Announcing the DIY MFA Weekend Writing Sprint!

November is almost here and with it comes pumpkin spice everything, splashy fall colors and a chance to show off the sweaters I knit over the summer. But even better November brings one of my favorite writing events of the year: NaNoWriMo. Full disclosure: I’ve never actually done NaNoWriMo, at least in a way that would qualify… Read more »

Announcing New Writing Resources at DIY MFA

We’ve introduced the DIY MFA reading and community resources, but in the end, it all comes down to writing. Sooner or later writers need to get their backsides in the chair and do the work. To that end, we’ve created a go-to list of writing resources here at DIY MFA so that you to help… Read more »

What I Learned About Building a Book from Stuart Horwitz

Stuart Horwitz is the founder and principal of Book Architecture, a firm of independent editors based in Providence and Boston. Book Architecture’s clients have reached the best-seller list in both fiction and non-fiction, and have appeared on Oprah!, The Today Show, The Tonight Show, and in the most prestigious journals in their respective fields. Horwitz… Read more »

What I Learned from the Terrible Mind of Chuck Wendig

Chuck is the author of the published novels: Blackbirds, Mockingbird, Under the Empyrean Sky, Blue Blazes, Double Dead, Bait Dog, Dinocalypse Now, Beyond Dinocalypse and Gods & Monsters: Unclean Spirits. He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is an alum of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter’s Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, showed at the… Read more »

What I Learned About Balancing Writing and Life From Elizabeth Craig

Elizabeth Craig’s latest book, “Death at a Drop-In” , released in August and “Quilt Trip” launches this December. Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin/Berkley (as Riley Adams), the Southern Quilting mysteries for Penguin/NAL, and the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink and independently. She blogs at Mystery Writing is Murder which was named… Read more »

What I Learned About Connecting With Readers From Dan Blank

Dan Blank helps writers find and engage readers. He teaches online courses, workshops and does private consulting with authors and publishers. He has written several Writer’s Guides, all available on his website, on blogging, social media and email marketing.  You can find him at WeGrowMedia.com and on Twitter at @DanBlank When writers come to me asking… Read more »

What I Learned About Finding Story Ideas from Julie Duffy

Julie Duffy is a writer and the host of StoryADay May, an annual creativity challenge for short story writers. Julie has also published two books for writers, BECOMING A BETTER WRITER, and BREAKING THROUGH WRITER’S BLOCK. Julie Duffy will be talking about the creative process at Lit Loft. Follow her twitter (@storyadaymay) or find StoryADay… Read more »

What I Learned About Motivation from James Scott Bell

JAMES SCOTT BELL is the author of the #1 bestseller for writers, Plot & Structure, and numerous thrillers, including Don’t Leave Me, Try Dying and Watch Your Back. His novella One More Lie was the first self-published work to be nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award. Under the pen name K. Bennett, he is… Read more »

Build Good Writing Habits

To celebrate the upcoming DIY MFA event, Lit Loft 2013, my team and I have put together a series of videos designed to help you write more, write better, write smarter. If you’re on the DIY MFA list, you’ve already gotten a sneak peek but now we’re sharing these videos with the world. We hope… Read more »

Introducing Lit Loft 2013

I am so excited to share this news on the website with you today! This has been in the works for months now and today finally enough of the pieces are in place that I can share details with you. Lit Loft 2013–a DIY MFA online event event–is officially a go. Watch the website because… Read more »