »
When I first saw the site, I didn’t understand why writers should be on Pinterest. Nonetheless, I joined with the best of intentions. It wouldn’t help my writing, but I would dress like a model without spending a dime. My apartment would look like a spread in Good Housekeeping. I would feast every. Single. Day. That… Read more »
In a past life (i.e. my early 20’s), I studied graphic design and worked as a toy developer. I designed hundreds of toys in those few short years and in the process learned a lot of techniques that would help my writing later on. When you work in a creative industry like toy design, you… Read more »
