Hey there word nerds! If you haven’t already noticed, our Facebook community has been hopping lately and it’s all because of the DIY MFA Book Club. If you’re not already a part of it, there’s still time to join! Just go to DIYMFA.com/BookClub and sign up. The book club was inspired by the DIY MFA… Read more »
It’s well into January and by now, you’ve probably read about the most common (and achievable) New Year’s resolutions. Or articles challenging you to read all 2017 National Book Award nominees. Or a testimony on the best techniques for writing poems, essays, or novels, distilling the whole process into three easy steps. It seems everyone… Read more »
What is a reader thinking when he or she reads your work? We all experience an inner dialogue about the world around us. During reading it’s the same: consuming words wakes up the voices in our heads. What we really want is for our readers to be asking the right questions. Things like ‘what happens next?’… Read more »
What does it mean to leave a legacy? Typically it implies that someone has handed down something of value to a successor or the next generation. That legacy can be tangible (wealth, property, artistic works) or intangible (influence on a field or industry, life lessons), and its impacts can sometimes change the world forever. In… Read more »
Every so often, it’s important to pause for a moment and take stock of where you’ve been and where you’re going. I like to do this around holiday time, particularly around Thanksgiving, because it reminds me of all the things I have to be thankful for… things I’ve overcome in my writing journey as well… Read more »
You may have seen the title of this post and thought I was going to talk about travel writing. But that’s not the only genre of creative nonfiction in which you can write about place! A common misconception about writing about place in creative nonfiction is that you have to write about particularly exotic spaces…. Read more »
Rick Kerb’s Little Miss Sunshine (featuring Alan Arkin, Steve Carell, and Abigail Breslin) won the Oscar for best original screenplay in 2007, and for a good reason. Not only does this film follow a cast of colorful characters, the story also thrives on sharp, engaging dialogue rich with tension. But what can screenwriting teach fiction… Read more »
Just in time for the holiday! Here are some writing lessons from Santa and insights about how the Big Guy in the red suit tackles obstacles and maintains his creative momentum, even during the chaos of the holiday season. Mr. Claus is a wise man. In fact, when it comes to important things like making… Read more »
In November, I attended the New England Crime Bake, an annual conference held in the Boston area for crime writers and lovers of crime writing. This year’s guest of honor was New York Times best-selling author Lisa Gardner. She taught a Master Class on character development filled with amazing insights and advice. Below are a… Read more »
Some holiday inspiration for your writing and creative life! Sending you all loads of literary love this holiday season! Recently, I had a chance to visit the North Pole and chat it up with Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Let me tell you, that is one optimistic little squirt if I ever saw one. And a… Read more »
