#5onFri: Five Reasons ThrillerFest ROCKS!

I spent the first week in July at ThrillerFest, the major conference run by ITW (International Thriller Writers). As someone who spends a big chunk of each year at various conferences, I’m not supposed to play favorites, but come on we all have favorites, and it’s not like I’m choosing from among my children. So… Read more »

Episode 51: Interview with Calee Lee of Xist Publishing

Hello and welcome to another exciting episode of DIY MFA Radio! Today I’m interviewing Calee Lee, the founder and CEO of Xist Publishing, the largest independent digital-first children’s publisher. She is also the author of more than 15  books for children. Dedicated to helping kids develop a lifetime love of reading, she founded Xist Publishing in… Read more »

Episode 50: How to Create Your Own Mini Writing Retreat

Hey Word Nerds! Welcome to another episode of DIY MFA Radio. Back in June, I went on my first mini writing retreat right here in my hometown of New York City. I didn’t go far from home–just a couple of miles–but I left the house, went to a hotel and spent about 24 hours immersed in my writing…. Read more »

Announcing Writer Igniter Con!

OMG, I have been holding onto this secret for weeks now and I’m so unbelievably excited to share the news. Drumroll please… DIY MFA is hosting its first ever online writing conference! I have been a combination of nervous and excited about this announcement and I haven’t been able to keep my head on straight for the past few… Read more »

Episode 47: Honor Your Reality

Hey Word Nerds! Thanks so much for being here with me today. In this episode we’re going to talk about something that’s near and dear to my heart and is a bit of DIY MFA’s core philosophy. It’s called honoring your reality. I usually only share this technique with my DIY MFA 101 course, but in light… Read more »