Today I had the privilege of interviewing Sara Bennett Wealer, author of the YA romance with a fun supernatural twist, Grave Things Like Love. I was completely drawn to the setting—a funeral home—and loved the coming of age drama and the love story. It was a really fun read and I am so glad Sara… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Susan Austin. We’ll be talking about how she imagines the childhood of a historical figure in her book Drawing Outside the Lines. Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter, especially for our podcast listeners. Every month,… Read more »
Over the past two and a half years, I’ve worked as a freelance editor and had the pleasure of editing several middle grade books. I’ve also finished my first middle grade fantasy manuscript. But most of all, I’ve read dozens of middle grade books, and there’s something about each one that takes me back to… Read more »
As an independent author, you’re more than the person who writes words in a novel. Once you choose to go the self-publishing route, you inadvertently choose to also become a self-employed entrepreneur. As such, you now wear every hat for all the departments of your business. This includes wearing the marketing and sales hats. This… Read more »
Have you ever looked at a computer screen and wanted to bang your head against it? A time when the words seem less than what you were hoping? Or maybe nothing makes sense anymore? Yep. Me too. What a fun club to join! Want a t-shirt? We also have coffee mugs. At this point, I’m… Read more »
Let’s face it. It’s hard to care about a story if you don’t care about the characters. Reading fiction is almost always an act of empathy: for a brief time, we get to live another life. Therefore, above all else, writing compelling fiction requires empathy, too—lots of it. It’s one thing to know facts about… Read more »
What’s the most important quality in a writer? Joyce Carol Oates has a surprising opinion. The most important writerly quality, she says, is not the ability to develop characters or structure plots. It’s not the presence of voice or the ear for flowing prose. It’s energy. But maybe that’s not a surprising opinion after all…. Read more »
Today, Lori is interviewing Carol Van Den Hende. They’ll be talking about finding purpose and her new book Orchid Blooming. Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with… Read more »
Today I begin a series about a subgenre (possibly a sub-sub-genre) of mystery I find delightful. I’m talking about mysteries concerning the life, cultural impact, and characters of Jane Austen, one of the most respected and best-loved writers ever. On this list, you will find sequels, alternate universe retellings, modern retellings, crossovers containing all the… Read more »
Just as a high-stress job can lead to Sunday Scaries as the dreaded Monday deluge approaches, many authors experience what I call Book Promotion Scaries as a launch date for a new book nears. In fact, I don’t think I know a single author who doesn’t get a case of nerves from putting their newest… Read more »
