“I just heard about this new thing called ‘New Adult.’ What is it and what’s the difference between NA and YA?” – Somewhere Between Young and New I remember in my day there was no such thing as New Adult. None of this transitional jibber-jabber. One day you’re an adolescent and the next day you’re… Read more »
I think there’s one thing we can all agree on — Fridays are the BEST. And, on DIY MFA, they are about to get even better. Starting next week, we’ll be hosting a special feature to round out your week — Five on a Friday. Each Friday, we’ll be calling on a writer from the… Read more »
This is the fifth and final post in my series on the benefits of writing with an outline. In my first post, I listed three reasons why most writers need an outline. In the second, I discussed three things to keep in mind when creating an outline. In the third, I talked about how to use one while… Read more »
“I try to write every single day, but some days life gets in the way and I can’t do it. Then I feel really guilty. How do I find time to write every single day and how can I stop feeling guilty when I’m not writing?” – Guilty in Galveston Yeah, so. There’s this thing… Read more »
As an American-born Chinese, I grew up in a small, southern town in North Carolina and spent my summers off in Shanghai, China. In our house, when my sister and I weren’t watching Nickelodeon, we were watching Chinese dramas like Huan Zhu Ge Ge, or “Return of the Pearl Princess.” Even though I couldn’t understand… Read more »
Go to any bookstore or library in China and you’ll find hundreds of novels written in boxlike characters made up of different undulating strokes and curvy lines (like this: 爱). In a large bookstore chain like XinHua, you’ll find those same books stacked alongside a section of “foreign works,” often written in English or their… Read more »
The notion that one should not understand too much about how to write is very common in writing workshops across the country. The refrain is that one should only write. I don’t think that attitude is helpful. We value experiment in science; we respect practice and rehearsal in theater and music; yet many fiction writers… Read more »
Okay! I wrote a bunch of short stories—now what do I do with them? – The Next Jane Austen Congrats! You’ve put on your silvery boxing pants, got your boxing gloves on, stuck that plastic guard between your teeth. Finishing something is no small accomplishment. (Pumping “Eye of the Tiger” at full blast during the… Read more »
This is the fourth post in my series on the benefits of writing with an outline. In my first post, I listed three reasons why most writers need an outline. In the second, I discussed three things to keep in mind when creating an outline. In the third, I talked about how to use one while drafting. In this… Read more »
“I just got a book of character archetypes, but it seems so limiting. Do I really have to categorize all of my characters into these types?” –Confused & Characterless To answer your question, Confused & Characterless, I give you another quote: “They’re more like guidelines than actual rules.” –Captain Barbossa I highly approve of character… Read more »
