Christmas shopping can be tough, especially when you want to give special gifts that make the recipients smile, assuring them that you know them, and you’ve been paying attention. Writers are one of the easiest groups of people to shop for, but for some reason, people are often stumped. They have no idea what a… Read more »
Here’s a little word association exercise: What pops into your head when you here the phrase “Target Market”? If you’re like I used to be, you instantly get some kind of negative image. Mine was a sleazy movie exec fanning himself with money and pouring over a copy of the latest census report. What is… Read more »
Before graduating this spring with my bachelor’s in creative writing, I was faced with a difficult decision: follow my passion or get a job. The unspeakable amount of student loan debt weighing on me ultimately swung my decision towards employment, and I am grateful to have a steady full-time job at the same university where… Read more »
Perhaps you’ve already heard, there’s a new social network in town. Ello launched publicly in August, and the site has caused a ton of buzz with its users-first, no-advertising promises. Which is all well and good, but what does Ello mean for your author platform? Let’s take a closer look. First Things First: What is… Read more »
I’m geekin’ out. Guys, science fiction and fantasy is bigger and better than ever. Check it out: Almost everybody knows at least something about Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Avatar, Ender’s Game… The list of TV and movies for us genre fans just keeps growing, and I couldn’t be happier. But some… Read more »
At DIY MFA, we believe in the power of people. We believe there’s strength in surrounding yourself with a great team. Creativity thrives when it’s shared, and even if writers work alone, the writing life doesn’t have to be solitary. This is true for any artist, and it’s true for websites as well. As DIY MFA has grown… Read more »
You may have heard of a little movie coming out today about a dystopian America and a most disloyal band of subjects.Or perhaps you’ve been living under a rock for the past five years?The Hunger Games has become a worldwide phenomenon. It’s brought untold attention to YA literature, and with good reason. It’s an un-put-downable… Read more »
I love writing. Huddling behind my laptop means a beautiful day for me. For those of us in the romance genre though, the Romance Writers of America is where it’s at. The national organization has over 10,000 members with more than 145 local and online chapters. Their national conference has over 2,000 attendees, and as… Read more »
Giving examples of themes in literature isn’t too difficult. Love, good versus evil, loss of innocence – and the list goes on. However, what about defining the term “theme”? Or, picking out themes in your own work? That can be more of a challenge, but it’s one you don’t have to confront alone. Today I’m… Read more »
It’s November and for thousands of writers across the globe, that means one thing: National Novel Writing Month. Also known as NaNoWriMo, the month of November sends novelists into a frenzy of story crafting, their aim a 50,000 word draft in 30 days. Fingers fly across keyboards, and characters magically come to life on the… Read more »
