Hello, readers! I’m so excited to share with you my interview with Finola Austin, an historical fiction author who just published her debut novel in early August 2020. Finola and I connected at the Writer’s Digest Conference in 2018 and I’ve eagerly cheered her querying and publishing successes. Finola has some fantastic tips for writers,… Read more »
Well hello there, writers! How are you all doing out there? Oh, you’re struggling? Yeah, me too. At least, I’m struggling to write this post. You see, this is the first post I’ve written for DIY MFA since the pandemic started, and when it goes live, we’ll probably still be under some level of quarantine…. Read more »
Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the trio of “Be Well, Write Well” interviews from Julie Maloney, Carol Van Den Hende, and Karen Kaufman Orloff. I learned a lot from studying their habits and schedules. Schedules and commitments are at the forefront of my mind these days, as I recently did an interview on the… Read more »
Welcome to the third installment of our interview series on authors’ writing and wellness habits! Today’s interviewee is Karen Kaufman Orloff, author of several well-known children’s books, including the I Wanna Iguana series. Karen lives and works in the Hudson Valley, as I do, and I’ve known of her work for years but hadn’t had… Read more »
Hello, readers! Today, and for the next few columns, I’m taking a departure from my usual format. Like many of you, I want to learn more about how other writers work, live, and balance it all. I’m interviewing writers at all stages of life and career about their writing process, habits, routine, and wellness tips…. Read more »
2017 has been an insanely difficult year. From political strife to domestic terrorism, hurricanes and refugees to cyber warfare and nuclear tension, we are exposed to human suffering and fear on a daily, sometimes even hourly, basis. For sanity’s sake, we can limit our social media and news access, but no one can completely turn… Read more »
It’s September, which means back-to-school time in most parts of the United States. Whether or not you are personally going back to school, or have children who do, the early days of September prompt us into a learning mindset. One of the blessings of living in modern times is the wide availability of educational sources:… Read more »
Hi, I’m Leanne: an INFJ, Open Introvert/Extrovert, Acts of Service, Upholder, Lark, Marathoner, Finisher, and a 2/6/8 on the Enneagram scale. I’m a personality test junkie: I love taking quizzes and reading books that teach me about myself. In today’s post, I’m going to tell you why these personality frameworks can help you know yourself… Read more »
There are many fringe benefits that come with being a writer. Coffee, for instance: no one ever judges a writer for refilling her coffee mug, or for possessing large quantities of pens and notebooks, or going on a book-buying spree for “research” purposes. But there’s one big negative that can affect our health, happiness and… Read more »
Breathe in… I wonder who’s the guest on The Daily Show tonight? Breathe out… I really liked Trevor Noah’s memoir. I should recommend it to my book club. Breathe in… Focus! You’re supposed to be clearing your mind. Breathe out… What should I make for supper tonight? If you’ve tried meditation, does this sound familiar? When I first… Read more »
