So you want to be a better writer, huh? You’ll need to read. A lot. And not just books on the craft (of writing), but books in every genre, targeting every age group. Books will teach you to be a better writer. How, you say? Pull up a chair and I’ll share. Here is a… Read more »
When I was a kid, books were like my third parent. I absorbed the wholesome lessons of loyalty to friends, obedience to parents and faith in myself as if a stack of children’s novels were my personal guide to life. At the time, I didn’t consider the impact that children’s literature would have on me… Read more »
Historical fiction is like your personal time machine. Hop into a book and whisk off to medieval England, the Wild West, or ancient Rome—the options are endless. Historical fiction takes facts and events from the past and deftly weaves them into a fictional tale about characters we grow to love. Plenty of recent books for… Read more »
Every month or two, DIY MFA’s Wendy Lu will be hosting “New Spin,” a column that covers everything that falls within alternative storytelling: literary mash-ups, books that put a new spin on classic stories, and “meta-books” that use new media, graphic illustrations, and interaction between words/design for an enhanced reader experience. Whether your English teacher… Read more »
Superheroes are not just for kids anymore, if they ever really were. With the popularity of the Marvel movies and television shows, people in capes and spandex out to save or rule the world have definitely gone mainstream. As a lifelong comic book reader and superhero story fan, I couldn’t be happier about that. … Read more »
America is a nation of immigrants, and theme of being an “outsider” is a common one in our literature. A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about five great American novels that feature male protagonists. This week, I’ll be doing the same with books that feature female protagonists. This is just the tip of the iceberg,… Read more »
Stories often feature characters who share traits or functions but use them in opposite ways. Think about Frodo Baggins and Gollum, Harry Potter and Voldemort, or Marianne and Elinor Dashwood. The characters in each pair reflect one another’s similarities while contrasting their differences in approaching those similarities. These pairs are known as “mirror characters” –… Read more »
Do you know a tween or young teen who has moved on from Harry Potter but isn’t ready for Hunger Games? Loved Inkheart but found Twilight too heavy on the sappy romance? Have I got the list for you! From under-aged criminals to giant cockroaches, there are some attention-grabbing books available! Here are five fantasy/science fiction… Read more »
I had never even heard of steampunk before I got a job at a Victorian Fair one summer. The woman leading the orientation asked us for examples of “Victorian-themed” movies that we could use for inspiration. Someone suggested a Sherlock Holmes movie and she said, “No, that’s more steampunk.” My mind snapped to attention and… Read more »
I never thought I’d be an audiobook lover. I thought audiobook narrators were unnecessary middlemen, interfering with the golden process of communion between the author’s brain and my own. But practicality sometimes trumps ideals: when I started commuting half an hour each way to work, I decided to hang up my reservations and give myself… Read more »
