Few writers can thrive in isolation. Sooner or later, we all need a little boost in our writing, some external structure to help us make the jump to the next level. And a writing workshop can be a great way to do that. When I use the term “writing workshop” I’m talking about a group… Read more »
“Will there be a recording of the DIY MFA Online Workshop?” This was perhaps the most common question I got after the workshop this past week so I thought it would share the answer on the website today, along with the concepts that this question brought up. First, the short answer. Will there be a… Read more »
Whether you love children’s books or you haven’t read a kid’s book since you we’re a kid yourself, , we writers have one thing in common: we were all kids once. At some point in our lives, we all had that experience of finding a book that captured us in a profound way and chances… Read more »
Last week we talked about why writers should write guest posts and five different strategies where guest posts can writers build their audience. Today we’ll go over how to navigate this process of pitching and writing guest posts including the before, during and after. The process might seem a little intimidating but once you’ve done… Read more »
With 2012 drawing to a close, we wanted to share a few of our favorite articles from DIY MFA with you. But before we get to that, here’s a recap of how DIY MFA works. While in graduate school, I discovered that the typical Creative Writing MFA boils down to one simple formula. Some graduate… Read more »
Every writer wants something. Maybe it’s an extra hour in the day so you can be more productive. Maybe it’s an extra-special fountain pen or notebook. Maybe it’s having the cat stop chewing on the corners of your manuscript. We don’t ask for much, but when it comes right down to it, the thing all… Read more »
Lately at DIY MFA, we’ve been talking about goal-setting. Now, I’m going to round out the week with a bit of goal-keeping. Writing can sometimes feel a lot like goal-tending in a hockey game. Ken Dryden – former goalie for the Montreal Canadiens – said, “Because the demands on the goalies are mostly mental, for… Read more »
Hello everyone! Today’s Write It! Wednesday isn’t so much a prompt as it is a freebie download. I’ve put together a set of worksheets to help you map out your goals for next year. To download your free Writing Goals Sheet, just click the link. In the next few weeks we’ll have a couple more… Read more »
Pavlov was onto something. The cliché says that writing is its own reward. And the cliché is true. However, a system of physical rewards for your literary triumphs can be a powerful motivator in helping you reach the goals you set yourself. Ideally, these rewards are a celebration, an inspiration and a motivation. They’ll not… Read more »
Yesterday we talked about measuring success as a writer and later in the week, we’ll have a guest article on celebrating success, but today I wanted to get you all thinking about the various things you accomplished this year. Many of us live in a culture where it’s not polite to talk about our own… Read more »
