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 »
How much time do you have to write? How much of that time do you actually spend writing? If you don’t know the answer to the latter question, you may want to take a closer look at your writing routine, because your productivity has the potential to skyrocket if you make a few simple tweaks to… Read more »
Recently, I shared five tips for writing more powerful personal essays in my #5onFri post, 5 Hacks to Make Your CNF More Compelling. My post this week offers some insights on creative nonfiction’s genre-bending forms, and how working with them can lead to more interesting and innovative work. This has certainly been the case for… Read more »
Disclaimer: I am not a theoretical physicist, nor to I portray one in any media. Time travel as a concept in fiction has been around since 1770 (L’An 2440, rêve s’il en fût jamais by Louis-Sébastien Mercier) but there are instances of time travel in the Mahabharata, and some Buddhist and Japanese tales [1]. Fairies, particularly… Read more »
Facebook ads seem to have hit that tipping point within the author community over the past year and become a popular tactic for reaching readers. This is in no small part due to a handful of top-selling indie authors who swear Facebook ads are their secret. But look at these authors closer, and you’ll see… Read more »
Drawing powerful verbal images is a real skill and is often a key ability that defines ‘natural writers’. Here are five things to think about when you write with respect to using the power of the pen to draw images. 1) Be aware of visual imagery The first step is heightening your awareness of verbal… Read more »
If you’ve read DIY MFA or have been following this website for a while, you know how important community is for writers. You need to find readers for your stories, but it’s also incredibly valuable to find other writers who write the same kinds of books as you. If you’re a kid lit writer (or… Read more »
