Middle-Grade Fantasy Challenges

Middle-Grade Fantasy Challenges

One would think it would be easier and more simplistic to be a writer of middle-grade fantasy, but as I get into my writing, I find myself encountering several challenges along the way.  Age-appropriate content Middle-grade fantasy is usually written for readers around 8-12 years old, so it’s essential I keep a balance between creating… Read more »

Prioritizing Plans Over Writing Goals

Prioritizing Plans Over Writing Goals

Earlier this week, a query response popped up in my inbox. I’ve been shopping around my second novel for almost a year, and even though I’ve sent back a revise-and-resubmit to an agent, it’s been hard to stay optimistic. Naturally, I steeled myself for the worse as I clicked that ominous bold subject.  It was… Read more »

Challenges on the Path to Discovery

Challenges on the Path to Discovery

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 »

The Beauty of Beta Readers!

The Beauty of Beta Readers!

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

Writing Through Thick and Thin

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 »

Is Your Romance Novel Circling the Drain?

Is Your Romance Novel Circling the Drain?

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 »

A Template for Asking for an Editor

A Template for Asking for an Editor

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 »

Leisure Learning, August 2023: Keeping It Old School

Leisure Learning, August 2023: Keeping It Old School

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 »

A Down and Dirty Guide to Short Fiction

A Down and Dirty Guide to Short Fiction

What Is A Short Story?  For the most part, a short story is most often defined by word count (1,000 – 7,500 words) and the complexity of the story. It’s easiest to define a short story by comparing it to longer forms of fiction, such as novels. Short stories generally have a fewer number of… Read more »