What’s a Love Story Without a Few Bumps Along the Road? When last we left you, we were extolling the virtues of our critique group. Nothing has changed on that front, but it’s not the whole picture. We have our dysfunctions and challenges. Several challenges were logistics out of our control: managing four time zones;… Read more »
Today’s episode is our monthly Craft Jam. This is a new feature at DIY MFA, where once a month, Christa and I will be jamming about the craft. In these episodes, we’ll be doing a deep dive into various craft topics like character development, story structure, world building and more. This month’s episode is a… Read more »
I can’t encircle the trunk with my arms or see the top. Douglas Fir trees are like that. 500-year old giants, they stretch straight to the sky, snag clouds, and create their own weather. The bark smells of cinnamon and moisture, and if I am not careful, it will leave a scratch or two on… Read more »
You’ve finished your manuscript, congratulations! Now what? After all these months or years spent on your book, you’re fairly close to the material and it can be hard to objectively assess your own work. So, it’s time for others’ feedback. TIME FOR FEEDBACK Feedback will help you make the book the best it can be…. Read more »
Writing through thick and thin is not easy. Every writer’s life has thin stretches which overwhelm the importance of writing. Illness, death of a loved one, financial disaster, and now in climate change, weather related disasters: all overwhelm. All terrible, all distracting. Life has thick stretches too, joyous events such as marriage, childbirth, raising happy… Read more »
Well-crafted plot twists have the power to leave readers breathless, reeling with shock and excitement, their impact lingering long after the story’s been read. And nowhere are they more important than in horror and thriller fiction. Keeping our genre readers guessing and on the edge of their seats is absolutely crucial to our success. A… Read more »
You wrote an amazing romance novel. Your book cover is dy-no-mite, and your back cover blurb is jump-up-and-slap-your-Pappy enticing! You hooked up with IngramSpark to give your book global distribution, plus, it’s available on Amazon. But you have near ZERO sales. What went wrong? I’m guessing you failed to promote your book. Promoting your book… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Kathy Reichs. We’ll be talking about her book The Bone Hacker and how to craft a bestselling thriller series. Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA. You’ll learn more about… Read more »
I’m in a few writers’ groups on Facebook, and at least once a day, I see someone posting that they need an editor. Social media is a powerful tool for connecting writers with qualified editors. And I’m totally an advocate for using it—correctly. Unfortunately, most of the posts asking for editors get bombarded with responses… Read more »
Happy Sunday, Leisure Learners!! While school is literally always open here at DIY MFA, September has a special feel for passionate learners like ourselves. That sparkle filled with notebooks and pens and elevated thoughts enters the ether as we put aside the beachy reads and fall in love once again with our most substantial literary… Read more »
