So you want to be a better writer, huh? You’ll need to read. A lot. And not just books on the craft (of writing), but books in every genre, targeting every age group. Books will teach you to be a better writer. How, you say? Pull up a chair and I’ll share. Here is a… Read more »
With the publishing landscape changing, there is a heavy focus on the author platform. As writers, we are no longer required to just write. We need to write, master social media, maintain a spiffy website, and populate a blog. We have to become real people to our readers and potential readers. The world requires more… Read more »
When I was a kid, books were like my third parent. I absorbed the wholesome lessons of loyalty to friends, obedience to parents and faith in myself as if a stack of children’s novels were my personal guide to life. At the time, I didn’t consider the impact that children’s literature would have on me… Read more »
So you’re putting in the work and growing your author platform. High fives. But whether you’ve decided it’s time to become a master of all things Pinterest or simply resolved to tweet once every single day, the demands of maintaining a platform can easily become overwhelming. Don’t worry, it’s not you, it’s the Internet. But… Read more »
In our kick-off article for Developing Themes In Your Stories, we explored character arc themes and how planning your protagonist’s arc in advance can help determine possible themes. Today, we’ll focus on a second way to consciously nurture themes in our stories: the premise. Like last time, this discussion includes brainstorming and writing activities you… Read more »
BEA is one of the year’s biggest book conferences, bringing together writers, editors, publicists, bloggers, agents and basically anyone else working in or around the publishing industry, for three jam-packed days. Whether you’ve been every year or haven’t ever gone before, here are a few things to keep in mind to make your BEA experience a… Read more »
Picture this: You finally sit down to write your first novel. You’ve been brainstorming it for years, since childhood really, and thinking about it has taken over your life. It gnaws at you , creeps down your fingertips and through your pores until you have no choice but to sit down and write it. You’re… Read more »
Historical fiction is like your personal time machine. Hop into a book and whisk off to medieval England, the Wild West, or ancient Rome—the options are endless. Historical fiction takes facts and events from the past and deftly weaves them into a fictional tale about characters we grow to love. Plenty of recent books for… Read more »
Every month or two, DIY MFA’s Wendy Lu will be hosting “New Spin,” a column that covers everything that falls within alternative storytelling: literary mash-ups, books that put a new spin on classic stories, and “meta-books” that use new media, graphic illustrations, and interaction between words/design for an enhanced reader experience. Whether your English teacher… Read more »
DNA is a miraculous thing. It’s the microscopic genetic material that contains the blueprint for a life. A well-constructed sentence can do the same thing for your story. It can clearly communicate your story to your audience (and to you too). It can be the building block of all your marketing efforts as well. As… Read more »
