There have been a few condescending articles throughout the years about why adults should not read young adult literature. I won’t bother linking to any of them, because I think they’re totally wrong and don’t deserve the web traffic. Despite how these articles denounce YA lit, adults still make up a large percentage of its… Read more »
In my last article, I talked about my experiment with de-cluttering, and the benefits of minimalism, specifically, for writers. While I’m still not quite done, I have already been able to see a lot of positive results. Thinking about trying out minimalism? Here are three tips for getting started: 1) Write Down Your Motivations The process of… Read more »
I am a big fan of books about writing. Sometimes these books can be fascinating, while other times they verge on dull. Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living falls under the former category. Edited by Manjula Martin, this book is a collection of essays and Q&As with writers about the finances… Read more »
What can often happen in creative nonfiction is that we feel we must be interesting individuals at all times. At first glance, that wouldn’t seem to be an unreasonable request. If we’re going to write about our lives, might as well highlight the most intense and real moments, right? That actually happens to be pretty… Read more »
A couple weeks ago I attended an absolutely amazing writing retreat – in Iceland. Yes, you read that correctly. The Iceland Writers Retreat held its fourth annual event from April 5th through 9th, and I was utterly thrilled to be part in it. And not only did the trip fulfill a three-year-old dream of visiting… Read more »
If you frequently visit DIY MFA, then you’re likely serious about your writing. You probably also have a day job, a family, and other day-to-day responsibilities that compete with your creative pursuits. Yet both sides of a writer’s life – the creative and the real – can’t be ignored. Each deserves time, respect, and attention,… Read more »
I was sure my first novel was a romantic suspense. At least I thought I had structured it that way. The story has danger, mystery, and an escalating romance between two people, who, under any other circumstances, would unlikely get togeter. Eager to see how readers would receive the initial draft, I entered my story… Read more »
When you hear the term “break out of your comfort zone” you probably think about something drastic like sky diving or quitting your job to live on the road. These are completely valid ways to break out of your comfort zone, but you don’t have to do anything nearly so drastic to find the perfect… Read more »
Kimberly Bell is a historical romance author, and she’s here to share her secrets about getting two book contracts and writing five books in two years. Her first two books were published by Penguin Intermix last year, with her third book releasing next week on April 18th. Her second romance series will begin releasing through Entangled… Read more »
Last month, I wrote about minimalism, and how I thought the lifestyle might have particular value for writers. I planned to take the month of March to experiment with de-cluttering and embracing a more minimalist lifestyle in my home and on my computer. A month and many, many trashbags later, I’m still not quite done with the… Read more »
