Everyone knows the saying, “The book was better than the movie.” This is true in . . . well, just about every case. And this is not to say that movies adapted from books are bad by default. On the contrary, they’re often very good. After all, they have such great source material! And it’s such… Read more »
I love hanging out with writers. Sometimes in-person, sometimes online, and one of the best perks is that it’s not just social, it’s good for my writing too. Other writers aren’t just my friends, they’re my business colleagues. When I can, I’m writing with my local writing group, but when I can’t, I’m plugged in… Read more »
Give me a complicated anti-hero over a classic “good guy” any day! I love reading about anti-heroes and I love writing them. Of course, using an anti-hero as a protagonist is tricky and risky. Even the edgiest, darkest protagonists have to be likable, or the reader will put the book down. In Destruction the protagonist is man… Read more »
If novel writing is like a stair climber, then flash fiction is like free weights. You don’t really have to do it, but it sure would help to build your strength. Writing flash fiction teaches you to fine-tune your writing, whittling away at chunks of exposition that just aren’t necessary. It makes your writing lean… Read more »
When I started writing, I had no idea how to get a story on paper. I read book after book and went to classes once a week for a year. No matter how naturally talented you are, there are always tricks that can make you better. Here are five quick writing tips that can keep… Read more »
Art is fire plus algebra. – Jorge Luis Borges Query letters are strange and intimidating beasts. They are the much obsessed, much abused, much scorned part of the marketing process. Essentially they are like movie trailers for your book; they create the urge to see more. Somehow, by some feat of magic, you are forced… Read more »
Happy Friday everyone! Most of the country is currently being pummeled with snow and freezing cold temperatures. We are also in an arctic freeze of television, in that terrible limbo in-between the first and second half of most TV show seasons. And I don’t know about any of you, but one show that I’m really ready to premier again… Read more »
A few months ago, I went on a big vacation. I knew I would not be online much during this time, and since I was out of the country, my smartphone, which I usually rely on to keep up with social media, was not going to be an option. To keep my short story website… Read more »
Happy New Year! As you can see from this week’s podcast, we’re big on resolutions here at DIY MFA. They can be a powerful tool for motivation, and also for building your community. Studies have shown that the mere act of writing down a goal makes you more likely to achieve it. Telling it to… Read more »
We usually need to read a novel in order to identify its themes. However, what if the title and the blurb (a.k.a. jacket copy) could suggest potential themes? It’s not a stretch sometimes. In today’s edition of Theme: A Story’s Soul, we’ll explore how both items can reveal a great deal about the ideas and… Read more »
