I love writing characters. Creating new people from inside my head is my favorite part of writing stories. Then I’m not encumbered by that pesky thing called reality, and can let my writer brain run wild. My current work in progress has a large cast of characters aside from my protagonist. Each one has a… Read more »
As the leader of two writers groups and having led/attended over a hundred critique sessions, I have a lot of experience on which to draw. While many critique sessions go as intended, I’ve seen some go very, very wrong. More times than not, the miss stems from a single reason: readers going into critique to… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I am so excited to have bestselling author of contemporary YA, Sarah Dessen on the show! Sarah has twelve previous novels to her name,several of which have hit the New York Times bestseller list, and discusses with us here her latest teen read Once And For All. Listen in as… Read more »
I can’t think of thriller novels without thinking of New York Times best selling author, David Morrell. Morrell has been an icon in the thriller community since the release of his novel, First Blood, in 1971. His stories are action-packed, gripping, and heart stopping. He often speaks at conferences, but rarely teaches workshops. However, in… Read more »
Web Editor’s Note: Please join me in welcoming Abigail K. Perry to the DIY MFA team! In her column, Let’s Talk Books, she’ll be dissecting passages from great writers, breaking down why what they do works, and how you can apply it to your own writing. Have you ever walked into a park and people watched? How… Read more »
Getting your work published in a literary magazine or journal can serve to build your resume, and grow your writing community. From researching the publications that best fit your work, to writing your cover letter, to clicking “submit,” there are several important steps in sending work to an editor. Here are 5 actionable tips to… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Karen Dionne on the show. Karen was the first author I ever interviewed on DIY MFA Radio, and is now the first author that I’ve brought back for a second solo interview because she’s just that awesome. In this episode we discuss Karen’s novel… Read more »
Voracious romance readers love a series. When you read something you like, you want more! It’s human nature. And traditional publishers love signing a series. They want to know that a book they invest enough in to publish will produce more books and more readers. But feeding that hunger is the tricky part for us… Read more »
A few weeks back, in the middle of a massive rewrite of my novel, I sat down to write the next scene and as soon as I started I knew it was horrible. The scene I had typed out on the page was nothing like the scene in my head. So I tried again. Reworked… Read more »
Web Editor’s Note: Please join me in welcoming Brenda Joyce Patterson, poet, writer, librarian,and the newest columnist for DIY MFA! In her column, Writing Small, she’ll be talking about the world of short fiction and poetry! Raise your hand if you read poetry. How about short stories? I so wish I could be a fly on… Read more »
