Navigating the Guest Post Process

Last week we talked about why writers should write guest posts and five different strategies where guest posts can writers build their audience. Today we’ll go over how to navigate this process of pitching and writing guest posts including the before, during and after. The process might seem a little intimidating but once you’ve done… Read more »

Why Writers Should Write Guest Posts

Writing guest posts for blogs and websites can be a great way to build connections both with fellow writers or potential readers. Guest posts can help you get a “foot in the door” with members of your target audience who you wouldn’t normally reach through your own blog or social media channels. These posts and… Read more »

Best of 2012: Build Your Community

“Writing is a fairly lonely business,” Marc Lawrence wrote, “Unless you invite people in to watch you do it, which is often distracting and then you have to ask them to leave.” This is true: we face the blank page alone. But writing doesn’t have to be a lonely business. Indeed, at DIY MFA, we… Read more »

Best of 2012: Read With Purpose

This week, we are looking back to the best DIY MFA Articles of 2012. As you know, the DIY MFA consists of three components: Writing With Focus, Reading With Purpose and Building Your Community. All three of these elements are integral to building a writing life. Yesterday, we talked about the best articles to help… Read more »

Best of 2012: Write With Focus

With 2012 drawing to a close, we wanted to share a few of our favorite articles from DIY MFA with you. But before we get to that, here’s a recap of how DIY MFA works. While in graduate school, I discovered that the typical Creative Writing MFA boils down to one simple formula. Some graduate… Read more »

Write It! Wednesday #6: What’s On Your Writing Wish List?

Every writer wants something.  Maybe it’s an extra hour in the day so you can be more productive.  Maybe it’s an extra-special fountain pen or notebook.  Maybe it’s having the cat stop chewing on the corners of your manuscript.  We don’t ask for much, but when it comes right down to it, the thing all… Read more »

Goal-Keeping from the Greats

Lately at DIY MFA, we’ve been talking about goal-setting. Now, I’m going to round out the week with a bit of goal-keeping. Writing can sometimes feel a lot like goal-tending in a hockey game. Ken Dryden – former goalie for the Montreal Canadiens – said, “Because the demands on the goalies are mostly mental, for… Read more »

Write It! Wednesday #5: Writing Goals Sheet

Hello everyone! Today’s Write It! Wednesday isn’t so much a prompt as it is a freebie download. I’ve put together a set of worksheets to help you map out your goals for next year. To download your free Writing Goals Sheet, just click the link. In the next few weeks we’ll have a couple more… Read more »

Writing Rewards

Pavlov was onto something. The cliché says that writing is its own reward. And the cliché is true. However, a system of physical rewards for your literary triumphs can be a powerful motivator in helping you reach the goals you set yourself. Ideally, these rewards are a celebration, an inspiration and a motivation. They’ll not… Read more »