Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Andi Cumbo-Floyd. Andi is a writer of both magical realism and nonfiction, but in the last year, she has taken on a new persona as ACF Bookens, author of cozy mysteries. Today we’ll be talking about her process and strategy in crafting this series. When she’s not writing,… Read more »
In my last article Poetry Can Change the World, I make an argument about how vital poetry still is, even in our mad-pace world. Or, lately, just our ‘mad’ world, am I right? In this article I am going to compare poetry to espresso. Hear me out. Maybe it’s my lingering ADHD, maybe it’s my… Read more »
The through-line for this column is motivation despite setbacks. I want to encourage writers to be authentic, but to also no longer make excuses for procrastination. I always want to broach that from an empathic, non-judgmental place, so I sat down and made a list of the excuses I use for not getting my writing done…. Read more »
In an effort to get our fellow word nerds to know Team DIY MFA a bit better, we decided to commandeer one of the #5onFri slots and talk about our favorite books. Predictably, each member approached the notion of “favorite” in a different way and each of us chose a different favorite. We’re a team… Read more »
When we read great dialogue, sparks fly. Why? I love dialogue. When I’m reading a book and I spot dialogue up ahead, I think: Sweet—we’re getting to the good stuff soon. And when I’m writing a book and I get to a part requiring dialogue, I think: Sweet—time to have some real fun. Here’s the… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Meg LaTorre. Meg LaTorre is a sci-fi/fantasy author, YouTube darling, and founder of iWriterly. She is also the creator of the free query critique platform, Query Hack, co-host of the Publishable show, and blogger for websites: Writer’s Digest, Savvy Authors, Writers Helping Writers, and so forth. Formerly, she… Read more »
In the fall of 2016, after I had been living abroad for five years, my second child was born. My husband, two daughters, and I were living with my mom. I had no friends. I was exhausted, lonely, bewildered, and often angry. The world had shifted around me, and I no longer understood it.I felt… Read more »
Over the last several weeks, several months, truthfully, it’s felt like everyone I know, including myself, has been running on empty in most areas of life. At the very beginning of this “new normal” period, every day was a bit of an unknown. From not really knowing how long the pandemic was going to last,… Read more »
Whenever I’m asked who my dream dinner guest is, I still say: Anthony Bourdain. For years, I imagined sharing a meal with him in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant having giant belly laughs and leaving with a full heart. I don’t believe I’m alone in that. Some people are born storytellers. They know how to grab an… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing the author, swordswoman, and falconer, Essa Hansen. Essa is a sound designer for sci-fi and fantasy films at Skywalker Sound, with credits in movies such as Doctor Strange and Avengers: Endgame. Today we’ll be discussing her debut novel, Nophek Gloss. In this episode Essa and I discuss: What… Read more »
